Smith, a 6-0, 188-pounder redshirt junior from Blythewood, S.C., earned second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press a year ago after leading the team with 14 passes defended, including three interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
Bride has played in both Double-A (Midland) and Triple-A (Las Vegas) in the Athletics’ organization this season. He is hitting .347 between the two organizations with five home runs and 29 RBI.
The former Chapin Eagle appeared in 27 games for the Gamecocks on the mound, going 5-3 with a team-best 3.17 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched.
The Gamecocks, under second-year head coach Shane Beamer, will open the 2022 season at home on Saturday, Sept. 3, when they host the Georgia State Panthers.
Carolina will now play Florida for the fourth straight game, this time in the opening round of the 2022 SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks are the 10th seed and will face the Gators at approximately 1 p.m. Central time on Tuesday.
Carolina ends the home SEC portion of its schedule, going 10-5 with series wins against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Alabama and Kentucky.
oah Hall threw eight shutout innings and seniors Brandt Belk and Andrew Eyster combined to drive in five runs as South Carolina shut out Kentucky, 7-0, to clinch a series win
Twelve different Gamecocks now have home runs this season after Vasquez’s first of the year.
Their 23-7 overall record included 13 wins over ranked opponents with four of those teams in the top 10. With a 10-2 record in SEC play, South Carolina’s second place finish was the program’s best since joining the league in 1992.
Carolina now has 50 home runs on the season. The five in Sunday’s win was a team high.
