COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team starts postseason play this week as the Gamecocks head to Hoover, Ala., for the 2018 SEC Baseball Tournament. South Carolina, who is the fifth seed, will open play on Tuesday night (May 22) against 12th-seeded Missouri in the last game of the day. First pitch is approximately 8:45 p.m. EDT (7:45 p.m. CDT). The winner of the game will move into the double elimination portion of the tournament, facing off with fourth-seeded Arkansas on Wednesday night (May 23).

All 13 games of the SEC Tournament will be on the ESPN family of networks. Tuesday’s game is on SEC Network with Tom Hart, Kyle Peterson and Laura Rutledge on the call. Every game will be on the IMG Gamecock Radio Network with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call.

The Gamecocks are coming off winning 2-of-3 games at Texas A&M to close out the regular season. South Carolina has won five straight SEC series heading into postseason play.

SCOUTING MISSOURI

> The Tigers clinched a berth into the SEC Tournament on the final day of the regular season, defeating Tennessee 8-3 in a winner-take-all affair. Trey Harris had two hits and drove in three runs in the win. The Tigers are led by Brian Sharp’s .321 average, while Harris has 11 home runs and 50 RBI. On the mound, TJ Sikkema has 75 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched.

SERIES VS. MISSOURI

> The Gamecocks are 13-7 overall against Missouri. The two teams will face off after playing a series in South Carolina less than two weeks ago. The Gamecocks won 2-of-3 games in that series, including a dramatic 1-0 finish on Sunday as Carlos Cortes hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION

Tuesday
South Carolina Carmen Mlodzinski (Fr. RHP) 2-5, 4.93 ERA, 34.2 IP, 15 BB, 34 SO
Missouri TJ Sikkema (So. LHP) 3-5, 3.41 ERA, 66.0 IP, 19 BB, 75 SO

GAMECOCKS WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT SEC SERIES

> South Carolina picked up its fifth straight SEC series win, taking 2-of-3 games at Texas A&M on May 17-19. It is the first time the Gamecocks have won five straight conference series since 2012. Carolina is 11-4 in its last 15 league contests, is hitting .308 in those games. Justin Row hit .362 in those 15 games while Carlos Cortes had six home runs and 17 RBI. The Gamecocks swept LSU while taking two games apiece from Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Missouri and Texas A&M.

MORRIS K’S 7 FOR 7TH WIN

> Cody Morris had a great outing in the regular-season finale against Texas A&M, striking out seven and allowing an unearned run with no walks in seven innings of work. This was coming off an SEC Pitcher of the Week performance against Missouri when he struck out 10 batters in seven innings. Morris is 7-3 overall with a 3.80 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched.

LAWSON SAVES THE DAY AT TEXAS A&M

> Graham Lawson picked up the save in Friday night’s win, striking out three in four innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out Will Frizzell with runners on second and third to end the game, giving the Gamecocks the 5-3 win. It was Lawson’s first save to go with a 1-1 record and 19 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched.

STOKES HAS WILD WEEKEND AT A&M

> Madison Stokes had a great week in College Station. He hit .500 (6-for-12) with a pair of home runs and four RBI in the three games. Stokes leads the Gamecocks with a .347 average and has 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 37 RBI this season.