2022 Home Season Finale: Charlotte Preview
Who: South Carolina (26-24, 12-15) vs Charlotte (33-18, 16-11). Founders Park
Time/TV: 7:00 pm. SEC Network+
Line: Charlotte -125, SC -115
Starting Pitchers: TBA v. TBA
History: SC leads 25-8. The last meeting between these two schools was a 5-4 Carolina win in April of 2019. Andrew Eyster had two hits for the Gamecocks in that game.
Scouting the Niners
Charlotte comes into this game having won 14 of 16. Their RPI currently sits at 75, only 6 spots behind the Gamecocks. This 49er team does two things very well at the plate, draw walks and hit home runs. Charlotte hitters have walked 336 times in 51 games. That is over 6.5 walks a game. In contrast, the Gamecocks have done a far better job of taking the free pass this season and they sit at 218 total walks. Charlotte has hit 87 home runs this season, the Gamecocks have hit 55.
Charlotte slugger Cam Fisher is only a Freshman despite being draft eligible this season thanks to a COVID year at Ole Miss. Fisher currently leads Charlotte with 17 long balls. Right behind him are Sophomores David McCabe and Jake Cunningham with 14 a piece. McCabe has hit 14 homers in only 35 games played this season.
The 49ers also are aggressive on the base paths with 63 stolen bases in 83 attempts. Another Sophomore, Nate Furman, leads Charlotte in average at .361 and stolen bases with 20. Jack Dragum is just behind Furman with a batting average of .351. These numbers are certainly alarming against a Gamecock pitching staff that is likely going to hold their top arms for the final conference series of the year. The 49ers are coached by former Tar Heel great Robert Woodard. Woodard led the 49ers to their first NCAA Tournament since 2011 last season in his second season at the helm.
Playoffs?!?!... Don't talk about Playoffs
Sorry Jim Mora, but we are going to talk about the playoffs for at least one more week. If South Carolina's playoffs hopes were a winter storm, Midlands County kids would be in school. I'd place the percentage at >10%. SEC teams have made the NCAA Tournament with losing conference records, but they have all had better RPI metrics than the Gamecocks. Florida made the tournament in 2013 with a 29-30 record so there is some precedent, but don't look for that to happen this season.
Realistically, Carolina will need to win tonight and probably sweep Florida to have a shot at an at large birth. The Gamecocks are a near lock to make the SEC Tournament, there are still several scenarios where Carolina could miss Hoover, but those odds are longer than the Gamecocks NCAA odds.