Feb. 22, 2016

Dates: Tues., Feb. 23, 2016

First Pitch: 4 p.m

Location: Columbia, S.C.

Arena: Founders Park (8,242)

Tickets: $10 General Admission

Broadcast:SEC Network + (Derek Scott, pxp; Trey Dyson, analyst)

Radio: 107.5 The Game & The Gamecock Radio Network (Andy Demetra & Tommy Moody); GamecocksOnline.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Gamecocks (3-0) return to Founders Park on Tuesday for a matchup with Appalachian State (0-3). First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus and can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.”

PARKING INFORMATION

Please be aware on game day entrance via car to Williams, Catawba and Wheat Streets will be closed to the public and is accessible only by a valid parking pass.

For Opening Day on Feb. 19 and for the weekday games beginning at 4:00 PM (Feb.19; Feb. 23, Feb 24 and Feb. 26) parking in the business lots will be curtailed based on the specific parking lots. Patrons with passes to park in lots 6, 7, 9 and 10 will be relocated to Lot 1 on Williams and Wheat Sts.

We encourage visitors to use public parking lots illustrated on the parking map. The cost is $5/$10 per vehicle. Fans can also park for free at Capital City Baseball Stadium and the Colonial Life arena and ride the shuttles for $3.00 round trip to and from the parking lots. We strongly recommend that fans use the Capital City Shuttle over the CLA shuttle for the convenience, spacious parking and less congestion.

Visitors who need handicap parking should park at the Capital City Baseball Stadium lot and ride the handicapped shuttle to the baseball stadium for $3.00

Please see link for additional information.

Parking Information

PARKING SHUTTLE

For the 2016 baseball season, the baseball shuttle will be operational at the Capital City Baseball Stadium and in Lot D of the Colonial Life Area parking lot. We strongly recommend that fans use the baseball shuttle from Capital City to Founders Park over the CLA shuttle for the convenience, spacious parking (800 spaces) and less congestion than at the arena. Please remember that at the arena shuttle, parking will be limited to 50 to 100 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. For GPS purposes, the address for Capital City Stadium is 300 Assembly St., Columbia, SC 29201.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP

Tuesday
South Carolina – Adam Hill (Fr.. RHP)
Appalachian State – Breydan Gorham (Fr. RHP)

RANKINGS

The Gamecocks moved up two spots to No. 15 in this week’s D1Baseball Top 25 released on Monday morning.

HILL ON THE MOUND

Freshman right-hander Adam Hill will make his first career start on Tuesday vs. Appalachian State. Hill is a native of Anderson, S.C. and was a 2015 MLB draft pick by the Padres (39th round).

MR. JONES

Sophomore catcher John Jones had a great first weekend in the Gamecock uniform. The junior college transfer hit .600 (6-for-10) with a double, a homer and nine RBI. His nine RBI is the highest three-game series RBI total since LB Dantzler drove in 10 runs, ironically, vs. Albany in 2013. He also walked twice and scored four runs. His on-base percentage for the weekend was .667 with a 1.000 slugging mark.

Jones’ average tied for the third-best among SEC players for the first weekend, as did his RBI total. Five of Jones’ nine RBI came with two outs. Jones hit safely in all three games and had three multi-RBI games as well.

SCHMIDT OFF TO GOOD START

Sophomore right-hander Clarke Schmidt picked up the win on Opening Day allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks in six innings of work as Carolina defeated Albany 10-1.

DTW

Junior outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams had a stellar weekend at the plate in his debut as well. Thompson-Williams hit .400 (4-for-10) with a homer, four RBI and four runs scored. Thompson-Williams also had four walks and finished with a .571 on-base percentage.

WEBB WITH A WIN

Freshman right-hander Braden Webb allowed two runs on one hit with three walks and five strikeouts to earn his first win as a Gamecock in Saturday’s 6-2 win.

MOONEY IN THE MIDDLE

Senior infielder Marcus Mooney had the team’s second-highest on-base percentage of the weekend with a .636 mark and hit .333 (2-for-6) as well. Mooney doubled twice, drove in a run and scored four runs. He also tallied two sacrifice hits and stole two bases. Mooney reached base in all four plate appearances and scored three runs in Sunday’s 8-1 win.

WIDENER SOLID IN FIRST START

Junior right-hander Taylor Widener allowed only one unearned run on two hits with no walks and six strikeouts in five innings of work in Sunday’s victory over Albany. Widener’s six strikeouts were one short of his career-high.

JONAH WITH A JOLT

Sophomore infielder Jonah Bride hit safely in all three games. Bride hit .333 (3-for-9) with three runs scored, a double and a RBI. He was also hit by a pitch three times and walked for a .538 on-base percentage.

JOHNSON MAKES AN APPEARANCE

Sophomore right-hander Tyler Johnson made two relief appearances and struck out four batters in two innings with just one hit allowed. He was the only Gamecock to make two appearances on the mound for the weekend.

AN ASSIST & A RECORD TO TJ

Freshman outfielder TJ Hopkins tied a single-game school record with two outfield assists on Opening Day. Hopkins started all three games and hit .286 (2-for-7) with a RBI.

REAGAN FROM THE LEFT

Junior left-hander Josh Reagan tallied his first career save with 1.2 perfect innings of relief in Saturday’s 6-2 win over Albany. He struck out four batters in the outing.

CULLEN CATCHING ON

Freshman catcher Chris Cullen started a pair of games behind the plate and hit .500 (4-for-8) with a run scored and two RBI. Cullen put together a pair of two-out RBI singles and was 3-for-4 in Saturday’s 6-2 win.

GREAT SCOTT

Junior right-hander Reed Scott pitched 2.1 perfect innings of relief retiring all seven batters he faced in Saturday’s 6-2 win.

BOWERS BRINGS IT

Junior right-hander Colie Bowers won his first career game with the Gamecocks after pitching 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in Sunday’s 8-1 win.

SCOLAMIERO ON BASE

Sophomore outfielders Clark Scolamiero played in all three games with two starts and hit .333 (2-for-6) with a run scored and two RBI. Scolamiero reached base in all three games as well.

LT

Freshman infielder LT Tolbert went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double in Sunday’s 8-1 win over Albany.

A NEW NAME

Founders Federal Credit Union and the University of South Carolina announced a partnership awarding naming rights of Carolina Stadium to Founders Federal Credit Union. Carolina Stadium officially became Founders Park on October 22, 2015.

Unveiled in 2009, the $35-plus million facility has a capacity of 8,242 fans and is the crown jewel among baseball stadiums across the nations. South Carolina has ranked among the top three in the nation in total attendance in five consecutive years, including a mark of 250,057 last season as well as a season-high 6,049 season tickets sold last year.

Founders Park will be officially dedicated on Sat., April 23 before game two of the Missouri series. South Carolina totaled 22,480 in attendance the first weekend for an average of 7,493 per contest at Founders Park.

SERIES HISTORY

South Carolina is 11-1 vs. Appalachian State in series history including an 11-1 win last year in Columbia. The Gamecocks belted out 14 hits and scored six runs in the first inning on the way to the victory. Gene Cone tied a career-high with hits and RBIs in a single game with three apiece and right-hander Reed Scott earned the win after hurling five scoreless innings.

SCOUTING APP STATE

Appalachian State heads into Columbia after an 0-3 start last week at Caravelle Resort Tournament in nearby Myrtle Beach and Conway. The Mountaineers fell to Coastal Carolina 17-2, Virginia 8-0 and 12-3 to Old Dominion. Head coach Billy Jones is in his fourth season at the helm of App State.

TO ARMS

South Carolina pitchers had a strong first weekend with the Gamecocks allowing four runs, three earned, on 10 hits with 11 walks and 30 strikeouts in 27.0 innings. Carolina’s 1.00 team ERA was best among the 14 SEC schools as was the team’s .114 opposing batting average.

THE BULLPEN

South Carolina’s bullpen did not allow a run in 11 innings of work in the Albany series and struck out 13 batters. The bullpen allowed just four singles and four walks.

AT THE PLATE AND ON THE FIELD

South Carolina hit .323 (31-for-96) for the weekend with a .446 on base percentage. The Gamecocks also walked 16 times to 12 strikeouts and were hit by pitch seven times. Carolina committed just two errors and fielded .983 for the weekend with two error-less games for the series.

RECRUITING CLASS RANKED NO. 2 IN THE NATION

South Carolina’s newcomers have been ranked the No. 2 recruiting class in the country by Collegiate Baseball. This year’s crop features eight players previously selected in the MLB Draft.

HONOR ROLL

The Gamecocks had 29 players in the fall semester with a GPA of 3.0 or better.

A LOOK CLOSER AT THIS YEAR’S SCHEDULE

South Carolina’s schedule this year includes 35 home games at Founders Park.

South Carolina and Clemson will meet in a unique three-game setting for a seventh consecutive year. The series opens in Columbia on Friday, Mar. 4 vs. Clemson with first pitch set for 7 p.m. The series shifts to the Reedy River Rivalry game at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, on Saturday, and concludes in Clemson on Sunday afternoon.

The Gamecocks will play three times at Fluor Field with contests vs. USC Upstate (March 15) and Furman (April 20) as well. In addition, the Gamecocks will also face North Carolina on April 12 at BB&T Ballpark, home of the Charlotte Knights, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Additional in-state contests for the Gamecocks include Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Presbyterian, The Citadel, Winthrop and Wofford. Other non-conference opponents include Appalachian State, Penn State and Davidson.

South Carolina’s 30-game SEC slate begins Friday, Mar. 18, with Carolina hosting Arkansas. South Carolina also hosts Tennessee (April 8-10), Missouri (April 22-24), Florida (April 29-May 1) and Texas A&M (May 13-15). SEC three-game series opponents on the road are Ole Miss (Mar. 24-26), Vanderbilt (Mar. 31-April 2), Georgia (April 15-17), Kentucky (May 6-8) and Alabama (May 19-21).

South Carolina has ranked among the top three in the nation in total attendance in five consecutive years including a mark of 250,057 last season.

TOP PROSPECTS

D1Baseball.com recently recognized several South Carolina players among the top prospects in the nation for the 2016, 2017 and MLB Drafts. This year’s top 300 includes RHP Wil Crowe (No. 38), RHP Braden Webb (No. 66), OF Dom Thompson-Williams (NO. 94), RHP Taylor Widener (No. 197) and RHP Matt Vogel (No. 287). The 2017 top 100 list included 1B/LHP Alex Destino (No. 24), RHP Clarke Schmidt (No. 40) and RHP Brandon Murray (No. 73). The 2018 top 100 freshman list features OF Brandon McIlwain (No. 5), RHP Braden Webb (No. 29), INF LT Tolbert (No. 39) and C Chris Cullen (No. 85).