Former Catawba Ridge High School pitcher Jake McCoy was used to making history for the Copperheads when he played for them. And he just made a little more.
McCoy, 21, was selected in the 18th round of the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft on Sunday, July 12 by the Toronto Blue Jays with pick number 552. He becomes the first Catawba Ridge baseball player selected in the MLB Draft.
He was ranked the 152nd MLB prosect in the draft by MLB Pipeline; a minor league baseball prospect site ran by MLB scouting for future players. He was projected to go in the first several rounds before being injured this past season. He missed his junior season after having Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm.
McCoy, who helped to guide Catawba Ridge to the 2023 4A state championship, transferred over the summer from the University of South Carolina to the University of Tennessee. He was 8-2 his senior season for Catawba Ridge with a 1.64 ERA and was named an All-State player.
“Anytime you get drafted by a major league team, it’s a big deal, no matter where you go or what round you get picked in,” said Catawba Ridge head baseball coach Stas Swerdzewski. “It is a testament to his hard work. It has been fun to watch his journey. He has a bright future no matter what he decides.”
As a freshman at South Carolina, he went 1-0 in 2024 in 12 appearances with 20 strikeouts in 16 innings. His sophomore year in 2025 he went 4-5 in 14 appearances for the Gamecocks with a 6.90 ERA. Because he redshirted his junior year, he still has a couple of years of collegiate eligibility if he chooses to go back to school at Tennessee to play for them next year.
McCoy is the 21st baseball player from Fort Mill Township drafted by a Major League team.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
