What Mark Kingston said about the Gamecock pitching staff

With team practice officially starting this week, it looks like the Gamecocks are going to a pair of injured pitchers back in the fold and back on the mound.

After missing the fall rehabbing from injuries, both Sawyer Bridges and Ridge Chapman are healthy again and ready to take on big roles on the Gamecocks’ pitching staff.

“Sawyer, knock on wood, feels as good now as he ever has. He looks great. He threw yesterday and looks outstanding,” Mark Kingston said. “We’ll minimize the work he gets. We’ll keep him sharp but we wont over use him in terms of the practices and scrimmages. He just needs to stay healthy and sharp. If he does that, he’s our closer and I’ll take my chances with him everyday of the week and twice on Sunday as a closer.”

Also see: Full recap from Kingston's preseason press conference

Bridges will pitch some this January leading up to opening day but will have his miles limited coming off that injury to prepare for his junior season. Bridges developed into a major late inning guy last year going 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA and five saves.

Chapman will be a little slower moving on, Kingston said, in working back to the mound but he’s expected to play a major role this year as well coming off a 1-4, 4.93 ERA year but played really well down the stretch.

Kingston said Chapman is one of seven players right now being considered for a starting spot but Chapman could be a quality bullpen arm as well.

"What role will we use him in? That’s to be determined. He can be considered as a starter,” Kingston said. “But he’s a guy that has a power arm that seemed to have a pretty good niche last year at the end of the year where he could come in and thrown 94 or 95 as a late-game guy.”

Also see: Three-star linebacker impressed after South Carolina visit

Those seven guys in the thick of the starter competition, including Chapman, are returning arms Carmen Mlodzinski, John Gilreath and TJ Shook along with newcomers Reid Morgan, Dylan Harley and Hayden Lehman.

Mlodzinski, who started a lot at the end of last season “has the lead on that Friday” spot as the team’s most polished pitcher but the other two weekend roles are still up for grabs.

Whoever doesn’t make the cu t for the rotation will join a bullpen the Gamecocks think can be really good.

“I think we have a chance to have a really good back of the bullpen. That’s another strategy,” Kingston said. “If you don’t feel like you can have an unbelievable starting rotation, which I still think we have a chance to have a good starting rotation, you have a stacked back of the bullpen.”

Also see: Insider notes on the Gamecocks' newest commitment

One of the arms that is not currently in the conversation for a starting role but will see significant action this year is Wesley Sweatt, a freshman that’s topped out at 92 miles per hour on his fastball and the staff likes him.

“He’s really worked hard to simplify his arm action. He’s got a short arm action, he hides the ball and he’s got very good down angle on his fastball especially,” Kingston said. “He’s a mature kid and I don’t think the games will be too big for him. He’s a big time competitor and he’s going to get a lot of big innings for us.”