Baseball Hosts App State in Final Midweek Matchup

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team plays its final four games at Founders Park this regular season, starting with the last midweek game of 2021 on Tuesday night (May 18) against Appalachian State. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday’s game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus. Every Gamecock contest will be on the Gamecock Radio Network with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call. Carolina is coming off a three-game sweep at Kentucky, winning three in Lexington for the first time since the 2002 season. The Gamecocks hit .304 on the weekend and Brett Kerry pitched Carolina’s first complete-game shutout since 2014 in Saturday’s win.

PARKING INFORMATION
For the 2021 season, there will not be shuttles from either the Key Road Gravel Lot or the Colonial Life Arena parking lot. There will be passes at lot 1 available for $10 apiece.
 
Parking Lot Openings
7 p.m. Games – Gates open at 6 p.m., all lots open at 5:30 p.m.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Tuesday
South Carolina CJ Weins (Jr. RHP) 0-0, 3.38 ERA, 7 BB, 5 SO
App State Ben Peterson (Fr., RHP) 1-2, 9.69 ERA, 17 BB, 11 SO
 
SCOUTING APP STATE
The Mountaineers are coming off winning 2-of-3 games at Little Rock this past weekend. Robbie Young had three hits in the series finale. Young leads App State with a .309 batting average while Kendall McGowan has a team-best six home runs. Former Gamecocks Trey Tujetsch and Shane Roberts are on App State’s pitching staff. Tujetsch allowed just four hits in six innings to earn the Sunday win.

SERIES VS. APP STATE
Carolina has a 15-1 series advantage on App State heading into Tuesday’s game. The two teams met in the 2019 season with Carolina winning 3-1 on Feb. 26. Parker Coyne struck out four in 1.2 innings of relief to earn the win.
 
RPI UPDATE
The Gamecocks come in at No. 11 in the latest RPI with the No. 8 strength of schedule. Carolina has played 12 games against top-10 RPI teams and still have three games against No. 8 Tennessee on the schedule. Carolina has eight wins against top-25 teams in the RPI and is 19-2 against teams that are 51 and above.

SEC STANDINGS UPDATE
Carolina currently is in fourth in the SEC East Division and seventh overall heading into this weekend’s series against Tennessee. The Gamecocks’ 15-12 record is one game back of No. 6 Ole Miss while Carolina is 2.5 games ahead of Alabama and three games ahead of Georgia for the seventh spot.

KERRY’S FIRST START OF 2021 WAS A MEMORABLE ONE
Brett Kerry was dominant in the 9-0 win over Kentucky on Saturday afternoon (May 15), pitching Carolina’s first complete-game shutout since 2014 in a 10-strikeout, no-walk performance. Kerry, in his first start of 2021, scattered four hits in the win and allowed just one runner to reach second base or further. He threw 94 pitches in the win, 67 for strikes, and had just three three-ball counts in the game which led to an SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week award.  He improved to 4-1 on the season and now has a 1.80 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched. The last South Carolina complete-game shutout was in the 2014 Columbia Regional as Wil Crowe defeated Campbell, 9-0.

EYSTER’S GRAND SLAM PART OF A GREAT WEEKEND
Andrew Eyster went 8-for-12 with four runs scored, four walks and nine RBI in the three-game road sweep of Kentucky this past weekend. He had a grand slam and drove in five, going a perfect 3-for-3 in the 9-0 win on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Eyster drove in four runs, going 4-for-5 with a double and a run scored in the 11-6 victory. Eyster had a .591 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage on the week and was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week.