Series win over Clemson ‘means everything’ to SC native and series MVP TJ Hopkins
T.J. Hopkins stayed an extra second at the microphone to provide reports with a final quote from South Carolina’s 14-3 dusting of Clemson at Founders Park.
“Go Cocks, baby!” Hopkins said with a a grin before shuffling off the podium.
Whether Hopkins was involved in Sunday’s game or whether he watched it from afar, his USC fandom wouldn’t have changed. There’s genuine garnet and black blood that flows through Carolina’s center fielder. That’s what made his performance against the Tigers even sweeter.
Hopkins was a runaway choice for the Tom Price Award, the annual trophy handed to the most valuable player on the Gamecock side of the USC-Clemson series. He hit .467 with three home runs and nine RBIs in three games as Carolina (9-2) ended their four-year losing streak to the Tigers (8-3).
“It means everything,” Hopkins said. “Like I’ve told all y’all, I grew up a huge South Carolina fan. It took three years of my South Carolina career to get it done and it’s never felt better.”
Hopkins is a Summerville native who once committed to Clemson coach Monte Lee when Lee was running College of Charleston’s program. Lee’s Tigers took two of three games from Hopkins and the Gamecocks in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
After South Carolina’s 11-5 loss to Clemson on Saturday in Greenville, Sunday was Hopkins’ last chance to be a part of a USC series victory over its arch-rival.
The senior delivered by going 4-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBIs.
“Obviously he plays to win every game,” said Carolina coach Mark Kingston. “He tries to have a great at-bat every at-bat. Now, after the dust has settled it, is it maybe a little bit more special that he played so well on this stage? I’m sure it is. It’s very important to him. It’s very important to those kids from Summerville.”
Over 10 career games against Clemson, Hopkins batted .307 with four home runs and 14 RBIs.
“Phenomenal hitter,” Lee said. “Just an unbelievable weekend. We couldn’t find a way to get him out. The problem was we didn’t really have that many opportunities to pitch around him because, again, the guys that were hitting behind him in (Jacob) Olson and (Andrew) Eyster, those guys can swing the bats too. You’ve got to pick your poison, not to mention (Luke) Berryhill.
“We tried to go in, we tried to change speeds, we tried to elevate, and at the end of the day he’s extremely hot, he’s a very dangerous hitter, and when we made mistakes, he made us pay.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2019 at 5:24 PM.
