The Feed Pail: Baseball roster sees some shakeups

Welcome back to the feed pail, where we take a look around the internet for some choice South Carolina Gamecocks tidbits and share them back here with you. On the menu this evening: Next season’s baseball roster will have a different look, A’ja Wilson is still good at basketball, and some other stuff.

Cody Morris, Eddy Demurias ready to begin pro baseball careers — Lou Bejzak, The State

The pitching staff will have a different look for South Carolina next season, with starter Cody Morris and top reliever Eddy Demurias departing for The Show. Morris, a junior right-hander, signed with the Cleveland Indians, who chose him in the seventh round. Demurias, also a junior, was a 27th-round selection by the Cincinnati Reds.

With 10 total Gamecocks drafted and a number still weighing their decisions, there will be more news to come on this front.

Greenville Regional MVP Danny Blair to transfer out

In more baseball roster moves, Blair announced on his Twitter account that he’ll be taking his talents elsewhere, fresh off the heels of an inspiring postseason performance for the Gamecocks:

The lightly-used outfielder rose to prominence when his three-run homer against Ohio State helped propel South Carolina toward a Super Regional appearance. It’s a shame he’s leaving after etching his name in Gamecock lore, but it’s certainly understandable that he’d like more playing time.

Deebo Samuel named second-team Preseason All-American by Athlon

The season of football preview mags is blessedly upon us, and that means the return of Deebo Samuel is imminent, too. Athlon Sports pegged the versatile playmaker as a second-team All-American at both wide receiver and kick returner, so the national publication expects him to pick up right where he left off.

A’ja Wilson nominated for ESPY

The former South Carolina great, who is having an incredible rookie season so far for the Las Vegas Aces after going No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft, is up for ESPY award consideration. It’s retroactive, so she’s been nominated for the Best College Athlete category, in which she’ll compete against Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Stanford (and Olympic) swimmer Katie Ledecky, and fellow hooper Jalen Brunson of Villanova.

In case you haven’t been following along, here’s a snapshot of Wilson’s season thus far:

The 4-9 Aces have been struggling — as you might expect from a team that held the No. 1 draft pick — but it certainly hasn’t been for lack of effort on A’ja’s part.