ATLANTA, Ga. – Senior pitcher Jackson Phipps joined a long list of Gamecocks to be drafted in the annual Major League Baseball Amateur draft on Monday as he was selected in the 16th round by Athletics.

The 2025 MLB Draft coincided with the league's All-Star festivities in Atlanta, Ga. Phipps becomes the 68th player drafted by an MLB club and the first since 2023 when Jake Peppers was selected in the ninth round by the Chicago White Sox. The lefty is just the second Gamecock taken by the A's. Former Gamecock pitcher Scott Whaley was picked by the then-Oakland A's.


Phipps, the Gamecocks' Friday night starter throughout the 2025 season, was solid in Conference USA games that earned him CUSA Second Team honors. CUSA hitters hit just .205 against him in 46.0 innings of work. Phipps ranked third in the league in strikeouts with 71 and an overall earned run average of 3.59 in 67.2 innings. He has allowed one home run in the nine league games and 21 earned runs.

His best outing of the season came during Jax State's run to the CUSA Championship game. In a pitchers duel against top-seeded Dallas Baptist, Phipps tossed a season-high 8.0 innings with 12 strikeouts and one earned run in a 2-1 setback to the Patriots.