Baseball Hosts Georgia to Open SEC Play

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team opens Southeastern Conference play this weekend, hosting No. 8 Georgia for a three-game series beginning Friday night (March 15) at 7 p.m. at Founders Park. Game two will take place Saturday afternoon (March 16) at 4 p.m. with the series finale Sunday afternoon (March 17) at 1:30 p.m. All three games will be streamed on SEC Network + with Burch Antley and Kip Bouknight on the call. All games will be broadcast on The Game 107.5 FM with Derek Scott, Tommy Moody and Brad Muller on the call. Carolina, winners of four straight contests, is coming off a 10-9 win at The Citadel on Tuesday night as Luke Berryhill drove in four runs, the Gamecocks scored seven runs in the first two innings and hung on for the one-run win.

PARKING INFORMATION

> For the third straight season, shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball season will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road) and in Lot B of the Colonial Life Arena parking lot. Shuttles will begin running two hours prior to game time.

We strongly recommend that fans use the baseball shuttle from Key Road to Founders Park over the CLA shuttle for the convenience, spacious parking (650 spaces) and less congestion than at the arena. Please remember that at the arena, shuttle parking will be limited to 50 spaces because of the student demand for parking in this area. There is a high student demand Monday through Thursday that lasts until 7 p.m. because of classes. Lots A and B are also reserved for men’s and women’s basketball parking on Feb. 19, 26, March 3 and March 9.

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))

Weekdays
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 5:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 4 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 5 p.m.

Saturday
Game Time: 4 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 2:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 1 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 1 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 2 p.m.

Sunday
Game Time: 1:30 p.m.
Stadium Opens: Noon
Business Lots Open: 10:30 a.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 10:30 a.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 11:30 a.m.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION

Friday
South Carolina Wesley Sweatt (Fr. RHP) 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 10.2 IP, 3 BB, 8 SO
Georgia Emerson Hancock (So. RHP) 4-0, 0.38 ERA, 24.0 IP, 6 BB, 25 SO

Saturday
South Carolina Reid Morgan (Jr. RHP) 2-0, 1.84 ERA, 29.1 IP, 1 BB, 27 SO
Georgia C.J. Smith (So. LHP) 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.0 IP, 4 BB, 14 SO

Sunday
South Carolina TBA
Georgia Tony Locey (Jr. RHP) 3-0, 2.45 ERA, 22.0 IP, 10 BB, 32 SO

SCOUTING GEORGIA

The Bulldogs are coming off a 6-3 win at Georgia State on Wednesday afternoon. LJ Talley drove in three runs and had a pair of hits while Patrick Sullivan was 3-for-5 on the day. Talley leads Georgia and is second in the league with a .450 batting average. Riley King and Tucker Maxwell have 20 RBI each. On the mound, Friday night starter Emerson Hancock is 4-0 with a 0.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched.

THE SERIES

Carolina holds a 65-60 series advantage on Georgia heading into the weekend. The Gamecocks were swept by the Bulldogs last season in Athens. Noah Campbell had a pair of hits in the 7-5 loss on Friday, while Jacob Olson homered in Saturday’s game. The last time the two teams played in Columbia, Carolina won a 10-0 contest in the 2017 regular-season finale. Jonah Bride was 3-for-5 with three RBI in that win.

RANKINGS

South Carolina stayed in most of the national polls after sweeping Valparaiso this past weekend. The Gamecocks are ranked 18th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll and 20th in the Baseball America poll. Carolina is 22nd in the D1Baseball.com, 23rd in the USA TODAY Coaches’ poll and 24th in the NCBWA Poll.

HOPKINS HITS FOR THE CYCLE IN VALPO WIN

Senior TJ Hopkins hit for South Carolina’s first cycle since 2015 in the 12-6 win over Valparaiso on Sunday, March 10. Hopkins hit his sixth home run of the season in the fourth, doubled in the fifth, singled in the seventh and tripled in the eighth for Carolina’s first cycle since Kyle Martin in 2015 at Florida. Hopkins currently is hitting .357 with five doubles, three triples and six home runs. Hopkins also is slugging .771 and has a .410 on-base percentage.

SEC LEADERS

Cam Tringali is tied for the conference lead with nine appearances, while Reid Morgan leads the conference in innings pitched at 29.1. At the plate, Jacob Olson is tied with Ole Miss’ Thomas Dillard for the home run lead with seven, is second in total bases (54) and is third in slugging percentage (.757). TJ Hopkins leads the league in total bases (54), is tied for third in home runs (6), tied for the lead in triples (3) and second in slugging percentage (.771). Luke Berryhill is tied for second in doubles (9), fifth in slugging percentage (.733), fifth in total bases (44) and tied for third in RBI (25). As a team, SC is 13th in batting average, 10th in ERA and ninth in fielding percentage.

UP NEXT

South Carolina starts a four-game road trip with a Tuesday clash against Furman in Greenville. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Fluor Field.