Baseball Hosts Mississippi State This Weekend

FOR STARTERS

• Carolina hosts No. 17 Mississippi State in a three-game SEC series this weekend at Founders Park.
• Friday’s game is set for a 7 p.m. first pitch with Saturday’s game starting at 1 p.m. The series concludes Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
• Saturday’s game will be televised on SEC Network with Derek Jones and David Dellucci on the call.
• Friday and Sunday’s games will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
• All three games also will be broadcast on the Gamecock Sports Network presented by Learfield with Derek Scott and Cade Crenshaw on the call. 

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.

Weeknights

Game Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 6 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 6 p.m.

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

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

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina Brandon Stone (Jr. RHP) 4-1, 2.89 ERA, 43.2 IP, 14 BB, 43 SO
Mississippi State Tomas Valincius (So. LHP) 6-1, 1.53 ERA, 53.0 IP, 12 BB, 72 SO

Saturday
South Carolina Amp Phillips (Jr. RHP) 3-4, 2.17 ERA, 49.2 IP, 22 BB, 56 SO
Mississippi State Duke Stone (So. RHP) 5-1, 4.32 ERA, 41.2 IP, 15 BB, 58 SO

Sunday
South Carolina TBA
Mississippi State Charlie Foster (So. LHP) 0-2, 5.55 ERA, 24.1 IP, 15 BB, 26 SO

PROMOTIONS
Friday – Rally Towel Giveaway
Saturday – “We Build SC” Day
Sunday – Postgame Kids Run the Bases

SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE

• The Bulldogs are coming off an 11-1 win over Samford on Tuesday night.
• Ace Reese was a perfect 3-for-3 on the night and took over the SEC lead in doubles with 16 on the season.
• Bryce Chance has a team-best .369 batting average while Reese has 10 home runs and 44 RBI.
• On the mound, Tomas Valincius is 6-1 with a 1.53 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched.
• Brian O’Connor is in his first season at Mississippi State. He guided Virginia to a national championship in 2015.

SERIES VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Carolina holds a 43-40 series advantage on Mississippi State heading into Friday’s game.
• The two teams faced off last season, with the Bulldogs winning 2-of-3 games in Starkville.
• Carolina won the series opener in 2025, 7-3, as Beau Hollins had four hits and drove in four runs.
• Carolina is 22-11 all-time against Mississippi State in Columbia. 

PHILLIPS NAMED SEC PITCHER OF THE WEEK

• Junior Amp Phillips was named the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week on April 13.
• Phillips earned the win in a 1-0 victory over Missouri on April 10, striking out 10 in eight-plus innings with five hits and just one walk.
• Phillips retired the first 10 batters in the game, seven via strikeout.
• The 10 strikeouts set a season-high and was just one off a career high.
• Phillips is now 3-4 with a 2.17 ERA. The ERA lowers to 1.42 in SEC play.
• Phillips joins Josh Gunther (March 2) as Gamecocks who have earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors this season.

GAMECOCKS SWEEP MISSOURI

• The Gamecocks went into Columbia, Mo., and swept Missouri in a three-game series.
• Carolina won Thursday’s game, 5-1, as Brandon Stone struck out seven in six innings, allowing just two hits and a run.
• The Gamecocks won Friday’s game, 1-0, as Amp Philips struck out 10 in eight innings.
• Carolina hit four home runs on Saturday in a 6-4 win, including a pair from Dawson Harman.
• Carolina swept its first series since Vanderbilt in March of 2024.
• Carolina swept its first series on the road since Georgia in March of 2023.

PITCHING SOLID IN TEXAS SERIES

• The Gamecock pitching staff combined for a 2.33 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched in the three-game series against No. 2 Texas.
• In the 9-1 win over the Longhorns on Thursday, Alex Valentin, Zach Russell and Alex Philpott combined to strike out 12 and allow just six hits with only three walks.
• Brandon Stone pitched seven innings of relief in Friday’s game, allowing just two runs while striking out six.
• Cooper Parks pitched in two of the games and had five strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.
• Amp Phillips had eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings, allowing just one earned run.

TEXAS SERIES NOTES

• The Gamecocks had five home runs in the three games, two from Talmadge LeCroy.
• Will Craddock was 4-for-9 in the series with a double and a home run.
• Patrick Evans had three hits, a triple and a home run in the 9-1 win on Thursday.
• Carolina outscored Texas in the three-game set, 13-10.

STONE’S LIKE A ROCK

• Junior Brandon Stone earned his third win of the season in a 9-4 victory over Arkansas on March 22.
• Stone struck out five in 5.1 innings pitched, allowing five hits and two runs.
• Stone pitched seven innings of relief against Texas on April 3. He allowed just two runs while striking out six Longhorns in a no-decision.
• Stone is now 4-1 on the year with a 2.89 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched.
• Stone now has six career wins in Columbia with 88 strikeouts at Carolina.

UP NEXT

• Carolina continues its homestand on Tuesday night (April 21) as the Gamecocks host Presbyterian.
• First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.