Baseball Opens '24 Campaign with Three Games vs. Miami (Ohio)

FOR STARTERS

• South Carolina opens its 132nd season of Gamecock baseball with a three-game home series against Mid-American Conference foe Miami (Ohio).
• Opening Day is set for Friday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. at Founders Park.
• The Gamecocks and Redhawks then meet on Saturday (Feb. 17) at noon and Sunday (Feb. 18) at 1:30 p.m.
• The three-game series is part of a 10-game homestand to open the 2024 campaign.
• All three games will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus with Dave Weinstein and Kip Bouknight on the call.
• All three games also will be on the Gamecock Sports Network presented by Learfield with Derek Scott (Friday and Sunday), Cade Crenshaw (Saturday) and Stuart Lake on the call.

PARKING INFORMATION
Shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball season will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road) for select games. Shuttle begins two (2) hours prior to first pitch and continues until 1 hour after the game. It is $5 to park at the Key Road Lot to take the shuttle.

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

BUSINESS LOTS DURING AFTERNOON GAMES Business lot parking passes will be honored in Lot 1 ONLY for the Feb. 16, 20, 21, 23 and 27 and March 6 afternoon baseball games based on availability. The businesses at 405 (Lot 9) and 401 (Lot 10) Huger Street request that you begin parking at 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Other business lots open at 5 p.m. on weekdays. Parking is allowed in Lot 8 (the Cregger lot) on the Williams St. side for the afternoon early games.

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

Weekday 4 p.m. Games (Feb. 17, 21, 22, 24, 28)
Game time: 4 p.m.
Stadium opens: 3:00 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PDGL Open: 2 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 2 p.m.

Weekdays
Game Time: 4 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 3:00 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 2/2:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 2 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 2 p.m.

Saturday
Game Time: 12 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 11 a.m.
Business Lots Open: 10/10:30 a.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 10 a.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 10 a.m.

Sunday
Game Time: 1:30 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 12:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 11:30 a.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 11:30 a.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 11:30 a.m.

SCOUTING MIAMI

• The Redhawks ended the 2023 campaign with a 21-35 overall record and a 13-17 record in the MAC, good for a tie for seventh place in the standings.
• Head Coach Brian Smiley will be making his debut in the Miami dugout. Smiley was an assistant and associate head coach at Indiana State for the past 14 seasons, helping the Sycamores to five NCAA Tournaments, including a Super Regional berth in 2023.
• Infielder Ryland Zaborowski returns for the Redhawks after hitting .300 with 14 doubles, 20 home runs and 52 RBI last year.
• Zabrorowski is the No. 8 prospect in the MAC for the 2024 MLB Draft by D1Baseball.
• Miami also welcomes back outfielder Zach MacDonald, who belted 13 home runs in 2023 to go along with 16 doubles.
• On the mound, Pat Mastrain made 17 appearances for Miami in 2023, with 41 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched.

SERIES VS. MIAMI

• The Gamecocks and Redhawks have met seven times on the diamond with Carolina holding a 6-1 series advantage.
• The last meeting between the two teams occurred in 2015 as the Gamecocks swept the Redhawks in a three-game series at Founders Park.
• Carolina shut out Miami in each of the first two games (2-0 and 7-0). Wil Crowe picked up the win in the opener, striking out eight in seven scoreless innings while Jack Wynkoop threw eight scoreless innings in the Saturday contest.
• Carolina finished off the sweep with a 5-3 Sunday win. The Gamecocks did not allow an earned run for the whole weekend.
• The Gamecocks are 37-9 all-time against current baseball playing members of the MAC

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina Eli Jones (Jr. RHP) 4-5, 3.95 ERA, 54.2 IP, 26 BB, 71 K in 2023
Miami Patrick Mastrain IV (R-Jr. RHP) 0-2, 7.44 ERA, 32.2 IP, 22 B, 41 K in 2023

Saturday
South Carolina Dylan Eskew (R-Jr. RHP) 0-1, 8.22 ERA, 7.2 IP, 7 BB, 6 SO
Miami Lukas Galdoni (Gr. RHP) Played at Butler in 2023

Sunday
South Carolina Roman Kimball (R-So. RHP) Did not pitch in 2023
Miami Peyton Olejnik (Jr. RHP) Played at Oklahoma in 2023

SEASON OPENERS

• South Carolina is 90-41 all-time in season openers dating back to 1892.
• Carolina has won the last four season openers
• The Gamecocks are 22-3 in its last 25 lidlifters and has won 25 straight series to open the season.
• Last year, Carolina defeated UMass Lowell 20-3 as Braylen Wimmer was a perfect 5-for-5 with three runs scored and Will McGillis belted two home runs while driving in three.
• Four Gamecock pitchers combined to allow just four hits with Will Sanders and Austin Williamson striking out three batters apiece.

WEEKEND ROTATION

• Head Coach Mark Kingston will go with junior Eli Jones, junior Dylan Eskew and redshirt sophomore Roman Kimball for the opening series this weekend vs. Miami (Ohio).
• Jones toes the rubber on Opening Day after going 4-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 54.2 innings pitched last season.
• Jones made six starts in 2023, including four against SEC foes. He struck out a career high 10 batters at Arkansas on May 12 and opened the season with wins in his first four appearances.
• Eskew gets the start on Saturday after making five appearances for the Gamecocks in 2023.
• He struck out three in 3.1 innings pitched against Charleston Southern on April 18.
• Kimball will get the ball on Sunday for the season finale.
• The righty did not pitch in 2023 after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Kimball was 4-0 with 32 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched at Notre Dame in 2022.

PETRY, MESSINA EARN PRESEASON HONORS

• Sophomore outfielder Ethan Petry and junior catcher Cole Messina were named to several Preseason All-America teams.
• Petry was named to the first team by D1Baseball, Perfect Game and the NCBWA while being named to Baseball America’s third team.
• Messina was selected to D1Baseball’s first team. He also was on the NCBWA and Perfect Game’s third team.
• Petry hit .376 with 23 home runs and 75 RBI for the Gamecocks in 2023 as he broke Carolina’s freshman record in both categories.
• Messina hit .307 with 18 doubles, 17 home runs and 65 RBI with eight stolen bases as a sophomore.
• Both Petry and Messina were named to the Preseason All-SEC first team, announced on Feb. 8.
• The duo was named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, awarded to the best player in amateur baseball.
• Carolina is one of three SEC schools (Florida, Arkansas) to have more than one honoree on the Preseason All-SEC first team.

GAMECOCKS RANKED IN ALL FIVE POLLS

• Carolina is ranked in all five polls in the preseason.
• The Gamecocks are as high as No. 12 according to Baseball America.
• Perfect Game has Carolina at No. 13 while the NCBWA ranks the Gamecocks at No. 15.
• The USA TODAY Coaches’ poll puts Carolina at No. 21 and D1Baseball ranks the team at No. 25.
• The rankings come off the 2023 season where the Gamecocks finished ranked in all five polls.
• The Gamecocks were only ranked in one preseason poll in 2023 (No. 23, D1Baseball).

REMEMBERING TOMMY

• The Carolina baseball program will honor and remember Tommy Moody throughout the 2024 season.
• Moody was the analyst on the Gamecock Sports Network for baseball for 23 seasons before passing away in October.
• Moody was the chairman of the USC Athletics Hall of Fame and was a  past president of the USC Association of Lettermen in 1992.
• He played under head coach Bobby Richardson on the Gamecock baseball team from 1970-72.
• This season, the Gamecocks will wear a MOODY sticker on their helmets as well as honoring him pre-game on Opening Day.

UP NEXT

• Carolina will continue its 10-game homestand with a pair of midweek games at Founders Park.
• The Gamecocks will host Winthrop on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. and Queens on Wednesday, Feb. 21 also at 4 p.m.
• Both games will be on the Gamecocks Sports Network and streamed on SEC Network Plus.
• Carolina swept the two games against Winthrop last season, winning 19-3 on Feb. 21 in Columbia and 6-1 on May 3 in Rock Hill.
• In the very first meeting between the two schools, Carolina defeated Queens 12-0 in Columbia on Feb. 22.