South Carolina transfer portal commit has 'some thunder in his bat'
When South Carolina assistant Chad Caillet called Richy Harrelson about Jacob Compton, the conversation was short and sweet.
The Gamecocks were in the thick of recruiting Compton and Caillet called Harrelson, Compton’s junior college coach, to see what Harrelson thought of his former player.
Harrelson couldn’t say enough good things.
“I said, ‘Chad, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t see the pitching y’all see every day. So I can’t tell you he’s going to hit SEC pitching.’ But I said, ‘Chad, there is some thunder in his bat.’ He hits it a long way,” Harrelson told GamecockCentral.
“He said, ‘Rich, it flies out of here,’ and I responded, ‘well, he’ll fit in good. When he comes in here and you guys take BP the first couple of days, you’ll be blown away by how much power he has.’ There’s some serious thunder in his bat.”
The Gamecocks ultimately landed Compton. The utility player will transfer this August to South Carolina after a career that started at Northeast Mississippi.
Harrelson got Compton for two years before the first baseman headed to Memphis. He got to see Compton develop before beginning his Division I career.
He watched last season as Compton slashed .291/.365/.540 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI for the Tigers.
It won’t be easy to replicate as he makes the jump to the SEC, but Harrelson thinks the Gamecocks are getting a serious power hitter on campus for next season.
“If he can find a way to be an everyday guy—which there are no guarantees in that league,” Harrelson said, “I can see him running 12 or 14 home runs out of there.”
Compton isn’t just a power guy, Harrelson said. He’s also someone who sees the game well and can help make an offense click.
“With Comp, he understands the situational hitting side. That’s the thing I’ve been most impressed with him,” he said. “When he was at Memphis, he was really good at collecting RBIs. He was good at that and understood that…He’s just good at seeing the game as well.”
The next step for Compton is to not get pull happy, which will be what he needs to work on getting to South Carolina.
If he can do that, then he has a chance to make an immediate and positive impact on the Gamecocks’ offense.
Harrelson called him a “team captain type of guy” who “just keeps getting better.”
South Carolina is certainly hoping so as he enrolls this summer.
“South Carolina came calling. He’s always wanted to play in the SEC,” Harrelson said. “I think you guys are getting a steal in him that nobody really knows about. Everywhere he’s ever been he’s just found a way to succeed.”
