COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team jumps back into conference play this weekend, hosting LSU for a three-game series at Founders Park. The series starts on Friday night (April 20) at 7 p.m. with Saturday’s game (April 21) beginning at 4 p.m. The three-game set concludes on Sunday afternoon (April 22) at 1:30 p.m.

All three games will be streamed on SEC Network Plus with Burch Antley and Kip Bouknight on the call. Every game will be on the IMG Gamecock Radio Network with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call.

South Carolina is coming off a 7-4 loss to Presbyterian on Tuesday night. LT Tolbert drove in three runs and Carlos Cortes scored twice in the loss.

PROMOTIONS

Friday: Baseball Block Party, Fans who wear their Carolina pinstripe jerseys will receive $5 admission, First 1,000 fans receive a pinstripe jersey koozie
Saturday: Baseball Block Party, First 500 fans will receive a Carolina baseball pennant
Sunday: First 3,000 fans will receive a T-shirt from Founders Federal Credit Union

SCOUTING LSU

> LSU fell, 10-9, at Tulane on Wednesday night (April 18) as the Green Wave scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth after the Tigers put up three in the top of the frame to take the lead. Nick Coombs was 4-for-5 in the Tulane game while Antoine Duplantis drove in a pair of runs. LSU is coming off a sweep of Tennessee in SEC play. Duplantis leads the Tigers with a .364 batting average, four triples and 31 RBI. Beau Jordan has a team-best six home runs and a .508 slugging percentage. On the mound, freshman Ma’Khail Hillard, Saturday’s starter, is 7-2 with a 1.75 ERA and 47 strikeouts while Zack Hess, Friday’s starter, has 68 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched.

SERIES VS. LSU

> LSU had a 37-26-1 series advantange on the Gamecocks heading into the weekend. Last season, LSU won 2-of-3 games in the regular season in Baton Rouge and won an SEC Tournament game, 11-0, in the semifinals. South Carolina won the Friday game at LSU on May 5, 3-2, as Madison Stokes drove in a pair of runs in a three-run second frame. LSU visits Columbia for the first time since 2015 this weekend. South Carolina is 10-17 against the Tigers at home.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION

Friday
South Carolina Logan Chapman (Fr. RHP) 2-0, 3.93 ERA, 34.1 IP, 18 BB, 34 SO
LSU Zach Hess (So. RHP) 6-3, 3.71 ERA, 53.1 IP, 25 BB, 68 SO

Saturday
South Carolina Adam Hill (Jr. RHP) 3-4, 4.65 ERA, 40.2 IP, 26 BB, 60 SO
LSU Ma’Khail Hilliard (Fr. RHP) 7-2, 1.75 ERA, 46.1 IP, 15 BB, 47 SO

Sunday
South Carolina Cody Morris (So. RHP) 6-3, 3.61 ERA, 47.1 IP, 18 BB, 50 SO
LSU TBA

CORTES’ LONGBALL LIFTS GAMECOCKS OVER RAZORBACKS

> Sophomore Carlos Cortes went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning, lifting Carolina to a 3-2 win over No. 3 Arkansas on Thursday, April 12. Cortes’ home run was his eighth of the season and 20th in his career. He also tied a season-high with three hits in the win.

BRIDE’S IMPRESSIVE REACHED BASE STREAK ENDS AT 30

> Jonah Bride had a 30-game reached base streak snapped in Saturday’s first game of the Arkansas doubleheader. He extended the streak to 30 on Thursday with a single in the eighth inning. Bride has a .303 batting average and has a .415 on-base percentage. Bride also is hitting .346 in conference games.

SC IN THE SEC LEADERS

> Adam Hill leads the SEC in opponent’s batting average (.138) and is tied for ninth in strikeouts with 60. Eddy Demurias is tied for sxith with 17 appearances on the mound. Jacob Olson is tied for eighth in the league with nine home runs. TJ Hopkins is tied for sixth in the conference with 11 stolen bases, while Noah Campbell and LT Tolbert are tied for fourth with three triples. South Carolina is sixth in the league with a .979 fielding percentage.

EIGHT GAMECOCKS DOT MLB ROSTERS

> South Carolina currently has eight players on Major League Baseball rosters, including Justin Smoak, who was named the American League Player of the Week on April 1. Smoak and Steve Pearce are on Toronto’s roster, joined by former Gamecocks Jackie Bradley Jr. (Boston), Sam Dyson (San Francisco), Whit Merrifield (Kansas City), Jordan Montgomery (New York Yankees) and Christian Walker (Arizona). Tyler Webb (San Diego) earned a callup to the Padres on April 17. Grayson Greiner (Detroit) is on Detroit’s 40-man roster. and currently in Triple-A Toledo. There were 75 players from the SEC on Opening Day rosters.