Home so soon? Gamecocks make another quick exit in Hoover, await NCAA fate
South Carolina baseball coach Mark Kingston has had the same refrain all season long: No one has played a harder, more grueling schedule than the Gamecocks.
And there’s truth to that statement. The numbers back it up. USC ranks second in the country, just behind No. 1 Arkansas, in strength of schedule, per the latest unofficial metrics on WarrenNolan.com. But in recent weeks, the rigors of that schedule have caught up to South Carolina in the win-loss column.
After looking like a near-lock to host an NCAA regional a month ago, the Gamecocks (33-21, 16-15 SEC) lost four of their past five SEC series to end the season, sliding out of hosting projections from both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America. On the first day of the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama on Tuesday, that USC slide continued.
Playing to extend its season, an aggressive No. 10-seed Alabama team buried the No. 7-seed Gamecocks early, defeating USC 9-3 to send Kingston’s squad home to Columbia. Despite their stout strength of schedule and top 15 RPI, the Gamecocks’ early exit from Hoover could spell the end for the team’s hosting hopes when the NCAA tournament kicks off next week.
“It sucks that it was single elimination, and we played bad on the day we needed to play good,” junior slugger Wes Clarke said. “It sucks right now, but we know we’re gonna learn from it and this isn’t gonna happen next week, and it’s gonna be a completely different story once we get to regionals.”
In the most recent projections from D1Baseball, South Carolina projects as a No. 2 seed in the Greenville (North Carolina) regional, hosted by No. 1-seed East Carolina.
However, because just 20 predetermined hosting sites were announced by the NCAA due to COVID-19, there is a pathway for the Gamecocks to host a regional as a No. 2 seed. In its final Field of 64 projection, Baseball America projects Old Dominion as a No. 1 seed in Columbia, with the Gamecocks as a No. 2 seed.
Old Dominion was not selected as one of the 20 potential host schools. Similar scenarios could unfold as conference tournaments play out throughout the country this week.
South Carolina’s 0-1 showing in Hoover followed a recent trend for USC. In the team’s past 10 SEC tournament appearances, the Gamecocks have gone 6-19, with a 3-2 record in 2017 supplying half of those wins.
In fairness to the Gamecocks, USC came into this year’s tournament missing starting shortstop George Callil and starting third baseman Brennan Milone, each nursing day-to-day injuries. And Kingston said Monday night that USC would err on the side of caution to ensure that the team could play in the NCAA tournament at full health or near full health.
The Gamecocks also lost a key member of their pitching staff late in the season in right-hander Jack Mahoney, who tore his UCL and required Tommy John surgery. Mahoney likely would have started Tuesday’s opener, if healthy. In his place, junior right-hander C.J. Weis made just his third start of the season and struggled with his command, setting a tournament record with five wild pitches.
“It’s frustrating, but it just wasn’t meant to be,” Kingston said after the loss. “We had a plan. We went with our plan, which I think was a sound plan. We weren’t going to move up our weekend rotation early on two days’ rest. And we weren’t going to play our position players and have them have setbacks, and so you have to live with the results of your plan.”
Weis allowed four runs on three walks and just one hit in 2.2 innings, leaving the bases loaded for lefty reliever John Gilreath, who was unable to pitch out of danger and allowed four runs of his own. The Crimson Tide’s six-run third inning all but put the game away, although homers from Braylen Wimmer and Clarke kept USC competitive.
Clarke’s homer was his 22nd of the year, tying him with Florida State’s Matheu Nelson for the national lead. Clarke took little solace in that milestone after the game, saying the team as a whole needs to do a better job of situational hitting and driving in runners in scoring position.
Even with the early exit, both Clarke and junior Brady Allen — two of the team’s key leaders — expressed confidence in the Gamecocks moving forward, with both saying they believe they’re a better team than what they displayed Tuesday.
“It just happened to not work out,” Clarke said. “It’s very frustrating, but at the end of the day when the season comes to the end, and our team’s in Omaha, this loss isn’t gonna matter one bit.”
NCAA baseball tournament announcement
The NCAA will announce the 16 host sites at 8:30 pm Sunday, most likely via social media.
The teams and bracket announcement for the tournament will be revealed in a selection show that starts at noon Monday on ESPN2.
This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 5:27 PM.
