Baseball Begins Kingston Era with VMI Series
Feb. 15, 2018
VMI at South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team begins its 126th season and the first under new head coach Mark Kingston this weekend as the Gamecocks welcome VMI to Founders Park. Opening Day is Friday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. The two teams will play on Saturday, Feb. 17 at noon and conclude the series on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. Friday’s game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus with Burch Antley and Kip Bouknight on the call. All three games will be broadcast on The Game 107.5 FM with Derek Scott, Drew Meyer and Tommy Moody on the call. The three-game series opens a 10-game homestand for the Gamecocks. South Carolina will play 18 of its first 21 games at Founders Park.
PARKING INFORMATION
> For the second straight season, shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball season will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road) and in Lot B of the Colonial Life Arena parking lot. Shuttles will begin running two hours prior to game time.
We strongly recommend that fans use the baseball shuttle from Key Road to Founders Park over the CLA shuttle for the convenience, spacious parking (650 spaces) and less congestion than at the arena. Please remember that at the arena, shuttle parking will be limited to 50 spaces because of the student demand for parking in this area. There is a high student demand Monday through Thursday that lasts until 7 p.m. because of classes. Lots A and B are also reserved for men’s and women’s basketball parking on Feb. 17, 18 and 21.
For GPS purposes, the address for the Key Road Gravel Lot is 1105 Key Road, Columbia, SC 29201.
BUSINESS LOTS DURING AFTERNOON GAMES Business lot parking passes will be honored in Lot 1 ONLY for the Feb. 16, 20, 21, 23 and 27 afternoon baseball games based on availability. The businesses at 405 (Lot 9) and 401 (Lot 10) Huger Street request that you begin parking at 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Other business lots open at 5 p.m. on weekdays. Parking is allowed in Lot 8 (the Cregger lot) on the Williams St. side for the afternoon early games.
GAME DAY PARKING INFORMATION (including public game day lots (PGDL: $10/$5 per game))
Weekday 4 p.m. Games (Feb. 16, 20, 21, 23, 27)
Game time: 4 p.m.
Stadium opens: 2:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PDGL Open: 1 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 2 p.m.
Weekdays
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 5:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 4 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 5 p.m.
Saturday
Game Time: 4 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 2:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 1 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 1 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 2 p.m.
Sunday
Game Time: 1:30 p.m.
Stadium Opens: Noon
Business Lots Open: 10:30 a.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 10:30 a.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 11:30 a.m.
RANKINGS
> South Carolina is ranked 19th in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 40 poll. The Gamecocks also come in 32nd in the NCBWA Top 35 poll. South Carolina just missed out on being ranked in the USA Today Coaches’ poll, receiving 55 points.
WEEKEND ROTATION
> Head Coach Mark Kingston will go with junior righthander Adam Hill, sophomore righthander Cody Morris and junior righthander Ridge Chapman for the opening weekend rotation.
Hill will get the ball on Opening Day after pitching 77 innings last season with 87 strikeouts and a 3.04 earned-run average. Hill held opponents to a .205 batting average in 14 starts. He struck out 11 batters in a win over Vanderbilt and had nine strikeouts in six innings of work in a win over Alabama. Hill pitched in the Cape Cod League this past summer and is high on the top prospect lists for the 2018 MLB Draft.
Morris made 10 starts for the Gamecocks in 2017, going 3-2 with a 3.66 ERA and 47 strikeouts compared to just eight walks. Morris had eight strikeouts in a win at The Citadel and had eight punchouts in just four innings of work against Wofford. Opponents hit .240 off Morris last year and the righthander allowed just 10 extra-base hits in 2017.
Chapman will make his first appearance in a Gamecock uniform in the Sunday start. The Taylors, S.C., native pitched two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist College, striking out 98 batters and picking up five wins with a 2.84 ERA his sophomore season. Chapman prepped at Wade Hampton High School and was a two-time all-region selection. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 39th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina Adam Hill (Jr. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
VMI Josh Winder (Jr. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
Saturday
South Carolina Cody Morris (So. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
VMI Brady Watts (So. LHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
Sunday
South Carolina Ridge Chapman (Jr. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
VMI Zak Kent (So. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
SCOUTING VMI
> VMI is coming off a 24-34 season in 2017 while going 7-17 in conference play. The Keydets, led by fourth-year head coach Jonathan Hadra, return their top hitter from last season in Matt Pita. Pita, a junior infielder, hit .364 with seven home runs and 28 RBI. VMI also brings back its top power hitter in Collin Fleischer. He belted 17 home runs and had 48 RBI, both team-highs in 2017. On the mound, junior righthander Josh Winder had seven wins and a 3.59 ERA in 15 starts last season. He pitched 107.2 innings and struck out 112 batters. Matt Eagle, a senior righthander, made 11 starts last season and struck out 62 batters in 66.2 innings of work.
THE SERIES
> South Carolina leads the overall series with VMI 9-5, including winning the last eight contests. The teams faced off against each other to start the 2012 season, with the Gamecocks sweeping the three-game series in Columbia. LB Dantzler’s two-out RBI single in the eighth helped South Carolina to a 2-1 win in the opener. Dante Rosenberg’s game-winning RBI in the sixth inning gave the Gamecocks a 3-2 win in game two, which was followed by 13-1 rout in the series finale as Dantzler drove in four runs and Colby Holmes struck out six in five innings of work.
UP NEXT
> The Gamecocks continue their 10-game homestand with a pair of midweek games at Founders Park. Carolina hosts North Florida this Tuesday (Feb. 20) at 4 p.m. and face Winthrop on Wednesday (Feb. 21), also at 4 p.m.
