Baseball Travels to Kentucky for Final SEC Road Series

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team plays its final SEC road series of 2021 as the Gamecocks travel to Lexington, Ky., for a three-game series at Kentucky. Friday’s game starts at 6:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday’s games at 2 and 1 p.m., respectively inside Kentucky Proud Park. All three games 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 7-2 loss at Clemson on Tuesday night. Wes Clarke and Jeff Heinrich both homered as Carolina lost the game but won the overall series against the Tigers.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina Brannon Jordan (Sr. RHP) 4-4, 3.52 ERA, 39 BB, 84 SO
Kentucky Cole Stupp (So. RHP) 4-4, 4.31 ERA, 11 BB, 58 SO

Saturday
South Carolina Brett Kerry (Jr. RHP) 3-1, 2.25 ERA, 9 BB, 65 SO
Kentucky Sean Harney (Sr. RHP) 3-0, 3.72 ERA, 9 BB, 46 SO

Sunday
South Carolina Thomas Farr (R-Jr. RHP) 2-5, 3.72 ERA, 33 BB, 76 SO
Kentucky TBA
 
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
The Wildcats won the series opener against Florida before dropping the next two games to the Gators. Kentucky’s midweek game against Morehead State was cancelled. The Wildcats are led by Coltyn Kessler’s .374 batting average. T.J. Collett has 15 home runs and 47 RBI. On the mound, Cole Stupp is the Friday starter with a 4-4 record and 58 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched.

SERIES VS. CLEMSON
Carolina holds a 54-42 series record over the Wildcats and won 2-of-3 games in 2019 in Columbia, the last time the two teams met. Wes Clarke hit his first career home run in the 11-3 win on May 11, 2019, while Brett Kerry struck out five in three innings of relief. The last time the two teams met in Lexington, Kentucky won 2-of-3 games. Carolina won the middle game, 15-1, behind three hits and five RBI from Hunter Taylor.

RPI UPDATE
The Gamecocks come in at No. 15 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 16-3 against teams that are 51 and above. The NCAA will announce 20 sites that will be in the running as hosts sites for the NCAA Tournament before the Kentucky series starts.

SEC STANDINGS UPDATE
Carolina currently is in fourth in the SEC East Division and seventh overall heading into this weekend’s series at Kentucky. The Gamecocks’ 12-12 record is two games back of No. 6 Ole Miss while Carolina is a half-game ahead of Alabama and a full game ahead of both Georgia and Kentucky for seventh place.

MENDHAM WALKS OFF BULLDOGS
David Mendham’s RBI double in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Jeff Heinrich and gave Carolina a 4-3 win over Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon (May 9). Mendham, who also hit a 2-run home run in the second inning, belted the double to the gap in left field that scored Heinrich, who singled with one out in the frame. Carolina now has four walk-off wins, three coming at Founders Park.

KERRY TAMES BULLDOGS AGAIN
Brett Kerry pitched six innings against Mississippi State on May 9, allowing just four hits and a run with six strikeouts, keeping Carolina in a game that it eventually won, 4-3, in 11 innings. Kerry also pitched against Mississippi State in 2019 in a 10-8 win. He pitched 6.1 innings, allowing five hits with two runs and four strikeouts to earn the win.