Eight innings of baseball at Founders Park today and eight different pitchers on the mound as South Carolina continues to ramp up towards its second exhibition, next Thursday against College of Charleston.
- The best news of the day was that Nolan Nawrocki was in the lineup. If you read my update on Tuesday, you know he was hit in the head by a pitch in that scrimmage and Mainieri immedietely ended the day after what looked like a serious injury. He did not play Wednesday, and the team was off Thursday, but he was out there today. He didn't run out his grounders or play defense -- they just had him standing and hitting and used pinch runners when he got on base -- but he did play and that is the best sign possible.
- The same can be said for Blake Jackson in terms of hitting but not running/playing defense as he works back from a lower body injury as well.
- Your long national nightmare is over: Ethan Petry finally hit his first home run of the fall. It was hardly a slump -- he had four hits against Air Force last week and has been mostly fine -- but he hadn't tagged one over the wall before today. In the 7th inning, he took a Brendan Sweeney pitch out into the home bullpen in right-center field.
- I continue to be impressed by JUCO pitcher Brandon Stone. He's looked solid pretty much every time I've seen him, and today he retired six out of the seven batters he faced with two strikeouts in two shutout innings. His slider bites really hard; both strikeouts came swinging and missing at it. A name to file away for sure.
- Nice days for the top end of the staff as well, with Matthew Becker and Jake McCoy throwing the first two innings. Becker gave up one run on a Talmadge LeCroy RBI single but was solid otherwise, and McCoy threw two scoreless frames.
- My biggest concern with this team right now in terms of intangibles is the ability to keep runners close and hold them on. That was always going to be a problem replacing Cole Messina behind the plate, but the catchers are really struggling with it. Four more stolen bases on five attempts against Gamecock catchers today, and that's been an issue all fall.
- Nice day for JUCO transfer Cayden Gaskin, who is going to have every opportunity to win the second base job. Had three RBIs with a two-run single and a sacrifice fly, stole a base and played sound defense.
- Freshman pitcher Ryder Garino got through two innings without allowing a hit, walking just one guy.
- The best news of the day was that Nolan Nawrocki was in the lineup. If you read my update on Tuesday, you know he was hit in the head by a pitch in that scrimmage and Mainieri immedietely ended the day after what looked like a serious injury. He did not play Wednesday, and the team was off Thursday, but he was out there today. He didn't run out his grounders or play defense -- they just had him standing and hitting and used pinch runners when he got on base -- but he did play and that is the best sign possible.
- The same can be said for Blake Jackson in terms of hitting but not running/playing defense as he works back from a lower body injury as well.
- Your long national nightmare is over: Ethan Petry finally hit his first home run of the fall. It was hardly a slump -- he had four hits against Air Force last week and has been mostly fine -- but he hadn't tagged one over the wall before today. In the 7th inning, he took a Brendan Sweeney pitch out into the home bullpen in right-center field.
- I continue to be impressed by JUCO pitcher Brandon Stone. He's looked solid pretty much every time I've seen him, and today he retired six out of the seven batters he faced with two strikeouts in two shutout innings. His slider bites really hard; both strikeouts came swinging and missing at it. A name to file away for sure.
- Nice days for the top end of the staff as well, with Matthew Becker and Jake McCoy throwing the first two innings. Becker gave up one run on a Talmadge LeCroy RBI single but was solid otherwise, and McCoy threw two scoreless frames.
- My biggest concern with this team right now in terms of intangibles is the ability to keep runners close and hold them on. That was always going to be a problem replacing Cole Messina behind the plate, but the catchers are really struggling with it. Four more stolen bases on five attempts against Gamecock catchers today, and that's been an issue all fall.
- Nice day for JUCO transfer Cayden Gaskin, who is going to have every opportunity to win the second base job. Had three RBIs with a two-run single and a sacrifice fly, stole a base and played sound defense.
- Freshman pitcher Ryder Garino got through two innings without allowing a hit, walking just one guy.
