Baseball notebook: An update on USC’s health, including Wil Crowe
South Carolina ace Wil Crowe hasn’t been ruled out for the 2016 season, but it appears less and less likely that he’ll pitch for the Gamecocks this spring.
Crowe underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 after suffering an elbow injury, but the door was cracked open that he might pitch late in the upcoming season. According to USC coach Chad Holbrook, the door is just about shut on the junior returning to the mound this year.
Freshman pitcher Cody Morris, of Maryland, also underwent Tommy John surgery last year and is expected to redshirt.
“Wil and Cody Morris will more than likely, it’s not 100 percent yet, but it’s getting close, will redshirt this season,” Holbrook said. “I have to make a decision officially in February, but right now there’s no reason for us to rush those guys back. They’ve got bright futures in this game, and the last thing we want to do is put them out there before they’re ready. We want to take it slow with them and hopefully they’ll be back 100 percent ready to go next year.”
The good news for USC is everyone else expected to contribute this season is healthy. Outfielders Dom Thompson-Williams and Gene Cone, shortstop Marcus Mooney, catcher Chris Cullen and pitcher Taylor Widener are all back after being out or slowed during the fall.
“It’ll probably be the first time that we’re on the field together without anybody in the training room or the doctor. We’re healthy and ready to go I believe, so that’s exciting,” Holbrook said. “We’ll certainly this weekend see our team on the field together, full strength, for the first time since we started school. That’ll be fun for our coaches to watch and evaluate that and observe that.”
FRIDAY NIGHT SCHMIDT
Clarke Schmidt’s expected to be USC’s Friday night starter. Schmidt made 18 appearances with 10 starts in 2015, going 2-2 with a 4.81 ERA. Holbrook was impressed by the right-hander this fall.
“He’s much improved … He’s much more polished than he was a year ago. His command’s better. He can throw his fastball to both sides of the plate. His breaking ball is top notch, and he’s got a much-improved changeup,” Holbrook said. “Even though he was a weekend starter for us as a freshman, I think he can be a front-end, Friday, Saturday guy in the SEC, and he has the potential to be an All-SEC player or an All-American player.”
TO BE DETERMINED
South Carolina has several position battles to be decided before the start of the season in less than a month.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys that there’s not much separation,” Holbrook said. “We’re going to try to do 11 scrimmages between now and Opening Day, and those 11 scrimmages are extremely important to what role we’re going to put what kids in.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 11:13 PM with the headline "Baseball notebook: An update on USC’s health, including Wil Crowe."