2019 Baseball Season-in-Review

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The 2019 University of South Carolina baseball team saw five players picked in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, including TJ Hopkins in the ninth round. The Gamecocks earned a Palmetto Point, winning 2-of-3 games against Clemson in early March. Success against the ACC continued with wins over N.C. State and North Carolina in Charlotte. South Carolina earned a trip to Hoover on the final day of the regular season, defeating College World Series participant Mississippi State in Starkville. Brett Kerry was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and was named a Freshman All-American by three different organizations.

KERRY EARNS MULTIPLE FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA HONORS

Freshman Brett Kerry was named a Freshman All-American by D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. Kerry also earned Freshman All-SEC honors after going 4-1 with a 2.62 ERA while recording seven saves in 22 appearances, including two starts. He held opponents to a .200 batting average and had 65 strikeouts in 58.1 innings pitched. In the SEC, Kerry was 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA with four saves and 39 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. The freshman helped the Gamecocks get into the SEC Tournament after striking out four and allowing just five hits and two runs in 6.1 innings in a win over No. 5 Mississippi State.

SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Carolina had five players picked in the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft from June 3-5. TJ Hopkins was the highest selection, going in the ninth round by the Cincinnati Reds. Luke Berryhill also was picked by the Reds in the 13th round. Reid Morgan was a 13th round selection by the Seattle Mariners and Jacob Olson was pegged in the 26th round by the Chicago Cubs. Ridge Chapman then went in the 34th round by the Los Angeles Angels. Carolina also has a nation-best nine signees picked in the draft, including top-five picks Tyler Callihan and Ivan Johnson.

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.

KINGSTON COACHES ON USA BASEBALL CNT

Carolina head coach Mark Kingston served as an assistant coach on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, which played games from June 27-July 21 in the United States, Taiwan and Japan. The team defeated Cuba four games to one in North Carolina and won a pair of games in Taiwan before heading to Japan for five games starting on July 16.