B
Brian Shoemaker
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Gamecock Nation Today
Friday, April 12, 2019
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
Last night wasn't a good one for the baseball team, as Florida beat the Gamecocks, 9-5. Tonight's game begins at 6:30 and can be watched on SECN+.
Here's the schedule for the weekend:
Friday
• 8 am - Women's Golf: at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
• 1 pm - Beach Volleyball: Tulane
• 6 pm - Beach Volleyball: Missouri State
• 6:30 - Baseball: at Florida, SECN+, TuneIn
• 7 pm - Softball: at Auburn, SECN+
Saturday
• 8 am - Women's Golf: at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
• 9 am - Track & Field: Gamecock Invitational
• 10 am - Women's Tennis: at Florida, video
• 12 pm - Softball: at Auburn, SECN
• 1 pm - Beach Volleyball: UNCW
• 3:30 pm - Baseball: at Florida, SECN+, TuneIn
• 5 pm - Beach Volleyball: College of Charleston
Sunday
• 1 pm - Men's Tennis: at Florida, video
• 2 pm - Softball: at Auburn, ESPNU
1. Recruiting recap: What we learned this week
The last seven days were busy in the world of South Carolina football recruiting with a multitude of top targets on campus for the Gamecocks' spring game Saturday. Gamecock Central was also on hand for Sunday's Rivals camp at Nation Ford High School, which featured several Carolina targets.
With so much to keep up with, here's a recap, in case you missed something along the way.
In the game with five-star running back
When word got out that five-star running back MarShawn Lloyd would be back in Columbia for South Carolina's spring game, it was quickly circled as a key visit.
The Gamecocks went from non-factor with the Hyattsville (Md.) Dematha back to firmly in the mix after landing two visits in the last couple of months.
While Lloyd, who is ranked the No. 4 running back in the 2020 class, has yet to speak about the trip, word is that he's developed a strong relationship with running backs coach Thomas Brown and that the Gamecocks are now in this one.
Wyman takes final USC visit before decision
The countdown until four-star wide receiver Michael Wyman makes his decision is almost at zero. Wyman, who will announce his school this Tuesday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m., was in Columbia for the Gamecocks' spring game, his final trip there before his announcement.
Wyman is set to visit North Carolina for its spring game this weekend in what will be his final overall trip before Tuesday's decision. The Tar Heels may have the final visit, but our Forecasts are pointing towards the Gamecocks.
Add another recruiter to the bunch
It's been well-documented that South Carolina quarterback commit Luke Dotyhas taken over Ryan Hilinski's role as committed quarterback recruiting other players to join him in Columbia. Doty has some help.
South Carolina's newest commit, OL Javion Cohen, who pledged late last month, has hit the ground running in trying to get other prospects to join him in Columbia. Cohen, along with Doty, was at South Carolina's spring game Saturday with the main purpose of working the uncommitted prospects.
Ultimately, most prospects make their own decisions, but having now two class ambassadors can never hurt.
The debut of "The Big Five"
Speaking of Doty, the Myrtle Beach standout has spent a lot of time the last few months focusing on in-state prospects that the Gamecocks have offered. That's led to the debut of "The Big Five," a group of five in-state prospects that are key to the Gamecocks' future plans.
They are:
QB Luke Doty
OL Tyshawn Wannamaker
DE Jordan Burch
DT Alex Huntley
DT Tonka Hemingway
Which leads us to...
The Burch battle is on
Whether you were in the camp that believed Clemson was a lock for five-star defensive end Jordan Burch or that his recruitment was wide open, it's hard to dismiss the fact that the Hammond star was at USC three straight weekends.
While Burch plays his recruitment closer to the vest than most any prospect we've run across, this appears to be an in-state battle between the Gamecocks and Tigers, and it appears to be a close one.
Which begs the question, after three straight Carolina visits, what does Burch do next?
– Wes Mitchell
2. ⚾ Baseball loses at Florida
Junior pitcher Reid Morgan was uncharacteristic in his first series-opening start, giving up seven runs – six in one inning – as the Gamecocks dropped their fifth-straight series opener, a 9-5 loss to the Gators.
USC player of the game: Ian Jenkins came in cold and hit a RBI double down the left field line, almost sparking a ninth-inning rally.
Key moment: South Carolina put two runners in scoring position and got a runner to third with two outs in the third but couldn't scrape him across. The next half-inning Florida scored six runs to take a lead it would never give up.
Up next: South Carolina tries to even the series and avoid losing five straight SEC series with game two scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network Plus. Cam Tringali (1-0, 3.03 ERA) is scheduled to start.
Updates on a trio of players who had Tommy John surgery (subscription)
Baseball Links: News | SEC Standings | Schedule | Statistics | Polls
– Collyn Taylor
3. This, that, and the other
Women's Basketball: What's going on? - The offseason is only days old, but it’s been an eventful one for the Gamecocks. Four players have decided to transfer, leaving fans asking, what is going on? (link)
Baseball: Merrifield's streak is over - Whit Merrifield's hitting streak ended Thursday. He set the Royals' franchise record of 31 consecutive games Wednesday.
Gamecock Games creates bonds with student-athletes and local children - Instead of patting themselves on the back on National Student-Athlete Day last weekend, the Gamecocks paid it forward. (link)
Football Recruiting: Gamecocks early factor with Florida LB - Deshauwn Alleyne out of Port St. Lucie, Fla., made a trip to Columbia last Friday along with teammate Jamari Stewart in order to get a closer look at the program. What did he think? (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Dominick Hill's latest trip strengthens USC's position - Orlando, Fla., defensive back Dominick Hill already had one strong visit to Columbia on the books, and round two appears to have been another one. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: The latest with Will Shipley - Just a class of 2021 prospect, running back Will Shipley is already a veteran of the recruiting process. He has multiple offers and has made numerous trips to South Carolina. (subscription)
Softball: Gamecocks hit the road for Auburn - The softball returns to SEC action this weekend when it hits the road for a three-game series against Auburn. (link)
Women's Golf: Gamecocks enter match play as No. 3 seed - The women's golf team finished the stroke-play portion of The Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in third place, qualifying for the "red bracket" in match play that begins on Friday. (link)
Women's Tennis: Rohrabacher honored - Senior Rachel Rohrabacher has been named the SEC Community Service Team for the third-straight year. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
April 12, 1977 – The Gamecocks broke out of a hitting slump to sweep a doubleheader from Clemson 7-6 and 7-2.
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Tommy Addison – Addison played tackle on the 1954 freshman team, then joined the varsity in 1955. He had a sack for a loss of 8 yards on Clemson quarterback Don King that year. Addison was a reserve lineman in 1956, before he started some at right guard in 1957. He had seven tackles, including two for losses, against Clemson as a senior and was named second-team all-ACC by the Associated Press. He went on to play eight seasons with the Boston Patriots in the AFL and was a four-time AFL All-Star. He was inducted into the Lancaster High School Hall of Fame in 1994. Addison now lives near Hilton Head.
• Brett Bond (football/defensive end, 1976-79)
• Al Carpenter (football/defensive end, 1973-75)
• Benjamin Gilligan (soccer/forward, 2017-18)
• Brett Kerry (baseball/pitcher, 2019)
• John Kompara (football/tackle, 1956-58)
• Phil Lillo (baseball/first baseman, 1987-88)
• Bob Miranda (football/running back, 1968-70)
Gamecock Central birthdays
• @Holy City Cock (member since 2001)
• @USCNU (member since 2006)
• @TroyH1971 (member since 2011)
• @MAC1906 (member since 2014)
If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or subscription - you can add your birthday here.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (13 days)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (26)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (39)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (94)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (99)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (141)
More happenings
• April 13 – Track & Field: Terrance Trammell, Miki Barber jersey retirements
• April 15 – Gamecock Gala
• April 16 – Football Recruiting: Michael Wyman announcement
• April 23 – Augusta, Spurs Up Tour
• April 24 – Midlands, Spurs Up Tour
• April 29 – Lancaster, Spurs Up Tour
• April 30 – Greenville, Spurs Up Tour
• May 2 – York, Spurs Up Tour
• May 4 – Baseball: Earl Bass jersey retirement
• May 7 – Sumter, Spurs Up Tour
• May 8 – Myrtle Beach, Spurs Up Tour
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
• May 18 – SC Legends Camp
Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including specific locations and ticket prices, will be announced as it becomes available.
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecock Nation Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
Gamecock Nation Today
Friday, April 12, 2019
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
Last night wasn't a good one for the baseball team, as Florida beat the Gamecocks, 9-5. Tonight's game begins at 6:30 and can be watched on SECN+.
Here's the schedule for the weekend:
Friday
• 8 am - Women's Golf: at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
• 1 pm - Beach Volleyball: Tulane
• 6 pm - Beach Volleyball: Missouri State
• 6:30 - Baseball: at Florida, SECN+, TuneIn
• 7 pm - Softball: at Auburn, SECN+
Saturday
• 8 am - Women's Golf: at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
• 9 am - Track & Field: Gamecock Invitational
• 10 am - Women's Tennis: at Florida, video
• 12 pm - Softball: at Auburn, SECN
• 1 pm - Beach Volleyball: UNCW
• 3:30 pm - Baseball: at Florida, SECN+, TuneIn
• 5 pm - Beach Volleyball: College of Charleston
Sunday
• 1 pm - Men's Tennis: at Florida, video
• 2 pm - Softball: at Auburn, ESPNU
1. Recruiting recap: What we learned this week
The last seven days were busy in the world of South Carolina football recruiting with a multitude of top targets on campus for the Gamecocks' spring game Saturday. Gamecock Central was also on hand for Sunday's Rivals camp at Nation Ford High School, which featured several Carolina targets.
With so much to keep up with, here's a recap, in case you missed something along the way.
In the game with five-star running back
When word got out that five-star running back MarShawn Lloyd would be back in Columbia for South Carolina's spring game, it was quickly circled as a key visit.
The Gamecocks went from non-factor with the Hyattsville (Md.) Dematha back to firmly in the mix after landing two visits in the last couple of months.
While Lloyd, who is ranked the No. 4 running back in the 2020 class, has yet to speak about the trip, word is that he's developed a strong relationship with running backs coach Thomas Brown and that the Gamecocks are now in this one.
Wyman takes final USC visit before decision
The countdown until four-star wide receiver Michael Wyman makes his decision is almost at zero. Wyman, who will announce his school this Tuesday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m., was in Columbia for the Gamecocks' spring game, his final trip there before his announcement.
Wyman is set to visit North Carolina for its spring game this weekend in what will be his final overall trip before Tuesday's decision. The Tar Heels may have the final visit, but our Forecasts are pointing towards the Gamecocks.
Add another recruiter to the bunch
It's been well-documented that South Carolina quarterback commit Luke Dotyhas taken over Ryan Hilinski's role as committed quarterback recruiting other players to join him in Columbia. Doty has some help.
South Carolina's newest commit, OL Javion Cohen, who pledged late last month, has hit the ground running in trying to get other prospects to join him in Columbia. Cohen, along with Doty, was at South Carolina's spring game Saturday with the main purpose of working the uncommitted prospects.
Ultimately, most prospects make their own decisions, but having now two class ambassadors can never hurt.
The debut of "The Big Five"
Speaking of Doty, the Myrtle Beach standout has spent a lot of time the last few months focusing on in-state prospects that the Gamecocks have offered. That's led to the debut of "The Big Five," a group of five in-state prospects that are key to the Gamecocks' future plans.
They are:
QB Luke Doty
OL Tyshawn Wannamaker
DE Jordan Burch
DT Alex Huntley
DT Tonka Hemingway
Which leads us to...
The Burch battle is on
Whether you were in the camp that believed Clemson was a lock for five-star defensive end Jordan Burch or that his recruitment was wide open, it's hard to dismiss the fact that the Hammond star was at USC three straight weekends.
While Burch plays his recruitment closer to the vest than most any prospect we've run across, this appears to be an in-state battle between the Gamecocks and Tigers, and it appears to be a close one.
Which begs the question, after three straight Carolina visits, what does Burch do next?
– Wes Mitchell
2. ⚾ Baseball loses at Florida
Junior pitcher Reid Morgan was uncharacteristic in his first series-opening start, giving up seven runs – six in one inning – as the Gamecocks dropped their fifth-straight series opener, a 9-5 loss to the Gators.
USC player of the game: Ian Jenkins came in cold and hit a RBI double down the left field line, almost sparking a ninth-inning rally.
Key moment: South Carolina put two runners in scoring position and got a runner to third with two outs in the third but couldn't scrape him across. The next half-inning Florida scored six runs to take a lead it would never give up.
Up next: South Carolina tries to even the series and avoid losing five straight SEC series with game two scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network Plus. Cam Tringali (1-0, 3.03 ERA) is scheduled to start.
Updates on a trio of players who had Tommy John surgery (subscription)
Baseball Links: News | SEC Standings | Schedule | Statistics | Polls
– Collyn Taylor
3. This, that, and the other
Women's Basketball: What's going on? - The offseason is only days old, but it’s been an eventful one for the Gamecocks. Four players have decided to transfer, leaving fans asking, what is going on? (link)
Baseball: Merrifield's streak is over - Whit Merrifield's hitting streak ended Thursday. He set the Royals' franchise record of 31 consecutive games Wednesday.
Gamecock Games creates bonds with student-athletes and local children - Instead of patting themselves on the back on National Student-Athlete Day last weekend, the Gamecocks paid it forward. (link)
Football Recruiting: Gamecocks early factor with Florida LB - Deshauwn Alleyne out of Port St. Lucie, Fla., made a trip to Columbia last Friday along with teammate Jamari Stewart in order to get a closer look at the program. What did he think? (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Dominick Hill's latest trip strengthens USC's position - Orlando, Fla., defensive back Dominick Hill already had one strong visit to Columbia on the books, and round two appears to have been another one. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: The latest with Will Shipley - Just a class of 2021 prospect, running back Will Shipley is already a veteran of the recruiting process. He has multiple offers and has made numerous trips to South Carolina. (subscription)
Softball: Gamecocks hit the road for Auburn - The softball returns to SEC action this weekend when it hits the road for a three-game series against Auburn. (link)
Women's Golf: Gamecocks enter match play as No. 3 seed - The women's golf team finished the stroke-play portion of The Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in third place, qualifying for the "red bracket" in match play that begins on Friday. (link)
Women's Tennis: Rohrabacher honored - Senior Rachel Rohrabacher has been named the SEC Community Service Team for the third-straight year. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
April 12, 1977 – The Gamecocks broke out of a hitting slump to sweep a doubleheader from Clemson 7-6 and 7-2.
- Game One saw Don Repsher and Johnny Hinkel homer, with Repsher giving USC an early 2-0 lead in the first while Hinkel's keyed the game-winning rally in the sixth.
- Game Two saw Randy Martz hold the Tigers to two hits through the first six innings before going on to pick up his second win over Clemson during the '77 season.
- Second baseman Mark Van Bever helped key the offense by reaching base in every plate appearance but one in the two games.
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Tommy Addison – Addison played tackle on the 1954 freshman team, then joined the varsity in 1955. He had a sack for a loss of 8 yards on Clemson quarterback Don King that year. Addison was a reserve lineman in 1956, before he started some at right guard in 1957. He had seven tackles, including two for losses, against Clemson as a senior and was named second-team all-ACC by the Associated Press. He went on to play eight seasons with the Boston Patriots in the AFL and was a four-time AFL All-Star. He was inducted into the Lancaster High School Hall of Fame in 1994. Addison now lives near Hilton Head.
• Brett Bond (football/defensive end, 1976-79)
• Al Carpenter (football/defensive end, 1973-75)
• Benjamin Gilligan (soccer/forward, 2017-18)
• Brett Kerry (baseball/pitcher, 2019)
• John Kompara (football/tackle, 1956-58)
• Phil Lillo (baseball/first baseman, 1987-88)
• Bob Miranda (football/running back, 1968-70)
Gamecock Central birthdays
• @Holy City Cock (member since 2001)
• @USCNU (member since 2006)
• @TroyH1971 (member since 2011)
• @MAC1906 (member since 2014)
If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or subscription - you can add your birthday here.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (13 days)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (26)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (39)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (94)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (99)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (141)
More happenings
• April 13 – Track & Field: Terrance Trammell, Miki Barber jersey retirements
• April 15 – Gamecock Gala
• April 16 – Football Recruiting: Michael Wyman announcement
• April 23 – Augusta, Spurs Up Tour
• April 24 – Midlands, Spurs Up Tour
• April 29 – Lancaster, Spurs Up Tour
• April 30 – Greenville, Spurs Up Tour
• May 2 – York, Spurs Up Tour
• May 4 – Baseball: Earl Bass jersey retirement
• May 7 – Sumter, Spurs Up Tour
• May 8 – Myrtle Beach, Spurs Up Tour
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
• May 18 – SC Legends Camp
Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including specific locations and ticket prices, will be announced as it becomes available.
