Dazzling Diamonds: Morris set to become Gamecocks' weeknight starter
Cody Morris had to wait about 20 months after initially enrolling for classes at South Carolina before taking the mound for his first time against live batters in a real game.
Morris, whose high school credentials were as impressive as any elite hurler signed by the Gamecocks in the past few years (he was the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland), demonstrated in Tuesday night’s 12-5 victory over The Citadel that he is ready, willing, able and eager to make up for lost time.
Six of the nine outs Morris recorded in his three-inning stint came by strikeout. Employing his above average fastball, Morris fanned 50 percent of The Citadel batters he faced. He exited after throwing 51 pitches with the Gamecocks ahead 2-0, but didn’t get credit for the win because he didn’t last the mandatory five innings.
Nonetheless, his impressive debut was an encouraging first step for Morris, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 when he was still in high school and redshirted last season.
His pitching line speaks volumes: 3.0 innings pitched, 1 hits, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk, 12 batters faced, 51 pitches, 31 strikes (60.8 strike percentage).
“We weren’t going to stretch him out just because he is coming off Tommy John (surgery) and this was his first start of the year,” head coach Chad Holbrook said. “He was a little sore in January. So, we’re just taking it easy with him. He commanded his fastball after the first inning. He was probably a little nervous at first. Then he got his changeup going. When he does that and locates his fastball, he’s a load.”
Morris ended fall practice with the lowest ERA on the staff in team scrimmages, Holbrook said.
“When he is throwing strikes, he is very difficult (to hit),” Holbrook said. “We just have to get him healthy and get him some confidence and get him some innings under his belt.”
Morris is set to become USC’s midweek starter for the rest of the season as the Gamecocks begin a long stretch of four games per week with the start of SEC play on the horizon.
“We’ve had some funky things with our schedule with Thursday games and five straight games, but now we’re getting ready to get into a rhythm with four games per week,” Holbrook said. “It’s good Cody has stepped up. He is going to take one of those midweek spots and go with it.”
Reliever Graham Lawson, benefitting from 10 runs by the Gamecocks in the middle three innings, got the victory in his third appearance for the Gamecocks after transferring from Spartanburg Methodist College.
Morris, Lawson and John Parke combined for 14 strikeouts. Parke, a junior LHP from Greenville, fanned five of the 13 batters he faced, in his 17th career appearance, but just his second since the conclusion of the 2015 season.
Parke was credited with his first career save.
“John Parke showed me something tonight,” Holbrook said.
Next to Morris’ long-awaited debut, the major storyline of the contest was the production at the plate from a pair of sophomores – OF T.J. Hopkins and C Chris Cullen.
The duo combined for six of USC’s 12 hits, three homers, nine RBI and four runs scored, three by Hopkins.
Cullen entered Tuesday night’s game saddled with a .192 batting average (5-26) and just two extra base hits in the first 12 games.
But he erupted against The Citadel’s pitching with three hits and five RBI, including a two-run homer and two-run single, and raised his batting average 75 points to .267.
Hopkins, proving adept as the Gamecocks leadoff hitter, increased his runs scored tally to an eye-opening 15 in 13 games, by far the most on the Gamecocks.
“We can be a really good offensive team when we get Cullen and TJ going at the same time and (Madison) Stokes as well,” Holbrook said. “(Stokes) didn’t play tonight, but he will be back in there real soon. TJ has been playing real well, but it was good to see Cullen get going.”
Hopkins batted leadoff for the 10th time on Tuesday night and looks locked and loaded to continue in that important table-setting role on an every game basis. Hopkins launched his second and third career home runs, his first since Feb. 24, 2016 vs. Winthrop.
“It wasn’t surprising to me,” Holbrook said. “I was waiting for it to happen in a game. It’s starting to occur. He is one of our best players from an athletic and explosion standpoint. He is as good as any kid I’ve seen. He is just trying to put it all together. He is greatly improved from where he was a year ago. We’re seeing the ball fly off his bat and him hitting for extra bases. I could hit him in the three or four spot and feel good about it.
“Right now, I like him setting the tone at the top of the lineup. He can run the bases and he creates a lot of havoc. It’s neat to see him play this well.”
The Gamecocks led 11-1 at the end of the fifth inning and cruised to the much-needed victory over the Bulldogs, exactly what the doctor prescribed after Sunday’s stunning rubber game loss to rival Clemson.
“They were ready to get back out onto the field, and I think that showed tonight,” Holbrook said. “They came to the park with the right attitude today after obviously a very difficult loss on Sunday. They had a lot of energy yesterday. I’m proud of our guys’ attitudes, their moxie and their want-to. Hopefully we can keep that going tomorrow.”
NOTES:
-- Holbrook said closer Tyler Johnson was a “little sore” after pitching in the first two games of the Clemson series and will likely not pitch for the rest of the week. A MRI was negative. “The goal is to have him fresh and ready to go for conference play,” Holbrook said. “We’re being extremely cautious. Everything is structurally sound. He felt a lot better (Tuesday) than he did (Monday). He is on the mend. He had every scan and MRI in the book and everything checked out.”
-- Matt Williams extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with two singles in Tuesday’s win.
