Gamecocks Get Right Back At It

South Carolina (3-0) vs. Appalachian State (0-3)

LIVE COVERAGE
Radio:          Gamecock Radio Network/flagship 107.5 FM “The Game” (Andy Demetra & Tommy Moody)
Broadcast:      SEC Network Plus (Derek Scott & Trey Dyson)
Internet:               Additional coverage on Instagram & Twitter @GamecockBasebll

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
South Carolina   – Adam Hill (Fr. RHP)
Appalachian State – Breydan Gorham (Fr. RHP)

FOR STARTERS
The Gamecocks return to Founders Park on Tuesday for a matchup with Appalachian State. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
The game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus and can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.”

RANKINGS
The Gamecocks are ranked No. 15 in this weeks D1 Top 25.

HILL ON THE MOUND
Freshman right-hander Adam Hill will make his first career start on Tuesday vs. Appalachian State.  Hill is a native of Anderson, S.C. and was a 2015 MLB draft pick by the Padres (39th round).

MR. JONES
Sophomore catcher John Jones had a great first weekend in the Gamecock uniform. The junior college transfer hit .600 (6-for-10) with a double, a homer and nine RBI.  His nine RBI is the highest three-game series RBI total since LB Dantzler drove in 10 runs, ironically, vs. Albany in 2013.  He also walked twice and scored four runs.  His on-base percentage for the weekend was .667 with a 1.000 slugging mark.
Jones’ average tied for the third-best among SEC players for the first weekend, as did his RBI total.  Five of Jones’ nine RBI came with two outs.  Jones hit safely in all three games and had three multi-RBI games as well.

SCHMIDT OFF TO GOOD START
Sophomore right-hander Clarke Schmidt picked up the win on Opening Day allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks in six innings of work as Carolina defeated Albany 10-1.

DTW
Junior outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams had a stellar weekend at the plate in his debut as well.  Thompson-Williams hit .400 (4-for-10) with a homer, four RBI and four runs scored.  Thompson-Williams also had four walks and finished with a .571 on-base percentage.

WEBB WITH A WIN
Freshman right-hander Braden Webb allowed two runs on one hit with three walks and five strikeouts to earn his first win as a Gamecock in Saturday’s 6-2 win.

MOONEY IN THE MIDDLE
Senior infielder Marcus Mooney had the team’s second-highest on-base percentage of the weekend with a .636 mark and hit .333 (2-for-6) as well.  Mooney doubled twice, drove in a run and scored four runs.  He also tallied two sacrifice hits and stole two bases.  Mooney reached base in all four plate appearances and scored three runs in Sunday’s 8-1 win.

WIDENER SOLID IN FIRST START
Junior right-hander Taylor Widener allowed only one unearned run on two hits with no walks and six strikeouts in five innings of work in Sunday’s victory over Albany.  Widener’s six strikeouts were one short of his career-high.

JONAH WITH A JOLT
Sophomore infielder Jonah Bride hit safely in all three games.  Bride hit .333 (3-for-9) with three runs scored, a double and a RBI.  He was also hit by a pitch three times and walked for a .538 on-base percentage.

JOHNSON MAKES AN APPEARANCE
Sophomore right-hander Tyler Johnson made two relief appearances and struck out four batters in two innings with just one hit allowed.  He was the only Gamecock to make two appearances on the mound for the weekend.

AN ASSIST & A RECORD TO TJ
Freshman outfielder TJ Hopkins tied a single-game school record with two outfield assists on Opening Day.  Hopkins started all three games and hit .286 (2-for-7) with a RBI.

REAGAN FROM THE LEFT
Junior left-hander Josh Reagan tallied his first career save with 1.2 perfect innings of relief in Saturday’s 6-2 win over Albany.  He struck out four batters in the outing.

CULLEN CATCHING ON
Freshman catcher Chris Cullen started a pair of games behind the plate and hit .500 (4-for-8) with a run scored and two RBI.  Cullen put together a pair of two-out RBI singles and was 3-for-4 in Saturday’s 6-2 win.

GREAT SCOTT
Junior right-hander Reed Scott pitched 2.1 perfect innings of relief retiring all seven batters he faced in Saturday’s 6-2 win.

BOWERS BRINGS IT
Junior right-hander Colie Bowers won his first career game with the Gamecocks after pitching 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in Sunday’s 8-1 win.

LT
Freshman infielder LT Tolbert went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double in Sunday’s 8-1 win over Albany.

SCOLAMIERO ON BASE
Sophomore outfielders Clark Scolamiero played in all three games with two starts and hit .333 (2-for-6) with a run scored and two RBI.  Scolamiero reached base in all three games as well.

A NEW NAME
Founders Federal Credit Union and the University of South Carolina announced a partnership awarding naming rights of Carolina Stadium to Founders Federal Credit Union. Carolina Stadium officially became Founders Park on October 22, 2015.
Unveiled in 2009, the $35-plus million facility has a capacity of 8,242 fans and is the crown jewel among baseball stadiums across the nations. South Carolina has ranked among the top three in the nation in total attendance in five consecutive years, including a mark of 250,057 last season as well as a season-high 6,049 season tickets sold last year.
Founders Park will be officially dedicated on Sat., April 23 before game two of the Missouri series.  South Carolina totaled 22,480 in attendance the first weekend for an average of 7,493 per contest at Founders Park.

SCOUTING APP STATE
Appalachian State heads into Columbia after an 0-3 start last week at Caravelle Resort Tournament in nearby Myrtle Beach and Conway.  The Mountaineers fell to Coastal Carolina 17-2, Virginia 8-0 and 12-3 to Old Dominion.  Head coach Billy Jones is in his fourth season at the helm of App State.

SERIES HISTORY
South Carolina is 11-1 vs. Appalachian State in series history including an 11-1 win last year in Columbia.  The Gamecocks belted out 14 hits and scored six runs in the first inning on the way to the victory.  Gene Cone tied a career-high with hits and RBIs in a single game with three apiece and right-hander Reed Scott earned the win after hurling five scoreless innings.

TO ARMS
South Carolina pitchers had a strong first weekend with the Gamecocks allowing four runs, three earned, on 10 hits with 11 walks and 30 strikeouts in 27.0 innings.  Carolina’s 1.00 team ERA was best among the 14 SEC schools as was the team’s .114 opposing batting average.

THE BULLPEN
South Carolina’s bullpen did not allow a run in 11 innings of work in the Albany series and struck out 13 batters. The bullpen allowed just four singles and four walks.

AT THE PLATE AND ON THE FIELD
South Carolina hit .323 (31-for-96) for the weekend with a .446 on base percentage.  The Gamecocks also walked 16 times to 12 strikeouts and were hit by pitch seven times. Carolina committed just two errors and fielded .983 for the weekend with two error-less games for the series.