South Carolina transfer portal commitment Caleb Denny breaks down decision
New South Carolina commitment Caleb Denny knew getting recruited out of the portal would be insanely hectic. Even he couldn’t predict how quickly it moved.
After opting to transfer, he heard from a flurry of schools but ultimately landed on the Gamecocks.
The polished left-handed bat took a visit to South Carolina and committed almost immediately after, announcing his decision Thursday night.
“I got in the portal and it was kind of crazy,” Denny told GamecockCentral. “Got a tour of the facilities. I talked to the coaches, met a few guys and got an offer and I decided pretty quickly on it.”
Denny’s numbers are the most prolific for the Gamecocks’ transfer portal class, putting together an All-Summit league performance this season.
In 271 plate appearances, last season at Oral Roberts he slashed .331/.389/.565 with 11 home runs and 57 runs driven in to pair with 19 doubles.
He arrived on campus and, after getting to meet with the coaching staff and players, he was ready to commit.
“The SEC, and then the relationship with the coaches I felt were pretty good. All the conversations I had were really good with everyone: coaches all the way down to the equipment managers,” he said. “That was a big factor for me. It just felt like the right fit. Obviously, the facilities were really good.”
Denny also liked what he heard from South Carolina recruiting coordinator and hitting coach Chad Caillet.
Caillet puts a high premium on left-handed bats with a track record of developing them. That was certainly attractive for Denny, who can come in and compete for a starting spot right away.
“What I liked about him was he was really straightforward and honest,” he said of Caillet. “I didn’t feel like I was being sold a used car or anything. I felt like I had pretty genuine conversations.”
Defensively, Denny will likely slot into right field as Andrew Eyster’s replacement.
He could also play a corner infield spot or left field. But his biggest role won’t be as a defender but as someone expected to produce in the middle of South Carolina’s order.
“It was mentioned the lineup was pretty righty heavy last year,” he said. “Being a lefty I hope that balances everything out with righty sliders and all that in the SEC. I would describe myself as a power hitter, so adding a little bit of juice to the lineup.”
