Baseball Welcomes Florida to Founders Park This Weekend
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team hosts Florida in a top-10 matchup this weekend at Founders Park. The series starts Thursday night (April 20) at 7:30 p.m. and continues Friday night (April 21) at 7 p.m. The series concludes on Saturday afternoon (April 22) at 2 p.m.
Thursday’s game will be televised on ESPNU with Tom Hart and Chris Burke on the call. Friday and Saturday’s games will be streamed on SEC Network Plus. All games also will be broadcast on the Gamecocks Sports Network from Learfield with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call.
The Gamecocks defeated Charleston Southern, 10-4, on Tuesday night. Gavin Casas homered and drove in four while Cole Messina went 3-for-3 at the plate. The Carolina bullpen allowed just one hit in seven innings of work.
SEC Baseball Gameday
PARKING INFORMATION
Shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball season will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road). Shuttle begins two (2) hours prior to first pitch and continues until 1 hour after the game.
For GPS purposes, the address for the Key Road Gravel Lot is 1105 Key Road, Columbia, SC 29201.
GAME DAY PARKING INFORMATION (including public game day lots (PGDL: $10/$5 per game). All gameday lots are cashless. Please have a debit card or credit card ready for payment upon entry into parking lots.
Weekdays
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 6:00 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 5 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 5 p.m.
Saturday
Game Time: 2 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 1:00 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 12/12:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 12 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 12 p.m.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
The Gators defeated Florida A&M, 17-7, in seven innings on Tuesday night. Jac Caglianone homered for the 22nd time this season and drove in four. Luke Heyman also had four RBI in the win. Josh Rivera leads the Gators with a .400 batting average, 14 home runs and 52 RBI. Wyatt Langford is hitting .389 with 35 walks and Caglianone has a .382 average with 58 RBI. On the mound, Hurston Waldrep has 83 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched.
SERIES VS. FLORIDA
The all-time series between the two teams is tied at 51 games apiece. Carolina and Florida played four times last season, including in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Carolina’s win was in the regular-season finale as Josiah Sightler went 3-for-4 with a home run in the 4-1 win. Carolina swept Florida in the last meeting in Columbia in 2021. That included a wild 9-8, 14-inning win on March 26, 2021.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Thursday
South Carolina Will Sanders (Jr. RHP) 3-1, 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 16 BB, 45 SO
Florida Brandon Sproat (Jr. RHP) 5-1, 4.96 ERA, 49.0 IP, 25 BB, 69 SO
Friday
South Carolina Jack Mahoney (Jr. RHP) 3-1, 3.22 ERA, 44.2 IP, 12 BB, 49 SO
Florida Hurston Waldrep (Jr. RHP) 6-1, 4.15 ERA, 52.0 IP, 27 BB, 83 SO
Saturday
South Carolina TBA
Florida Jac Caglianone (So. LHP) 4-1, 4.74 ERA, 38.0 IP, 29 BB, 43 SO
PETRY MOVES INTO THE RECORD BOOK
Freshman Ethan Petry belted his 18th home run of the season at Vanderbilt on April 16, moving past Justin Smoak (2006) for Carolina’s freshman home run record. Petry homered in Friday’s 14-6 win over the Commodores and had three home runs on the week. Petry continues to lead Carolina with a .424 batting average and 56 RBI.
Congrats @ethanpetry23!!#Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/kQF0GEvSgL
— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) April 16, 2023
Your new record holder for home runs as a freshman at South Carolina!!@ethanpetry23
SECN+#Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/AiRBFAtXX5
— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) April 16, 2023
WIMMER NAMED TO BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST
Shortstop Braylen Wimmer has been named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, the College Baseball Foundation announced Tuesday (April 18). The Brooks Wallace Award is given to the top Division I shortstop in the country.
Wimmer has played in all 37 games for the Gamecocks this season and is hitting .310 with eight doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 32 RBI and 13 stolen bases. The Yukon, Okla., native is slugging .586 and has a .416 on-base percentage. He was a perfect 5-for-5 in the season opener against UMass Lowell (Feb. 17) and drove in five runs the very next game. He hit back-to-back leadoff home runs at Mississippi State (March 31-April 1) and drove in three runs in a win over Georgia (March 18).
RPI WATCH
With 37 games in the books, it’s time to start looking at the RPI. The Gamecocks currently are second in those rankings, one of four SEC teams in the top five. Carolina currently is 21-1 at home and 8-5 on the road. Carolina has three-game series remaining against No. 1 Kentucky, No. 5 Arkansas and No. 10 Florida.
GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
The Gamecocks lead the nation with 88 home runs this season. Ethan Petry is tied for third with 18 home runs … USC is sixth in the nation with 349 runs scored … Carolina is second in the nation in drawing walks with 235 and third in the country with 85 hit by pitches … The Gamecocks’ .431 on-base percentage is eighth in the country … On the mound, Carolina is third in earned-run average at 3.25 … Ethan Petry is tied for fifth with 56 RBI … The .838 winning percentage is the third best in the country.
𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦#Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/lXYqirMgf2
— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) April 17, 2023
UP NEXT
Carolina will take the midweek off for final exams and return to Founders Park for a three-game series with Auburn April 28-30. Sunday’s game will be televised on SEC Network.
