Rivalry renewed: Gamecocks, Clemson square off for 3 games on the diamond
WHAT: South Carolina (6-3) vs. Clemson (6-2)
WHERE/WHEN: Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium (Clemson), 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at Fluor Field (Greenville), 1 p.m.; Sunday at Founders Park (Columbia), 1:30 p.m. (all atimes Eastern)
RADIO/TV: Friday - ACC Network Extra (Marty Clary & Roy Philpott), Sunday – SEC Network Plus (Burch Antley & Trey Dyson; Gamecock Radio Network (107.5 FM in Columbia with Derek Scott, Tommy Moody & Drew Meyer).
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS:
Friday: USC Jr. RHP Clarke Schmidt (1-0, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP) vs. CLE Jr. LHP Charlie Barnes (0-0, 1.46 ERA. 12.1 IP)
Saturday: USC RJr. RHP Wil Crowe (2-0, 0.79 ERA, 11.1 IP) vs. CLE Sr. LHP Pat Krall (2-0, 3.86 ERA, 11.2 IP)
Sunday: USC So. RHP Adam Hill (0-2, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 IP) vs. CLE So. RHP Alex Eubanks (1-1, 3.97 ERA, 11.1 IP)
The Gamecocks look to snap a two-series losing streak to Clemson in the annual Palmetto State showdown when the two bitter foes renew one of college baseball’s best rivalries on three straight days in three different ballparks.
“Being involved in this rivalry is quite an honor,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said Thursday. “It’s a lot fun for the fans of both schools and certainly a lot of fun for the players on both teams. It’s a rivalry built on the great tradition and success of both programs. It makes for a fun three days. There will be incredible energy and atmosphere.”
Regardless of the sport, coaches always say don’t let the best player on the opposing team beat you. For the Gamecocks, that Tiger player is sophomore right fielder Seth Beer, who in 70 career games is hitting .358 with 14 doubles, 20 homers, 76 RBI, 63 runs and a .533 on-base percentage.
“He is obviously the best hitter in college baseball,” Holbrook said. “We have to be extremely careful in the way we pitch to him, if we pitch to him at all. If we have to walk him four or five times (in the series), we’ll do that. I have the utmost respect. We will pitch very delicately to him. He’s a great player.”
So far this season, Beer has walked 11 times and twice been hit by a pitch in eight games. Last weekend, his streak of 66 consecutive games of reaching base at least once was halted.
Last year, Clarke Schmidt, Friday night's starter, struck out Beer twice and allowed a hit to him..
“I know how to get him out and I also know he can get a hit off me,” Schmidt said. “I will attack him in the way I think I can get him out. We want to come out and make a statement early. They have a good lineup and they have some guys who can hit the ball well and make an impact with one swing.”
Schmidt said one of his main goals in Friday night’s series opener at Clemson is pitching deep into the game in order to save the Gamecock bullpen for the rest of the weekend.
“My job is to go out there and pitch seven or eight strong innings and give up three runs or less,” Schmidt said. “Every pitch is bite your nails and you’re freaking out in the dugout. It’s one of the exciting weekends of the year. It’s like a post-season game. We’re ready to get out there. I haven’t won a series against (Clemson) since I’ve been here. That is playing a big role in my mindset. I really want to go out Friday and get a win.”
Matt Williams (five starts in nine games; seven-game hitting streak) leads USC with a batting average of .381, while Danny Blair (reached base safely in eight straight games) is batting .357 (10-28) and Jacob Olson is batting .333 with three homers and six RBI.
Alex Destino is South Carolina’s top run producer with a pair of home runs and team-high 10 RBI in nine games. Clemson is averaging 6.1 runs per game and hitting .302 as a team in the first eight games.
The Gamecocks face left-handers in the first two games of the series as Clemson southpaws Charlie Barnes and Pat Krall are scheduled to pitch. They have combined for 27 strikeouts in 24.0 innings pitched.
Clemson pitchers have allowed just 15 walks in 8 games, good for a 6.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Barnes has an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 17-1 in his first two starts of the 2017 season, while Sunday starter Alex Eubanks is 13-1.
The Gamecocks will go with the usual weekend rotation of Schmidt, Wil Crowe and hard-luck Adam Hill.
“They are going to threw three really good pitchers and we’re throwing three really good pitchers,” Holbrook said. “We’re playing on the road (Friday). Let’s go up there and play like we have nothing to lose.”
NOTES
-- The Gamecocks are the designated home team for Saturday afternoon’s game at Fluor Field and will occupy the first base dugout,
-- Tiger graduate RHP Tyler Jackson was a member of the 2013 Gamecocks team before playing at USC Lancaster and USC Upstate.
-- USC is ranked in all six major college baseball polls. The Gamecocks are ranked No. 4 in the USA Today coaches poll, No. 5 by Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game, No. 7 by the NCBWA and No. 13 by Collegiate Baseball.
-- For the 17th consecutive year, the Tom Price Award and Bob Bradley Award will be presented to the MVP for South Carolina and Clemson, respectively. The presentation will be made at the end of Sunday’s game at Founders Park.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
C – Chris Cullen
1B – Matt Williams
2B – L.T. Tolbert
3B – Jonah Bride
SS – Madison Stokes
LF – Danny Blair
CF – T.J. Hopkins
RF – Jacob Olson
DH – Alex Destino
SEC BASEBALL SCHEDULE (March 3-5)
South Carolina vs. Clemson
Lipscomb at Auburn
USC Santa Barbara at Kentucky
UAB at Georgia
Cal State Northridge at Vanderbilt
Norfolk State at Tennessee
Columbia at Florida
Louisiana-Monroe at Alabama
Illinois-Chicago at Missouri
Mississippi State at Oregon
Ole Miss, Texas A&M and LSU at Houston Tournament (vs. Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU)
Arkansas at Frisco, Texas Tournament (vs. Arizona, Nebraska and Oklahoma State)
