No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Florida baseball: Top storylines, key players, TV info
For the third consecutive weekend, the South Carolina baseball team is welcoming a top five opponent to Founders Park.
The No. 6 Gamecocks (31-6, 10-4 SEC) will host the No. 3 Florida Gators (31-7, 11-4) starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and airing nationally on ESPNU.
Off to their best start as a program since 1975, the Gamecocks have faced their toughest stretch of the season over the past three weeks, splitting a rain-shortened series against No. 1 LSU before losing last weekend’s series at No. 4 Vanderbilt. The Gators will bring one of the nation’s most powerful lineups to Columbia.
“You have to love it,” USC coach Mark Kingston said of the challenging stretch. “It’s what the SEC is. Coaches, players — it’s what we sign up for. We want to be with the best and compete against the best. You have to love the fact that you get to play another top five team because it’s going to be on national TV. When you do well, it’s going to get a lot of attention.”
Here are key storylines for the series.
Gamecocks are banged up
USC has been without senior starting pitcher Noah Hall (back) for the past two weekends, and that should remain the case against Florida. Pitchers Will Sanders and Jack Mahoney will start Games 1 and 2, respectively, while Game 3 will be a judgment call. Last weekend, sophomore left-hander Matthew Becker drew the Game 3 nod, but right-handers Eli Jones and James Hicks could also be in play for that role.
The Gamecocks will also to have to make lineup tweaks after starting third baseman Talmadge LeCroy injured his hamstring in Tuesday’s win over Charleston Southern. Sophomore infielder Michael Braswell replaced LeCroy at third base for Tuesday’s game, although he had been starting at second base in place of the injured Will McGillis (broken arm).
USC has options in the infield. Freshman star Ethan Petry played third base in high school and could slide to the hot corner from right field. Catcher Cole Messina also has experience playing third base and has a capable backup catcher in Jonathan French behind him. Freshman Will Tippett played second base Tuesday and could start there if Braswell mans third.
“With some of our best hitters being out of the lineup, we may have to reinvent ourselves a little bit with how we score runs,” Kingston said. “And maybe leaning more towards athletic defense as much as we can to try to win games.”
Kingston didn’t have a timetable for LeCroy’s return but said he saw the sophomore in the training room Wednesday, where LeCroy said his hamstring felt better than he expected.
Power against power
Florida and USC are evenly matched in many respects, with both boasting power on the mound and especially at the plate. The Gamecocks lead the nation with 88 home runs, but the Gators are right behind them with 82, ranking third nationally.
With the lineup thinner due to injuries, USC might need to rely more on big boppers like Petry (18 home runs), Gavin Casas (16), Messina (12) and Braylen Wimmer (10).
The top of Florida’s order is equally imposing, led by two-way star Jac Caglianone (22 home runs) and infielders Josh Rivera (14) and Cade Kurland (10).
Caglianone especially could be a thorn in the side for USC. The left-handed slugger also pitches and projects to start Game 3. He touches the upper 90s on the radar gun.
“He’s the Shohei Ohtani of college baseball,” Kingston said. “He’s their Sunday starter throwing 98 miles an hour, but he has 22 home runs. So it’s an elite talent. ... So you better make sure you do a good job of trying to minimize his effect on a ballgame because he’s one of the best in the country.”
USC-Florida baseball series schedule
Thursday: vs. Florida, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Friday: vs. Florida, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Saturday: vs. Florida, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
