April 20, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina went 2-2 last week including two wins to take the series vs. fourth ranked Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks are 25-16 with an 8-10 conference mark. The Gamecocks are tied for fifth in the SEC Eastern Division and tied for eighth in the league overall.

Record: 25-16
SEC: 8-10
Home: 21-7
Away: 3-9
Neutral: 1-0

Last Week: 2-2
4/14/15 – Presbyterian (L, 7-4, 10 inn.)
4/16/15 – Vanderbilt (L, 12-0)
4/17/15 – Vanderbilt (W, 5-2)
4/18/15 – Vanderbilt (W, 3-2)

NOTES:
Junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop put together a tremendous start in Friday’s 5-2 win over Vanderbilt. Wynkoop hurled his first career complete game allowing just two runs on 10 hits in nine innings with just one walk and a career-high 12 strikeouts to help lead the Gamecocks to the victory. Wynkoop improved to 5-4 with the win with a 3.04 ERA in a team-high 68.0 innings pitched. He has 59 strikeouts to 10 walks on the year with opponents hitting .276 against him. Wynkoop ranks third in the SEC in innings pitched, tied for seventh in strikeouts and tied for 11th in wins. Wynkoop has 36 of his 59 strikeouts in league play, tied for seventh-best among SEC pitchers.

Junior infielder Max Schrock went 2-for-4 with a key RBI triple to help jumpstart a three-run sixth inning in the 3-2 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. Schrock has raised his average to .313 (47-for-150) for the year with 33 runs scored and 29 RBI as well as seven doubles, two triples and four homers. Schrock owns a .418 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging mark. Schrock has hit .320 (24-for-75) in SEC games with 14 runs scored and 15 RBI as well.

Junior right-hander Cody Mincey pitched three scoreless innings of relief and did not allow a hit to pick up the win in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Vanderbilt. Mincey struck out three and walked three in the contest. He is 2-2 with a 5.64 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 22.1 innings, opponents batting .231 against him.

Senior first baseman Kyle Martin leads the Gamecocks in all three Triple Crown categories with a .361 average (53-for-147), eight homers and 40 RBI. Martin also has a .456 on-base percentage and a .619 slugging mark. He has scored 34 runs as well. Martin ranks fifth in the SEC in RBI, tied for sixth in home runs, seventh in total bases and slugging percentage, ninth in on -base percentage and 10th in batting average. Martin’s league numbers are strong as well with a .415 average (27-for-65), .512 on-base percentage and .769 slugging percentage in 18 league games. Martin leads the SEC in conference games in slugging percentage and is second in both batting average and on-base percentage. Five of his eight homers have come in SEC play with 15 runs and 19 RBI as well. He is second in SEC games in homers and tied for third in RBI. Martin’s 50 total bases in league games also leads the conference.

Sophomore right-hander Taylor Widener pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with no hits allowed, just one walk and four strikeouts to earn his ninth save of the year in Saturday’s 3-2 win in the rubber game. Widener is 1-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 14 appearances. He has 34 strikeouts in 23.2 innings, opponents hitting .247 against him. Widener ranks third in the SEC with nine saves.

Sophomore infielder Jordan Gore went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Friday’s 5-2 win over Vanderbilt. His three hits vs. the Commodores tied a career-high. Gore is batting .278 (37-for-133) with 23 runs scored and 16 RBI.

Junior left-hander Vince Fiori made his first career start in Thursday’s loss vs. Vanderbilt. Despite the loss, Fiori pitched well as he went 5.1 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Fiori’s 5.1 innings marked a career-high as well. He is 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 27.1 innings and opponents hitting .187 against him. He owns a team-high 20 appearances, tied for fourth-highest in the league.

Junior infielder DC Arendas went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in the 5-2 win over Vanderbilt and scored a run in Saturday’s 3-2 win. Arendas is up to .242 (23-for-95) with 14 runs and 14 RBI on the year and a .415 on-base percentage. Arendas has 11 of his 14 RBI on the year in SEC games with a .406 on-base percentage in 18 conference games as well.

Freshman right-hander Canaan Cropper pitched a career-high two innings and struck out a career-high two batters vs. Presbyterian on Tuesday. Cropper has seven relief appearances with 7.1 innings pitched

Senior outfielder Elliott Caldwell has a team-high 16 multi-hit games including a 2-for-5 day at the plate on Tuesday vs. Presbyterian with a run scored and two RBI. Caldwell also tripled in the contest vs. PC for his sixth triple of the year tying him for the school record set by current Gamecock assistant Brian Buscher in 2002 and tied in 2011 by Jake Williams. Caldwell is hitting .355 (49-for-138) with 23 runs scored and 24 RBI. He has a .452 on-base percentage and .514 slugging mark. Caldwell leads the Gamecocks with 10 stolen bases as well. Caldwell is 10th best in the SEC in on-base percentage and 15th in batting average.

Sophomore catcher Logan Koch drove in his first run in conference play with a game-winning two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Vanderbilt.

Freshman infielder Madison Stokes tied a career-high with two hits on Tuesday vs. Presbyterian, his second multi-hit game of his career.

Freshman Alex Destino was 2-for-4 with a RBI in Saturday’s 3-2 win and had a hit in Friday’s 5-2 victory vs. the Commodores. His two-hit game vs. Vanderbilt marked his first multi-hit game vs. a SEC opponent. Destino is batting .255 (28-for-110) with 24 RBI on the year.

For the season, South Carolina pitchers own a team ERA of 3.75. The Gamecocks have allowed 168 runs, 138 earned, on 310 hits in 331.0 innings with 142 walks to 309 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .249 against the Gamecocks. South Carolina’s ERA ranks seventh-best in the SEC.

South Carolina is hitting .260 (351-for-1351) as a team with 224 runs scored, a .354 on-base percentage and a .369 slugging mark. The Gamecocks are fielding .968 for the year.

South Carolina is 24-3 on the year when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 23-3 on the year with a lead entering the seventh innings. The Gamecocks are 20-3 when allowing less than 10 hits, 11-4 when recording double-digit hits and 15-1 when out-hitting its opponent. South Carolina is 14-9 in games decided by three runs or less.

THIS WEEK
4/21/15 – at Furman (Fluor Field) – 7 p.m.
4/24/15 – at Tennessee – 6 p.m.
4/25/15 – at Tennessee – 1 p.m.
4/26/15 – at Tennessee – 1 p.m.
All times are eastern