Feb. 20, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (3-1) returns to action this weekend with a three-game series vs. Northeastern (2-1) at Carolina Stadium. A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. with the second game scheduled for 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Sunday’s series finale is set for 1:30 p.m.
All tickets for Friday’s postponed game and Saturday’s game will be honored for the doubleheader. Season ticket holders attending both games are asked to bring both tickets to the stadium. Fans with tickets to only Friday’s game may stay for the second contest in the standing room only sections. Fans with tickets to only Saturday’s originally scheduled game may come for the first game of the doubleheader and watch the game in the standing room only sections as well.
LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: Saturday’s first game of the doubleheader will begin on 1320 AM in Columbia. Gamecock Radio Network affiliates/Flagship WNKT FM 107.5 “The Game” in Columbia will pick up the broadcast after the broadcast of the men’s basketball game vs. Texas A&M is completed. Andy Demetra, Tommy Moody and Derek Scott will call the action this weekend.
Broadcast: SEC Network + (Brad Muller, Kip Bouknight, Derek Scott & Trey Dyson). Check cable or satellite provider for streaming availability.
Internet: Live Gametracker stats at GamecocksOnline.com. Additional coverage on Twitter @GamecockBasebll
SEC NETWORK+
The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The game will be available through participating TV providers only through WatchESPN. For more information on SEC Network+, please click HERE
South Carolina vs. Northeastern
Carolina Stadium
Saturday, Feb. 21 (2 p.m. (Doubleheader)); Sunday, February 22 (1:30 p.m.)
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Live Stats
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Saturday (G1)
South Carolina – Jack Wynkoop (Jr. LHP) 0-1, 7.20 ERA, 5.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO
Northeastern – Nick Berger (Sr. RHP) 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 1 BB, 9 SO
Saturday (G2)
South Carolina – Wil Crowe (So. RHP) 1-0, 1.42 ERA, 6.1 IP, 3 BB, 10 SO
Northeastern – Dustin Hunt (So. RHP) 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 BB, 5 SO
Sunday
South Carolina – Josh Reagan (So. LHP) 0-0, 4.76 ERA, 5.2 IP, 1 BB, 4 SO
Northeastern – James Mulry (Jr. LHP) 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 4.0 IP, 1 BB, 0 SO
SERIES HISTORY
First meeting
PARKING SHUTTLE
For the 2015 baseball season, the baseball shuttle is expanding and 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 Carolina Baseball Stadium 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.
DID YOU KNOW??
Elliott Caldwell had a career-high four hits and tied a career-high with two doubles in Tuesday’s 5-2 win over Furman.
THE NORTHEASTERN SERIES
This is the first meeting between the Gamecocks and Northeastern in baseball. The Huskies enter the weekend with a 2-1 record after defeating Incarnate Word in two of three games last week.
Northeastern marks the second Gamecock opponent this year from the Colonial Athletic Association, the previous being College of Charleston.
Northeastern is the only Gamecock opponent this season that South Carolina has never met in baseball prior to the upcoming year. Head coach Mike Glavine played for Northeastern and was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame in 2006. He is in his first season as head coach of the Huskies. He spent 10 seasons in professional baseball. The New York Mets called him up the majors in 2003, where he played with his older brother Tom, who was recently elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
RANKINGS
South Carolina is ranked in every publication. The Gamecocks are No. 5 by D1Baseball, No. 10 USA TODAY coaches poll, No. 12 by the NCBWA, No. 13 by Baseball America, No. 13 by Perfect Game and No. 20 by Collegiate Baseball.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior outfielder Elliott Caldwell went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a three-run triple and freshman right-hander Clarke Schmidt worked 4.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn his first career win as fifth ranked South Carolina defeated Furman 5-2 on Tuesday afternoon at Carolina Stadium.
MORE ON CALDWELL
Caldwell’s three-run triple in the third inning erased a two-run deficit. The triple was the first of his career and the first triple by the Gamecocks for the season. He set a career-high with four hits. It was the most hits since he had three on Mar. 28, 2014 vs. Tennessee. Caldwell’s three RBI are a season-high by a Gamecock player this year as well. It also marked Caldwell’s second career game with two doubles, he had two doubles vs. Brown, Mar. 8, 2014.
FRESHMEN RIGHT-HANDERS
A pair of freshmen right-handers factored in Tuesday’s vs. Furman. Clarke Schmidt worked 4.2 scoreless innings with just three hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts to pick up his first career win and Brandon Murray picked up his first career save with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just two hits and struck out one batter.
A LOOK BACK
South Carolina opened the 2015 season winning a series against 25th ranked College of Charleston with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday as the Gamecocks defeated the Cougars 7-1 and 8-3.
K-MART
Senior first baseman Kyle Martin was the Gamecocks’ top hitter over the weekend going 4-for-9 (.444) with a pair of runs, a double and three RBI. Martin went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the 7-1 win and followed that up going 2-for-4 with a run in the 8-3 victory.
Martin elected to return for his final season after being selected in the 20th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Martin was Carolina’s leading hitter last year batting .336 (82-for-244) with 35 runs scored, 11 doubles, five homers and 38 RBI, a .389 on-base percentage and a .443 slugging percentage. He started all 62 games at first base.
Martin averaged 1.32 hits per game last year, tied for highest among SEC returning leaders. His .336 average is second-highest among returning SEC players as well.
A CLOSER LOOK AT WIDENER
Sophomore right-hander Taylor Widener was effective in his first relief appearance of the season as he pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with six strikeouts to earn a save in the 8-3 win to win the rubber game vs. College of Charleston. Widener tied a career-high with six strikeouts and did not allow a hit to pick up his first career save.
IN THE CROWE’S NEST
Sophomore right-hander Wil Crowe won game one of the doubleheader vs. College of Charleston as he shut down the Cougars going 6.1 innings and allowing just one run on four hits with three walks and a career-high 10 strikeouts. Crowe’s 10 strikeouts tied for the most by a SEC pitcher over the weekend. Crowe bested his previous career mark of nine that he set twice, the last time vs. Vanderbilt on May 17, 2014.
Crowe is among the top sophomores in the country. Crowe earned Freshman All-America honors last year as he went 8-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 15 starts with 59 strikeouts to 19 walks in 91.2 innings pitched. Opponents hit just .228 against him. He did not allow a stolen base either.
Crowe is one of 50 players in the nation to be named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.
GORE IN A GROOVE
Sophomore Jordan Gore was key in the doubleheader sweep vs. College of Charleston. He opened the doubleheader going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in the 7-1 win and followed that up with a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth of the 8-3 win in the night cap. Gore hit .364 (4-for-11) in the series with three runs and four RBI. Gore’s pair of multi-RBI games were the first of his career.
DYNAMIC DESTINO
Freshman Alex Destino made his debut in a Gamecock uniform and he came up with a big hit in the rubber game as his two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth broke a 3-3 tie in the 8-3 victory. Destino was 4-for-12 (.333) for the weekend at the plate.
Destino earned third-team Preseason All-America honors from Baseball America. Baseball America surveys scouting directors and national crosscheckers to vote on the Preseason College All-America team.
MAX IT OUT
Junior infielder Max Schrock was on base a lot as he went 3-for-9 (.333) and drew five walks for a .571 on-base percentage in the three games over the weekend. Schrock scored a team-high four runs as well and drove in a run. Schrock is tied for the league lead in walks after the opening weekend.
STREAKS
Jordan Gore and Gene Cone have hit safely in all four games this year and have five-game hitting streaks dating back to last year.
SOME DEBUTS
Three Gamecock freshman right-handers made their debuts on the mound this weekend. Freshmen Tyler Haswell, Brandon Murray and Clarke Schmidt all took to the mound for the first time. Murray went 0.2 scoreless and picked up his first career win in the 8-3 victory. Schmidt pitched one scoreless inning and struck out a batter on Opening Day.
Also making their first appearances in a Gamecock uniform were freshman catcher Hunter Taylor, freshman infielder Madison Stokes, junior college transfer and first baseman Collin Steagall and freshman outfielder Clark Scolamiero. Taylor, Stokes and Steagall each got a start with Stokes driving in a pair of runs with a single in the 8-3 win. Scolamiero scored a run as a pinch-runner in the 8-3 win.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop returns to the weekend rotation for a third straight year. He has made 28 starts in his career, that is second-highest among all returning SEC pitchers.
Wynkoop was the Opening Day starter for the Gamecocks, the fifth consecutive year a left-hander has been the first to get the ball for the Gamecocks. Wynkoop allowed four runs on eight hits in five-plus innings with a walk and two strikeouts.
A BRIGHT SPOT
Senior outfielder Connor Bright homered in the 7-1 win vs. College of Charleston and was 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI in the 8-3 win.
One of five seniors on the squad, Bright is back for one more season with the Gamecocks. Bright saw action in 44 games with 42 starts in right field, but battled back issues in the last half of the season. Despite his injury, he hit .311 (50-for-161) with 24 RBI and 25 runs scored. Bright is expected to start in right field on Opening Day. He has 117 career starts with the Garnet & Black. That is the highest total on the active roster for the Gamecocks.
MOONEY IN THE MIDDLE
Junior infielder Marcus Mooney is back and will factor in the middle infield positions. Mooney played 58 games with 57 starts in 2014. He hit .274 (59-for-215) with 32 runs scored, 10 doubles, a triple and 22 RBI, also a .380 on-base percentage.
VINNY
Junior left-hander Vince Fiori went 2.2 scoreless in the 7-1 win over College of Charleston and allowed just one walk as he retired six of seven batters he faced.
CONE LEADS IT OFF
Sophomore outfielder Gene Cone was 3-for-12 with a pair of runs and a RBI vs. College of Charleston. He added a single and two runs in Tuesday’s 5-2 win over Furman.
Cone is coming off a solid summer that saw him earn Coastal Plain League Hitter of the Year, as voted on by the CPL head coaches. Cone hit a league-best .385 (62-for-161) for the Florence RedWolves during the regular season in 43 starts with 18 doubles, a pair of triples, 25 RBI and 40 runs scored. An All-Star selection as well during the summer season, Cone collected a .468 on-base percentage with 26 walks to 17 strikeouts. Cone continued to swing a hot bat during the playoffs to help lead the RedWolves to the CPL Petit Cup Championship Series. He hit .314 in eight playoff games.
Cone came on late for the Gamecocks and made 30 starts last season as a freshman and finished with a .371 on-base percentage. He scored 22 runs and made just one error in the outfield.
REAGAN ON THE LEFT
Sophomore left-hander Josh Reagan made just his second career start in Saturday’s 8-3 win. Reagan went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts. The stint was the longest of Reagan’s career besting his previous mark of five vs. Stetson last year on Mar. 4, 2014.
DC DELIVERS
Junior infielder DC Arendas had a team-high .625 on-base percentage in two starts and went 1-for-4 with a run scored, two walks and two hit by pitches in two games played.
AT THE PLATE & ON THE MOUND
South Carolina hit .261 as a team (24-for-92) with a .384 on-base percentage in the College of Charleston series. South Carolina’s 17 walks at the plate was fourth-highest among the league last weekend. The pitching staff went 27.0 innings and allowed 10 runs on 26 hits with 13 walks and 24 strikeouts. College of Charleston hit .260 against the Gamecocks.
ON THE FIELD
South Carolina did not commit an error in the three-game series vs. College of Charleston. The Gamecocks have just two errors on the year with a .987 fielding percentage (155 C, 108 PO, 45 A).
PRODUCTION
All nine Gamecocks in the starting lineup reached base at least once in the 7-1 win vs. College of Charleston with eight of nine tallying at least one hit in the 8-3 victory vs. College of Charleston as well.
