No. 21 South Carolina (23-11) has won three straight games for the first time since opening SEC play with a sweep of next-to-last place Kentucky. The team will look to capitalize on the momentum this weekend as they travel to Gainesville for a three-game series with No. 10 Florida.
The Gators come into this weekend’s matchup tied for third in the SEC East with the Gamecocks. Both teams will look to improve their 6-6 conference records as the two square off.
The Gamecocks are coming off a close 4-2 win against The Citadel on Wednesday and blowout wins against Appalachian State and Mississippi State.
South Carolina has gotten off to slow starts all season, not just in games, but in series, too. The Gamecocks have outscored their opponents in all innings but the first and the ninth.
The Gamecocks are also 5-0 in Sunday games, and have yet to lose an SEC series finale, despite dropping their past three conference series. In fact, in the series against Missouri, Georgia and Mississippi State, South Carolina is 0-6 in the first two games and 3-0 in the finals.
In those three wins, the Gamecocks are averaging 9.33 runs per game. In the six losses however, they are scoring just 3.33 runs a game, putting extra pressure on the pitchers.
Florida, though ranked in the top 10, has had a somewhat disappointing season so far. The 25-9 Gators are coming off a series loss at Missouri this past weekend, however, they scored 22 runs Tuesday against Stetson, including four home runs from freshman catcher J.J. Schwarz.
Schwarz is one of five everyday starters hitting over .300 for the Gators, compared to just three for the Gamecocks.
Florida has also hit 34 home runs as a team, 11 more than the Gamecocks. But the Gators' biggest advantage lies in their home field advantage.
“They’re awfully good at home,” South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook said. “We’re going to have to play our best baseball of the year to have a shot.”
The Gators are 20-3 at home and just 4-5 on the road this season.
The Gamecocks will send sophomore right-hander Wil Crowe to the mound on Friday and junior lefty Jack Wynkoop will pitch on Saturday. There is “a good chance” freshman right-hander Brandon Murray could start Sunday; however, Holbrook stressed that he will do everything he can to win Friday and Saturday and that the Sunday starter is to be announced.
That may mean pitching Murray earlier as the freshman is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA.
In all likelihood, Florida will pitch ace Logan Shore on Friday and some combination of sophomores A.J. Puk and Dane Dunning on Saturday and Sunday. Shore was last season’s Perfect Game Freshman of the Year.
Friday’s game will begin at 7 p.m. and will be shown on SEC Network Plus. After this weekend, South Carolina will host Presbyterian in a midweek game before a three-game home showdown with Vanderbilt.