The decision was an easy one.
Knowing the opponent and how important game one of a regional is, naming Brett Kerry the starter against Virginia was a near no-brainer, setting up a pitching matchup Mark Kingston called “maybe one of the best in the country” this weekend.
“He’s been our best pitcher down the stretch. I don’t think that’s breaking news,” Kingston said. “He’s been our best guy down the stretch. In a game against Virginia where you’re facing one of the best pitchers in the country that’s how you need to match up. It’s a pretty easy decision for us. we feel pretty good if we get through that game with who we’ll have behind him the next few games as well."
Kerry (5-1, 1.90 ERA) has been the Gamecocks’ best arm this year and excelled when inserted into the starting rotation the final two weeks of the regular season.
South Carolina’s won both games he’s started with Kerry allowing just two earned runs in 16 innings—including a complete game shutout of Kentucky—striking out 18 to no walks.
Also see: Scouting reports for all four teams in the Columbia regional
"He knows he has good stuff and knows how to use it. He’s been so successful so many times that he takes an air of confidence out there to the mound regardless of the role we’ve put him in,” Kingston said.
“We’ve used him in every role and he’s helped us win games. At the end of the day, he has the talent and the mental fortitude to handle any situation you give him and he’s an intense competitor. He’s everything you want in a guy to give the ball to.”
And Kerry will be opposite another elite pitcher in left-hander Andrew Abbott, who enters this regional with a 2.63 ERA and opponents hitting just .218 off of him this year.
The All-ACC selection and a top 200 draft prospect by Baseball America has a connection to Kingston with both having been on Team USA together in 2019.
“He’s the real deal. He’s a big time pro prospect and will pitch in the big leagues,” Kingston said. “It’s a really good fastball, commands the zone and likes to pitch up in the zone. He’ll pitch backwards if necessary too. He’s just a really elite competitor. Everything you say about Brett you can say about Abbott as well.”
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It’ll be a big test for a South Carolina offense that’s struggled at times this year, especially down the stretch against some of the best teams in the country.
Hitters have spent the last week since being eliminated from the SEC Tournament trying to correct those offensive issues or inconsistencies, taking live batting practice off some of South Carolina’s lefties and having left-handed pitching coach Skylar Meade simulating Abbott’s delivery.
“He’s a great pitcher and his stats prove it. He can locate, throw to both sides of the plate up and down, good off speed stuff and pretty good velo,” Brady Allen said. “We’ve been mimicking that with coach Meade throwing to us and sitting on that fastball high as well as facing live left-handed pitchers. We’ve been studying and preparing pretty well.”
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Weekend game times
Friday
Game 1 (South Carolina vs. Virginia): Noon, ESPN2
Game 2 (Old Dominion vs. Jacksonville): 7 p.m., ESPN3
Saturday
Game 3 (Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2): Noon, TBD
Game 4 (Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2): 7 p.m., TBD
Sunday
Game 5 (Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3): Noon, TBD
Game 6 (Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5): 6 p.m., TBD
Monday (if necessary)
Game 7 (Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6): 7 p.m., TBD
