Ask any coach, and he’ll likely say the main goal as the season comes to a close is to be playing important game.

South Carolina’s currently doing that and will hit the road this weekend to play a team with just as much to play for in Kentucky.

The two teams are pushing for different things—the Gamecocks for postseason positioning while Kentucky is scrapping to make the field—but both teams could use a series win with two weekends left to go.

“Everybody at this point is playing important games in the SEC. We’re no different. When we get on that bus tomorrow I want to make sure we have a confident group that’s prepared and ready to go play our best baseball,” Mark Kingston said.

“They’re battling to get into the NCAA tournament as well so it should be a very challenging and exciting series.”

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And South Carolina is heading up to Kentucky, where it hasn’t won a series since 2009, searching for consistency offensively.

The Gamecocks have dropped their last three series in the league and are 3-7 in their last 10 games with it hard to string together solid offensive performances.

They’re hitting .171/.252/.281 and averaging under three runs per game in their last nine SEC games and will need a good offensive weekend to build confidence heading into this stretch run.

“It’s only human nature if you struggle to get down a little bit. We just want to make sure our guys are staying optimistic, they’re staying hopeful and that great success is right around the corner. That’s our mindset,” Kingston said. “We’ve had so many great moments this year and expect more in the future. That’s going to be how we approach it.”

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Part of getting the offense going again will be getting leadoff hitter Brady Allen going again, who is 5-for-36 in the last nine SEC games.

“Again, you just need to stay positive and make sure these guys know you believe in them and help them wherever you can. Some guys need a lot of help and guidance when they get in trouble. Some guys need to be left alone so they can kind of find it at their own pace,” Kingston said.

“Brady’s there in the middle. He likes to work on it and find it himself but likes some input from the coaches as well.”

Kentucky comes into the weekend losing five of their last six SEC series and sitting currently in Baseball America’s first four out and South Carolina is hoping to bust out of their slump this weekend.

“You just have to keep working through it. Baseball is a long game. You have to focus on the long game,” Kingston said. “You’re going to go through times where all the breaks go your way, you’re going to go through times where none of the breaks go your way and keep going forward. We’ll continue to do that.”

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Game times (ET): 6:30 p.m./2 p.m./1 p.m.

How to watch: SEC Network Plus, 107.5 FM

Probable pitching

Friday: RHP Brannon Jordan (4-4, 3.52 ERA) vs. RHP Cole Stupp (4-4, 4.31 ERA)

Saturday: RHP Brett Kerry (3-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. RHP Sean Harney (3-0, 3.72 ERA)

Sunday: RHP Thomas Farr (2-5, 3.72 ERA) vs. TBA