Injured veteran pitcher Julian Bosnic out for season, USC’s Mark Kingston says
South Carolina starting pitcher Julian Bosnic is out for the remainder of the season, head coach Mark Kingston said Thursday.
Bosnic, a redshirt junior left-hander, was expected to be one of USC’s top two weekend starters this season alongside sophomore Will Sanders, but Bosnic hasn’t pitched this year after suffering a flexor strain in his elbow just before the season.
Kingston said Thursday that Bosnic will have a “minor” surgery on his elbow that will sideline him for three to four months. Bosnic was one of the team’s top pitchers a year ago, posting a 2.84 ERA and striking out 78 batters in 50.2 innings — mostly out of the bullpen.
Drafted in the 16th round by the San Francisco Giants in the 2021 MLB Draft, Bosnic opted to return to school this season. His injury, as well as injuries to fellow starter James Hicks, Josiah Sightler and reliever Wesley Sweatt, have left the Gamecocks (19-17, 6-9 SEC) thin on the mound as they’ve played through a grueling SEC slate.
Coming off a series win over Ole Miss and a mid-week win against Winthrop, the Gamecocks will try to carry momentum into a weekend series at Auburn. With just five SEC series remaining, the Gamecocks will need a late push in the season to have a chance at making the postseason. USC sits at No. 61 in the RPI, which is within striking distance, and series wins over Texas, Vanderbilt and the Rebels boost the overall resume.
But the Gamecocks have yet to win a series on the road, and mid-week losses to The Citadel, Presbyterian and Xavier weigh down the team’s track record.
Kingston said the Gamecocks will start junior right-hander Brett Thomas against the Tigers on Friday. It will be the first weekend start for Thomas, whom Kingston said has made progress from an injury that sidelined him a year ago.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 11:19 AM.
