Four Righties From USC Upstate Added To 2024 Roster
/
AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Thursday the addition of four pitchers from South Carolina Upstate to the 2024 roster. Jackson Campbell, Braden Consaul, Caleb Costa and David James are all right-handed pitchers set to join this summer’s team.
Campbell has not taken the bump yet this season for USC Upstate but is coming off a nine-appearance freshman year in 2023. The right-hander comes to the AppleSox with previous summer baseball experience, shining in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League last season. Campbell recorded a 3.98 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 15 walks over nine appearances last summer for the Hamilton Joe’s. He did not allow an earned run in six of his appearances and recorded a season-high six strikeouts twice.
“A guy that has a lot of talent but hasn’t fully developed yet and needs a summer out here to dial it in,” Darlington said. “He hasn’t seen innings yet this spring, which is always a good and a bad thing. Good for us in the sense that he’s going to be able to come out here and get a lot of innings but bad in the sense that he hasn’t gotten the chance to get out there this spring.”
Consaul’s 19 appearances last season were third-most on the Spartans en route to earning a Spot on the Big South’s All Freshman team. He has already made 12 trips to the bump as a sophomore and has a 3.78 ERA with 14 strikeouts and seven walks over 16.2 innings this spring. The Rochester, N.Y. native put together a dominant March, only allowing three runs over 10 appearances while racking up 12 strikeouts. Consaul recorded a 4.15 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 10 walks over 17.1 innings in 10 games for the Florence Flamingos of the Coastal Plain League.
“He’s slowly been worked into a starter’s role,” Darlington said. “We expect him to get a few starts under his belt and then go from there. All the talent in the world. A really high ceiling guy that we’re excited to have with us.”
Costa has not pitched for the Spartans yet this season but made 11 appearances as a freshman in 2023 with three of them coming as a starter. He punched out 16 hitters and walked nine over 13.2 innings. The Charleston, S.C. native graduated from Oceanside Collegiate Academy in 2022, where he went 6-0 with a 1.00 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 10 walks over 28 innings in seven games as a senior. Costa recorded a 3.72 ERA for Kingsmen Baseball of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League in 2022 prior to his freshman year of college.
“Hasn’t thrown yet in 2024 for a variety of reasons,” Darlington said,” but we’re expecting him to come in and be full go for us and be ready to compete. A guy we face in to a bullpen role but is gonna have lights-out stuff and fill it up. ”
James is in his sophomore year at USC Upstate and has pitched in six games this season. He has punched out 12 hitters while only walking five over 10.2 innings. The London, Ontario native started and dominated in four games for the Albany Dutchmen of the Perfect Game Collegiate League last season by posting a 0.83 ERA with 20 strikeouts and six walks over 21.2 innings. That performance came after a freshman year in which he made 14 appearances and fired 20.2 innings for the Spartans.
“David is another one with a three-pitch mix, upper 80’s fastball and good offspeed that plays,” Darlington said. “Quality guy to grab for the summer. He’s only thrown 10 innings this spring so that means he’ll be able to throw a lot for us, which we like to see.”
The 2024 season begins on May 31 as the AppleSox host the Port Angeles Lefties at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The AppleSox have 31 home games and play until mid-August. Single-game tickets are available for purchase now at applesox.com/schedule with admission as affordable as $8.
