Wando's Cisco commits to Georgia

The University of Georgia baseball program scored a big victory Monday when Wando pitcher Drew Cisco committed to play for coach David Perno and the Bulldogs.

The right-handed Cisco, whose brother Mike pitched for the South Carolina Gamecocks, is arguably the top junior pitcher in the state. He helped the Diamond Devils traveling 17-U baseball team win national wood-bat championships in the 17-U and 18-U divisions this summer.

In the 17-U world series, he was named the tournament's most valuable pitcher after throwing two complete-game victories, allowing only one run, striking out 14 hitters in 12 innings. One of his victories was a 2-hit shutout.

He could have committed to Georgia the summer after his freshman year. Pitching for the Diamond Devils at UGA's Foley Field, he beat the East Cobb Braves, which was the top 17-U team in the nation at the time. Georgia offered him on the spot.

Cisco's recruitment was national. His final four included Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson and North Carolina. He was in demand out west as schools such as Southern Cal, Cal State Fullerton and Arizona wanted the grandson of former major leaguer Galen Cisco.

"It's a relief to get it over with," Cisco said. "It's a relief to know where you are going to college. Now, I can just focus on playing high school baseball and not have to worry about off-the-field stuff."

Cisco didn't feel pressured to follow Mike to Columbia and play for coach Ray Tanner.

"I sort of had to erase Mike from my memory," Cisco said. "I had to decide what school is best for me and what I liked. I loved the atmosphere in Athens, the coaching staff and their philosophies. Those were the biggest things."

Georgia won the national title in 1990 and has become a force in the hunt for Omaha. The Bulldogs have played in the College World Series in 2004, '06 and '08. The Bulldogs came up one game short against Fresno State in the '08 CWS.

Cisco could be the crown jewel in Georgia's recruiting class of 2010.

John Rhodes, the coach of the Diamond Devils compared him to some of the great players who have played for the Diamond Devils since the late 1990s: Drew Meyer, Matt Wieters, Reese Havens and Justin Smoak.

"He's in the Meyer-Wieters-Havens-Smoak area in terms of comparison," Rhodes said in an earlier interview. "He's as talented and as impactful as they were at the same age though none of them were primarily a pitcher like Drew."

Cisco's father Jeff, who played for the old Charleston Rainbows, said his son is committed to playing college ball and isn't interested in the MLB draft — for now.

"It would have to take a life-changing amount (of money) or a life-changing circumstance," he said.