USC outfielder's suspension lifted for series at MSU
Junior outfielder Jake Williams has been reinstated to the South Carolina baseball team and will be available for this weekend's series at Mississippi State, the school announced Wednesday.
Williams, a Greer native and former transfer from Wofford, has missed the last five games after being suspended indefinitely on April 13 for a violation of team rules. Williams, 21, was cited by Cayce police for providing alcohol to two minors at The Retreat housing complex off Bluff Road two weekends ago.
The outfielder's return is welcome relief for USC, which has struggled with depth in the outfield of late. The unit took another hit during Carolina's series against Vanderbilt when Adam Matthews reaggravated a hamstring injury, rendering him out indefinitely.
Williams' return likely means that coach Ray Tanner's experimentation with pitcher Steven Neff in the outfield is over, or at least will take second priority to the Lancaster native's work on the mound. Neff, who had a key seventh inning double in USC's 5-3 victory over then-No. 1 Vandy on Sunday, threw 1.2 solid innings in relief during USC's 8-3 win at the College of Charleston on Tuesday.
Williams has appeared in 29 games for the Gamecocks this season, starting in 25 of them. He is currently hitting .286 with two home runs and 18 RBIs.