Baseball Notebook

Feb. 27, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina went 3-2 last week with a win over Charlotte, a loss to Kansas State and a series victory over No. 25 Wright State. The Gamecocks are 5-3 on the year.

Record: 5-3
SEC: 0-0
Home: 5-3
Away: 0-0

Last Week: 3-2
2/21/17 ââ’¬” Charlotte (W, 5-4)
2/23/17 ââ’¬” Kansas State (L, 6-5)
2/24/17 ââ’¬” Wright State (W, 4-3)
2/25/17 ââ’¬” Wright State (W, 10-5)
2/26/17 ââ’¬” Wright State (L, 5-1)

NOTES:
The South Carolina pitching staff continues to impress as it struck out 39 batters in 27.0 innings of the Wright State series and limited the Raiders offense to just a .219 average over the weekend. For the season, the pitching staff has a 2.38 team ERA and has allowed 26 runs, 19 earned, on 50 hits in 72.0 innings with 81 strikeouts to 22 walks and a .190 opposing batting average. That opposing batting average ranks second in the SEC with the ERA and strikeout total currently third best in the conference.

Junior right-hander Wil Crowe is now 2-0 on the year with a 0.79 ERA after allowing just one run on four hits in 6.1 innings with a walk and nine strikeouts in the 10-5 win over Wright State on Saturday afternoon. Crowe has 16 strikeouts to just two walks in 11.1 innings with opposing hitters .171 against him. He has allowed just one run on seven hits in his first two starts. Crowe is one of 18 SEC pitchers with two wins. He is seventh in the SEC in strikeouts and 12th in ERA.

Junior first baseman Matt Williams has hit safely in six consecutive games. Williams has played in all eight games with four starts and owns a .412 batting average (7-for-17) with a pair of runs scored and four RBI. Williams had a key two-run single in the first inning of Friday’s 4-3 win over Wright State. Williams drove in four runs in the series.

Junior right-hander Clarke Schmidt had a no-decision after allowing three runs, all unearned, on four hits in 6.1 innings with a walk and 11 strikeouts in the 4-3 win over Wright State on Friday night. Schmidt’s 11 strikeouts tied a career-high he set last year vs. Arkansas on March 18, 2016. Schmidt is 1-0 on the year with a 0.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 13.0 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting .146 against him. Schmidt is tied for sixth in the SEC in innings pitched, ninth in ERA and opposing batting average and tied for 10th in strikeouts.

Junior designated hitter/outfielder Alex Destino is South Carolina’s top run producer with a pair of home runs and a team-high nine RBI on the year. Destino is batting .323 (10-for-31) for the season with five runs scored and two doubles as well. He has a team-best .581 slugging percentage. Destino enters the week with a five-game hitting streak. He is tied for fifth in the SEC in home runs and tied for ninth in RBI.

Junior right-hander Tyler Johnson earned two saves this past week with 1.1 innings of work in the 5-4 win over Charlotte followed by a scoreless ninth inning in which he struck out the side in the 4-3 victory over Wright State on Friday night. Johnson has five strikeouts in 2.1 innings in his two relief appearances this year. Johnson is tied for second in the SEC in saves.

Sophomore utility player Jacob Olson cleared the bases with a three-run double in the first inning of Saturday’s 10-5 win over Wright State. Olson is hitting .308 (8-for-26), third-best on the team, with a pair of doubles, four RBI and five runs scored.

Senior right-hander Colie Bowers won two games this week in relief as he picked up the win in the 5-4 victory vs. Charlotte and a win vs. Wright State in Friday’s nights’ 4-3 victory. Bowers has not allowed a run in four relief appearances and has eight strikeouts to one walk and just one hit allowed in 6.2 innings of work. Bowers pitched two scoreless innings in the 5-4 win over Charlotte not allowing a hit and he also did not allow a hit and walked just one in 2.1 innings of the 4-3 win over Wright State. Bowers is one of 18 SEC pitchers with two wins.

Sophomore outfielder Danny Blair is South Carolina’s leading hitter after two weeks of action with a .357 batting average (10-for-28). He also leads the Gamecocks with a .419 on-base percentage. Blair has reached base safely in all eight games this year.

Despite the loss in Sunday’s 5-1 defeat to Wright State, sophomore right-hander Adam Hill was effective allowing just three runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Although he is 0-2 on the year, he maintains a 1.50 ERA and has 13 strikeouts to four walks in 12.0 innings. Opponents are hitting only .100 against him, ranking him third in the SEC.

Junior infielder Madison Stokes reached base in seven of 14 plate appearances vs. Wright State and hit .364 (4-for-11) in the series. Stokes hit a solo homer in Friday’s 4-3 win, doubled twice in the series and scored three runs. Stokes currently owns a four-game hitting streak.

Senior left-hander Josh Reagan has not allowed a run in four relief appearances this year. Reagan has five strikeouts in 4.1 innings with opponents batting .133 against him.

Junior infielder Jonah Bride was South Carolina’s top hitter in the Wright State series going 4-for-9 (.444) with a run scored and a pair of RBI.

Senior right-hander Reed Scott had a pair of appearances in Thursday’s 6-5 loss vs. Kansas State and the 5-1 loss to Wright State on Sunday afternoon. Scott owns a 2.25 ERA in 12.0 innings of work with nine strikeouts and opponents batting .227 against him.

The Gamecocks are hitting .278 (73-for-263) as a team for the year with a .358 on-base percentage and a .348 slugging mark. The Gamecocks are fielding .971 for the season. South Carolina hit .270 (27-for-100) in the Wright State series with a .360 on base percentage. South Carolina has equaled or out-hit its opponent in all eight games this season.

South Carolina is 5-1 on the year when scoring first in a game and 4-0 when entering the seventh inning with a lead and 5-0 when entering the ninth inning with the lead. The Gamecocks are 2-0 when scoring six or more runs and 5-2 when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 2-2 in games decided by three runs or less.

NEXT WEEK
2/28/17 ââ’¬” Appalachian State ââ’¬” 4 p.m.
3/3/17 ââ’¬” at Clemson ââ’¬” 6:30 p.m.
3/4/17 ââ’¬” vs. Clemson (Fluor Field, Greenville, S.C.) ââ’¬” 1 p.m.
3/5/17 ââ’¬” Clemson ââ’¬” 1:30 p.m.