DeSean Anderson is starting to focus on the route to South Carolina

Now that DeSean Anderson’s football career is over, the Ragsdale High School senior can start focusing on is his future, which should include a stay at the beautiful University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, S.C. and then maybe a little later on, a stop in the Major Leagues.

Anderson is rated the #3 player in the entire state of North Carolina and he spoke with John Klauber of GamecockAnthem.com and also with TheBigSpur.com and here are the highlights from those two articles and keep your eyes and ears on this kid, DeSean Anderson, we may be doing a follow-up here next June, on his entry into the MLB draft…….

John Klauber(GamecockAnthem.com), met DeSean Anderson during last summer’s U-17 World Wood Bat Association’s World Series, which is held in Marietta Georgia. It was through his father and mother that John met DeSean at the event and became friends with the family. It wasn’t hard, his mom was carrying DeSean’s scrapbook and on the cover of it was everything Gamecock.

Through DeSean’s recruiting process, he and his family became ardent Gamecock fans and everything related to Gamecock baseball, due to the history of the program and its coaching staff. It started with Coach Chad Holbrook, who had originally seen DeSean while he was an Assistant Coach at UNC. Holbrook saw the same thing Klauber saw in DeSean… a young man blessed with athletic ability, the will to win, and a teammate that gives 100% on the field.

While being introduced to DeSean, one aspect of this young man (along with his polite demeanor) was the solid build of his frame. He has very large wrists and mostly muscle through the arms, shoulder and chest. The wrists explained the handspeed that I witnessed while at bat. At 17, he had the uncanny ability to wait until the last second to swing, taking it to the opposite field for a hit. He can hit for power – he can hit big or small. His 4.5/40 speed explained his quickness to get to first, his quickness to steal 2nd and his baseball acumen to get a jump on the ball while playing second base. Quick hands, quick feet and a sharp mind for the game.

Currently, DeSean plays center field for the Ragsdale Tigers (along with football, which his dad coaches. DeSean is a wide receiver and punter for the football team). It has been said that he may get some looks at second base during the Fall practices of 2010. Whatever position he is destined to play at South Carolina, he is capable of big plays. I(John Klauber) had the pleasure of seeing this first hand in a game where they placed him in right field. I(JK) was impressed when he scaled an outfield wall to rob a hitter of a home run, then hit the cut-off man to hold all runners on base.

This young man is a fine example of the all-around player that Coach Holbrook is looking for. Coach often mentions South Carolina’s desire to find position players possessing speed and power with a passion to play for the Gamecocks. DeSean Anderson fits the bill.

While leaving the ball park in Marietta with the Andersons, it is easy to tell there are many who share Coach Holbrook’s opinion of him. We are followed by a major league scout all the way from the field to the Anderson’s car. We are greeted at the car by an agent anxious to get a feel for what DeSean’s future may hold. But his future is decided; he wants to go to Carolina to study sports medicine with a physical education background. Just as important is his desire to play for a team in a conference he loves while pursuing a CWS championship ring.

This 2010 class is shaping up to become something special.

from TheBigSpur.com:
Chad Holbrook, baseball recruiting coordinator for the University of South Carolnia, sat down exclusively with TheBigSpur.com, which broke the news on eight of the 13 Gamecock commitments, to break down the players that made their pledge official during the early signing period.

Outfielder DeSean Anderson (High Point, N.C.) was oh so close to becoming a Tar Heel. The five-foot-nine player for the Dirtbags was down to UNC and USC before Holbrook traded in his baby blue for garnet. Once that happened, Anderson was sure of decision.

Ranked the No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina by Impact Baseball and No. 376 in the country by PerfectGame Crosschecker, Anderson could make an immediate impact on the field for the Gamecocks.

“He’s a talented athlete that can hit, hit for power, and run,” Holbrook said. “He’s a kid who loves to play and has an infectious personality. He’s energetic, always has a smile on his face, and is passionate about being part of our program. I think he’ll be a good player for us.”

Anderson is one of the many players that should hear his named called in the June draft.

“He’s going to get pro attention and we certainly hope he puts on our uniform one day,” Holbrook said. “He’s going to be a good one if he does.”

24 thoughts on “DeSean Anderson is starting to focus on the route to South Carolina

  1. Good job DeSean. We look forward to seeing you at the University of South Carolina and in the pros.

  2. I agree, Desean is among one the best athletes in the state of NC.

    I personally think he is a better football player than than baseball.

    I wish all the best for Desean at SC, but I think it will take him time to adjust to the next level.

    I think the transition for these athletes would be much easier if the hype and promotions about them were kept in tow.

    Don’t get me wrong, I think Desean will live up to the press about his abilities.

    I recently read about one local baseball phenom on his future college website.

    His bio had inflated his batting average by 150 points and had wrongly named him as a 1st team all-area player (not nominated).

    Be it the High School Coach or Dad, passing on inaccurate hype to this degree does nothing more than put so much pressure on a kid, that he probably will never be able to live up to the college coaches expectations.

  3. great kid

    great parents

    great athlete

    too bad Holbrook made the move to USC – would have loved to see Desean in Carolina Blue

  4. To “The Truth”:
    Finally someone who “gets it” and shoots straight! Thank you for making my day!!!!!
    EW
    PS. I agree that he’s probably a better football player, but with football an injury is more likely to occur. He is a fine thlete, but I resent the “Dirtbags” taking credit for his god-given athletic ability ( by the way, I hate the same thing about AAU basketball!). Most of these AAU style coaches do nothing more than sign players up for a season or two, and then take credit for coaching them and actually making a difference in their success.

  5. EW
    YOUR P.S IS DEAD ON. THE DIRTBAG ORGANIZATION GETS WAY TO MUCH CREDIT FOR WHAT THEIR PLAYERS ACCOMPLISH.

  6. DeSean has always been a fine player, Dirtbag or no Dirtbag.

    This is about a good kid from Ragsdale, not some dirtbag.

  7. ive known desean for along time, he and my son played on the same greensboro batting center from ages 10-13. he is a great kid he deserves all of the attention hes getting cause he is one hell of a ball player. sitting at games watching him this summer the pro scouts really love him because of his bat, hes got a solid arm, and is a great outfeilder. desean only hit 370 something because nobody would pitch to him and he would get a little over aggressive. he almost set the school record for walks in a season walkin 30 somethin times. i know when we played them in 8 at-bats we walked him 6 times on purpose. yeah hes probably a better football player but talking to him the othre day i asked him if he wanted to do both and he said it wasnt in his heart to do both. that he like it and played it cause he was good and he was scared his dad who was a coach would kill him for not playing. he loves baseball. yeah hes gonna be one to watch when june comes around for the draft wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t reach south carolina hes got that type of ability to sign out of high school…

  8. “the truth” come on man have you even seen this kid play? he is the real deal and even if someone who supposedly inflated his stats the coaches at usc have obviously seen him play and know what they’re getting, they wouldn’t offer him without seeing him play…. quit making unfair judgements about the kid he has nothing to do with that. and i know his father doesn’t even get involved with the baseball coach. he lets the coach manage his team.

  9. Funny that the article says he was down between UNC and South Carolina. To my knowledge, DeSean didn’t have a commitable offer from UNC.

    Either way, I wish him well. DeSean has a lot of upside and although he’s not the 3rd best player in the State by any means, he’s still pretty good.

    The national rankings that have him 376th are probably a lot more accurate than the Impact Rankings that have him #3 in North Carolina. If he was one of the top 3 players in the State he would be higher than #376 nationally.

    There’s a little Dirtbag hype there but he’s still a solid ballplayer with a bright future.

  10. that 376 ranking in pefect game is not as bad as it looks, hes ranked that low because he didn’t attend any of the major events in minnesota or california due to football which bumped him down. he mad our 2nd team all american team out of 180 kids this past summer and made the pre season under armor all-american team this year…

  11. he was going to get an offer from carolina if he woulda took another visit and was gonna committ there but ended up takin that visit to south carolina and committed.

  12. Not sure if that’s true or not about how he was going to get an offer from UNC. Maybe or maybe not, but I just think it’s a little inaccurate to say he was “choosing” between the two schools when one of the two never offered him.

    I agree with the posters who have said that he is a better football player than baseball player. Hell of a WR.

  13. wayne,

    the truth here,,,,,,

    Go back and read my previous post and understand that I was not referring to Desean as the kid whose stats had been distorted beyond belief.

    I have seen Desean play on many occassions and am definitely a believer, but I do think that he will need time to adjust at the next level .

    I have met and spoken with Deseans’ Dad on many occassions and know him well enough to know that he has pushed his kid to be the real deal on and off the field.

    Read again my previous post,,,,and comprehend that this does not pertain to Desean or the very few athletes in this area at that level.

    Since showcase ball arrived in NC not so many years ago, it has not taken people long to figure out that marketing, hype, propoganda and in some cases, out right Lies have become the quickest way to catch a scouts eye.

    How many kids actually run a 4.4 in the 40 in this area,,,,,,very few

    How many kids throw in the 90’s in this area,,,,,very few

    What in the ^#** are people teaching their kids by goosing their batting stats by 150 pts. ?

    How are you a 4 year varsity starter after your Jr. year ?

    All Area?,,,,what area?,,,,,your back yard….

    “Shoot, if we don’t like your stats son, we’ll just make something up and nobody will notice”.

    People do notice,,,,,when its crunch time in a big game, and time after time Jr.can’t quite come through,,,,People notice…

    Eventually, College baseball will have to go Old School on recruiting,,,due to the fact that anything they don’t see in person stands a good chance of being false.

  14. There are some truths here but also many untruths. I knew when Andy posted this where it would go. There are some things that are inflated but he is still very talented. Just let him be. Just let him be a kid.

  15. One thing is for certain, people know who DeSean Anderson is and I give all the credit for his accomplishments to his parents, two of the nicest and best people that I have ever met and I met them for the first time over 1o years ago……

    Great family, great people and you can never take that away no matter where DeSean ends up…..

    Who would have thought people would have so much to say, just about a kid preparing to go college down at South Carolina…..

  16. desean is deffinatly one of the best athletes ive ever met in my entire life. there is no doubt he will be successful at USC and if the opportunity arises at the next level. and anybody that thinks otherwise i can promise you desean doesnt care at all….having confidence has never been a problem for him.

  17. Again a case of the print media and the way it has gotten away from people in this day and age. It has gotten to the point of where kids are mislead to believe they are actually better than they are. I was a great kid in high school too, but I also knew my limitations would only take me so far. And daddy stayed in the stands in the back row where no one could see him so I wasn’t made out to be the guy who got accolades because of his father. This is in NO WAY directed at this young athlete. I am just incredibly fed up with where high school athletics has gone and the desire, zest and NEED to promote kids to get them opportunities when there are kids that deserve the same opportunity not getting it because of lack of resources or lack of an overbearing parents. I know that these people would say “well they wouldn’t have gotten the opportunities if they hadn’t participated in this organization or that organization”, but I bet these same people are reaping the monetary benefits from the promotion of the kid.

    I don’t know this kid, but from what I hear he is a great kid and a pretty darn good athlete. Wish him all the best of luck in the future and hope he makes a difference in the program at South Carolina. And forgive me for my tirade, but I studied at length youth sports and the effects of parents and coaches as a graduate school thesis project. Kind of an important topic for me.

  18. Desean,

    the truth here again,,,,

    I think you misunderstood my comments and took them is criticism,,,once again I will say that you are a great athlete with tons of potential.

    Where I disagee with you is ,your opinion on the dirtbags and showcase baseball in general.

    Desean,,,believe me when I say that you were more beneficial to the dirtbags than the dirtbags were to you.

    You would have earned the same opportunity at the next level by just playing at Ragsdale,, in a conference full of quality teams that far outnumber the talent that you see at the watered down showcase events.

    Anon,,,I understand where you are coming from.

    Showcase organizations are Marketing Companies that stake claim of developing players into superstars when in reality they have absolutely nothing to do with a players talent level,,,,

    Even the most talented players,,,if they were honest,,,,would tell you that they learned more about the game on the high school field, or in little league, or on the sandlot, or in the weight room, or throwing with Dad in the back yard.

    The kids that benefit most from showcase are the ones with limited talent whose parents are willing to spend a small fortune to have their kids talent level inflated to a point that will open the scouts eyes.

    The sad part of all of this is that you have college coaches that have bought in to this type of recruiting.

    for example,,, College Coach Z’s assistant sees a kid one time,the kid goes 2 for 4 at a showcase against a pithcher who could not start for his high school team,,,,the assistant gets excited and calls the showcase coach for info,,,,,” .485 hitter, great glove, super kid…..next day kid commits????

    In reality, the kid is a spoiled brat that could only break .300 with the kindness of the high school scorekeeper ,,,,glovewise the kid thinks a good throw to 1st is one that sails 20 ft. over the bag in order to showcase the arm strength.

    Next year, kid arrives at fall practice ,,kid quits out of frustration and Head Coach (who never saw the kid play) has ulcer wondering how this kid ever arrived there.

    College coaches have become to dependent on this form of recruiting and many are getting bit on the rear for it.

    If Baseball is lucky, old school recruiting will return and baseball parents can save for college instead of bankrolling a system that now benefits the “Ringmasters under the Big Top”.

    Again to Desean,

    Good Luck at SC and hope to see you in the MLB one day.

  19. Willy Wonka,

    Your statement means absolutely nothing. Kunta Hicks got caught up in his past which led him to make poor decisions. I can assure you from personal experience with both these men that DeSean has his mind set on the future not the past. Just because one player from Ragsdale did not live up to his hype, does not mean that DeSean or any other player will be unsuccessful.

    Know what your talking about next time bud. Sorry

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