April 27, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina won one of three games last week at Tennessee with a 4-0 victory in the series opener. The Gamecocks are 26-19 with a 9-12 conference mark. The Gamecocks are fifth in the SEC Eastern Division and 10th in the league overall with nine SEC contests remaining.

Record: 26-19
SEC: 9-12
Home: 21-7
Away: 4-12
Neutral: 1-0

Last Week: 1-3
4/21/15 – at Furman (L, 2-1)
4/24/15 – at Tennessee (W, 4-0)
4/25/15 – at Tennessee (L, 4-3)
4/26/15 – at Tennessee (L, 10-4)

NOTES:
Junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop pitched another solid game for the Gamecocks as he worked 8.1 scoreless innings as the Gamecocks defeated Tennessee 4-0 on Friday night. Wynkoop allowed just seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters to earn the victory. Wynkoop did not allow a leadoff batter to reach base in the first sixth innings. The leadoff batter reached base in the seventh and eighth innings and was retired in a double play. Wynkoop became the 23rd pitcher in school history to reach the 20-win total with the victory on Friday night. Wynkoop is 6-4 with a 2.71 ERA. He has 64 strikeouts to 11 walks in 76.1 innings with opponents batting .273 against him. Wynkoop leads the SEC in innings pitched, is ties for sixth in wins, tied for eighth in strikeouts and is ninth in earned run average.

Senior outfielder Elliott Caldwell was the team’s leading hitter in this weekend’s series at Tennessee. Caldwell went 4-fori (.44) with a triple and five RBI vs. the Volunteers. Caldwell’s triple in Sunday’s 10-4 loss vs. Tennessee was his SEC-leading seventh of the year and a school record, surpassing the previous mark of six set by Brian Buscher in 2002 and matched by Jake Williams in 2011. Caldwell leads the Gamecocks in hitting with a .353 average (53-for-150) with 24 runs scored, 29 RBI. He has a .451 on-base percentage and a .513 slugging mark. Caldwell ranks sixth in the SEC in on-base percentage. Caldwell also leads the team with 10 stolen bases on the year. Caldwell is tied for 11th in hitting in the SEC also.

Freshman right-hander Clarke Schmidt limited Tennessee to just one run on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Volunteers. Schmidt is 2-0 with a 3.74 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.

Senior first baseman Kyle Martin hit his team-leading ninth homer in Saturday’s 4-3 loss at Tennessee. Martin is hitting .344 (55-for-160) with nine homers and 41 RBI. He has a .447 on-base percentage and a .606 slugging mark. Martin also leads the Gamecocks with 30 walks on the year and a team-high 11 doubles. Martin is tied for sixth in the SEC overall in both homers and runs batted in. He is also seventh in slugging percentage and ninth in on-base percentage. Martin’s league numbers are strong as well with a .392 average (29-for-74) with 18 runs scored and 20 RBI. Six of his nine homers have come in league play. He has a .505 on-base percentage in league games and a .757 slugging percentage as well.

Sophomore left-hander Josh Reagan tied a career-high with six strikeouts in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Furman. Reagan pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief with just three hits allowed. He would add five-plus innings in Sunday’s loss at Tennessee. Reagan is 1-2 with a 4.54 ERA in 35.2 innings on the year.

Junior infielder Max Schrock went 2-for-3 at the plate in Friday’s 4-0 win at Tennessee. He has 14 multi-hit games on the year. Schrock missed Saturday and Sunday’s games at Tennessee due to a left Achilles tendon strain. Schrock is hitting .312 (49-for-157) with 30 RBI and 33 runs scored. He has a .414 on-base percentage. Schrock has hit .333 (26-for-78) with 16 RBI in 21 SEC contests.

Sophomore right-hander Taylor Widener was named to the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List on Tuesday afternoon. Widener is third in the SEC with nine saves on the year and 34 strikeouts in 23.2 innings pitched.

Sophomore outfielder Gene Cone has started all 45 games this year with 45 starts in center field. Cone is batting .278 (47-for-169) with a team-high 39 runs scored. Cone’s 39 runs is tied for ninth best in the conference. He went 2-for-4 with a triple in the 2-1 loss at Furman. Cone was also 1-for-4 with a run scored in the 4-0 victory at Tennessee.

Senior right-hander Cody Mincey closed out Friday’s 4-0 win with 0.2 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Mincey has made 15 relief appearances for 23.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .229 against him.

Sophomore catcher Logan Koch hit a two-run homer in Friday’s 4-0 win at Tennessee. The homer was Koch’s second of the season and the first of his career vs. a SEC opponent.

Junior infielder DC Arendas reached base seven times in the Tennessee series with three hits and four walks. He scored three runs as well. Arendas is hitting .248 (27-for-109) for the year with a .416 on-base percentage. Arendas is also reaching base in SEC contests with a .417 on-base percentage in league games and 11 of his 15 RBI this year coming in SEC games as well.

Sophomore infielder Jordan Gore hit his first home run of the season in Saturday’s loss at Tennessee. He has two homers vs. Tennessee in his career as well. Gore is batting .259 (38-for-147) with 24 runs scored.

For the season, South Carolina pitchers own a team ERA of 3.84. The Gamecocks have allowed 207 runs, 171 earned, on 389 hits in 401.0 innings with 173 walks to 372 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .257 against the Gamecocks.

South Carolina is hitting .254 (375-for-1476) as a team with 236 runs scored, a .349 on-base percentage and a .367 slugging mark. The Gamecocks are fielding .971 for the year. The Gamecocks did not make an error in the Tennessee series.

South Carolina is 25-5 on the year when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 24-3 on the year with a lead entering the seventh innings. The Gamecocks are 21-5 when allowing less than 10 hits, 11-4 when recording double-digit hits and 15-1 when out-hitting its opponent. South Carolina is 14-11 in games decided by three runs or less.

THIS WEEK
5/1/15 – Auburn – 7 p.m.
5/2/15 – Auburn – 3:30 p.m.
5/3/15 – Auburn – 2 p.m.
All times are eastern