Clemson Baseball — Jason Priester All Clemson

Clemson Was Always Dream School for LHP Jack Stepp

LHP Jack Stepp, out of Wade Hampton High, details his commitment to Clemson, after choosing the Tigers over the rival Gamecocks.

Author:
JP Priester
Updated:
Dec 9, 2022 8:12 PM EST

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Clemson Tigers

Growing up in the upstate, Jack Stepp has always dreamed of playing baseball at Clemson.

The 2026 LHP out of Wade Hampton will now see that dream fulfilled as he committed to the Tigers back in November, choosing Clemson over the rival Gamecocks.

"I've been playing baseball since I was a kid walking, ever since I was three, I guess," Stepp told All Clemson. "I've just loved the game ever since. My dad graduated from Clemson and I've been a fan ever since."

"I mean, that was the dream. Ever since I was little I've dreamed of playing Division 1 baseball and not only that, playing at Clemson. That was the dream."

The battle for Stepp included Clemson's former head coach Monte Lee, now a member of Mark Kingston's staff at South Carolina, going head-to-head with its new head coach Erik Bakich. While playing for the Tigers was always the dream, it was still a hard decision for the young pitcher. Ultimately, it was Bakich and his approach to coaching that really won Stepp over.

"He was really like one of the main reasons as to my decision to go to Clemson," Stepp said. "I mean, it's a tough decision when you have to choose between South Carolina and Clemson. And him and his new coaching staff, that was my main reason."

"Right off the bat, just loved him, loved everything he had to say. Just a big fan of just all of his thinking behind coaching. I just fell in love with everything he had to say and I just I'm really happy to be able to go play under him and I'm looking forward to it."

Learning from new pitching coach Jimmy Belanger also appealed to Stepp. Belanger, who Bakich hired away from Florida State, has the reputation of being one of the best pitching coaches in the nation.

"I'm really excited about that," he said. "He came from FSU, and he has a lot of good experience with left-handed pitchers like me, so I'm really excited. And then you got coach (Nick) Schnabel. He came with coach Bakich from Michigan. So I'm really excited about that coaching staff."

Stepp might still just be a freshman in high school, but he played varsity as an eighth-grader and has a fastball that already tops out in the mid-80s. While he is still a few years from beginning college, Stepp is already imagining what taking the mound in Doug Kingsmore for the very first time will be like.

"It's gonna be overwhelming if I'm being honest," Stepp said. "It's going to be really surreal, but it's gonna be awesome. It's gonna be awesome just to be able to suit up and go pitch for Clemson. It is gonna be great."

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