Gamecock Baseball Notebook

COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team opened the 2020 campaign with a sweep of Holy Cross, which included a pair of shutouts against the Crusaders. It’s the first sweep of an opening weekend opponent since 2016.

Record: 3-0
Home: 3-0
Streak: W3

Last Week:
2/14/20 – Holy Cross (W, 10-0)
2/15/20 – Holy Cross (W, 9-4)
2/16/20 – Holy Cross (W, 5-0 (5))

NOTES:
Carolina pitching struck out 31 batters in 23 innings on the weekend with the three starting pitchers (Carmen Mlodzinski, Brett Kerry and Brannon Jordan) striking out 24 while walking just one. Mlodzinski went seven innings, tying a career high, allowing six hits and no runs while striking out three and walking one. Kerry pitched five innings, striking out 12 and allowing five hits and three runs with no walks. Jordan allowed just two hits in a rain-shortened five-inning start, striking out nine with no walks in the 5-0 win.

Freshmen Braylen Wimmer and Brennan Milone earned starts on Opening Day. Milone walked three times and scored a pair of runs while Wimmer drove in a pair with a single in the sixth and scored a run in the six-run first frame in a 10-0 victory.

The Gamecocks used big first innings to wins on Friday and Saturday. Carolina scored six runs in the first in a 10-0 win on Friday, sending 11 men to the plate. The Gamecocks then put up five runs in a 9-4 win on Saturday, bringing 10 men up to bat. Carolina batted around in one inning in all three games.
 
Andrew Eyster and Wes Clarke each had a pair of home runs on the weekend. Eyster was 3-for-9 with two home runs and four RBI while Clarke went 3-for-10 with five runs scored and four RBI.
 
Bryant Bowen hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat as a Gamecock. The Southern Miss transfer became the second player in as many years to go yard in his first Carolina at-bat, joining Brady Allen, who did the trick in 2019 against Liberty.
 
The Gamecocks went error-free on the weekend as Wimmer led the team with seven assists at second base. Carolina also took advantage of nine Holy Cross errors for nine unearned runs.
 
The Gamecocks were 11-for-12 in stolen bases on the weekend, led by Noah Campbell’s five thefts.

South Carolina will have five games this week, all at Founders Park. Carolina hosts Winthrop and Presbyterian in the midweek and welcomes Northwestern in on the weekend.

Next Week
2/18/20 – Winthrop – 4 p.m. (SECN+)
2/19/29 – Presbyterian – 4 p.m. (SECN+)
2/21/20 – Northwestern – 4 p.m. (SECN+)
2/22/20 – Northwestern – 2 p.m. (SECN+)
2/23/20 – Northwestern – 1:30 p.m. (SECN+)