JUST IN: Purdue transfer that is productive Logan Sutter explains his choice to play baseball for USC.

After one of the worst seasons in school history, South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri has a lot of issues to deal with with his squad this offseason.

Mainieri promised to use recruitment to address the issues, mostly from junior colleges and the NCAA transfer portal. That is exactly what he and Terry Rooney, the recruitment coordinator, have done. Out of those two talent streams, the Gamecocks have 16 commitments, and more are probably on the way. Logan Sutter, a Purdue infielder, was one of the key acquisitions. With a.349 hitting average, 23 home runs, and 99 RBIs over the previous two seasons, the California product was among the Big 10’s top hitters.

Rooney had recruited Sutter to Purdue before leaving for LSU in 2024. Once Sutter entered the portal, Rooney made contact. And after also talking with Mainieri, Sutter knew he had found his spot. “Obviously, Coach Mainieri is a big-time name. Playing for someone like that is going to be really exciting in the SEC,” Sutter said. “I just liked the way he talks about the program and what they are trying to do. They want to rebuild the program and make it what it used to be.” Sutter played first base at Purdue, but that spot is taken by Beau Hollins at USC. He played mostly at third base in junior college, and can also play second.

“I’m a hitter, an offensive guy, so kind of just finding a spot,” Sutter said. “They talked about some third base, some second base for me, but just kind of finding a spot that fits into the lineup well. Whatever I can do to help us win. I definitely wouldn’t say I’m strictly a power hitter. I hit a lot of doubles and have a high average.” Sutter excelled for two seasons against Big Ten pitching, but he understands he’s stepping up in class in the SEC in terms of the kind of arms he’ll see every weekend.

Sutter asserted that the SEC is a distinct entity. My primary motivation for using the gateway was to escape the Big Ten and locate a place in the SEC, such as South Carolina. I can’t wait to compete with and against every SEC team. It will take Sutter until the end of August to get to Columbia. He’s playing summer ball in California in the interim to keep in shape for the Gamecocks’ fall practice. Sutter stated, “I’m attempting to maintain my swing and not really alter it in that area.” “Just resume playing second base and third base.” Since I first played the entire season, it is important for me to return to those positions and regain my comfort level there.