Baseball Hosts No. 1 LSU for a Thursday-Saturday Series

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team hosts top-ranked LSU for a three-game SEC series starting Thursday night (April 6) at 7 p.m. at Founders Park. The two teams will play Friday night (April 7) at 7 p.m. and Saturday afternoon (April 8) at noon.

Thursday and Friday’s games will be streamed on SEC Network Plus. Saturday’s game will be televised on SEC Network with Mike Ferrin and Lance Cormier on the call. All games also will be broadcast on the Gamecocks Sports Network from Learfield with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call.

The Gamecocks are coming off a 5-0 midweek win over North Carolina in Charlotte. Carolina scored five runs in the seventh and eighth frames and the pitching staff completed its fourth shutout of the season.

PARKING INFORMATION
Shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball season will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road). Shuttle begins two (2) hours prior to first pitch and continues until 1 hour after the game.

For GPS purposes, the address for the Key Road Gravel Lot is 1105 Key Road, Columbia, SC 29201.

GAME DAY PARKING INFORMATION (including public game day lots (PGDL: $10/$5 per game). All gameday lots are cashless. Please have a debit card or credit card ready for payment upon entry into parking lots.

Weekdays
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 6:00 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 5 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 5 p.m.

Saturday
Game Time: 12 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 11 a.m.
Business Lots Open: 10 a.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 10 a.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 10 a.m.

SCOUTING LSU
The Tigers are coming off a 12-2, 7-inning win over Nicholls State on Tuesday night. Tommy White homered twice and drove in five in the win. Preseason All-American Dylan Crews is hitting .531 with 11 doubles, nine home runs and 35 RBI. White leads LSU with 10 home runs to go along with a .378 batting average and 10 doubles. On the mound, Paul Skenes is 5-0 with a 0.81 ERA and a nation’s best 83 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched.

SERIES VS. LSU
The Tigers hold a 40-31-1 series advantage on Carolina heading into Thursday’s game. In the last meeting between the two teams, Carolina took 2-of-3 from LSU in Baton Rouge in 2021, taking both ends of a doubleheader on April 17. Will Sanders pitched six scoreless innings in the 9-0 win in the nightcap while Braylen Wimmer’s two-run double lifted the Gamecocks to a win in the opener. Carolina swept the three-game series against the Tigers in the last meeting in Columbia in 2018.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Thursday
South Carolina Will Sanders (Jr. RHP) 2-1, 5.17 ERA, 31.1 IP, 12 BB, 37 SO
LSU Paul Skenes (Jr. RHP) 5-0, 0.81 ERA, 44.1 IP, 8 BB, 83 SO
Friday
South Carolina Jack Mahoney (Jr. RHP) 3-0, 2.72 ERA, 36.1 IP, 9 BB, 38 SO
LSU Ty Floyd (Jr. RHP) 5-0, 2.87 ERA, 31.1 IP, 10 BB, 36 SO
Saturday
South Carolina TBA
LSU Christian Little (Jr. RHP) 2-1, 3.79 ERA, 19.0 IP, 8 BB, 28 SO

GAMECOCKS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The University of South Carolina baseball team is ranked in all six major polls after the week of April 3. The Gamecocks are ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and No. 6 in each of the five other major polls. The Gamecocks have four games this week against ranked team in No. 13 (D1Baseball) North Carolina on Tuesday and No. 1 (consensus) LSU from Thursday-Saturday.

CASAS, PETRY NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
University of South Carolina junior first baseman Gavin Casas and freshman outfielder Ethan Petry were both named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, it was announced on Wednesday, April 5.

Casas is second in the SEC and tied for third in the nation with 15 home runs on the year. He is hitting .308 with 38 runs scored, six doubles, 36 RBI and a team-best 23 walks. Casas is slugging .785 with a .449 on-base percentage.

Petry leads the team and is third in the SEC with a .439 batting average. He has 13 home runs and 42 RBI, while slugging .841 and getting on base at a .496 clip. Petry has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week each of the last three weeks.

RPI WATCH
With 30 games in the books, it’s time to start looking at the RPI. The Gamecocks currently are fourth in those rankings, one of four SEC teams in the top five. Carolina currently is a perfect 18-0 at home and 7-3 on the road. Carolina has three-game series remaining against No. 1 Kentucky, No. 2 Arkansas, No. 5 LSU, No. 7 Vanderbilt and No. 12 Florida.

GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
The Gamecocks lead the nation with 72 home runs this season. Gavin Casas is tied for third in the nation with 15 home runs … USC is fourth in the nation with 289 runs scored … Carolina is third in the nation in drawing walks with 190 and fifth in the country with 70 hit by pitches … The Gamecocks’ .438 on-base percentage is eighth in the country … On the mound, Carolina is third in earned-run average at 2.98  … Ethan Petry is seventh in total bases (90) and tied for eighth in home runs (13) … The .900 winning percentage is the nation’s best.

NEXT WEEK
Carolina faces USC Upstate Tuesday night (April 11) at 7 p.m. at Founders Park. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.