South Carolina has a first day pick in the MLB Draft. Outfielder Ethan Petry was selected with the No. 49 overall pick by the Washington Nationals. Petry, a three year starter for the Gamecocks, ended up being selected in the second round.
The slot value for Petry is $1,984,200. He’s the first South Carolina player selected by the Nationals since Wil Crowe went in the second round in 2017.
Petry finished his career with 54 home runs, which was second-most in program history, behind only the 62 of Justin Smoak. Petry also had 162 career RBIs in his 168 games played, and fell six RBIs short of 10th in program history.
The first season for Petry was his best with the Gamecocks. He was named a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and was also a Freshman All-American by multiple publications. He was also a first-team All-American by NCBWA and second-team All-American by Baseball America. He was also the National Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game.
Petry’s numbers were similar in many respects his sophomore year, but his batting average and RBIs dropped off while his walks dramatically increased. He had the same .471 on-base percentage as a sophomore as he did as a freshman.
Without much protection in the lineup, Petry’s power numbers dropped off, but his batting average increased from .306 to .321. He was only able to play in 44 of the team’s 57 games due to a shoulder injury suffered against Kentucky. Petry finished the season hitting .321 with 10 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs with 34 RBIs. He had a .437 on-base percentage and .590 slugging percentage.’
South Carolina had three players who were selected in the MLB Draft last year, led by catcher Cole Messina, who went in the third round with the No. 77 overall pick.