March 16, 2015

South Carolina-Winthrop Game Notes

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (17-3) concludes an 11-game homestand on Tuesday night at Carolina Stadium hosting Winthrop (13-5). First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network affiliates/Flagship WNKT FM 107.5 “The Game” in Columbia. Andy Demetra and Tommy Moody will call the action.
Broadcast: SEC Network + (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+
All three games 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. Winthrop
Carolina Stadium
Tuesday March 17 (7 p.m.)

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Live Stats

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Tuesday
South Carolina – Reed Scott (So. RHP) 0-0, 2.13 ERA, 12.2 IP, 6 BB, 8 SO
Winthrop – Josh Strong (Jr. LHP) 2-0, 1.32 ERA, 13.2 IP, 5 BB, 9 SO

SERIES HISTORY
South Carolina leads 15-6

DID YOU KNOW??
South Carolina opened SEC play with a series sweep of Kentucky, the first time since 2010 that the Gamecocks have started league play 3-0.

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.

RANKINGS
South Carolina is ranked in every publication. The Gamecocks are No. 5 by Perfect Game and ranked No. 6 by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball and USA TODAY coaches poll.

GREAT SCOTT
Sophomore right-hander Reed Scott will start Tuesday night for the Gamecocks. Scott last pitched four scoreless innings in his first start of the year and struck out four batters in the 13-3 win over Penn State. Scott has a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings of work in six total appearances this year.

A LOOK BACK
South Carolina went 5-0 last week with a pair of wins vs. Penn State and a three-game series sweep vs. Kentucky. The Gamecocks are 17-3 and 3-0 in the SEC. It is the first time since 2010 that the Gamecocks have started out 3-0 in conference play. South Carolina currently owns a 10-game winning streak. South Carolina is 9-0 all-time in school history vs. Kentucky at Carolina Stadium.

IN THE CROWE’S NEST
Sophomore right-hander Wil Crowe earned SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon. Crowe was phenomenal on Friday night allowing just one run, unearned, on one hit with three walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings of work in the 10-1 victory vs. Kentucky. His 10 strikeouts tied a career-high. Crowe allowed just a single in the first inning to the Wildcats, who came into Columbia this weekend riding an 11-game winning streak and hitting .312 at the plate. Crowe is now 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA. He leads the SEC with 41 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 30.1 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting .221 against him.

Crowe is the first Gamecock this season to earn a conference weekly honor. The league office twice recognized him in 2014, once as SEC Pitcher of the Week and once as SEC Freshman of the Week.

CALDWELL A HIT
Senior outfielder Elliott Caldwell hit .636 (7-for-11) in the Kentucky series with four runs scored, a triple, two homers and four RBI. Caldwell went 2-for-4 in the 10-1 win, followed that up going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a two-run homer in the 4-3 victory over the Wildcats and went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI including a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning in Sunday’s 6-4 10-inning win. Caldwell’s homer on Saturday was the first of his career in a Gamecock uniform. Caldwell leads the Gamecocks at the plate with a .411 average (23-for-56) this year with two doubles, two triples, two homers and 12 RBI. Caldwell’s .535 on-base percentage is fourth-best in the SEC with his batting average ninth and a .625 slugging percentage that ranks 11th highest in the league. Caldwell has reached base in 14 straight games. He has seven multi-hit games this year.

JACK OF ALL TRADES
Junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop improved to 4-1 with a win in Saturday’s 4-3 victory vs. Kentucky. Wynkoop allowed two runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings with a walk and five strikeouts. Wynkoop is 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 34.1 innings with six walks to 28 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .208 against him. Wynkoop is tied for third in the SEC in wins and is third in innings pitched as well.

Wynkoop earned the Tom Price Award as Gamecock MVP of the Clemson series. Wynkoop worked six-plus innings and allowed just one run in the 4-1 victory vs. the Tigers.

Wynkoop is in the weekend rotation for a third straight year. He has made 32 starts in his career, that is second-highest among all returning SEC pitchers.

K-MART
Senior first baseman Kyle Martin hit a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning in South Carolina’s 6-4 win over Kentucky on Sunday. Martin was 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI in the victory. Martin is batting .362 (25-for-69) with a team-high 18 runs scored as well as 22 RBI and tied for the team lead with four homers. Martin’s 22 RBI ties for second-highest in the SEC with his four homers tied for seventh-best in the league. Martin also leads the SEC with four sacrifice flies. Martin currently owns a seven-game hitting streak and has reached base in 10 straight games. Martin has seven multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games this year. Martin is fielding 1.000 at first base and leads the SEC with 197 putouts as well as 204 chances.

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.

SCHMIDT CONTRIBUTES
Freshman right-hander Clarke Schmidt worked a career-high 6.2 innings and struck out a career-high seven batters in his first career SEC start in Sunday’s 6-4 win over Kentucky. Schmidt allowed two runs on four hits with two walks. For the season, Schmidt is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 22.0 innings with four walks to 21 strikeouts.

Schmidt has a pair of wins in relief. Schmidt worked 4.2 scoreless innings with just three hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts in the 5-2 win over Furman. He followed that up with 2.1 innings of work in a 6-4 win over Northeastern allowing one run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

CONE LEADS IT OFF
Sophomore outfielder Gene Cone has reached base in all 20 games hits year. Cone was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning and eventually scored on Martin’s two-run homer. He also went 1-for-3 with two runs scored in the 10-1 victory over Kentucky on Friday.

For the season, Cone is batting .313 (21-for-67) with a team-high 20 runs scored and a .465 on-base percentage. Cone’s 20 runs scored are tied for sixth-highest in the SEC.

A CLOSER LOOK AT WIDENER
Sophomore right-hander Taylor Widener notched a save and a win vs. Kentucky. Widener allowed one run on two hits in 1.2 innings with two strikeouts for his fifth save in a 4-3 victory vs. the Wildcats and followed that up with 1.1 innings of work allowing one run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout in Sunday’s 6-4 victory. Widener is 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA and six saves in 10.2 innings with 18 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .184 against him this year. He ranks second in the SEC in saves.

MAX IT OUT
Junior Max Schrock belted his first career grand slam in the 10-1 victory vs. Kentucky. Schrock finished the game with a career-high five RBI. Schrock earlier in the week went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, a homer and three RBI in a 13-3 win over Penn State. Schrock is batting .242 this year (16-for-66) with three homers and 17 RBI. Schrock ranks tied for third in the SEC with 18 walks and has just four strikeouts on the year and a .395 on-base percentage.

MINCEY MAKES HIS MARK
Senior right-hander Cody Mincey made his first three relief appearances of the year. Mincey picked up a save in the 3-0 win over Penn State with one scoreless inning of relief. He added two scoreless innings of relief with no hits allowed and three strikeouts in the 10-1 win over Kentucky and worked one inning in Sunday’s 6-4 win over Kentucky.

DYNAMIC DESTINO
Freshman Alex Destino is tied with Martin for the team-lead in homers with four on the year. Destino’s two-run homer on Saturday helped lift the Gamecocks to a 4-3 victory. Destino tied his career-high with four RBI including a three-run triple in the 13-3 win over Penn State. He is batting .323 (20-for-62) this year with four homers and 20 RBI. He owns a .548 slugging percentage.

REAGAN FROM THE LEFT
Sophomore left-hander Josh Reagan earned his first win of the season with 6.2 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed in the Gamecocks’ 3-0 victory vs. Penn State last Tuesday. Reagan is 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA in four starts and 19.1 innings of work.

GORE IN A GROOVE
Sophomore infielder Jordan Gore was 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI in the 10-1 win over Kentucky on Friday night. He was also 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI in the 13-3 win over Penn State. Gore is batting .299 (20-for-67) with 10 runs scored and 12 RBI.

VINNY
Junior left-hander Vince Fiori allowed just one hit in one scoreless inning of work in Sunday’s 6-4 win over Kentucky. He has a team-high nine relief appearances for the season. Fiori is 2-0 with a save and a 0.64 ERA in 14.0 innings with 12 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .114 against him.

TO ARMS
South Carolina pitchers allowed just eight runs, seven earned, on 19 hits in 28.0 innings this past weekend vs. Kentucky with 30 strikeouts. The Wildcats hit just .186 for the series.

Prior to Penn State scoring in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s 13-3 win, the Gamecocks had not allowed an earned run in 44 consecutive innings. South Carolina did not allow an earned run the entire weekend vs. Miami (Ohio) with a pair of shutouts, 2-0, 7-0 and a 5-3 victory on Sunday with the RedHawks scoring all three runs unearned. The Gamecock pitching staff allowed just 11 hits in 27.0 innings pitched with seven walks to 25 strikeouts. Miami hit just .124 for the weekend.

100
South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook won his 100th career game in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Penn State. Coach Holbrook is 104-41 (.717) in three years at the helm of the Gamecock program.

ON THE MOUND
For the season, South Carolina pitchers sport a 2.20 team ERA. The Gamecocks have allowed 57 runs, 44 earned, on 144 hits in 180.0 innings with 60 walks to 176 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .217 against the Gamecocks. South Carolina’s ERA ranks third-best in the SEC with opposing batting average fifth-highest and batters struck out sixth-highest as well.

AT THE PLATE & ON THE FIELD
South Carolina is hitting .267 (166-for-622) as a team with 124 runs scored, a .371 on-base percentage and a .395 slugging mark. The Gamecocks are fielding .966 for the year.

SUPERLATIVES
South Carolina is 17-0 on the year when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 16-0 on the year with a lead entering the seventh innings. The Gamecocks are 14-0 when allowing less than 10 hits, 7-0 when recording double-digit hits and 11-0 when out-hitting its opponent. South Carolina is 8-1 in games decided by three runs or less.

START THEM UP
Gene Cone and Max Schrock have started all 20 games this year for the Gamecocks with all of Cone’s 20 starts in center field.