Baseball Notebook

April 3, 2017

South Carolina went 2-2 last week with a non-conference win at The Citadel and a win at Auburn. The Gamecocks are 19-8 on the year and 6-3 in SEC play, one game back of first place in the league.

Record: 19-8
SEC: 6-3
Home: 13-5
Away: 6-2
Neutral: 0-1

Last Week: 2-2
3/28/17 ââ’¬” at The Citadel (W, 15-1)
3/31/17 ââ’¬” at Auburn (L, 5-4)
4/1/17 ââ’¬” at Auburn (W, 7-0)
4/2/17 ââ’¬” at Auburn (L, 6-5)

NOTES:
South Carolina leads the SEC with a 2.78 team ERA with a .216 opponents batting average that is second in the league. The Gamecocks have allowed 88 runs, 76 earned on 194 hits in 245.2 innings this year. The Gamecocks have 277 strikeouts to 91 walks. Carolina’s 2.87 ERA in nine SEC games also leads the SEC.

South Carolina is hitting .278 (254-for-913) for the season with a .362 on-base percentage and a .419 slugging percentage. The Gamecocks have 24 homers on the year. South Carolina has equaled or out-hit its opponent in 20 of 27 games this year. South Carolina is fielding .978 for the season with 13 games without an error. South Carolina is 11-2 when not committing an error. Carolina is hitting .262 (79-for-301) in SEC games, that ranks fifth in league contests.

South Carolina is 16-4 on the year when scoring first in a game and 15-2 when entering the seventh inning with a lead and 18-2 when entering the ninth inning with the lead. The Gamecocks are 11-1 when scoring six or more runs and 18-5 when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 10-7 in games decided by three runs or less. Six of South Carolina’s first nine SEC games have been decided by three runs or less with the Gamecocks 3-3 in those contests. South Carolina is 7-0 in five-plus run games.

Junior right-hander Clarke Schmidt improved to 4-0 on the year with a victory in the 7-0 win at Auburn. Schmidt allowed just five hits in eight scoreless innings with three walks and 10 strikeouts. Schmidt is 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA in six starts. He has limited opponents to just seven runs, four earned, on 27 hits in 40.0 innings with 13 walks to 46 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .191 against him. South Carolina is 6-0 on the year in games started by Schmidt. Schmidt ranks third in the SEC in ERA, sixth in opposing batting average, tied for sixth in wins and tied for 11th in strikeouts.

Sophomore outfielder Jacob Olson was South Carolina’s top hitter at Auburn batting .500 (5-for-10) vs. the Tigers. Olson also went 3-for-6 with x RBI in the 15-1 win at The Citadel. Olson is hitting .306 (30-for-98) with a team-high five homers, 18 RBI, 21 runs scored and a .531 slugging percentage. Olson is tied with Tolbert with the team lead with nine multi-hit games. He has reached base in 16 straight games. Olson is tied for ninth in the SEC in homers. Olson has also scored nine of his 21 runs in SEC games, tying him for fifth-best among conference players.

Junior right-hander Wil Crowe took his first loss of the season in the 5-4 loss at Auburn. Crowe battled despite the loss as he allowed five runs, three earned, on eight hits in six innings with a walk and six strikeouts. For the season Crowe is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in seven starts. He has allowed 16 runs, 14 earned, on 34 hits in 42.0 innings with 14 walks and 47 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .213 against him. Crowe ranks 10th in the SEC in strikeouts, 12th in innings pitched and 15th in opposing batting average.

Junior infielder Jonah Bride tied a career-high in hits as he went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored in the 15-1 win at The Citadel. He had his second triple of the season. Bride last had four hits in a game ironically vs. The Citadel on May 17, 2016. Bride also had three hits in the 6-5 loss at Auburn. Bride is second on the team in hitting with a .323 average (30-for-93). He has 17 runs scored and 14 RBI. Bride has four doubles, two triples and two homers. He owns a .418 on-base percentage. He has reached base in 15 straight games.

Sophomore right-hander Adam Hill finished with a no-decision in Sunday’s 6-5 loss at Auburn. Hill allowed two runs on five hits in five innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Hill is 1-3 with a 2.36 ERA in six starts. He has allowed 11 runs, nine earned, on 28 hits in 34.1 innings with 12 walks and 37 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .226 against him. He also leads the Gamecocks with three pickoffs.

Freshman outfielder Carlos Cortes had his best weekend of his Gamecock career at the plate this weekend vs. Auburn. Cortes hit .455 (5-for-11) with six RBI against the Tigers. Cortes tripled, hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the 7-0 win at Auburn. Cortes’ five RBI tied an individual high by a Carolina player. Cortes also was 3-for-4 with a RBI in the 5-4 loss at Auburn. Cortes has raised his average to .256 (11-for-43) with four runs scored and eight RBI in 17 games played with 10 starts.

Senior right-hander Colie Bowers pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts in the 7-0 win at Auburn. Bowers is 2-0 with three saves in 12 relief appearances. He has allowed three runs, one earned, on eight hits in 17.2 innings with five walks to 20 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .131 against him. Bowers ranks tied for ninth in the SEC in saves and tied for 15th in appearances.

Sophomore infielder LT Tolbert is South Carolina’s leading hitter with a .326 batting average (29-for-89). He has 11 runs scored, five doubles, a triple and 12 RBI. Tolbert is fielding 1.000 at second base with 29 putouts and 54 assists. Tolbert hit .364 (4-for-11) with a run scored and three RBI vs. Auburn. Tolbert and Olson are tied with the team lead with nine multi-hit games. Tolbert is on a six-game hitting streak. Tolbert tied a career-high in hits in the 15-1 win at The Citadel as he went 3-for-5 with two run scored and a RBI. Tolbert is also hitting a team-best .343 (12-for-35) in SEC games. He has three doubles and six RBI in nine league games.

Freshman right-hander Cody Morris earned his first career win in five innings of work in the 15-1 win at The Citadel. He allowed just one run on two hits with no walks and a career-high eight strikeouts.

Sophomore outfielder TJ Hopkins hit a two-run homer in the 6-5 loss at Auburn. Hopkins has four homers on the year and is hitting .256 (23-for-90) with a team-high 24 runs scored and 13 RBI.

Senior right-hander Reed Scott has made 11 relief appearances and is closing in on the top-10 list of all-time appearances by Gamecock pitchers. Scott pitched two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts in the 5-4 loss at Auburn. He is 1-1 with a 2.73 ERA and two saves. He has allowed nine runs, eight earned, on 22 his in 26.1 innings with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts.

Junior catcher Chris Cullen tied a career-high in hits when he was 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in the 15-1 win at The Citadel. Cullen is batting .288 (19-for-66) with 11 runs scored and 15 RBI. He has four homers and a .390 on-base percentage.

Junior first baseman Matt Williams saw his streak of reaching base safely end on Sunday at 24 games. He still ranks eighth in the SEC in on-base percentage with a .462 mark on the year. Williams is batting .321 (26-for-81) with 15 runs scored and 11 RBI.

South Carolina set a season-high for runs scored (15) and hits (20) in the 15-1 win at The Citadel. The victory featured a nine-run second inning in which the Gamecocks had 10 consecutive baserunners, two shy of a school record 12 set vs. Florida in 1992. Carolina’s 20 hit total was fourth highest by a Gamecock team under head coach Chad Holbrook.

South Carolina is outscoring its opponent 79-20 in the middle innings (4-5-6) this year.

NEXT WEEK
4/4/17 ââ’¬” Furman ââ’¬” 7 p.m.
4/6/17 ââ’¬” Vanderbilt ââ’¬” 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
4/7/17 ââ’¬” Vanderbilt ââ’¬” 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
4/8/17 ââ’¬” Vanderbilt ââ’¬” Noon (ESPN2)