Baseball Notebook

March 20, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina went 3-0 this past week sweeping a three-game series at No. 24 Tennessee. The Gamecocks are now 14-5 and 3-0 in SEC play and on a seven-game winning streak.

Record: 14-5
SEC: 3-0
Home: 10-4
Away: 4-0
Neutral: 0-1

Last Week: 3-0
3/17/17 ââ’¬” at Tennessee (W, 7-1)
3/18/17 ââ’¬” at Tennessee (W, 6-4, 10 inn.)
3/19/17 ââ’¬” at Tennessee (W, 10-2)

NOTES:
South Carolina hit .297 (33-for-111) in the weekend series at Tennessee with 13 extra base hits including six home runs. The Gamecocks have homered in seven straight games and have 13 home runs in that span. The Gamecocks tied a season-high with hits in a game with 15 in the 7-1 victory over Tennessee and also finished with 14 hits in the 10-2 victory over the Volunteers. Carolina’s six homers over the weekend were the most by a SEC team and the weekend average was fourth-best among SEC schools in SEC play. The Gamecocks are hitting .279 (180-for-646) as a team on the year with a .358 on-base percentage and a .441 slugging mark. Carolina has 21 homers for the season, tied for second-highest in the SEC. South Carolina has equaled or out-hit its opponent in 16 of 19 games this year. South Carolina did not make an error in two of the three games this weekend and are fielding .977 for the season, third-best in the conference.

The South Carolina pitching staff was stellar the entire weekend and lowered the team ERA to 2.90 for the season. South Carolina has allowed 65 runs, 56 earned, on 135 hits in 174.0 innings with 74 walks to 205 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .211 against the Gamecocks this year. South Carolina ranks fourth in strikeouts and opponents batting average and sixth in ERA in the SEC. Carolina allowed just seven runs on 23 hits in 28.0 innings vs. the Volunteers with 29 strikeouts. The run total was the second-lowest allowed by a SEC team over the weekend.

South Carolina is 11-2 on the year when scoring first in a game and 10-2 when entering the seventh inning with a lead and 13-1 when entering the ninth inning with the lead. The Gamecocks are 8-1 when scoring six or more runs and 13-3 when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 7-4 in games decided by three runs or less.

Pitching on his first Friday night in his career with the Gamecocks, sophomore right-hander Adam Hill won his first outing of the season as he allowed just one run on six hits in six innings of work with three walks and five strikeouts in the 7-1 win at Tennessee. Hill is 1-2 on the year with a 1.54 ERA in four starts. He has allowed only six runs, four earned, on 15 hits in 23.1 innings with 10 walks and 25 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .185 against him, 11th-best in the SEC.

Junior third baseman Jonah Bride is on a seven-game hitting streak for the Gamecocks. Bride hit .308 (4-for-13) in the Tennessee series with two doubles, a homer and four RBI. In the hitting streak, he his batting .385 (10-for-26) with 10 runs scored and five RBI as well as a .467 on-base percentage. Bride doubled twice in the 7-1 win over Tennessee and hit a two-run homer in the 6-4 victory and also walked with the bases loaded for a game-winning RBI in the 6-4 win over the Volunteers. For the season, Bride is batting .284 (19-for-67) with 13 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, two homers and 10 RBI. He has a team-high five sacrifice hits as well, that is third-best in the SEC.

Despite a no-decision, junior right-hander Wil Crowe gave the Gamecocks a quality start in the 6-4 win at Tennessee. Crowe allowed three runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings with four walks and five strikeouts. For the season, he is 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five starts. He has allowed nine runs on 21 hits in 29.2 innings with 11 walks and a team-high 36 strikeouts. He is tied for seventh in the SEC in strikeouts. Opponents are batting .191 against him, 14th-best in the SEC.

Junior first baseman Matt Williams has reached base safely in 17 straight games. He is South Carolina’s leading hitter with a .397 average (23-for-58) with 10 runs scored and 10 RBI. He also leads the team with a .479 on-base percentage. Williams tied a career-high he set last week vs. Michigan State going 3-for-5 with a run scored and a RBI in the 10-2 win over the Volunteers. Williams ranks seventh in the SEC in batting average and 10th in on-base percentage.

Freshman right-hander Colby Lee earned his first career win in relief. He pitched four scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and struck out five. He is 1-0 on the year with a 1.17 ERA in two appearances. Lee has nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings with opponents batting .154 against him.

Junior outfielder/designated hitter Alex Destino hit his fourth homer of the year in the 10-2 win over Tennessee. Destino is second on the Gamecocks in hitting with a .304 average (21-for-69) with 12 runs scored and a team-high 17 RBI. Destino also leads the team with 11 walks and has four doubles as well. He is tied for 11th in the SEC in homers.

Freshman right-hander Cody Morris made his first SEC start and his second start of the year in the 10-2 win over Tennessee. Morris allowed just one run on three hits in 3.2 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Morris has a 1.35 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched.

Junior infielder Madison Stokes went 2-for-3 with a double and a homer in the 10-2 win over Tennessee. He also doubled and went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI in the 7-1 victory over the Volunteers. Stokes is hitting .235 (16-for-68) with a team-high six doubles as well as three homers, eight RBI and 11 runs scored. He is tied for eighth in the SEC in doubles.

Senior right-hander Reed Scott pitched three scoreless innings of relief with just one hit allowed and three strikeouts to earn a save in the 7-1 win over Tennessee. Scott is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in seven relief appearances. He has two saves on the year. Scott has allowed eight runs, seven earned, on 18 hits in 21.0 innings. Scott has 20 strikeouts and opponents are batting .228 against them.

Junior catcher Chris Cullen went 3-for-5 and hit his fourth homer of the year in the 7-1 win over Tennessee. Cullen is batting .250 (12-for-48) with 12 RBI on the year and owns a .368 on-base percentage. He is tied for 11th in the SEC in homers.

Senior left-hander Josh Reagan improved to 2-0 with a win in relief in Saturday’s 6-4 victory over the Volunteers. Reagan pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and struck out two in the win. He has a 1.10 ERA in a team-high nine relief appearances with a save. Reagan has 18 strikeouts to five walks in 16.1 innings, opponents are batting .143 against him. He is tied for 15th in the SEC in appearances.

Sophomore outfielder Jacob Olson went 2-for-4 with a key three-run homer in the 7-1 win over Tennessee. Olson is hitting .271 (19-for-70) for the season with four homers and 12 RBI and a .346 on-base percentage. He has three doubles, a triple and 12 runs scored. Olson is tied with the team lead in multi-hit games with six on the year. He is tied for 11th in the SEC in homers.

Senior right-hander Colie Bowers was effective in relief in Saturday’s 6-4 win at Tennessee. Bowers allowed just one run, his first earned run given up of the season, on two hits in two innings of relief with two strikeouts. Bowers is 2-0 on the year with a 0.69 ERA in 13.0 innings pitched with three walks and 14 strikeouts. Opponents are batting just .136 against him.

Sophomore infielder LT Tolbert had a pair of multi-hit games in the series sweep at Tennessee. He went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a double in the 7-1 win over Tennessee and was 2-for-5 with two RBI, a double and two runs scored in the 10-2 win over the Volunteers. Tolbert is tied with the team lead in multi-hit games with six on the year.

Freshman right-hander Sawyer Bridges pitched well in relief in the 10-2 win at Tennessee. Bridges allowed just one run on two hits and struck out three. Bridges has nine strikeouts in six innings pitched in four appearances.

Junior catcher Hunter Taylor hit .375 (3-for-8) in a pair of starts at Tennessee. Taylor is hitting .391 (9-for-23) in nine games played with six starts. He has a RBI and four runs scored and a .481 on-base percentage.

Sophomore outfielder TJ Hopkins hit his third home run of the season in the 6-4 win at Tennessee. Hopkins is batting .298 (17-for-57) with a team-high 18 runs scored, three doubles, two triples, three homers and nine RBI. He owns a .388 on-base percentage. Hopkins’ .579 slugging percentage is 10th-best in the SEC.

NEXT WEEK
3/22/17 ââ’¬” Charleston Southern ââ’¬” 7 p.m.
3/24/17 ââ’¬” Alabama ââ’¬” 7 p.m.
3/25/17 ââ’¬” Alabama ââ’¬” 4 p.m.
3/26/17 ââ’¬” Alabama ââ’¬” 1:30 p.m.