Top Reasons to Get Fired Up for Gamecock Baseball
With last season canceled after 16 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Carolina baseball coach Mark Kingston and the Gamecocks can’t wait to take the field for the 2021 season. Kingston offered the top reasons why he thinks fans should be excited about the 2021 Gamecocks.
“There are a lot of things they should be excited about,” Kingston said. “Number one; they’re getting baseball back!”
PITCHING
The Gamecocks were 12-4 last year with a 2.81 earned run average, and the staff had a nearly 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio in 16 games with 184 Ks, 68 walks, and a .180 opponent batting average in 144 innings. While some of the names have changed, Kingston feels that his staff has the right stuff.
Thomas Farr
“With our team, it’s as a good a group of power arms as I think you’ll see,” Kingston said. “Vanderbilt and Florida are kind of the gold standard now in terms of staffs that have power arms to run at you. I think we are now much closer to that point. We’re going to have a lot of high-power arms that we can throw at teams.
“What we have written down in pencil right now as far as the rotation are the three guys we’ve talked about: Thomas Farr (3-0, 1.72 ERA), Brannon Jordan (2-0, 1.71 ERA) and Julian Bosnic (2-0, 1.00 ERA).
“There are a number of other guys that we’ve discussed that could be potential Tuesday starters or potential guys that we’d look at if COVID hits you or if you have injuries. Three guys that you have to be excited about and would be looked at in those roles are three of the freshmen in (Jack) Mahoney, (Magdiel) Cotto, and (Will) Sanders. The sky is the limit for all of those guys. You have another freshman in Jackson Phipps, who is a 6’4″ lefty who had a really good fall for us.”
The Gamecocks do have other proven veterans that can start but will likely be used in the bullpen such as Brett Kerry (2-0, 3.60 ERA), who was tabbed as the closer at the end of fall practice.
“You have other guys that have started some in the past with Parker Coyne and Cam Tringali, and I think Wesley Sweatt at some point is going to be back healthy and better than ever for us. Whether those guys are suited for the bullpen, or whether there is the potential for them to be the Tuesday guy, the next three weeks will determine that. I feel really good that we’ll have options.”
“We want to go to Omaha. We want to win a national championship.”
POWER AT THE PLATE
South Carolina was tied for fifth in the SEC in home runs last year but ranked 11th in the league with a .272 batting average. While Kingston expects the power numbers to continue, he’s optimistic that the long balls won’t come by sacrificing good at bats.
Wes Clarke
“We’re going to be able to drive the ball,” Kingston said. “That’s something I think we’ve done pretty well here, but my hope is that with all the power that I think we will have, it will not be at the expense of good contact.”
Infielder/catcher Wes Clarke was having a breakthrough 2020 season as he led the SEC in the shortened campaign with 8 home runs to go along with 22 RBI, while batting .286 in 16 games and will be looking to pick up where he left off.
“He’s a guy who just wants to be great,” Kingston said. “He studies the craft of hitting. He’s in the weight room all the time. He’s a guy who wants to work on hitting and loves to work on getting stronger.
“He has a compact swing, and when he’s taking his best swing, he’s one of the best hitters in the country.”
Other veteran hitters returning include outfielders Brady Allen (.327, 3 HR) and Andrew Eyster (.305, 4 HR), who have shown they can hit for power and average as well.
“Brady Allen continues to be one of the more polished baseball players you will see,” Kingston said. “He’s a gamer who gets on base at a very high rate.”
ROOKIES
With a recruiting class ranked fifth nationally by D1Baseball.com, there are several freshmen who will be competing for a lot of playing time early in their careers. In addition to the rookie pitchers mentioned above, the coaching staff has enjoyed seeing the younger players push the veterans, and vice versa.
“The amount of young talent that I think people will see will be easy to spot,” Kingston said. “They’re physical. They’re athletic. I think our young roster will be something our fans will be really excited about. The good thing is that we won’t have to ask too much of them this year, but I think they will be very fun for our fans to watch. I think they will be very excited about the future knowing that these kids are going to be here for a while.
“The pitching freshmen group is very strong. Those guys will have a chance to get a bunch of innings, whether it’s in a starting role, that’s what the next three weeks (of practice) are for.”
Among the newcomers who has shown some promise is outfielder Brandon Fields.
“Brandon Fields is a guy that is being considered to be in the lineup,” Kingston said. “The next three weeks will have a lot to say about that. For him, the big thing is consistency. On his good days, he has speed, he has power, and he can make highlight plays in the outfield. He’s in the mix.”
Unfortunately, one of the freshmen who had a good chance to see time this year will have to sit out due to injury as catcher Alek Boychuk had to have season-ending surgery on his foot after an outstanding fall season.
PLAY BALL
After the disappointment of an incomplete season last year, the Gamecocks are just ready to get back to Founders Park and play ball.
“You coached some guys for the last time, and you didn’t know it was the last time,” Kingston said of last year’s shortened season. “That was the toughest part. That team never had a chance to realize what it could be. When it ended, I thought we were really starting to hit our stride.
“That’s just made everybody hungrier to play. Players and coaches have a greater appreciation for being out there on the field.
“We want to go to Omaha. We want to win a national championship.”
