COLUMBIA, SC (WTKR)- Patrick Dudley committed to play baseball at South Carolina before he threw a pitch in high school. But could his stay in Columbia last just one season?
The Atlantic Shores product and Virginia Beach native announced he was entering the transfer portal this past weekend. The Gamecocks, who suffered their second straight losing campaign in 2026 with a 22-35 record, are searching for a new head coach.
Dudley is quick to point out that he's very open to returning to South Carolina, but wants to make sure he keeps his options open.
"With a brand new coaching staff, there was no point in me not entering the portal and exploring what other options I have for my career," the left handed pitcher said, adding he has nothing but respect for everybody in the Gamecocks program. "I'm still very open to going back, but there's a vacant head coaching spot so it's just a free pass to enter the portal and see what other options I have."
Dudley saw limited action as a freshman, appearing in five games, making one start and boasting a 2.45 ERA. He pitched 6.1 innings of shutout baseball across his first four appearances, showing plenty of promise for the future. Obviously he would've liked to have played a little bit more, but says he's satisfied with how he performed when he got his opportunities.
"Right now I kind of have a little chip on my shoulder to prove to people, prove to coaches, prove to college baseball that I'm where I need to be," noted the former Seahawk. "I'm ready to compete, I'm ready to take a step forward, 100 percent. I've been working really hard so I'm just excited for this next step."
While his time at USC may not be complete, Dudley is also using the opportunity to learn and grow, knowing that it won't be the only adversity he faces during the course of a hopefully lengthy baseball career.
"Sometimes things just don't got the way you want them to go," he pointed out. "You have to go through those tough moments in your career because this is not the last time that it's going to be a tough season or an unfortunate situation in my career. You've just got to learn from it and grow from it."
During his high school career at Atlantic Shores, Dudley established himself as one of the best pitchers in the state. He posted a 1.80 ERA and 303 strikeouts in 193 high school innings, holding opponents to a .131 batting average.
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