Gamecock Baseball Announces Opening Weekend Rotation

Columbia, S.C. (USC SID) – Junior right-hander Clarke Schmidt, junior right-hander Wil Crowe and sophomore right-hander Adam Hill will headline the Opening Weekend rotation for the Gamecocks as announced by head coach Chad Holbrook Monday afternoon.  Schmidt will start Opening Day vs. UNCG with Crowe taking the mound in Saturday’s contest for the Gamecocks and Hill getting the ball for the series finale on Sunday. Opening Weekend is February 17-19 at Founders Park.

Schmidt has been named Preseason All-America by D1Baseball, the NCBWA and Perfect Game and earned third-team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA last year after going 9-5 with a 3.40 ERA.  He struck out 129 batters to 27 walks in 111.1 innings pitched with opponents hitting .248 against him.  Schmidt’s 129 strikeouts are the second-highest among returning pitchers from last season in Division I baseball.

Crowe is a Preseason All-America selection by Baseball America and returns to the mound this season after sitting out the 2016 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Crowe went 8-3 and earned Freshman All-America honors in 2014 with a 2.75 ERA in 91.2 innings pitched.  Opponents hit .228 against him.  He also won three games in 2015 before suffering the injury that sidelined him the rest of the season.

Hill was a Freshman All-American last year after going 7-0 with a 3.53 ERA.  He allowed 26 runs, all earned, on 49 hits in 66.1 innings.  He had 72 strikeouts to 28 walks; opponents are batting .208 against him.  That opposing batting average was fourth-best in the SEC.  He was also named to the SEC All-Freshman team.