Jordan Stephens

BASEBALL NOTES: I know it’s football season and some are only focused on that right now but in some recent conversations with a source I asked about some players they would highlight as having very good starts in these early weeks of practice. PITCHERS: Though it’s very early and they’ve only thrown a bullpen or two, the pitchers highlighted to me were Brandon Stone, Jordan Stephens, Andrew Koshy, and Greg Shaw III. •Brandon Stone is one of six returners from last year’s team and has spent the past two years with the Gamecocks. Over 131 career innings at the D1 level he has pitched to a 5.77 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP with 105 K’s. He will be an older arm and a leader with the Gamecocks entering his 4th college season. •Jordan Stephens hasn’t had major success at the D1 level but it isn’t for a lack of “stuff”. He has a fastball that has been up to 100mph in the past along with a wicked changeup that averaged a 140 stuff+ in one of his outings this summer, a cutter, and a curve. He shined in the Cape Cod league this summer pitching to a a 1.06 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, a .155 batting average against and 27 strikeouts. The staff believes he has ace stuff and could not only compete for a weekend rotation spot but a Friday night role. Over two seasons at Georgia he pitched to a 5.77 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP with 45 K’s over 39 innings pitched. •Andrew Koshy isn’t a name I have mentioned a ton since he committed but he has been “nasty” according to the source. He’s a low 3/4 arm slot pitcher who started his career in the Wake Forest pitching lab then took his talents to Maryland where he had moderate success over two seasons. He has been up to 94 with his fastball and also throws and a sinker and a slider. He has totaled 75 innings at the college level, pitching to a 6.72 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP with 74 K’s. •Greg Shaw III has some questions on whether or not he’ll be eligible or not but either way he will continue to practice with the team and has been highlighted as an early standout. Shaw has spent 4 seasons at the D1 level with Manhattan college and UConn. He has totaled 168 innings, pitching to a 4.23 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP with 157 strikeouts. As I stated whether or not he’ll be eligible remains an unknown at the moment but he would be a big piece for the Gamecocks pitching staff. BATS: Though you see a little more from the bats than the arms it’s still not a ton but the names that were specifically mentioned to me were Andrew Costello and Connor Shouse. @johnmwhittle also mentioned, Jackson Winer in his report and though he wasn’t brought up by name to me, when I asked they agreed with that statement. •Andrew Costello has been very highly hyped up since he committed to the Gamecocks and the early returns have been he’s gonna earn every bit of that hype. He’s a little undersized put the power comes at a plus level and he looks to be a middle of the order bat for the Gamecocks in 2026. In his lone season with Wake Forest he slashed .244/.321/.382 with a .703 OPS, 3 doubles, 4 homers, and 17 RBI in 123 at-bats. Costello won the 2026 Cape Cod League batting title when he slashed .361/.448/.557 with a 1.005 OPS, 7 doubles, 4 homers, and 19 RBI in 97 at-bats. •Connor Shouse was describe as the “real deal”. He was the top portal pick up (No. 1 portal player by 64 Analytics) for the Gamecocks this offseason and they had to survive the MLB draft to gain his services after he slashed .353/.431/.595 with a 1.026 OPS, 18 doubles, 10 homers, and 66 RBI for Texas Tech this past season. He looks poised to be a middle of the order bat for the Gamecocks in 2027.

Staff believes he can be an ace. He certainly showed he has that potential this summer. His changeup averaged 140 stuff+ in one of his outings and for reference the major league average stuff+ for a pitch is 100. One to watch for not only the weekend rotation but the Friday night role.

Interview With Former Georgia And Current South Carolina RHP, Jordan Stephens: (Sarge)- “What first got you into baseball, and when did you realize you wanted to play at the college level?” (Jordan)- “I first got into baseball around the age of 4. I grew up with 4 siblings so we played baseball almost everyday, about as soon as I could throw and catch. I realized I wanted to play at the college level in 7th grade.” (Sarge)- “Who has been the biggest influence on your baseball career (coach, parent, mentor, player)?” (Jordan)- “Definitely my parents. They have sacrificed so much for me to be able to play.” (Sarge)- “When and how did you first connect with the coaching staff?” (Jordan)- “I connected with Coach Williams about a week after I entered the portal over a phone call and then I really liked the plan he had for me and the plan he had for the future of gamecock baseball.” (Sarge)- “Coming to South Carolina from Georgia what are some lessons you learned there and how have you adjusted to college baseball? And what do you plan to do to continue to improve after your career?” (Jordan)- “Coming to South Carolina from Georgia has taught me a lot about what it takes to compete at the college level. In Georgia, I learned the value of hard work and competing every day, but college baseball showed me that everyone is talented, so consistency and preparation make the biggest difference. Adjusting to the speed of the game and balancing baseball with school has helped me become more disciplined and mature, both on and off the field. Looking ahead, I plan to continue improving by staying committed to learning, taking care of my body, and finding ways to get better every day. Even after my playing career ends, I hope to use the lessons baseball has taught me such as leadership, perseverance, and teamwork to succeed in my career and continue making a positive impact on others.” (Sarge)- “Before Georgia you were a JUCO bandit. What did JUCO ball teach you and how was that experience?” (Jordan)- “It was a great experience for sure! It definitely taught me how to get things done and take more accountability in my daily actions.” (Sarge)- “What are you most excited about regarding the team, facilities, or coaching staff?” (Jordan)- “The team for sure! The coaching staff has gotten some very good players committed so i’m ready to get to know them. I’ve also played against some of them in the cape and they are very good in my opinion.” (Sarge)- “How do you see yourself fitting into the roster and contributing?” (Jordan)- “I see myself competing all fall and hopefully I am able to help our team win in any position i’m needed in!” (Sarge)- “What are your personal and team goals for this year and beyond?” (Jordan)- “My personal goals for the year are just to be who I know I can be on and off of the field. For the team is to make it to Omaha and win a National Championship.” (Sarge)- “How do you mentally prepare for high-pressure situations or slumps?” (Jordan)- “The biggest thing for me is to just breathe and have belief in myself. Throughout the week I try to make my catch play and bullpens as game like as possible.” (Sarge)- “Favorite MLB player or team growing up, and why?” (Jordan)- “My favorite player is Bryce Harper. I like how he plays the game with so much passion.” (Sarge)- “What’s a non-baseball hobby or interest you’re looking forward to pursuing in college?” (Jordan)- “A non baseball hobby i’m looking forward to pursuing is golf. It definitely helps me forgot about all my worries when i’m out there on the course.” (Sarge)- “Any advice for younger players going through the recruiting process?” (Jordan)- “For younger players I would say the biggest thing is to truly take your time and find somewhere that is the best fit for you to grow on and off the field.”

Weekend Rotation Analysis No. 3: Jordan Stephens- •Right Handed •6’4”/210 •Rochelle, GA •Wilcox County HS There may not be a more high upside arm on this pitching staff than Georgia transfer, Jordan Stephens. Despite some inconsistency at Georgia he did show upside there. In his sophomore season he pitched to a 3.92 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, 27 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 20.2 innings pitched. Obviously the walks were an issue and have been since but that sophomore season showed a lot of upside. Unfortunately the numbers took a significant dip in his junior year when he pitched to a 7.85 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 18 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 18.1 innings. The walks went slightly down but were still coming at a very high rate as he still had a BB/9 of 5.9 in that season. The thing that gives me hope that he can turn into a weekend arm for the Gamecocks other than his stuff is the season he is having in the Cape. This summer in 17 innings in the Cape he has thrown to a 1.06 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, with 27 strikeouts and only 8 walks. He has also started 5 games. This has been the best stretch in his college career thus far and he has shown further improvement in the walk department. It’s been announced that he will have an opportunity to compete for a rotation and he may actually be one of my favorites to take one of those spots. He’s sat around the mid 90s this summer topping out at 97 mph but he has hit 100 in the past. Also has had IVB around 16. He has also thrown a cutter, curve, and a change. The curve has had a spin rate around 2500. The change up has been unreal though having a stuff+ number around 150. Cutter has been very good as well.