After losing its Friday starter Jordan Montgomery to the New York Yankees in the fourth-round draft pick, South Carolina will incorporate a "next man up" mentality into its starting rotation this season.
On Fridays in 2015, junior Jack Wynkoop will get the start on the bump, while sophomore Wil Crowe will tackle Saturdays.
Left-handed Wynkoop will be making his third season debut with South Carolina this weekend and is hoping to help the younger players feel at ease.
“I think I just got to go out there and lead by example,” Wynkoop said. “I’ve had some good discussions with some of the younger guys, you know they're all real good kids.”
As one of the older guys returning, Wynkoop it taking it upon himself to bring his team together, since the pitcher is a key element to bring the team together. He's excited for the new players to join, especially the younger catchers making their college debuts.
“It was nice throwing to an older guy ... I think now that I’m a little older it will be easier to help some of those new catchers in there,” Wynkoop said.
Last season Wynkoop made 17 appearances with 16 of those starting. Wynkoop compiled a 2.86 ERA in 88 innings.
For Crowe, a right-handed pitcher, this season marks his second year with the Gamecocks. He has already learned from just one season what he and his teammates need to accomplish in order to work as a unit.
“We always got to battle back through everything,” Crowe said. “We learned that we have to be better as a whole and we can't just rely on two or three people to get us through a season.”
Last season as a freshman, he started 15 games and went 8-3 all season with a 2.75 ERA in 91.2 innings. He was also named to the NCAA regional all-tournament team. He worked in the off season for this season inauguration.
“I lost a bit of weight from the summer," Crowe said."I gained some, got stronger and then I lost some when I got back."
The players' training hasn't been easy, and they'll see the results in their opening home game in Carolina Stadium.
“It’s whatever they want me to be I just want to help the team honestly,” Crowe said. “Me and Jack, both of us, are two of the best pitchers in the country I feel like, and if we can become a one-two punch like that it don’t matter who's Friday or Saturday.”