Mark Kingston names starting second baseman, updates Jordan Carrion situation

Over the course of the next few days, South Carolina head coach Mark Kingston will be forced to make some tough decisions. But it seems he already has one box checked as he figures out what his Opening Day lineup will look like.

“Parker Noland will open the year at second base,” Kingston said.

Noland, a fifth-year infielder, played the previous four seasons at Vanderbilt and appeared in 192 games for the Commodores. He had arguably the best season of his career in 2023, where he hit .277/.367/.455 with nine homers and 39 RBI. He also picked up 64 hits, tied for the most in a single season by him.

[GamecockCentral for $1: In-depth coverage and a great community]

For Kingston, there was a lot to like about him. But one of the things he pointed out when going through his decision-making process was who has experience. By virtue of playing in the SEC for so long, it was clear Noland knew what it took to be successful. He also just proved to be the best option at a position that needed filling.

“He’s a mature kid, he’s a strong guy,” Kingston said. “He takes quality at-bats, he hits the ball very hard. And he’s a very reliable defender at second base. He just knows how to play the game. He’s a nice addition for us.”

[Newsletters: Get breaking news and analysis from GamecockCentral]

While Noland will be at second base to start the year, that doesn’t mean things can’t change as the season moves along. Kingston mentioned there are other players who could see time at the position in the future.

(Tristan) Salinas is a depth guy right now, (Tyler) Causey can also slide over there. And then if (Jordan) Carrion is eligible, he would be a guy that can play there as well,” Kingston said.

[On3 App: Get South Carolina push notifications from GamecockCentral]

Specifically with Carrion, he’s been seeing a lot of action at second base during the preseason scrimmages. However, South Carolina is going through a battle with the NCAA to determine whether or not Carrion will be eligible to play this season as a two-time transfer. After Kingston spoke about it nearly two weeks ago, it seems everything is still up in the air.

“There’s no telling,” he said. “You turn in everything and then you’re at the mercy of their timeline. We turned in everything last week. It was officially received and now it’s in process.”

Discuss South Carolina baseball on The Insiders Forum!