Who: South Carolina (22-10) vs #13 North Carolina (26-6). at Truist Field in Charlotte.

Time/TV: 7:00 pm, streaming on ACC Network Extra - praying for a better stream in a AAA ballpark as compared to what we've had earlier in the season.

Line: UNC --135, SC +105. Total 13.5.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Dylan Eskew (R-Jr. RHP) 2-2, 4.83 ERA, 31.2 IP, 11 BB, 27Ks, .197 OBA v. Folger Boaz (Fr. LHP) 3-1, 5.89 ERA, 36.2 IP, 18 BB, 35 Ks, .285 OBA.

Moving Eskew out of the weekend rotation to fill in for Eddie Copper after his season-ending injury looks like the right move. Eskew just hasn't been consistent enough or pitched deep enough to games to justify him in the weekend rotation. Despite only allowing opponents to hit .197 against him, he has allowed a team-high six home runs.

UNC starter Folger Boaz was ranked as the 406th best prospect nationally and the 57th best LHP pitched by Perfect Game in the 2023 recruiting class. Boaz had also been a weekend starter for the Heels and has been roughed up lately. In his last four starts, (@ Miami, Georgia Tech, @ Wake, and @ UVA), he's pitched a total of 15.2 innings and allowed 25 hits, 19 runs, 10 walks, and seven home runs (a team high).

History: The Tar Heels have a 64-39-1 record against the Gamecocks but Carolina has won three of the last four games, all in Charlotte. The last seven matchups between the two schools have been played in Charlotte. UNC is 4-3 in those seven games against the Gamecocks. Mark Kingston is 3-2 against his alma mater at SC.

Last Meeting: The Gamecocks shut out the Heels on April 4, 2023, by a score of 5-0. Evan Stone had two hits and Matthew Becker struck out four in a three-inning start. The game was scoreless going into the bottom of the 7th before Jonathan French doubled in Michael Braswell, and Stone doubled in French. Gamecocks pitchers allowed only six hits in the game.

Weather: It's been raining in Charlotte most of the day but the rain should clear out by 5:00pm. Should be overcast and low 60s for the majority of the game.

UNC enters tonight's game with a 26-6 overall record and an 11-4 conference mark. Like the Gamecocks, the Tar Heels come into tonight's game having dropped a weekend series. UNC won the final game of their series at Virginia, but gave up 21 runs in the first two games. The Heels also have series losses to East Carolina and Miami on the season. North Carolina is a perfect 8-0 on the season in midweek contests. Every weekend series that UNC has won this season has come via the sweep.

Traditionally, the Tar Heels are a better pitching team than they are hitting. In 2024, the bats have carried UNC. North Carolina could start a lineup tonight where every hitter is batting . 290 or over. North Carolina has 56 team home runs and .314 team batting average with a .532 slugging percentage. They've also successfully stolen 57-of-61 stealing attempts. Senior first baseball Alberto Osuna is a Mauldin, SC native. He's leading the Heels in doubles with 14. UNC features two more Palmetto State natives out of the bullpen with Kyle Percival, (Lancaster) having appeared in 12 games in relief with a 2.03 ERA. Matt Poston (Hampton) has appeared in 18 games with a 5.89 ERA. Parks Harber and potential first round MLB Draft pick Vance Honeycutt lead UNC with 10 and 11 home runs respectively.

Scott Forbes is in his fourth season as head coach of the Tar Heels and has been on the UNC staff for 23 seasons. Forbes has been a part of seven College World Series appearances at UNC.

We've felt that way before but it seems that Kingston is going with Eli Jones, Ty Good, and Matthew Becker. That is about the most experienced staff that the Gamecocks can muster. At this point in the season, it is also probably the best weekend staff the Gamecocks can throw in road SEC environments. Good is now 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA and has 35 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched. Becker is 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 26.2 innings pitched.

The 2024 Gamecocks continue to keep hope alive by salvaging weekend series' in the final game. They are going to have to win some of these series upcoming though and continue to play in the midweek as they have, minus last week. Beating UNC tonight would be a good start. Florida doesn't appear to be as good as they've been projected after being swept at Missouri last week. The Gators are currently sitting at 17-14 overall. Yet they remain ranked because Florida is always ranked. The Gamecocks have 18 conference games left. Nine of those game are against teams ranked in the Top 8 and 12 of them are against teams ranked in the Top 25. The other six are against Georgia, which features the best player in the league in Charlie Condon, and at Missouri, where the Gamecocks traditionally never play well.