South Carolina baseball bounced back from their seven-game losing skid on Tuesday night. A much-needed 11-1 run-rule victory over the Presbyterian Blue Hose got USC back in the win column for the first time since March 18th.
The victory doesn’t do anything to improve the Gamecocks’ 1-8 mark in SEC play. However, head coach Paul Mainieri has to hope that it will help build some confidence in his team.
Following the mid-week triumph, Carolina has two days before beginning a three-game road series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Resume Check: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Record: 17-12 (1-8 in SEC)
D1Baseball Ranking: N/A
Last Week: 5-3 mid-week win over Memphis in Memphis; 0-3 series sweep to LSU in Baton Rouge
In a bit of a standings oddity, five SEC baseball programs are 1-8 or worse so far in league play. That group includes both the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Chris Lemonis’ team is far-removed from their 2021 College World Series National Championship. Like South Carolina, the Bulldogs have just two victories over good opponents as they beat Southern Miss in the mid-week and, again like USC, later took one of three against Oklahoma.
This preseason, the SEC coaches projected a 9th-place finish in the league for MSU. A finish like that would take quite the turnaround at this point. The Bulldogs put just one on the preseason All-SEC team as first baseman Hunter Hines earned a first-team prediction.
Statistically, Mississippi State seems as if they should be better than their poor record. The Bulldogs sit in the middle of the pack in the SEC in most offensive and pitching statistical categories. They are one of the conference’s worst defensive teams, but that doesn’t account for the entire disparity between box score impact and win-loss record in Starkville.
One of the issues plaguing the Bulldogs is their inability to win close games. Mississippi State is 4-8 in games decided by two runs or fewer this season. That is the most such losses in the Southeastern Conference.
Starting pitcher Pico Kohn has had a great year as the team’s Friday night starter. Saturdays and Sundays have been a bit more of an adventure as Karson Ligon has struggled, and several others have been up and down. Mid-week starter (and two-way player) Noah Sullivan has been really good, so he could start if Lemonis tries something different.
On offense, Sullivan has had a good showing this spring, too, leading the team with 34 hits and eight doubles. Hines, Aaron Downs, and Ace Reese have played well, combining for 25 home runs and 75 RBI. Reese is eighth in the conference in RBI, driving in 37 baserunners on the year.
The Bulldogs don’t run a lot, but they are incredibly efficient. This season, they are 33-for-37 collectively on steal attempts, and athletic catcher Ross Highfill leads the team with nine swipes.
South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri hasn’t revealed his rotation for the weekend series against MSU. The Gamecocks have seen a lot of mound turnover within the ranks of their weekend arms. Jake McCoy, Jarvis Evans, and Matthew Becker started last weekend. Veteran right-hander Dylan Eskew expects to miss what will be his third weekend in a row. Another previous weekend starter, right-hander Brandon Stone, pitched in relief last weekend.
The South Carolina Gamecocks and Mississippi State Bulldogs will play at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night at Dudy Noble Field. Saturday’s game two will begin at 3:00 p.m. First pitch on Sunday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. None of the three games will broadcast on traditional television, but SEC Network+ will stream them all.
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