Baseball . May 8, 2024

Baseball Hosts Georgia in Thursday-Saturday Series

Game Notes Live Audio Live Video Live Stats Kingston Press Conference Reeves/Gainey Press Conference

FOR STARTERS

South Carolina plays its final home games of the regular season with a three-game set against Georgia May 9-11.
Thursday’s game starts at 8 p.m. with Friday and Saturday’s games at 5:30 and 2 p.m., respectively.
Thursday’s game is on ESPNU and Friday’s game is on SEC Network with Sam Ravech and Lance Cormier on the call.
Saturday’s game is on SEC Network Plus with Dave Weinstein and Grayson Greiner on the call.
Saturday is Senior Day at Founders Park. The Gamecocks will honor Dylan Brewer, Austin Brinling, Gavin Casas, Garrett Gainey, Ty Good, Parker Noland and Dalton Reeves before the game.
All three games also will be on the Gamecock Sports Network presented by Learfield with Derek Scott and Stuart Lake on the call.

SCOUTING GEORGIA

Georgia has won five games in a row, which includes a three-game sweep of Vanderbilt this past weekend.
Golden Spikes Award favorite Charlie Condon leads the Bulldogs with a .459 batting average, 33 home runs and 69 RBI.
The Bulldogs are hitting .306 as a team and have an SEC best 122 home runs, both of which are second in the SEC.
Leighton Finley is 4-1 with a 4.53 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched.
Wes Johnson is in his first season as the head coach at Georgia. Johnson was on the LSU staff in 2023, helping the Tigers to the national championship.

SERIES VS. GEORGIA

Carolina leads the all-time series with Georgia, 72-66, heading into this weekend.
The Gamecocks are 41-27 all-time in games in Columbia.
Carolina swept Georgia last season in Athens, then won the opening round game of the SEC Tournament, 9-0, as Will Tippett went 3-for-4 with a triple and James Hicks and Cade Austin combined for the shutout.

PARKING INFORMATION
Shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball games for Friday and Sunday will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road) for select games. Shuttle begins two (2) hours prior to first pitch and continues until 1 hour after the game. It is $5 to park at the Key Road Lot to take the shuttle.

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 per game). All gameday lots are cashless. Please have a debit card or credit card ready for payment upon entry into parking lots.

Thursday
Game Time: 8 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 7:00 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 6/6:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 6 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 6 p.m.

Friday
Game Time: 5:30 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 4:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 3:30/4 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 3:30 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 3:30 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.

WHERE WE STAND

Carolina is currently tied with Georgia for third in the SEC East with matching 13-11 records. Overall, Carolina is tied for sixth with the Bulldogs.
Carolina has a No. 13 RPI and a No. 13 strength of schedule as of May 8. That is the sixth best RPI in the SEC.
The Gamecocks have 12 wins and 24 overall Quad 1 games with their next six contests against Q1 teams.

MESSINA NAMED SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Cole Messina was named the SEC Player of the Week on May 6.
Messina had a red-hot week, going 9-for-14 with seven runs scored, two doubles, a triple, three home runs, two stolen bases and 10 RBI in four games. Messina also walked three times for a .722 on-base percentage.
He had five RBI in Friday night’s 10-2 win and was 2-for-3 with three RBI in the East Tennessee State win. Messina ended the weekend with a 3-for-5 game with a double and a home run in the come-from-behind 9-4 victory.
This is Messina’s first SEC Player of the Week honor. It is also the first for the Gamecocks since Ethan Petry earned the award on April 10, 2023.

GAINEY, GOOD EXCEL IN MIZZOU SERIES

Garrett Gainey struck out 10 and allowed just two hits and no runs in six innings in a pair of games at Missouri May 3 and 5.
Gainey had five strikeouts in 2.1 innings in Friday’s 10-2 win. He struck out five again, allowing just one hit in 3.2 innings in Sunday’s 9-4 win.
Good earned the win on Friday night, pitching four innings of relief and allowing just one hit with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Good is now 5-1 on the year with a 2.68 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 43.2 innings.
Gainey has six saves and 49 strikeouts in 33 innings of work.

GAMECOCK DUO ON MIDSEASON WATCH LISTS

Cole Messina was named to the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List.
The award is given to the best Division I catcher in the country.
Messina has a team-best 17 doubles to go along with 15 home runs and 50 RBI this season.
Garrett Gainey was named to the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List.
The award is handed out to the best relief pitcher in Division I baseball.
Gainey is tied for second in the SEC with six saves and has 49 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.

OUTFIELDERS SHINE IN KENTUCKY SERIES

The outfield trio of Blake Jackson, Kennedy Jones and Austin Brinling had stellar weekends in the series win over Kentucky.
Jackson had two home runs, including a walk-off two-run shot in the 10th to defeat the Wildcats on Friday, 6-5.
Jackson had four hits and six RBI in the three-game set.
Jones drove in eight runs in the three-game set, going 5-for-11 with three runs scored. He had four RBI in the Sunday 10-0 win.
Brinling was 6-for-14 with five runs scored in three games. He was 3-for-6 in Saturday’s contest vs. Kentucky.

PETRY: 30 FOR (42)

Sophomore Ethan Petry hit a home run in the 9-4 win over Missouri on May 5, his 42nd career home run as a Gamecock.
Petry is now a tie for seventh place on Carolina’s all-time home runs list and is the 29th Gamecock to hit 30 or more home runs in a career.
Petry needs one more home run to tie Chris Boyle (1981-84) for sixth place on Carolina’s all-time list.

MESSINA GETS TO THE 30 MARK

Cole Messina belted his 30th career home run in the 10-2 win over Missouri on May 3.
Messina now has 32 career home runs after his homer on May 7 at Winthrop. He’s the 30th Gamecock to hit 30 or more home runs in his career.
He is tied with Braylen Wimmer, Wes Clarke and Joe Datin for 18th place on Carolina’s all-time list.
Gavin Casas is not far behind as he hit his 26th career home run as a Gamecock in the Winthrop win.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Thursday
South Carolina Roman Kimball (R-So. RHP) 2-1, 4.61 ERA, 27.1 IP, 28 BB, 39 SO
Georgia Jarvis Evans (So. LHP) 3-1, 4.29 ERA, 35.2 IP, 23 BB, 45 SO

Friday
South Carolina Eli Jones (Jr. RHP) 3-3, 4.53 ERA, 55.2 IP, 18 BB, 46 SO
Georgia Leighton Finley (So. RHP) 4-1, 4.53 ERA, 53.2 IP, 19 BB, 54 SO

Saturday
South Carolina TBA
Georgia TBA

UP NEXT