May 7, 2015
South Carolina-Texas A&M Game Notes 
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (28-21, 10-14 SEC) travels to Texas A&M (41-7, 16-7 SEC) for a three-game SEC series beginning on Friday night. It is South Carolina’s first visit to College Station in school history and the first time in school history that South Carolina has ever played a baseball game in the state of Texas. The Aggies are ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.
All three games will be broadcast live on SEC Network Plus and 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)
Broadcast: SEC Network +
Internet: Additional coverage on Twitter @GamecockBasebll and Facebook/Gamecocksonline
South Carolina (28-21, 10-14 SEC) at Texas A&M (41-7, 16-7 SEC)
Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park
May 8 – 7:35 p.m. ET; May 9 – 3:05 p.m. ET; May 10 – 2:05 p.m. ET
=”” alt=”Twitter Logo” border=”0″ class=”imported”>Follow @GamecockBasebll on Twitter
SERIES HISTORY
South Carolina leads 4-0
Date Winner Score Site3/30/13 SC 6-3 Columbia3/29/13 SC 6-4 Columbia3/28/13 SC 3-2 Columbia6/19/11 SC 5-4 Omaha
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina – Jack Wynkoop (Jr. LHP) 7-4, 2.45 ERA, 84.1 IP, 11 BB, 74 SO
Texas A&M – Grayson Long (Jr. RHP) 8-0, 2.93 ERA, 67.2 IP, 28 BB, 76 SO
Saturday
South Carolina – TBA
Texas A&M – Ryan Hendrix (So. RHP) 4-1, 2.61 ERA, 38.0 IP, 10 BB, 38 SO
Sunday
South Carolina – TBA
Texas A&M – TBA
TEXAS A&M SERIES
South Carolina last met the Aggies on the baseball diamond in 2013 when the Gamecock swept a three-game series in Columbia. South Carolina earned wins of 3-2, 6-4 and 6-3.
UP NEXT
South Carolina travels to Texas A&M for a three-game SEC series beginning on Friday night. It is South Carolina’s first visit to College Station in school history and the first time in school history that South Carolina has ever played a baseball game in the state of Texas.
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 homered twice for the first time in a game in his career including a grand slam and drove in seven runs in the 10-1 victory over Auburn. His seven RBI are the most in a single game since Adam Matthews had eight against College of Charleston on March 22, 2011. In addition, they were the most by a Gamecock player in a SEC game since Tim Angiolini drove in seven in a 15-14 win at Florida April 23, 1999.
Martin leads the Gamecocks in all three Triple Crown categories batting .347 (60-for-173) with 11 homers and 49 RBI. He has a .449 on-base percentage with a team-high 33 walks and a .624 slugging mark with 108 total bases. Martin ranks second in the SEC in RBI, fourth in slugging percentage, tied for fourth in home runs, eighth in on-base percentage, tied for eighth in walks and 15th in hitting.
Martin’s league numbers are strong as well with a .509 on base-percentage and a .795 slugging mark in SEC contests, both marks lead the conference as well as a SEC-high eight homers and 27 RBI in league play. His .398 batting average in conference play is third best as well. Martin’s 12 multi-RBI games are the most by a Gamecock player this year.
On April 11 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 that a Gamecock had hit for the cycle and the second time it has happened vs. a SEC team. Martin’s four hits also tied a career-high.
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.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop did not allow an earned run in eight innings of work with just eight hits allowed, no walks and 10 strikeouts in the 10-1 victory over Auburn on Friday night. Wynkoop did not reach a 3-ball count the entire evening vs. the Tigers to earn the victory. He is 7-4 on the year with a 2.45 ERA in 84.1 innings. He has 74 strikeouts to 11 walks, opponents batting .271 against him. Wynkoop’s victory on Friday was his 21st career win with the Garnet & Black.
Wynkoop leads the SEC in innings pitched in all games as well as SEC games with 57.1 innings in conference play. His seven wins on the year is tied for fourth highest in the league with four coming in league play. He also ranks tied for fifth in the league in earned run average.
Wynkoop was solid the week before 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.
Wynkoop also put together a tremendous start in a 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 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 has made 38 starts in his career, that is second-highest among all returning SEC pitchers.
MAX IT OUT
Junior infielder Max Schrock went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in Friday’s 10-1 win over Auburn. Schrock is batting .304 (51-for-168) for the year with four homers and 30 RBI as well as nine doubles, two triples and 35 runs scored. He has 31 walks to 16 strikeouts, a .407 on-base percentage and .452 slugging percentage. Schrock has hit .315 (28-for-89) with 16 runs and 16 RBI in league games also.
VINNY
Junior left-hander Vince Fiori made two relief appearances this weekend and has a team-high 23 on the year, that ties for fifth-highest in the SEC. Fiori is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA in 30.1 innings with 31 strikeouts and opponents batting .196 against him.
CALDWELL A HIT
Senior outfielder Elliott Caldwell was 2-for-4 in the 5-3 win over Wofford and 2-for-5 with two RBI and a triple in last Friday’s 10-1 win vs. Auburn. Caldwell ranks second on the team in hitting with a .345 average (57-for-165). He has a .442 on-base percentage and .509 slugging mark. Caldwell’s eight triples leads the SEC, is tied for the highest mark in the nation and is a single-season school record. Caldwell also ranks 14th in on-base percentage in the conference. Caldwell leads the Gamecocks with a team-high 19 multi-hit 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.
A CLOSER LOOK AT WIDENER
Sophomore right-hander Taylor Widener made just his second start of the season and was effective in Saturday’s game vs. Auburn. Widener pitched five scoreless innings with one hit allowed and two walks while striking out a season-high seven batters. Widener is 1-3 on the year with a 3.14 ERA in 28.2 innings with 41 strikeouts to 18 walks. Opponents are batting .234 against him. He also has nine saves, which ranks third-best in the SEC.
Widener was recently named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List. He 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 a 3-2 win in the rubber game of the Vanderbilt series.
CONE LEADS IT OFF
Sophomore outfielder Gene Cone has started all 49 games this year with 49 starts in center field. Cone is batting .259 (48-for-185) with a team-high 42 runs scored. Cone’s 42 runs is tied for eighth best in the conference. Cone tied a school record for putouts by an outfielder in a game with nine on March 24 at Coastal Carolina.
GREAT SCOTT
Sophomore right-hander Reed Scott had a pair of scoreless outings this weekend vs. Auburn and earned a save on Wednesday in the 5-3 win over Wofford. Scott pitched a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout in a 10-1 win vs. Auburn an followed that up with 3.2 scoreless innings with just one walk and no hits allowed in Sunday’s 3-0 loss vs. the Tigers. Scott is 1-3 with a 2.42 ERA in 44.2 innings with 18 walks to 309 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .241 against him.
KEY HITS FROM KOCH
Sophomore catcher Logan Koch was 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI in Friday’s 10-1 win vs. Auburn. The two hits tied a career-high. Logan Koch hit a two-run homer in a 4-0 win at Tennessee. The homer was Koch’s second of the season and the first of his career vs. a SEC opponent.
Koch drove in his first run in conference play with a game-winning two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth in a 3-2 win over Vanderbilt. Koch also hit a game-winning two-run homer in a 2-0 win over Miami and followed that up with a two-run single with the bases loaded in a 7-0 win.
DC DELIVERS
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 .225 (27-for-120) for the year with a .402 on-base percentage. Arendas is also reaching base in SEC contests with a .400 on-base percentage in league games and 11 of his 15 RBI this year coming in SEC games as well.
REAGAN FROM THE LEFT
Sophomore left-hander Josh Reagan allowed two runs on six hits in 4.2 innings in the 5-3 victory over Wofford. He tied a career-high with six strikeouts in a 2-1 loss at Furman. Reagan pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief with just three hits allowed. Reagan is 1-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 40.2 innings on the year.
MURRAY IN RELIEF
Freshman right-hander Brandon Murray won his fifth game of the year allowing one run on two hits in three innings of work with three strikeouts to tie a season-high in the 5-3 win over Wofford. Murray has three wins in SEC play including 5.2 innings of relief allowing just two runs on four hits in a 13-7 victory at Mississippi State. Murray’s 5-2 innings marked the longest outing of his Gamecock career.
For the season, Murray is 5-0 with a 4.40 ERA in 16 relief appearances with a save. He has 16 strikeouts to nine walks and opponents batting .239 against him
ON THE MOUND
For the season, South Carolina pitchers own a team ERA of 3.73. The Gamecocks have allowed 220 runs, 181 earned, on 422 hits in 437.0 innings with 180 walks to 408 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .256 against the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks rank seventh in the SEC in ERA.
AT THE PLATE & ON THE FIELD
South Carolina is hitting .251 (401-for-1600) as a team with 253 runs scored, a .346 on-base percentage and a .361 slugging mark. The Gamecocks are fielding .970 for the year.
SUPERLATIVES
South Carolina is 27-6 on the year when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 26-4 on the year with a lead entering the seventh innings. The Gamecocks are 23-7 when allowing less than 10 hits, 11-4 when recording double-digit hits and 17-1 when out-hitting its opponent. South Carolina is 15-12 in games decided by three runs or less.
SCHMIDT CONTRIBUTES
Freshman right-hander Clarke Schmidt allowed just three runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings with no walks and six strikeouts in Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Auburn. Schmidt is 2-1 with a 3.88 ERA in 48.2 innings with 49 strikeouts and 16 walks.
GORE IN A GROOVE
Sophomore infielder Jordan Gore reached base three times in the 10-1 win over Auburn going 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. He would add a hit and a run scored in Saturday’s 6-2 loss as well.. Gore hit his first homer of the year in the 4-3 loss at Tennessee.
MINCEY MAKES HIS MARK
Senior right-hander Cody Mincey has made 16 relief appearances for 24.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .244 against him.
