South Carolina switches up rotation for Clemson series, moves Brett Kerry to bullpen
Three weeks into the season, coach Mark Kingston is making a change in South Carolina’s pitching rotation.
Sophomore Brett Kerry will move to the bullpen, and junior Thomas Farr will take his place as the Saturday starter, Kingston announced Thursday ahead of USC’s rivalry series with Clemson.
“Every decision we make is to try to give our team the best chance to win,” Kingston said in announcing the move. “And that’s what this decision is based on right now.”
In two starts, Kerry is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA. He has struck out 15 batters in 11 innings, giving up 12 hits and one walk. But the back end of the Gamecock bullpen has labored as of late — against Northwestern, USC twice failed to hold on to late leads and then fell in extra innings. Of the team’s 31 walks allowed, 21 have come from the bullpen.
Kerry was a freshman All-American after primarily coming out of the bullpen last season, posting team lows in ERA (2.62) and WHIP (0.96) and striking out 65 batters in 58 1/3 innings. He was named to the preseason watch list for National Stopper of the Year heading into this season but was given the chance to start after transitioning to that role late in 2019.
“Brett’s a winner, Brett’s a team player, so he just wants to help this team win as much as he can,” Kingston said.
Farr was one of the top JUCO pitching prospects in the country a year ago, but Tommy John surgery sidelined him for most of the year. At South Carolina, he was expected to be a contender for a weekend rotation spot but was passed by fellow junior college transfer Brannon Jordan, who has struck out a team-best 18 batters in 11 innings, going 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two starts.
“It’s a win-win for us,” Kingston said. “We think Farr is extremely talented, extremely live arm, and we know how good Brett Kerry is out of the bullpen so we look at it as a win-win.”
In a midweek start against Presbyterian, Farr went 4 2/3 innings on a pitch count, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out five.
“He’s been really good for us. Obviously he’s had some stuff he’s had to deal with to get his arm right. But when he’s on, I think he has some of the best stuff on the staff, so I really like him for sure in that spot,” staff ace Carmen Mlodzinski said.
Jordan will remain South Carolina’s Sunday starter, while Mlodzinski will stay the Friday starter.
“Everything was considered,” Kingston said when asked if he considered moving Jordan to the bullpen instead. “But at the end of the day, this is what we landed on and think this gives us our best chance to win.”
WHEN DO THE GAMECOCKS PLAY CLEMSON?
Who: South Carolina (6-2) vs. Clemson (7-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Founders Park
TV: Streaming online on SEC Network Plus via WatchESPN
Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia area
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 12:33 PM.
