COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The University of South Carolina baseball team opens play in the 2022 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Tuesday afternoon (May 24). The Gamecocks are the 10th seed in the tournament and face seventh-seeded Florida at approximately 2 p.m Eastern (1 p.m. Central) or 30 minutes after the Georgia-Alabama game. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal, Ben McDonald and Kris Budden on the call. All games also will be broadcast on the Gamecock Sports Network with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call. The Gamecocks are coming off a 4-1 win over Florida on Saturday afternoon as Josiah Sightler homered twice and the Carolina pitching staff allowed just three hits in the win.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team opens play in the 2022 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Tuesday afternoon (May 24). The Gamecocks are the 10th seed in the tournament and face seventh-seeded Florida at approximately 2 p.m Eastern (1 p.m. Central) or 30 minutes after the Georgia-Alabama game. The game will be televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal, Ben McDonald and Kris Budden on the call. All games also will be broadcast on the Gamecock Sports Network with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call. The Gamecocks are coming off a 4-1 win over Florida on Saturday afternoon as Josiah Sightler homered twice and the Carolina pitching staff allowed just three hits in the win.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
The Gators are a familiar opponent to Carolina as the two teams just met this past weekend. Florida is winners of eight of its last 10, including a pair of wins over the Gamecocks on Thursday and Friday. BT Riopelle earned All-SEC first team honors. He is hitting .3006 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI. Wyatt Langford and Jud Fabian have 21 and 20 home runs, respectively. On the mound, Florida is expected to start Brandon Sproat. He allowed two earned runs and four hits while striking out three in 6.1 innings in Thursday’s 14-5 win.
SERIES VS. FLORIDA
Carolina holds a 51-50 series advantage on Florida heading into to Tuesday’s game. Florida won 2-of-3 games against the Gamecocks this past weekend. Carolina won the series finale, 4-1, as Josiah Sightler homered twice and Cade Austin pitched three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win. The Gamecocks are 4-3 all-time vs. Florida in the SEC Tournament with the last meeting in 2014, a 7-2 Florida win.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Tuesday
South Carolina Will Sanders (So. RHP) 7-3, 3.72 ERA, 82.1 IP, 28 BB, 81 SO
Florida Brandon Sproat (So. RHP) 8-4, 3.87 ERA, 74.1 IP, 30 BB, 69 SO
SEC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
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 29-50 all-time at the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks fell to Alabama, 9-3, in the opening round of the 2021 event.
SIGHTLER KEEPS THE BAT HOT
Josiah Sightler hit his 14th and 15th home runs of the year in the 4-1 win over Florida on May 21. The senior ended up hitting .340 with eight doubles and 11 RBI in SEC play and has a .295 batting average in all games and is slugging .633.
