Baseball Hosts a Pair of Midweek Games at Founders Park

FOR STARTERS

• South Carolina continues its 10-game homestand with a pair of midweek games at Founders Park.
• The Gamecocks will face in-state foe Winthrop on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m.
• Carolina then faces Queens on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.
• Both games will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus with Dave Weinstein and Kip Bouknight on the call.
• Both games also will be on the Gamecock Sports Network presented by Learfield with Derek Scott (Tuesday), Cade Crenshaw (Wednesday) and Stuart Lake on the call.

PARKING INFORMATION
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.

SCOUTING WINTHROP

• The Eagles dropped three games to Rutgers this weekend in Rock Hill.
• Reese Lumpkin struck out eight in 7.1 innings of work against the Scarlet Knights.
• At the plate, Will Dorrell drove in three runs and had three hits. Nicholas Badillo also had three RBI in the series.
• Winthrop was picked to finish second in the Big South by D1Baseball.com.
• Parker Whittle was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
• Tom Riginos is in his 14th season at Winthrop. During his time at Rock Hill, Winthrop has had 38 All-Big South selections.

SCOUTING QUEENS

• The Royals dropped three games at Samford to open the season.
• Johnny Joseph struck out four in 2.1 innings of relief.
• JJ Sousa had a pair of hits and two RBI in the three games at Samford.
• Head Coach Jake Hendrick is in his first season as head coach at Queens. He was on Austin Peay’s staff in 2022.
• Queens has 17 total transfers on its roster, eight of whom are on the squad in their first season.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Tuesday
South Carolina Eddie Copper (Fr. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.0 IP, 0 BB, 0 K
Winthrop Brady Houston  (Jr. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0 B, 2 K

Wednesday
South Carolina Matthew Becker (Jr. LHP) First appearance in 2024
Queens TBA

SERIES VS. OPPONENTS

• Carolina is 25-7 all-time against Winthrop in a series that started in 1980.
• The Gamecocks are 18-4 against the Eagles in Columbia
• Carolina has won 10 straight against Winthrop, including wins of 19-3 (Columbia) and 6-1 (Rock Hill) last season.
• In the 19-3 win on Feb. 20, 2023, Ethan Petry hit a pair of home runs while Cole Messina was 3-for-5 with four RBI.
• This will be the second meeting between Carolina and Queens.
• The two teams faced off last Feb. 21 with Carolina winning 12-0.
• Caleb Denny drove in five runs and Gavin Casas went 3-for-5 with two RBI.

OPENING DAY SUCCESS

• South Carolina improved to 91-41 all-time in season openers with a 5-1 win over Miami on Feb. 16.
• Eli Jones picked up the win on the mound, striking out five and allowing only three hits and a run in six innings of work.
• The Gamecocks are 23-3 in its last 25 lidlifters and has won 26 straight series to open the season.
• Carolina scored all five runs in the second inning.
• Chris Veach had a huge seventh-inning strikeout with the tying run at the plate.

GAMECOCKS NO-HIT REDHAWKS

• Five different Gamecock pitchers combined for a seven-inning no-hitter in a 14-0 win Carolina win over Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 18.
• Roman Kimball, Ty Good, Tyler Pitzer, Parker Marlatt and Tyler Dean did not allow a hit while striking out a combined nine batters in seven innings of work.
• The no-hitter is the eighth in school history and the first since Feb. 24, 2013, when Colby Holmes, Forrest Koumas and Josh Knab no-hit Albany
• This is also the second no-hitter for the Gamecocks in the 21st century. The last before 2013 came on Mar. 26, 1975, when Ray Lavigne tossed a no-hitter against George Mason.
• Kimball made his first appearance since Tommy John surgery in the win and struck out five in two innings of work.
• All five pitchers made their first appearance in a Gamecock uniform in the no-hitter.

PETRY WITH A PAIR VS. THE REDHAWKS

• Ethan Petry belted two home runs in Carolina’s 11-4 win over Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 17.
• Petry’s first home run was a solo shot in the third inning that travelled 420 feet to the trees in center.
• He was then part of a five-run fifth with a 389  foot shot to the bullpen in right field.
• Petry now has four multi-home run games as a Gamecock: Feb. 21, 2023 vs. Winthrop, March 18, 2023 vs. Georgia, April 6, 2023 vs. LSU, Feb. 17, 2024 vs. Miami
• Petry belted 23 home runs last season and is just five home runs away from tying for 26th place on Carolina’s all-time home runs list.

UP NEXT

• Carolina will continue its 10-game homestand with a three-game set against Belmont.
• The Gamecocks and Bruins meet Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
• All three games will be on the Gamecocks Sports Network and streamed on SEC Network Plus.
• This will be the first meeting between the two schools.