Top High School Pitching Prospect Commits To Coachless Baseball Program

The top pitching prospect in the state of South Carolina made his college baseball commitment on Thursday. Luke Roupe of North Myrtle Beach High School opted to keep his talents in the Palmetto State to represent a nearby university.

That school happens to be the South Carolina Gamecocks – a program that’s currently without a head coach!

Roupe is ranked by Perfect Game as a Top 200 recruit in the 2025 class, and he was downright dominant in his senior season. The righty stands 6-5 and tips the scales at over 200 pounds – looking college ready before stepping foot on campus.

As a hitter, he posted a .400 batting average while smacking a trio of home runs in 2023-24. His NCAA future, though, appears to be on the mound.

Roupe was 7-1 this past campaign with a miniscule 0.64 ERA. He boasts deadly arsenal from the rubber which he uses to keep opposing hitter off balance.

Roupe has topped out at 95 mph with his fastball but pitches in the 92-mph range. He also throws a 12-6 curve ball, slider, and a changeup.

-John Whittle, 24/7 Sports

Previously committed to SEC rival Vanderbilt, Roupe flipped his pledge on Thursday. He kept his social media following up to date with a message on his X timeline.

All inpic.twitter.com/KhzNOzjOr8

— Luke Roupe (@LukeRoupe19)

Twitter

Luke Roupe says his ties to the program were enough to convince him to stay in state. He attended South Carolina football games with friends growing up and says it’s “where [he] should be.”

There’s one interesting caveat that comes with that commitment, though.

The South Carolina baseball team doesn’t have a head coach!

Mark Kingston was fired at season’s end following consecutive losses to NC State and James Madison in the NCAA Tournament. While a shortlist of replacements has been revealed, cloudiness remains regarding the leader in the clubhouse.

Cliff Godwin of East Carolina is a name that’s been trending in connection with the opening after leading the Pirates to a Top 16 national seed this past season. A sudden exodus of players into the transfer portal has further fueled speculation surrounding his candidacy.

While rumors revolving around Godwin spread, recruits and current players continue to voice their support for interim head coach Monte Lee.

Lee played a role in Luke Roupe’s flip, too.

“I’ve talked to Monte [Lee] a lot,” Roupe told 24/7 Sports. “I talked to him when he was [head coach] at Clemson and talked to him when he first got to South Carolina. We built a relationship and I’ve always liked talking to him. He’s the kind of coach I want to play for.”

Does he know something that we don’t happening behind the scenes in the search? Time will tell! As it stands, a South Carolina baseball program without a coach was somehow able to convince a top prospect to join the team!

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