by USC Athletic Communications
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The University of South Carolina baseball team, coming off a 2-1 weekend against Liberty to open the 2019 season, will host a pair of Big South opponents in midweek contests at Founders Park. The Gamecocks face Winthrop on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 19) at 4 p.m. Carolina then hosts Presbyterian on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 20) at 4 p.m. Wednesday's game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus with Burch Antley and Kip Bouknight on the call. Both games will be broadcast on The Game 107.5 FM with Derek Scott, Drew Meyer and Tommy Moody on the call. The Gamecocks fell in their season opener, 6-5 in 11 innings, on Friday afternoon before rebounding for a 13-7 win on Saturday and a 3-2 walk-off victory Sunday afternoon.
PARKING INFORMATION
> For the third straight season, shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball season will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road) and in Lot B of the Colonial Life Arena parking lot. Shuttles will begin running two hours prior to game time.
We strongly recommend that fans use the baseball shuttle from Key Road to Founders Park over the CLA shuttle for the convenience, spacious parking (650 spaces) and less congestion than at the arena. Please remember that at the arena, shuttle parking will be limited to 50 spaces because of the student demand for parking in this area. There is a high student demand Monday through Thursday that lasts until 7 p.m. because of classes. Lots A and B are also reserved for men's and women's basketball parking on Feb. 17, 18 and 21.
For GPS purposes, the address for the Key Road Gravel Lot is 1105 Key Road, Columbia, SC 29201.
BUSINESS LOTS DURING AFTERNOON GAMES -- Business lot parking passes will be honored in Lot 1 ONLY for the Feb. 15, 19, 20, 22 and 26 afternoon baseball games based on availability. The businesses at 405 (Lot 9) and 401 (Lot 10) Huger Street request that you begin parking at 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Other business lots open at 5 p.m. on weekdays. Parking is allowed in Lot 8 (the Cregger lot) on the Williams St. side for the afternoon early games.
GAME DAY PARKING INFORMATION (including public game day lots (PGDL: $10/$5 per game))
Weekday 4 p.m. Games (Feb. 15, 19, 20, 22, 26) Game time: 4 p.m. Stadium opens: 2:30 p.m. Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m. Lot 1, STDM, HDG PDGL Open: 1 p.m. Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 2 p.m.
Weekdays Game Time: 7 p.m. Stadium Opens: 5:30 p.m. Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m. Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 4 p.m. Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 5 p.m.
Saturday Game Time: 4 p.m. Stadium Opens: 2:30 p.m. Business Lots Open: 1 p.m. Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 1 p.m. Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 2 p.m.
Sunday Game Time: 1:30 p.m. Stadium Opens: Noon Business Lots Open: 10:30 a.m. Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 10:30 a.m. Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 11:30 a.m.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Tuesday - South Carolina TJ Shook (R-So. RHP) 1-0, 3.86 ERA, 2.1 IP, 0 BB, 5 SO - Winthrop Cody Whitten (So. LHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 SO
Wednesday - South Carolina John Gilreath (So. LHP) 0-1, 0.00 ERA, 1.1 IP, 0 BB, 2 SO - Presbyterian TBA
SCOUTING WINTHROP
Winthrop lost 2-of-3 games against Toledo in Rock Hill to open its 2019 season. The Eagles took the middle game, 17-3, as Jake Sullivan drove in three runs on a 2-for-4 day. Toledo won the series opener, 5-4, and took the final game by an 8-7 score. Tyler Baker and Brandon Fite both went 6-for-11 on the weekend with Baker belting two home runs. Winthrop hit .336 for the series with nine extra-base hits. The Eagles will start lefty Cody Whitten on Tuesday. Whitten pitched three scoreless innings on Friday against Toledo. Last season, he was 2-1 with a 5.59 ERA in 29 innings pitched.
THE SERIES
Carolina owns an 18-7 series advantage on Winthrop heading into Tuesday's game. Last season, the Gamecocks defeated the Eagles, 15-2, on Feb. 21 as LT Tolbert was 3-for-4 with four RBI and a home run while Hunter Taylor belted a grand slam and had five RBI. Carolina is 14-4 all-time against the Eagles in Columbia and hold a three-game winning streak against the Eagles.
SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN
The Blue Hose took the middle game of the three-game series against Alabama, winning the middle game by a 4-1 score. Zacchaeus Rasberry had two hits, two runs scored and two RBI in that win over the Crimson Tide. Alabama won the series opener, 7-2, on Friday afternoon and won 9-4 in the series finale. On the year, Rasberry is hitting .500 (6-for-12) with three RBI while Jimmy Marcelli has six hits, three for doubles. Jake Rice earned the win on the mound for the Blue Hose, allowing just three hits and one run in five innings of work.
THE SERIES
Carolina has a 47-20 series advantage on Presbyterian heading into Wednesday's game. The Gamecocks are 39-6 against the Blue Hose in Columbia, but PC took a 7-4 win over Carolina on April 17, 2018. LT Tolbert was 2-for-5 with three RBI while Carlos Cortes scored a pair of runs in that game.
GAMECOCKS END LIBERTY SERIES WITH WALKOFF WIN
Carolina ended the Liberty series in exciting fashion, winning 3-2 on a walk-off wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth. Luke Berryhill opened the ninth with a walk and moved to third on Jacob Olson's single to center. With Quinntin Perez at the plate, Liberty's Garret Price's second pitch was in the dirt, scoring Berryhill for the walk-off win. It's the first walk-off win for the Gamecocks since Carlos Cortes' walk-off home run against Missouri on May 13, 2018.
ALLEN GOES YARD IN FIRST GAMECOCK AT-BAT
Freshman Brady Allen's first collegiate at-bat was a memorable one, as the Lakeland, Fla., native belted a three-run home run in the second inning, scoring Jacob Olson and Luke Berryhill. Allen was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a walk in the opener.
SENIORS SLUG IN LIBERTY SERIES
TJ Hopkins and Jacob Olson both hit a pair of home runs in the season opening weekend against Liberty (Feb. 15). The seniors both have a 1.000 slugging percentage after three games. Olson had both home runs in Saturday's 13-7 win. He also drove in four RBI. Hopkins had a home run to straightaway center field in the eighth inning on Friday afternoon and then had a solo shot in the fourth inning on Sunday, which was Carolina's first hit of the day. Olson now has 20 career home runs while Hopkins has 10 in his Carolina tenure.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks welcome Utah Valley to Founders Park this weekend (Feb. 22-24) for a three-game series. Friday's game begins at 4 p.m. with Saturday's contest set for a 2 p.m. first pitch. Sunday's series finale will begin at 1:30 p.m. All three games will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
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