Gamecock Baseball Notebook

March 10, 2019

COLUMBIA –The University of South Carolina baseball team went 4-1 on the week, splitting its midweek games before sweeping Valparaiso at Founders Park.

Record: 13-3
Home: 12-2
Road: 1-0
Neutral: 0-1
Streak: W3

Last Week:
3/5/19 – The Citadel (W, 9-0)
3/6/19 – Gardner-Webb (L, 2-10)
3/8/19 – Valparaiso (W, 9-2)
3/9/19 – Valparaiso (W, 3-2)
3/10/19 – Valparaiso (W, 12-6)

NOTES:
Senior TJ Hopkins hit for South Carolina’s first cycle since 2015 in the 12-6 win on Sunday. Hopkins homered in the fourth, doubled in the fifth, singled in the seventh and tripled in the eighth. Kyle Martin was the last Gamecock to hit for the cycle in 2015 at Florida.

Senior Jacob Olson had three doubles and three home runs this week while hitting .522. His most memorable hit of the week was a walk-off solo home run to gives the Gamecocks a 3-2 win on Saturday. Carolina was down 2-1 heading into the ninth but home runs by Luke Berryhill and Olson gave Carolina its third walk-off win of the season.

Reid Morgan had another outstanding performance in that Saturday game. The Kingwood, Texas, native struck out 10 in 8.2 innings of work, allowing seven hits and two runs with his first walk of the season. Morgan has a 1.84 ERA and has 27 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched this season.

TJ Shook struck out a career-best 12 batters in 6.1 innings pitched, allowing just one hit in the 9-0 win over The Citadel on Tuesday night. Shook then earned the save in Sunday’s win over the Bulldogs, striking out a pair in two innings of relief. On the season, Shook is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA.

Ian Jenkins made his first career start on Saturday and had three hits, including his first home run, in Sunday’s win. Jenkins doubled in the eighth and is now hitting .375 with a .500 on-base percentage this year.

Carolina leads the SEC and is second in the nation with 32 home runs. The Gamecocks trail New Mexico State, who has 36 round trippers. Nine different players have at least one home run this year, while Jacob Olson leads the team with seven.

South Carolina is at The Citadel on Tuesday night before beginning Southeastern Conference play this weekend against Georgia at Founders Park.

Next Week
3/12/19 – at The Citadel – 7 p.m. (SoCon Digital Network)
3/15/19 – Georgia – 7 p.m. (SECN+)
3/16/19 – Georgia – 4 p.m. (SECN+)
3/17/19 – Georgia – 1:30 p.m. (SECN+)