University of South Carolina redshirt sophomore pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski was selected in competitive balance round A by the Pittsburgh Pirates on the first day of the 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Wednesday night. Mlodzinski was the 31st overall pick in the draft and the highest Gamecock picked in the draft since Clarke Schmidt went No. 16 to the New York Yankees in 2017.
 
Mlodzinski, a Hilton Head, S.C., native, was 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched in the covid-19-shortened 2020 season. He combined on a shutout in the 10-0 Opening Day win over Holy Cross (Feb. 14), going seven innings in the victory. He struck out six in seven innings against Northwestern on Feb. 21 and earned the win in 5.1 innings pitched with five strikeouts against Cornell (March 6). Injury cut his sophomore season short, when he made three starts, striking out 11 in 10.2 innings pitched. He made 19 appearances in his freshman season of 2018, earning the win in the Greenville Regional championship game against UNC-Wilmington.