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Gamecocks announce starting rotation

The Gamecocks have their pitching rotation, at least for the opening weekend of games.

Carmen Mlodzinski gets the ball Opening Day before Brett Kerry starts Saturday while Brannon Jordan closes out the weekend Sunday.

The first two shouldn't be a shock with Mark Kingston saying throughout the majority of the preseason Mlodzinski and Kerry would be the first two starters but Jordan is the only guy who wasn't officially known at the time.

Mlodzinski is coming off an injury-shortened season last year where he only made three starts, but he had a stellar summer in the Cape Cod League where he went 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA and a 10-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. He enters this season widely considered a first-round talent and top 15 prospect in college baseball.

The next starter, Kerry, is coming off a Freshman All-American season last year where he led the team in ERA (2.62), wins (4) and saves (7) and is continuing that with his performance this preseason. After not pitching in the fall, he'd come out and look like a weekend starter in three preseason appearances.

Jordan is the only newcomer in the rotation, coming in as a top 200 prospect by Baseball America after being drafted in the 31st round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Last season as a starter in junior college, in over 60 innings, he had a 2.63 ERA and 74 strikeouts.

The Gamecocks' 2020 season starts Friday with opening day scheduled to start at 4 p.m. against Holy Cross. Game two of the series is at 2 p.m. Saturday before the finale at noon Sunday.

All three games will be on the SEC Network Plus.

Brett Kerry || Photo by Katie Dugan
Brett Kerry || Photo by Katie Dugan
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