Gamecock Baseball Notebook
Feb. 25, 2018
COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team went 4-1 on the week, taking midweek contests from North Florida and Winthrop and winning 2-of-3 games from Charleston Southern at Founders Park this past weekend.
Record: 6-2
Home: 6-2
Streak: L1
Last Week:
2/20/18 – North Florida (W, 5-2)
2/21/18 – Winthrop (W, 15-2)
2/23/18 – Charleston Southern (W, 7-0)
2/24/18 – Charleston Southern (W, 14-2)
2/25/18 – Charleston Southern (L, 2-4)
NOTES:
Adam Hill was the star of the week for Gamecocks, striking out 14 and not allowing a hit or run in seven innings of work in a 7-0 win over Charleston Southern on Friday night. Hill threw 100 pitches in the seven innings and the only baserunner to reach was on an error in the sixth inning. Hill picked up his 11th career win in a Gamecock uniform and broke the Founders Park record for strikeouts in a game, set by Sam Dyson against Georgia on May 14, 2009.
John Gilreath continues to impress on the mound. The freshman started Tuesday’s game against North Florida, striking out four and allowing just one hit in four innings of work in a no-decision against the Ospreys. Gilreath then came back on Sunday and pitched 3.1 innings of relief, striking out a pair against Charleston Southern. He has now pitched 11.1 scoreless innings in a Gamecock uniform.
LT Tolbert has a hit in all eight games this season for the Gamecocks and carries a .500 batting average going into the midweek. He had home runs in back-to-back games against Winthrop (Wednesday) and Charleston Southern (Friday) and drove in four runs in that win over the Eagles. Tolbert has had multi-hit games in each of the last four contests and is second on the team in RBI with eight, all coming in the last five games.
The South Carolina bullpen has allowed just one earned run in 32.2 innings of work for a miniscule 0.28 ERA. Gilreath and Gage Hinson have combined to throw 12.1 innings of scoreless relief out of the pen while the Gamecock relievers have struck out 25 while walking just nine.
Cody Morris improved to 2-0 on the season in the 14-2 win over Charleston Southern on Saturday. Morris struck out three and allowed four hits and two runs in five innings of work. On the season, Morris has fanned nine in 10.2 innings pitched.
South Carolina has seen a power surge in its first eight games, belting 16 home runs at Founders Park. Jacob Olson leads the team with four long balls while Tolbert, Justin Row and Hunter Taylor have two apiece. Carolina’s slugging percentage is .531 heading into the Furman game.
The Gamecocks continue to flash the leather, as Carolina has just four errors on the season for a .986 fielding percentage. South Carolina’s opponents have 15 errors for a .941 fielding percentage.
South Carolina pitchers are holding opponents to a .170 batting average and have 73 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched.
Carolina hosts Furman in its only midweek, then faces Clemson in the Palmetto Series this weekend for a three-game set, starting Friday at Founders Park.
Next Week
2/27/18 – Furman – 4 p.m. (SECN+)
3/2/18 – Clemson – 7 p.m. (SECN+)
3/3/18 – Clemson (in Greenville, S.C.) – 3 p.m.
3/4/18 – at Clemson – 2 p.m. (ACC Network)
