After not hearing his name called in the opening rounds on Day 2 of the MLB Draft, Alain Gomez-Guidiño has decided to stick with his commitment and join the Gamecocks starting next season, he announced on social media on Sunday.
“What’s up Gamecock Nation? #nextstep ##seeusoon,” Gomez-Guidiño wrote in an Instagram post.
Gomez-Guidiño committed to the Gamecocks on Nov. 5, 2024. He officially put pen to paper and signed with the program a year later on Nov. 12, 2025. He was always viewed as a potential draft risk but will ultimately make it to school as the prized commitment for the Class of 2026.
Gomez-Guidiño is a 6-foot, 190-pound switch-hitting catcher originally from Venezuela but fled to the United States three years ago and found a home at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, AZ.
He’s ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Arizona by Perfect Game and the No. 3 overall catcher in the country in the Class of 2026. Perfect Game describes him as a “switch-hitting catcher with high level left-handed bat speed, very athletic actions behind the plate defensively, outstanding at PG National.”
Gomez-Guidiño was one of two 2026 high school prospects (the other being right-handed pitcher Walker Cox) to stay committed to South Carolina through the coaching transition.
He will join a revitalized catchers’ room consisting of Coastal Carolina transfer Brice Estep and Wake Forest transfer Andrew Costello.