Clemson picked up a big-time commitment over the weekend in Asheville (N.C.) A.C. Reynolds 2020 catcher Cooper Ingle.
The Clemson Insider caught up with Ingle, who went in-depth on his decision to commit to head coach Monte Lee, assistant coach Bradley LeCroy and the Tigers.
“A lot went into it,” Ingle said. “My top two schools were Clemson and NC State, and after talking with Coach Lee and Coach LeCroy from the baseball team, it really struck me that this might be the place that I could spend three or four years at. And going on my visit, just walking around through the whole atmosphere before the big football game for the opener, you just get chill bumps walking through there.”
Ingle (5-10, 170) visited Clemson on Saturday for the football team’s season-opener versus Furman at Death Valley.
Following the visit, he gave his pledge to Lee and the Tigers.
“I made sure that it was OK with my parents and my family that I made that commitment right there,” Ingle said. “Then I told (Lee) that I’d like to commit to Clemson, and he just gave me a big hug.”
Clemson extended an offer to Ingle about a month and a half ago, and he also held offers from NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Furman, among others.
Ingle said Clemson’s atmosphere set the school apart from his other suitors.
“Just the whole student atmosphere for the whole place,” he said. “It just seems like a really great student town and also really excels academically, which I really look for. Basically it’s just a great atmosphere that I want to spend three or four years at.”
His relationship with Lee and LeCroy was an important factor in his decision as well.
“A big part,” he said. “My whole travel-ball organization, the coaches went to Clemson, but they played for Jack Leggett and not Coach Lee. But I’ve never heard anything said bad about Coach Lee or Coach LeCroy or any of their staff. Everything’s been positive, and I’m going to be with them for my college career, so building that relationship was really key in my decision.”
Ingle played summer ball with Canes national. As a sophomore during the 2018 season, he led A.C. Reynolds with a .400 batting average and hit a team-high five home runs, finishing with 28 hits and 23 RBI.
Clemson is recruiting Ingle as a catcher and left-handed hitter.
“They said that they could see me as possibly a two- or three-hole hitter in the lineup, just depending on how I excel these next few years,” he said.
Ingle was selected as an all-conference player and named to the All-WNC first team following last season.
Photo Credit: USA TODAY High School Sports