Meet the Gamecocks… Walk-off winners yesterday over JMU
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: South Carolina
Mascot: Angry Alarm Clocks | School Location: Columbia, SC | Conference: SEC
2024 Record: 37-23 (13-17, 4th East) | 2024 RPI Rank: 17
2023 Record: 42-21 (16-13, 3rd East) | 2023 RPI Rank: 6
2022 Record: 27-28 (13-17, 5th) | 2022 RPI Rank: 69
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)
Game Time: Sat, June 1 @ 6:00pm
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: NCAA.com
Tell me about this team
I’m assuming you’ll all be better versed with the South Carolina baseball program, so I’ll skip a bit more of the historical recap and just jump into this year’s team.
A preseason Top 25 team, the Gamecocks spent most of the season in the polls, topping out at 13th in early May. At that point, South Carolina was 13-11 in SEC play and looking like a lock to host a regional. An 0-6 finish in the SEC play (vs Georgia, at Tennessee) dropped the Gamecocks from Regional host consideration, but they did make a run to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament where they ultimately were bounced by LSU in extra innings (both of their losses in that tournament were by 1-run to the Tigers).
This isn’t Mark Kingston’s best South Carolina team, but it’s still a very strong and battle-tested group. They’re a Top 20 RPI club that played the 5th ranked Strength-of-Schedule on the year and notched 3 wins over #2 national seed Kentucky and 2 wins over #5 national seed Arkansas.
The lineup has experience throughout and is a group that won’t be rattled by the postseason atmosphere in Raleigh. South Carolina doesn’t have any freshman starters and only two underclassmen are in the starting lineup. They’re not going to play a ton of small ball, but will push runners over when needed, especially with the bottom of the order. There’s some power, especially with Cole Messina and Ethan Petry (21 HR each on the year), and some speed on the bases throughout (four players with 8+ SB on the year).
Starting pitching has been the weakness of this team and South Carolina will look to offset that by sending closer Garret Gainey to the mound to start this one. He does have starting experience, though, in his career, so this won’t be a completely foreign effort for him. There are some high-end relievers, but the further depth in the bullpen comes with control issues although does offer serious strikeout stuff.
It’s not the greatest defensive team you’ll see, but they can get the job done. Errors did flare up in their opener against James Madison with the Gamecocks committing four errors, helping push across a couple runs for the Dukes.
(Probable) Pitching Matchup
Saturday: LHP Dom Fritton (SO) — LHP Garrett Gainey (SR)
Key Players:
Offense
C Cole Messina (SR) – .332/.471/.719, 17.6 BB%, 23.4 K%, 8-11 SB. 2nd Team All-SEC this year. 2023 1st Team All-SEC and 3rd Team All-American. Came through with the big 2-run, 2-out, 9th-inning game-tying HR vs James Madison on Friday. Leader of the team, a very good hitter with obvious power, and solid defensively. Has thrown 32.5% of base stealers this year and has allowed only 6 passed balls.
1B Ethan Petry (SO) – .306/.470/.639, 17.9 BB%, 25.6 K%, 4-6 SB. The 6’5, 235 pound Florida native was a 2023 1st Team All-SEC, 1st Team All-American, and Golden Spikes Award semifinalist. He’s ranked as high as a Top 5 college prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft. Has massive power, but can be too pull-happy at times.
CF Austin Brinling (rSR) – .304/.416/.370, 11.2 BB%, 14.7 K%, 4-7 SB. Journeyman transfer from North Florida where he was a 2023 All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection. Started his college career at Florida in 2020 (didn’t play), then went the JUCO route for two seasons at Daytona Beach CC. Undersized lefty with more speed than the stolen base numbers would indicate.
RF Blake Jackson (JR) – .303/.469/.500, 14.6 BB%, 20.7 K%, 16-18 SB. Transfer from Charlotte who started his college career at Missouri and spent a season in JUCO ball in between. Has been hit by 36 pitches over the last two seasons. Patient hitter which can work against him by putting him in disadvantaged counts.
LF Kennedy Jones (JR) – .295/.408/.497, 15.1 BB%, 25.6 K%, 1-1 SB. Well built transfer from UNCG where he was a 2022 Freshman All-American. Strikeout issues have popped up with the Gamecocks (was a sub-16.0% strikeout rate guy at UNCG), but he’s also shown a much more patient approach this year than previously. Can barrel up balls. He’ll be drafted this year as the tools are there.
Pitching
LHP Garrett Gainey (SR) – 1-4, 6 SV, 3.94 ERA, 48.0 IP, 4.4 BB%, 31.2 K%. Liberty transfer who spent his first three years at Winthrop. Started 20 games over 2022 and 2023 with the Eagles and Flames (9-9 record), but has been the Gamecocks closer this year. Four-pitch mix with a mid-90’s four-seamer, a low-90’s sinking two-seamer, a change, and a slider.
LHP Matthew Becker (JR) – 5-3, 1 SV, 6.86 ERA, 42.0 IP, 7.8 BB%, 30.2 K%. Was a starter for the Gamecocks last year (11 starts, 4-3, 4.83 ERA) before moving to a mostly relief role this year. Low 90’s heater with lots of arm-side run. An over-top arm slot makes gives great drop on his curve. Has gone multiple innings in each of his last four outings.
RHP Tyler Pitzer (FR) – 4-1, 1 SV, 4.75 ERA, 41.2 IP, 11.2 BB%, 29.8 K%. Freshman out of Pennsylvania who was the SEC Freshman of the Week in late March following a 6.1 IP, 0 ER, 9 K start against Vanderbilt. His next few starts didn’t go so hot, so he’s settled in as a multi-inning reliever. Mid-90s fastball with a high-70’s breaking ball and a mid-80’s change. Future starter, but need to pound the zone more.
RHP Parker Marlatt (FR) – 3-0, 4.50 ERA, 24.0 IP, 13.7 BB%, 27.4 K%. Undersized righty out of Georgia with a big-time curve. When he’s locating, he’s great, as evidenced by his last outing: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K vs Kentucky in the SEC Tournament.
Quick! Fun Facts!
Gamecocks 2B Parker Noland (.261/.394/.354, 14.5 BB%, 20.2 K%, 5-8 SB) is a grad transfer from Vanderbilt where he was a starter on the 2021 team that faced off with NC State in the College World Series. He went 2-for-8 against the Wolfpack in Omaha with an RBI and 2 K. Boo this man.
South Carolina won back-to-back national titles in 2010 and 2011 under the leadership of former NC State player and head coach Ray Tanner. Tanner, who led the Wolfpack to the 1992 ACC Tournament title and was the ACC Coach of the Year in 1990, is currently the Gamecocks’ Athletics Director.
NC State is 35-23 all-time against South Carolina. The two programs are familiar with each other in NCAA Tournament play, too, having faced off in 1974, 1992, 2008, and 2023. South Carolina holds a 3-2 head-to-head record with the Pack in NCAA Regional games.
The Key To A Win For State
Limit the freebies (walks, HBP, errors) issued to the Gamecocks. This is a good lineup that doesn’t need help. When Fritton pounds the zone, he’s an effective pitcher who has the goods to keep the South Carolina offense at bay and eventually hand it over to Derrick Smith and the bullpen to bring it home.
Prediction
A high-scoring affair with a bunch of home runs.
Outcome: State prevails with a late rally.