Nov. 4, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina baseball team has announced the 2016 schedule that features 35 home games at Founders Park. The Gamecocks open the season on Friday, Feb. 19, hosting a three-game series vs. Albany.
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. As announced last week, 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.
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).
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 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.
The full TV schedule will be released on a later date.
South Carolina closes out the Garnet & Black World Series this week with a pair of games. The Gamecocks head to Lexington County Baseball Stadium on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tickets are $5 with all proceeds to benefit the Salvation Army Flood Relief efforts. The series returns to Founders Park on Friday for the series finale with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday’s series finale is open to the public as well.
2016 SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
February 19-21 – Albany
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Jon Mueller (16th season)
2015 Record (Conf.): 14-28 (7-13)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 3-0
Fun Fact: South Carolina defeated Albany in a three-game series in Coach Holbrook’s first season as head that featured a combined no-hitter by Colby Holmes, Forrest Koumas and Josh Knab in game one of a doubleheader on Feb. 24, 2013, a 14-1 victory for the Gamecocks.
February 23 – Appalachian State
Conference: Sun Belt
Head Coach: Billy Jones (4th Season)
2015 Record: 17-36 (8-21)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC Leads 12-1
Fun Fact: The Gamecocks defeated Appalachian State last 11-1 that featured a six-run first inning. Right-hander Reed Scott pitched five scoreless innings to earn the win.
February 24 – Winthrop
Conference: Big South
Head Coach: Tom Riginos (6th Season)
2015 Record: 40-19 (16-8)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC Leads 15-7
Fun Fact: Last year’s game vs. the Eagles was one of six extra-inning contests for the Gamecocks.
February 26-28 – Penn State
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Rob Cooper (3rd Season)
2015 Record: 18-30 (6-16)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 3-1
Fun Fact: Penn State head coach Rob Cooper coached current Gamecock LHP/1B Alex Destino on USA Baseball’s 18U National team in the fall of 2013.
March 1, May 17 – The Citadel
Conference: Southern
Head Coach: Fred Jordan (26th Season)
2015 Record: 28-30 (10-14)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 128-48-1
Fun Fact: The Citadel has played the second-highest amount of games by an opponent vs. the Gamecocks.
March 4-6 – Clemson
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Head Coach: Monte Lee (1st Season)
2015 Record: 32-29 (16-13)
Postseason: Fullerton Regional (0-2)
Series Record: CU leads 172-135-2
Fun Fact: South Carolina has won 24 of the last 34 games between the two schools dating back to the 2007 regular season.
March 8 – Wofford
Conference: Southern
Head Coach: Todd Interdonato (9th Season)
2015 Record: 39-22 (13-10)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC Leads 75-24-1
Fun Fact: In a 5-3 win over the Terriers last year, Alex Destino tied a career-high in hits as he went 3-for-4 at the plate.
March 9, April 20 – Furman
Conference: Southern
Head Coach: Ron Smith (23rd season)
2015 Record (Conf.): 25-33 (11-13)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 112-55-2
Fun Fact: South Carolina and Furman have met eight times at Fluor Field. South Carolina is 5-3 vs. the Paladins in those contests.
March 11-13 – Charleston Southern
Conference: Big South
Head Coach: Stuart Lake (8th Season)
2015 Record: 23-30 (10-14)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 71-12 Fun Fact: Stuart Lake served as volunteer assistant for Ray Tanner at South Carolina from 1999-2002. Assistant coach Chris Brown lettered at South Carolina in 2005 and 2006 as well.
March 15, May 4 – USC Upstate
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Head Coach: Matt Fincher (20th Season)
2015 Record: 15-38 (4-17)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC Leads 9-0
Fun Fact: March 15 will be South Carolina’s first meeting vs. USC Upstate at Fluor Field.
March 16 – Davidson
Conference: Atlantic 10
Head Coach: Dick Cooke (26th season)
2015 Record: 28-22 (14-10)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 46-21-1
Fun Fact: The Gamecocks and Wildcats were scheduled to play last year but were unable to due to a rainout.
March 18-20 – Arkansas
Conference: Southeastern
Head Coach: Dave Van Horn (14th season)
2015 Record: 40-25 (17-12)
Postseason: NCAA College World Series (0-2) Series Record: Arkansas leads 37-29 Fun Fact: The Razorbacks return to Founders Park for the first time since the 2013 season.
March 24-26 – Ole Miss
Conference: Southeastern
Head Coach: Mike Bianco (16th season)
2015 Record: 30-28 (15-14)
Postseason: Los Angeles Regional (0-2)
Series Record: SC leads 32-22
Fun Fact: This is South Carolina’s first trip to Ole Miss since the 2011 regular season.
March 29 – College of Charleston
Conference: Colonial
Head Coach: Matt Heath (1st season)
2015 Record: 45-15 (21-3) Postseason: Tallahassee Regional (2-2) Series Record: SC leads 50-7 Fun Fact: Gamecock junior right-hander Colie Bowers spent the 2013 season at College of Charleston before transferring to USC Sumter.
March 31 – April 2 – Vanderbilt
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Tim Corbin (14th Season)
2015 Record: 51-21 (20-10)
Postseason: 2015 National Runner-Up
Series Record: SC leads 53-28
Fun Fact: South Carolina has won its last three road series at Vanderbilt in 2010, 2012 and 2014. The Gamecocks took two of three games last year vs. the Commodores in Columbia.
April 5 – Coastal Carolina
Conference: Big South
Head Coach: Gary Gilmore (21st Season)
2015 Record: 39-21 (17-7)
Postseason: College Station Regional (1-2)
Series Record: SC leads 13-6
Fun Fact: Four Gamecock pitchers accounted for a one-hit shutout in a 4-0 victory over Coastal Carolina in 2014, the last time both teams met in Columbia at Founders Park.
April 8-10 – Tennessee
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Dave Serrano (5th Season)
2015 Record: 24-26 (11-18)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 55-36
Fun Fact: The Gamecocks have several players on roster with ties to the state of Tennessee including right-handed pitcher Wil Crowe (Sevierville, Tenn.) and junior college transfers first baseman Ross Grosvenor and right-handed pitcher Colton Provey, who both helped lead Walters State CC to the 2015 NJCAA World Series.
April 12 – North Carolina
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Mike Fox (17th Season) 2015 Record: 34-24 (13-16) Postseason: N/A Series Record: UNC leads 57-36-1 Fun Fact: This will be South Carolina and North Carolina’s first regular season game since May 11, 2004 when the Gamecocks defeated the Tar Heels 9-4 in Fort Mill.
April 15-17 – Georgia
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Scott Stricklin (3rd Season)
2015 Record: 26-28 (10-19)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 63-53
Fun Fact: South Carolina has faced Georgia more times than any SEC team on the schedule.
April 22-24 – Missouri
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Tim Jamieson (20th Season)
2015 Record: 30-28 (15-15)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 6-4
Fun Fact: South Carolina’s pitching staff combined for a 2.70 ERA in last year’s three-game series at Missouri.
April 29 – May 1 – Florida
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan (9th Season)
2015 Record: 52-18 (19-11)
Postseason: College World Series (3-2)
Series Record: SC leads 43-41
Fun Fact: All three games vs. Florida were sold out in 2014, the last time the Gators came to Founders Park.
May 6-8 – Kentucky
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Gary Henderson (8th Season)
2015 Record: 30-25 (14-15)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 48-34
Fun Fact: The home team has won 11 of the last 12 series played between the two schools, the lone exception was a series victory by the Gamecocks in Lexington in 2009.
May 10 – Presbyterian
Conference: Big South
Head Coach: Elton Pollock (12th Year)
2015 Record: 27-28 (6-18)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 45-20
Fun Fact: Former Gamecock letterwinner Parker Bangs (2008-10) joined Coach Pollock’s staff this year as an assistant coach.
May 13-15 – Texas A&M
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Rob Childress (11th Season)
2015 Record: 50-14 (18-10)
Postseason: Fort Worth Super Regional (1-2)
Series Record: SC leads 6-1
Fun Fact: South Carolina’s top SEC offensive weekend of last season was in a series victory vs. the Aggies. The Gamecocks hit .350 (41-for-117) with seven doubles and seven homers as well as 31 runs scored.
May 19-21- Alabama
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Mitch Gaspard (7th season)
2015 Record: 32-28 (12-18)
Postseason: N/A
Series Record: SC leads 31-26
Fun Fact: This will be South Carolina’s first trip to Tuscaloosa since clinching the SEC title in May of 2011.
