April 15, 2015
South Carolina-Vanderbilt Game Notes 
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (23-15, 6-9 SEC) hosts fourth ranked Vanderbilt (28-10, 11-4) in a three-game SEC series with at Carolina Stadium. Thursday’s series opener will be televised on ESPNU with fist pitch set for 7:30 p.m. Friday’s contest is slated for 7 p.m. on the SEC Network while Saturday’s game will be televised on ESPN 2 at 1 p.m. All three games can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.”
LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network/flagship 107.5 FM “The Game” (Andy Demetra & Tommy Moody)
Television: Thursday – ESPNU; Friday – SEC Network; Saturday – ESPN2 (Dave Neal & Kyle Peterson)
Internet: Additional coverage on Twitter @GamecockBasebll and Facebook/Gamecocksonline
South Carolina (23-15, 6-9 SEC) vs. Vanderbilt (28-10, 11-4 SEC)
Carolina Stadium
April 16 – 7:30 p.m.; April 17 – 7 p.m.; April 18 – 1 p.m.
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PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Thursday
South Carolina – Vince Fiori (Jr. LHP) 3-0, 2.45 ERA, 22.0 IP, 14 BB, 24 SO
Vanderbilt – Carson Fulmer (Jr. RHP) 6-1, 1.89 ERA, 57.0 IP, 23 BB, 81 SO
Friday
South Carolina – Jack Wynkoop (Jr. LHP) 4-4, 3.20 ERA, 59.0 IP, 9 BB, 47 SO
Vanderbilt – Walker Buehler (Jr. RHP) 3-0, 2.41 ERA, 37.1 IP, 9 BB, 41 SO
Saturday
South Carolina – TBA
Vanderbilt – TBA
SERIES HISTORY
South Carolina leads 57-21
A WELCOME TO THE PAUL FINEBAUM SHOW & SEC NOW
The Paul Finebaum Show and SEC Now will make their first trip to Carolina Stadium as both shows will air live before and after Friday night’s game. The two schools hold three of the last five NCAA Division I Baseball National Championship titles with the Gamecocks winning in 2010 and 2011 and Vanderbilt claiming the 2014 championship.
SEC Network’s studio set will be located on the stadium’s concourse level along the first base line. Paul Finebaum will be live prior to the game, beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The radio host and SEC Network commentator will take calls from around the country and is scheduled to interview South Carolina’s head baseball coach Chad Holbrook, athletics director Ray Tanner and Vanderbilt’s head baseball coach Tim Corbin. SEC Now, the network’s news & information show, will provide post-game coverage from the venue. Friday’s show is hosted by Dari Nowkhah and will include analysts Ben McDonald, Amanda Scarborough and Kyle Peterson.
K-MART
Senior first baseman Kyle Martin is one of 60 players in the country to be named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List.
Martin is one of the hottest hitters in the entire nation. Martin hit .583 (7-for-12) in the Florida series with a pair of homers and four RBI. In Saturday’s loss at Florida, Martin became the first Gamecock since Brendan Winn on February 14, 2004 to hit for the cycle. It marked only the seventh time in school history that a Gamecock had hit for the cycle and only the second time it has happened vs. a SEC team. Martin’s four hits in that game also tied a career-high. He also had two hits in Friday’s loss. Martin owns a .374 average (52-for-139) with eight homers and 39 RBI. He also has a .465 on-base percentage and a .647 slugging mark. Martin ranks among the top players in SEC in many categories including third in RBI, fifth in total bases (90), tied for fifth in home runs, sixth in slugging percentage, tied for seventh in hits, eighth in batting average, 10th in on-base percentage and tied for 10th in runs scored. Martin’s league numbers are even more impressive with a .456 batting average (26-for-57) with five homers and 18 RBI and a .543 on-base percentage and .860 slugging mark in 15 league games. Martin’s batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, RBI and total bases (49) all are the highest among all SEC players in SEC games.
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.
VINNY
Junior left-hander Vince Fiori made three appearances last week and leads the Gamecocks 19 appearances on the year, the fourth-highest mark in the SEC. Fiori earned a win in a 4-2 win vs. The Citadel with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with no hits allowed. Fiori is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 22.0 innings with 14 walks to 24 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .197 against him.
MAX IT OUT
Junior infielder Max Schrock had an eight-game hitting streak snapped in Sunday’s loss at Florida. Despite the hit streak being snapped, Schrock has had success at the plate as of late, raising his season average to .317 (44-for-139) with four homers, 27 RBI and 32 runs scored. Schrock has a .420 on-base percentage as well. Schrock ranks fifth in the SEC with 26 walks on the year. In SEC games, Schrock has driven in 13 runs, that is tied for eighth highest in the league.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop is 4-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 59.0 innings with 47 strikeouts to nine walks. Wynkoop ranks fourth in the SEC in innings pitched.
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 35 starts in his career, that is second-highest among all returning SEC pitchers.
CALDWELL A HIT
Senior outfielder Elliott Caldwell owns a team-high 16 multi-hit games and leads the SEC with six triples on the year. Caldwell’s triple on Tuesday vs. Presbyterian tied him for the single-season school record previously set by Brian Buscher (2002) and Jake Williams (2011).
Caldwell is hitting .375 (48-for-128) with 23 runs scored and 24 RBI. He has a .468 on-base percentage and .547 slugging percentage. Caldwell ranks seventh in the SEC in batting average and eighth in the league in on-base percentage. Similar to Martin, Caldwell has done well in league games with a .377 batting average (23-for-61) in 15 SEC contests with six runs scored and 10 RBI. Caldwell’s average is sixth-best in the SEC in SEC only games with a slugging percentage of 11th best as well. Caldwell had his team-leading fifth triple in Tuesday’s 11-1 win over Appalachian State. That also ties him for the SEC lead as well in overall games.
Caldwell hit .500 (6-for-12) in the Mississippi State series with two runs scored and three RBI. Caldwell was 2-for-4 with two RBI in the 13-7 win vs. the Bulldogs. He also had two triples on the week and leads the Gamecocks with four for the season, tied for third highest in the conference.
Caldwell hit .357 (5-for-14) in the Missouri series with a pair of RBI. He was 2-for-5 with a RBI on Saturday and on Sunday vs. the Tigers. Caldwell also made ESPN’s SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays on Saturday with the No. 8 play of the day with a diving catch in left field.
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.
GREAT SCOTT
Sophomore right-hander Reed Scott earned a win after five scoreless innings in the 11-1 victory vs. Appalachian State.
Scott tied a career-high with seven innings pitched in a 4-3 loss vs. Georgia. He allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Scott is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 32.0 innings with 16 walks to 23 strikeouts.
CONE LEADS IT OFF
Sophomore outfielder Gene Cone was 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored to tie a career-high in hits and RBI in Tuesday’s 11-1 win over Appalachian State. Coaches reached base four times in Wednesday’s 4-2 win with two stolen bases vs. The Citadel. Cone is batting .286 (40-for-140) for the year with a team-high 35 runs scored, tied for sixth-best in the SEC.
Cone is the only Gamecock to start all 38 games this year with all 38 in center field. Cone has a .410 on-base percentage with 25 walks. He has stolen seven bases.
Cone tied a school record for putouts by an outfielder in a game with nine on March 24 at Coastal Carolina.
IN THE CROWE’S NEST
Sophomore right-hander Wil Crowe is 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 51.1 innings. Crowe’s 59 strikeouts are sixth highest in the SEC on the year. Crowe will miss the remainder of the 2015 season due to an injury to his right elbow.
Crowe earned SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors as announced by the league office on March 16 after a win vs. Kentucky. Crowe was phenomenal 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 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.
DC DELIVERS
Junior infielder DC Arendas tied a school record with two sacrifice flies in an 11-1 win over Appalachian State. Arendas followed that up going 2-for-3 in Wednesday’s 4-2 win over The Citadel. Arendas is hitting .241 (21-for-87) with a .407 on-base percentage.
MURRAY IN RELIEF
Freshman right-hander Brandon Murray picked up his fourth win of the year and is now 4-0 on the season with three wins in SEC play as he pitched 5.2 innings of relief allowing just two runs on four hits in the 13-7 victory at Mississippi State. Murray’s 5-2 innings marked the longest outing of his Gamecock career. For the season, Murray is 4-0 with a 2.66 ERA in 13 relief appearances with a save. He has 12 strikeouts to seven walks and opponents batting .205 against him.
ON THE MOUND
For the season, South Carolina pitchers own a team ERA of 3.80. The Gamecocks have allowed 175 runs, 144 earned, on 323 hits in 341.0 innings with 148 walks to 317 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .251 against the Gamecocks. South Carolina’s ERA ranks seventh-best in the SEC.
AT THE PLATE & ON THE FIELD
South Carolina is hitting .262 (331-for-1261) as a team with 216 runs scored, a .357 on-base percentage and a .376 slugging mark. The Gamecocks are fielding .970 for the year.
SUPERLATIVES
South Carolina is 22-3 on the year when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 21-3 on the year with a lead entering the seventh innings. The Gamecocks are 19-3 when allowing less than 10 hits, 10-4 when recording double-digit hits and 15-1 when out-hitting its opponent. South Carolina is 12-9 in games decided by three runs or less.
A CLOSER LOOK AT WIDENER
Sophomore right-hander Taylor Widener pitched a scoreless ninth inning for a save in the 4-2 win over The Citadel. Widener is 1-3 with a 4.29 ERA in 21.0 innings with 30 strikeouts to 14 walks. His eight saves is second-best in the SEC.
MINCEY MAKES HIS MARK
Senior right-hander Cody Mincey pitched a career-high four scoreless innings of relief and struck out a career-high seven batters to earn a win in the 2-0 victory at The Citadel last Tuesday. Mincey has 19 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched with 12 relief appearances. Opponents are hitting .257 against him.
STOKES HAS SUCCESS
Freshman infielder Madison Stokes tied a career-high with two hits on Tuesday vs. Presbyterian. He was 1-for-2 with a RBI in the 2-0 win at The Citadel and 2-for-5 with a run scored in the 13-7 win at Mississippi State.
