Baseball Faces LSU To Open SEC Tournament Play
The Gamecocks and Tigers face off in the final game of the Tuesday session.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team begins postseason play this Tuesday (May 21) in game four of the 2019 SEC Baseball Tournament at the Hoover Met Stadium in Hoover, Ala. The Gamecocks, the 12th seed in the tourney, face fifth-seeded LSU for the first time this season at a time to be determined after the Auburn-Tennessee game that starts at 4 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart, Todd Walker, Kyle Peterson and Kris Budden on the call. All games will be broadcast on The Game 107.5 FM and the Gamecock Sports Network with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call. Carolina is coming off a 10-8 win at No. 5 Mississippi State that clinched the 12th and final seed in the conference tournament.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Tuesday
South Carolina Cam Tringali (R-Fr. RHP) 2-4, 4.81 ERA, 63.2 IP, 18 BB, 58 SO
LSU Cole Henry (Fr. RHP) 4-2, 3.26 ERA, 49.2 IP, 12 BB, 60 SO
SCOUTING LSU
LSU won 2-of-3 games against Auburn this past weekend to wrap up the fifth seed in the tournament. Saul Garza had three hits while Antoine Duplantis had a pair of RBI in the 7-1 series-opening win over Auburn. On the season, Josh Smith leads LSU with a .341 batting average while Duplantis has 11 home runs and 58 RBI.
THE SERIES
LSU leads the overall series, 38-29-1, heading into Tuesday’s game. The Gamecocks swept the Tigers in Columbia last season but LSU won 6-4 in 12 innings in the SEC Tournament contest, eliminating Carolina from the tournament. The two teams did not play this season. TJ Hopkins has 12 career hits and seven RBI against the Tigers going into Tuesday’s contest.
SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Gamecocks are 2-8 all-time against LSU in the SEC Tournament, winning both of the contests in the 2002 edition. South Carolina won the SEC Tournament in 2004, going a perfect 4-0 with a 3-2 win over Vanderbilt in the championship game. The Gamecocks are 29-48 all-time at the SEC Tournament and went 1-2 last year, defeating Missouri before falling to Arkansas and LSU.
GAMECOCKS WIN REGULAR-SEASON FINALE; GETS IN SEC TOURNEY
Needing a win on Saturday at Mississippi State to get the 12th seed in the SEC Tournament, the Gamecocks earned a 10-8 win over the Bulldogs as Brett Kerry allowed just five hits and two runs in 6.1 innings pitched, Andrew Eyster hit two home runs and Luke Berryhill drove in four, including a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Parker Coyne picked up his first save of 2019, striking out three in 1.2 innings of work. Carolina finished with an 8-22 conference mark, one game ahead of both Kentucky and Alabama.
WHAT A WEEKEND FOR EYSTER
Sophomore Andrew Eyster went 6-for-10 with two doubles, two home runs, four runs scored and five RBI in the three games at Mississippi State this past weekend. Eyster belted a pair of home runs in the 10-8 win on Saturday and had a 1.400 slugging percentage in the three games. On the season, Eyster leads the Gamecocks with a .306 batting average and has 12 doubles and 10 home runs.
