C
Collyn Taylor
Guest
.272 team batting average
This number isn’t necessarily bad, and it’s a marked improvement from the average last year after 50-plus games (.236), but it stands to get better next season. The Gamecocks wanted to be top half of the league in average and finished 11th, so there is room for improvement and that should happen.
The Gamecocks should return the majority of their team next season, including likely seven of their nine position starters with catcher and shortstop still up in the air. That means getting guys who’ve played a lot and freshmen like Brennan Milone whose freshman season never really got started as he battled a hip flexor injury.
They’ll also be in year two under Stuart Lake’s guidance as the team’s hitting coach, which should add to an uptick in average as well.
1.15 bullpen WHIP
This number on the whole wasn’t terrible, either, but there were a few games where late walks and costly runs given up in big situations lost South Carolina games. But, even before the season ended, there were signs of hope out of the bullpen. It looked exponentially better with Brett Kerry on the back end and guys like Daniel Lloyd, Cam Tringali and TJ Shook all started to round into form as well before things were suspended.
With almost all of those guys coming back with their impact arms in the 2020 class, the Gamecocks should have a really good stockpile of arms to utilize next year at that WHIP should go down next year and likely inch closer to 1.00.
.386 on-base percentage
On-base percentage was another stat that needed to drastically improve in 2020 and, while it did, it was still ninth overall in the SEC and could stand to get better when there is a full season to play. The numbers were improving, but as guys continue to get comfortable with Lake’s philosophy, they should get on base more.
If on-base percentage goes up, it should make the offense hum a little better and more consistently next season.
18 fielding errors
That’s something that was uncharacteristic of a Gamecock team that’s usually been solid under Mark Kingston. They could lose one catcher in Dallas Beaver and their shortstop in George Callil to pro baseball but both Colin Burgess and Braylen Wimmer are superb defensive players.
They should have a solid group of starters returning as well, which should help that number decrease.
Four players with multiple home runs
Yes, there were only four and it was a shortened season, but that number will be a lot higher next year, potentially by the 16th game of the 2021 season. Brennan Milone only played in a handful of games and Jeff Heinrich was just starting to see the ball well before the season ended.
That, mixed with the influx of power hitters—Andrew Eyster, Brady Allen, Wes Clarke—returning and some impact bats in the recruiting class, the Gamecocks could see those power numbers increase next season as well while not sacrificing for average or on-base percentage.
This number isn’t necessarily bad, and it’s a marked improvement from the average last year after 50-plus games (.236), but it stands to get better next season. The Gamecocks wanted to be top half of the league in average and finished 11th, so there is room for improvement and that should happen.
The Gamecocks should return the majority of their team next season, including likely seven of their nine position starters with catcher and shortstop still up in the air. That means getting guys who’ve played a lot and freshmen like Brennan Milone whose freshman season never really got started as he battled a hip flexor injury.
They’ll also be in year two under Stuart Lake’s guidance as the team’s hitting coach, which should add to an uptick in average as well.
1.15 bullpen WHIP
This number on the whole wasn’t terrible, either, but there were a few games where late walks and costly runs given up in big situations lost South Carolina games. But, even before the season ended, there were signs of hope out of the bullpen. It looked exponentially better with Brett Kerry on the back end and guys like Daniel Lloyd, Cam Tringali and TJ Shook all started to round into form as well before things were suspended.
With almost all of those guys coming back with their impact arms in the 2020 class, the Gamecocks should have a really good stockpile of arms to utilize next year at that WHIP should go down next year and likely inch closer to 1.00.
.386 on-base percentage
On-base percentage was another stat that needed to drastically improve in 2020 and, while it did, it was still ninth overall in the SEC and could stand to get better when there is a full season to play. The numbers were improving, but as guys continue to get comfortable with Lake’s philosophy, they should get on base more.
If on-base percentage goes up, it should make the offense hum a little better and more consistently next season.
18 fielding errors
That’s something that was uncharacteristic of a Gamecock team that’s usually been solid under Mark Kingston. They could lose one catcher in Dallas Beaver and their shortstop in George Callil to pro baseball but both Colin Burgess and Braylen Wimmer are superb defensive players.
They should have a solid group of starters returning as well, which should help that number decrease.
Four players with multiple home runs
Yes, there were only four and it was a shortened season, but that number will be a lot higher next year, potentially by the 16th game of the 2021 season. Brennan Milone only played in a handful of games and Jeff Heinrich was just starting to see the ball well before the season ended.
That, mixed with the influx of power hitters—Andrew Eyster, Brady Allen, Wes Clarke—returning and some impact bats in the recruiting class, the Gamecocks could see those power numbers increase next season as well while not sacrificing for average or on-base percentage.
