No. 5 South Carolina (9-3) seems to be finding its offensive rhythm with the past couple of games. The Gamecocks scored a combined 21 runs against Charleston Southern and High Point. As head coach Chad Holbrook waits for the pitching to click, a three-game series against the struggling Miami (Ohio) Redhawks provides an optimal opportunity.
Miami enters the weekend with a 2-5 record marred by inconsistent hitting, scoring more than four runs just once in their seven games thus far. South Carolina will look to take advantage and put together a weekend sweep.
Sunday Starter TBA
The Gamecocks will send sophomore righty Wil Crowe (1-1) to the mound Friday while junior southpaw Jack Wynkoop (2-1) will pitch Saturday.
Crowe had been on a roll before giving up eight earned runs in six innings last Friday against the Tigers. Wynkoop gave up just one run in six innings on Saturday.
Once again, Holbrook said he would wait to release the Sunday starter. Sophomore lefty Josh Reagan (0-1) has started the finale of every weekend series so far. Reagan has not made it to the fifth inning in his last two games.
Junior college transfer Preston Johnson pitched 3.2 perfect innings Wednesday in his first appearance of the season while sophomore Matthew Vogel again showed promise with a strong start. One of them could slide into the weekend rotation in the near future.
Schrock Returns to Form
Junior second baseman Max Schrock began the season 5-31. Following the loss to Clemson on Monday, Holbrook stressed that he still had confidence in Schrock.
“He’s a good hitter,” Holbrook said. “He’s struggling right now, and I’ve got to find a way to push the right buttons to get him going."
In the two games since, Schrock is 4-6 with five RBIs and a home run.
Jack-of-All-Trades
Freshman designated hitter Alex Destino is hitting .356 with three home runs and 13 RBIs this season.
Wednesday, Destino saw action on the mound for the first time this season. He struggled a bit with his command, walking three, but he struck out one in .2 innings of work.
End of the Hitting Streak
Wednesday’s game against High Point was the first game this season in which sophomore Gene Cone did not record a hit. Cone went 0-1 with three walks. He has still reached base in his last 13 games dating back to last season.
Up Next
The three-game series will start Friday at 7 p.m. From there, the Gamecocks will play a pair of midweek games against Penn State before beginning SEC play.