Hill Gets The Start Against Wofford

COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) — South Carolina (10-2) begins a five-game homestand Tuesday night hosting Wofford (10-3). First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Founders Park. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network Plus and is available on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.”

Carolina follows up Tuesday night’s tilt with a Wednesday contest vs. Furman. First pitch is 7 p.m.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP

Tuesday
South Carolina – Adam Hill (Fr. RHP) 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 11.0 IP, 2 BB, 19 SO
Wofford – Austin Higginbotham (Fr. LHP) 0-1, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 1 BB, 4 SO

RANKINGS

South Carolina is ranked No. 16 in the USA Today coaches poll, No. 17 by D1Baseball, and No. 21 by Collegiate Baseball.

SCHMIDT NAMED SEC PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Sophomore right-hander Clarke Schmidt was named SEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. He struck out a career-high nine batters in eight scoreless innings of work in Friday’s 8-1 win over Clemson. Schmidt’s outing was the longest of his career. He is 3-0 on the year with a 0.43 ERA after three starts. Schmidt has struck out 23 batters to just five walks. He has allowed one run on nine hits in 21.0 innings of work. Opponents are batting .143 against him. Schmidt earned the Tom Price Award as MVP of the Gamecocks for the Clemson series. Schmidt’s ERA ranks second-best in the SEC. He is also fifth-best in opposing batting average and tied for sixth-highest in the league in strikeouts. Schmidt is one of nine pitchers in the SEC with three wins on the year.

In the start before Clemson, he pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed just one walk and one hit while striking out eight batters in a 7-1 win over Penn State.

DYNAMIC DESTINO

Sophomore first baseman Alex Destino was 5-for-5 with four RBI in Friday’s 8-1 win over Clemson. Destino’s five hits are a career-high as well. He is hitting .340 (18-for-53) for the season with a pair of homers, 16 RBI and eight runs scored. He has a .472 slugging percentage also. Destino is second on the team with three multi-RBI games and tied for second with five multi-hit games. He enters the week with a four-game hitting streak. Destino ranks tied for sixth in the SEC in runs batted in.

Destino homered twice including a grand slam homer and drove in seven runs, the most by any SEC player this year in a game in South Carolina’s 16-5 win over Penn State.

HILL ON THE MOUND

Freshman right-hander Adam Hill has been impressive in his first two career starts for the Garnet & Black. Hill is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and has allowed just five hits and two walks while striking out 19 batters in 11.0 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .143 against him.

Hill pitched five scoreless with three hits allowed, two walks and eight strikeouts to earn a win in the 6-3 victory at The Citadel. He earned his first career win the week before as he pitched six scoreless innings with just two hits allowed, no walks and 11 strikeouts in Carolina’s 5-0 victory over App. State.

DTW