Talented Virginia pitcher Aaron Dierks announced on Friday night his commitment to the South Carolina baseball program.
South Carolina baseball fans have been hopeful about their team’s prospects for returning to prominence ever since athletic director Ray Tanner unexpectedly hired the renowned Paul Mainieri as head coach.
Mainieri, who ranks 11th on the all-time college baseball wins list and holds more victories than any current head coach, has also impressed fans with the high-caliber coaching staff he has assembled in Columbia.
Recently, Virginia pitcher Aaron Dierks made a commitment to Mainieri and the South Carolina baseball program. Dierks, a junior at West Springfield High School in Springfield, Virginia, is part of the 2026 recruiting class.
Springfield, a southern suburb of Washington DC, is a crucial recruiting area for the Virginia Cavaliers, where former assistant pitching coach and assistant recruiting coordinator John Hendry worked before joining Mainieri’s staff at South Carolina.
Dierks, who also plays some first base and third base as a right-handed hitter, is projected to pursue a future as a right-handed pitcher in college. Standing at 6’3″, he has a consistent pitching delivery and does a good job hiding the ball, which compensates for his lack of overpowering “stuff.”
With two more years of high school development, he has the potential to increase his fastball velocity and enhance the break on his curveball. Currently, his fastball reaches the upper 80s, and his curveball has a high spin rate, which should improve as he matures and throws harder.
Dierks’s commitment is the fifth for the Gamecocks’ 2026 class and the second since Coach Mainieri took over from Mark Kingston, joining fellow pitcher Walker Cox.
