March 16, 2016
Dates: Wed. Mar. 16
First Pitch: 7 p.m.
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Stadium: Founders Park
Tickets: $10 General Admission
Broadcast:SEC Network + (Derek Scott, pxp; Trey Dyson, analyst) Radio: 107.5 The Game & The Gamecock Radio Network (Andy Demetra & Tommy Moody); GamecocksOnline.com
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina (16-2) returns to action on Wednesday hosting Davidson (7-8) at Founders Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the game broadcast live on SEC Network Plus and available on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.”
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
WEDNESDAY
South Carolina – Colie Bowers (Jr. RHP) 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 4 BB, 8 SO
Davidson – Evan Roberts (So. LHP) 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 11.1 IP, 2 BB, 9 SO
RANKINGS
South Carolina is ranked No. 12 in the USA Today coaches poll, No. 16 by D1Baseball, No. 17 by the NCBWA and No. 20 by Collegiate Baseball.
LOOKING BACK
LT Tolbert and Marcus Mooney each homered for the first time in the season and were part of a 16-hit attack as South Carolina defeated USC Upstate 12-6 Tuesday night at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
Sophomore right-hander Brandon Murray earned the win and is now 1-0 on the year. He pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief and allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out two batters.
Five different Gamecocks tallied multi-hit games. Mooney tied a career-high in hits going 4-for-5 with Gene Cone 2-for-5, LT Tolbert 2-for-5, John Jones 2-for-5 and Alex Destino 2-for-4.
BOWERS BRINGS IT
Junior right-hander Colie Bowers will make his first start of the season on Wednesday vs. Davidson. Bowers is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts on the year. Opponents are batting .059 against him. He has allowed just one hit this year, a solo home run against Penn State.
All six outs recorded by Bowers in a 7-1 win over Penn State were by strikeout.
Bowers won his first career game with the Gamecocks after pitching 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in the 8-1 win over Albany.
HILL NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
South Carolina freshman right-handed pitcher Adam Hill has been named SEC Freshman of the Week. Hill won a pair of games this past week to improve to 4-0 on the year.
In a predetermined split on Tuesday night, Hill went three innings and allowed one run on three hits with no walks and five strikeouts in a 7-1 win over Wofford. He followed that up with 5.1 scoreless innings in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Charleston Southern. Hill allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out eight in the victory over CSU.
Along with a 4-0 record, Hill owns a 0.47 ERA in four starts with 32 strikeouts to just three walks in 19.1 innings. Opponents are batting .185 against him. Hill’s ERA is second-best in the league.
Hill is the third Gamecock this year to earn a conference honor. John Jones was SEC Co-Player of the Week on February 29 and Clarke Schmidt earned SEC Pitcher of the Week on March 7.
SCHMIDT WITH SUCCESS
Sophomore right-hander Clarke Schmidt extended his scoreless inning streak to 24.0 innings in Friday’s 9-0 win over Charleston Southern. Schmidt allowed just four hits in 7.1 innings to improve to 4-0 on the year. He struck out nine and walked none. Schmidt is 4-0 with a 0.32 ERA and has allowed just one run on 13 hits in 28.1 innings. He has struck out 32 to five walks. Opponents are batting .141 against him. Schmidt leads the SEC in earned run average and is second in the SEC in opposing batting average.
Schmidt was named SEC Pitcher of the Week on March 7 after he struck out a career-high nine batters in eight scoreless innings in Friday’s 8-1 win over Clemson. Schmidt’s outing was the longest of his career. Schmidt also earned the Tom Price Award as MVP of the Gamecocks for the Clemson series.
DYNAMIC DESTINO
Sophomore Alex Destino homered twice last week and is tied with Dom Thompson-Williams and John Jones for the team lead with four on the year. Destino owns a 10-game hitting streak. He is batting .356 (26-for-73) with 20 RBI as well. He has a .413 on-base percentage and a .562 slugging percentage.
Destino homered twice including a grand slam homer and drove in seven runs, the most by any SEC player this year in a game in South Carolina’s 16-5 win over Penn State.
DTW
Junior outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams was South Carolina’s top hitter in last week’s five games. Thompson-Williams hit .526 (10-for-19) with six runs scored, two doubles, three homers and nine RBI. He opened the week 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI in Tuesday’s 7-1 win over Wofford. He followed that up with two hits in the 5-4 win over Furman. He would go 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a career-high four RBI in Friday’s 9-0 win over Charleston Southern He went 2-for-4 with a two-rum homer as well in Saturday’s 5-4 win over Charleston Southern. His double on Sunday led to the first run in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Charleston Southern.
Thompson-Williams has reached base in all 18 games this year and is on a seven-game hitting streak. He is hitting .394 (28-for-68) with a team-high 21 runs scored, six doubles, four homers and 15 RBI. He has a .506 on-base percentage and leads with a .667 slugging percentage. Thompson-Williams ranks tied for sixth in the SEC in slugging percentage, tied for seventh in hits and tied for eighth in runs scored. He has a team-high nine multi-hit games.
REAGAN FROM THE LEFT
Junior left-hander Josh Reagan picked up three saves this past week and leads the SEC with six on the year. Reagan has not allowed a run in eight relief appearances. He has limited opponents to just six hits and two walks while striking out 12 in 13.2 innings of work. Opponents are hitting just .130.
He pitched a perfect inning in Wednesday’s 5-4 victory over Furman, 1.1 scoreless innings in Saturday’s 5-4 win over Charleston Southern and two scoreless in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over the Bucs.
MR. JONES
Sophomore catcher John Jones had a pair of multi-hit games last e week. He was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday’s 6-3 win at The Citadel. He went 2-for-3 with a walk in Sunday’s game at Clemson as well. Jones hit a two-run homer on Wednesday in the win over Furman.
Jones leads the Gamecocks and is second in the SEC with a .424 batting average (28-for-66). He has 18 runs scored and 23 RBI. His .531 on-base percentage is third-highest in the league with his .652 second-best on the team.
Jones earned National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball and SEC Co-Player of the Week after putting together arguably one of the greatest weekends at the plate in school history in the Penn State series. Jones reached base in all 14 plate appearances vs. Penn State batting 1.000 (8-for-8) with six walks for an OBP of 1.000 as well. Jones went 4-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in a 7-1 series-opening win vs. the Nittany Lions. He followed that up with a grand slam and tying a single-game school record with four walks in Saturday’s 16-5 victory vs. Penn State. In the series finale, Jones went 3-for-3 including a two-run single and a walk in the 4-2 win to sweep the series vs. Penn State. Jones’ slugging percentage for the weekend was 1.750 also.
In records going back to 1997, Jones is the only Gamecock in school history to start three games in a series and put up a 1.000 OBP, besting the previous mark of .875 set by Christian Walker in 2011 at Mississippi State as well as Walker’s .909 batting average (10-for-11). Jones’ six walks tied for the most by a Gamecock in a series since Scott Wingo’s six walks vs. Brown in 2010. Jones’ 10 RBI are the most by a Gamecock in a series since LB Dantzler drove in 10 vs. Albany vs. 2013. Jones’ 1.750 slugging percentage is the best in a series since Steven Neff’s 2.000 slugging mark vs. Arkansas in 2011.
TO ARMS
South Carolina’s pitching staff put together a pair of shutouts vs. Charleston Southern and have three on the year. The Gamecocks have allowed just five runs or less in 17 of 18 games this year. Carolina owns a 2.03 team ERA with 44 runs allowed, 36 earned, on 114 hits in 160.0 innings. The staff has 176 strikeouts to 53 walks. Opponents are batting .199 against the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks rank second in the SEC in earned run average, third in opponents batting average and fourth in strikeouts.
AT THE PLATE & ON THE FIELD
South Carolina is hitting .314 as a team (192-for-611) with a .407 on-base percentage as a team and a .440 slugging mark. South Carolina played six consecutive games without an error before committing an error on Tuesday at USC Upstate. The Gamecocks are fielding .982 as a team with just 12 errors.
MOONEY IN THE MIDDLE
Senior infielder Marcus Mooney is batting .302 (16-for-53) with a .431 on-base percentage He has 10 walks, two hit by pitches to two strikeouts. Mooney tied a career-high with four hits and homered for the first time in the season in the 12-6 win at USC Upstate.
JONAH WITH A JOLT
Sophomore infielder Jonah Bride is hitting .279 (17-for-61) with eight RBI and 19 runs scored and a .425 on-base percentage. Bride leads the SEC in hit by pitch with nine on the year.
Bride tied a school record with a pair of sacrifice flies in Tuesday’s 12-6 win at USC Upstate.
WEBB WORKS
Freshman right-hander Braden Webb pitched 5.2 scoreless innings to earn his third win of the year in the 5-4 win over Charleston Southern. Webb allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out four batters. He is 3-1 on the year with a 1.80 ERA. He has allowed eight runs, four earned, on 11 hits in 20.0 innings. He has struck out 21 and walked 13 with opponents batting .151 against him. Webb’s opponents batting average is tied for sixth-best in the SEC.
CULLEN CATCHING ON
Freshman catcher Chris Cullen has seen action in 14 games with 12 starts behind the plate. Cullen had a six-game hitting streak snapped last Friday. He is batting .298 (14-for-47) with six runs scored and 10 RBI. He had a two-run double in Tuesday’s 12-6 win at USC Upstate.
GREAT SCOTT
Junior right-hander Reed Scott worked three scoreless innings of relief in the 5-4 win over Furman. He picked up his first win of the season with 3.1 scoreless innings in a 4-2 win over Penn State. Scott did not allow a hit, walked just one and had a strikeout to earn the victory. Scott is 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA in seven appearances with 12.2 innings pitched.
THE VERSATILE LT
Freshman infielder LT Tolbert went 2-for-6 with his first career homer, two runs scored and two RBI in the 12-6 win at USC Upstate.
He has started 16 of 18 games with eight starts at first base, five starts at second base, two at designated hitter and a start at shortstop. Tolbert is hitting .258 (16-for-62) with eight runs scored and nine RBI.
TJ
South Carolina freshman outfielder TJ Hopkins has seen some action with nine starts in right field. Hopkins is hitting .250 (9-for-32) with four runs scored, a homer and seven RBI.
Hopkins had a three-run homer and four RBI in last Wednesday’s 16-4 win over Winthrop. Hopkins tied a single-game school record with two outfield assists on Opening Day. vs. Albany.
BOWERS BRINGS IT
All six outs recorded by junior right-hander Colie Bowers in Friday’s 7-1 win over Penn State were by strikeout. Bowers has eight strikeouts in 3.1 innings in a pair of relief appearances this year.
Bowers won his first career game with the Gamecocks after pitching 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in the 8-1 win over Albany.
Bowers is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts on the year. Opponents are batting .059 against him. He has allowed just one hit this year, a solo home run against Penn State.
DC DELIVERS
Senior infielder DC Arendas had a two-run double in the 12-6 win at USC Upstate.
Arendas has a .362 on-base percentage. He is fielding 1.000 with 20 putouts and 32 assists at second base in 17 games.
MR. MURRAY
Sophomore right-hander Brandon Murray pitched a season-high 3.1 innings and did not allow a run to earn his first career win in the 12-6 win at USC Upstate. Murray has a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings with eight strikeouts, opponents batting .184 against him.
CENTER FIELD
Four different Gamecocks have started in center field in the first 18 games. Dom Thompson-Williams made his first start in center field in Tuesday’s 7-1 win over Wofford. He also started in center in Wednesday’s contest vs. Furman and twice vs. Charleston Southern and at USC Upstate.
Sophomore Clark Scolamiero has five starts and is hitting .235 (4-for-17) with four runs scored and three RBI.
Junior Gene Cone has seen action in 13 games with 11 starts including two in center. He is hitting .282 (11-for-39) with three RBI and eight runs scored.
Freshman Danny Blair also has six starts and seen action in 10 games. Blair had a career day going 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and a RBI in a 16-5 win over Penn State. He was 2-for-5 with a RBI double at The Citadel. He is hitting .280 (7-for-25).
JOHNSON BRINGS THE HEAT
Sophomore right-hander Tyler Johnson has made seven appearances through the first 18 games. Johnson pitched a career-high four scoreless innings and struck out a career-high seven batters in the 7-1 win over Wofford. Johnson has 16 strikeouts in 9.2 innings for the year.
SCOUTING DAVIDSON
Davidson enters Wednesday night with a record of 7-8 on the year. Junior infielder Brian Fortier is the top hitter on the team with a .275 batting average (14-for-51) with nine runs scored, a double and nine RBI. Junior catcher Jake Sidwell is right behind him with a .273 average (12-for-44) with eight runs scored, two doubles and four RBI.
Junior right-hander Westin Whitmire is Davidson’s top reliever with three saves and a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed just five hits in 7.1 innings of work. He has eight strikeouts to three walks.
THE DAVIDSON SERIES
South Carolina is 46-21-1 vs. Davidson in series history. The Gamecocks and Wildcats were supposed to meet last year, but the game was canceled due to rain. The last meeting was April 22, 2014 with the Gamecocks earning an 8-0 victory in Columbia.
Carolina broke open a one-run game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and five pitchers combined for a six-hit shutout. Taylor Widener earned the win in relief with three perfect innings and four strikeouts. Grayson Greiner drove in a pair of runs to lead the Gamecocks at the plate.
