Mark Kingston updates Cole Messina's injury status

HOOVER, Ala. — South Carolina baseball's injury situation might have taken yet another crucial hit during game two of the SEC Tournament.

In the second inning of the team's eventual 10-3 loss to LSU, catcher Cole Messina took a foul tip off his mask. The sophomore was able to stay in and catch the remainder of the inning, but something was clearly not right.

Head coach Mark Kingston and a member of the training staff came out to examine Messina as starting pitcher Eli Jones was warming up for the bottom of the third inning, and concluded that Messina could not continue.

"He got a foul tip and it jolted him a little bit," Kingston said post-game. "So he is in a concussion protocol. So we'll have to evaluate that day-to-day."

Messina gave way to Jonathan French for the rest of the game behind the plate, and it is unclear what his status is moving forward. And although he was unable to confirm it, Kingston believes his starting backstop suffered a concussion.

"I want to hear it officially from the doctor," he said. "But talking to the athletic trainer, that is the impression I was given, so we took the safe route to get him out of the game."

If Messina misses an outing, it will be the first time all season. Through 57 games he is the only player on the roster who has played and started in every single one, mostly behind the plate while also playing an April and early May spell at third base as the Gamecocks battled infield injuries. He has hit 17 home runs and knocked in 63 runs this season with a .313 batting average while handling the pitching staff for most of the year.

"I think he's kind of become the heartbeat of this team and provides us the energy and the spark that we need and the leadership," Kingston said after Tuesday's win over Georgia. "And when one of your best players does that, then everybody tends to follow."

South Carolina will play either Texas A&M or Arkasnas at 10:30 a.m. ET on Thursday in an elimination game, with the NCAA Tournament scheduled to start in nine days.

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