B
Brian Shoemaker
Guest
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Gamecock Nation Today
Monday, April 22, 2019
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
The women's tennis team beat No. 1-ranked Georgia to win the SEC Tournament!
• On Tuesday, the baseball team plays Charleston Southern in a neutral-site game in North Augusta. This weekend, the Gamecocks play three games at Missouri.
• The Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp begins this week with stops in Augusta on Tuesday and Columbia on Wednesday. Event info can be found here.
1. Spring review: DL rundown – interior players
South Carolina put a bow on spring football earlier this month with the Garnet & Black Game inside Williams-Brice Stadium. In this series, Gamecock Central takes a look at where things stand at each position now that spring ball is over. Today's focus is the interior defensive line.
• The feel within the program here is that this group should feature the most depth on the interior since Will Muschamp has been the coach at South Carolina. There is more talent and to be quite frank, more available bodies. New staff addition John Scott Jr. has seemed to garner positive reviews as well.
• This unit will be bolstered tremendously by the return of Javon Kinlaw. He sat out spring football, but the Goose Creek product has certainly shown what he can do at times. If he can stay healthy and put together a big senior season, it’d be a boost to this defense.
• A couple of other very experienced players return on the interior as well in Kobe Smith, who’s a nose guard, and Keir Thomas, who’s capable of playing inside and outside. Both have played a lot of football in Columbia.
• Sophomore Rick Sandidge had an excellent spring by all accounts and should be a big factor this year at defensive tackle. He played plenty – more than expected – as a true freshman in 2018.
• Jabari Ellis, who transferred in last year from junior college, got off to a rockier start due to his late arrival and being limited with injury upon enrollment. He still played a bit last season, but was able to preserve his redshirt. He looked like a new man in spring ball and should be in position to help substantially this season.
• True freshman Zacch Pickens played mostly inside during spring football, and while he was limited at times with a hamstring, showed the physical traits that made him a five-star recruit. As he continues to progress, he should see the field in year one.
• Another newcomer, JUCO transfer Devontae Davis, can work inside or outside and was mentally “swimming” a bit during spring, but has a lot of traits the staff likes. His progression is a storyline to watch as well.
• Tyreek Johnson worked inside last year and sat out this spring recovering from an ACL injury. He was one of the surprises of the preseason last year prior to sustaining the knee injury, so he could be worth keeping an eye on going forward.
• Griffin Gentry has worked at BUCK and end during his career but played inside during spring football.
• Four-star Jaquaze Sorrells, who signed with the Gamecocks in February, will be on campus this summer and participate in preseason camp later this year.
• Related: Gamecock Football Scholarship Chart
– Chris Clark
2. ⚾ Baseball: Gamecocks lose another series
• The Gamecocks lost two of three to Texas A&M, marking the sixth-straight SEC series they’ve lost this season. They’re now 23-17 and 5-13 in SEC play.
• With the postseason all but out of reach, it's getting dicey for the Gamecocks to even make the SEC Tournament. Only 12 teams make it and right now the Gamecocks are in the final spot for the conference tournament, a game up on Alabama and Kentucky.
• It was another rough weekend for the Gamecocks offensively against one of the conference’s top pitching staffs, hitting .167/.294/.397 and averaging 2.67 runs over 23 innings. They left 19 runners on base.
• After a 3-2 win in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, T.J. Shook picked up his third win of the year while Brett Kerry threw three scoreless innings to notch his fifth save as a freshman.
• Game 1 story, photos | Game 2 story, photos | Game 3 story, photos
• Gamecocks 'tried just about everything' to get back on track - The South Carolina baseball coaching staff is trying to find new ways to get some positives out of this season. (link)
• Up next: South Carolina hits the road for the third neutral-site midweek game of the season, playing Charleston Southern at SRP Park in North Augusta Tuesday at 7 p.m.
• Baseball Links: News | SEC Standings | Schedule | Statistics | Polls
– Collyn Taylor
3. This, that, and the other
Women's Tennis: Gamecocks win first SEC Tournament in program history - The South Carolina women's tennis team claimed its first SEC Tournament in program history after defeating No. 1 Georgia, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon. (link)
Women's Golf: Gamecocks drop 2019 SEC Championship match - It took four playoff holes to decide, with the No. 11 South Carolina women's golf team falling just short against Ole Miss. (link)
Baseball Recruiting: One of Gamecocks' newest JUCO commits has 'all the tools' - South Carolina delved into the junior college ranks recently, picking up three commitments. The first was Jeff Heinrich, whose coach says the versatile defender and big bat has the skill set to step in right away and make an impact at the next level. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Scouting newest wide receiver commit Michael Wyman - South Carolina landed a key commitment from Greensboro, N.C., four-star wide receiver Michael Wyman last week, the second receiver commit to its 2020 class. Check out his highlight video and some analysis of him as a player. (subscription)
Men's Tennis: SEC Championship
Friday: Gamecocks upset No. 11 Texas A&M, advance to semifinal match (link)
Saturday: USC's tournament run ends with semifinal loss to No. 6 MSU (link)
Beach Volleyball: CCSA Championship
Friday: USC splits conference tournament's opening day (link)
Saturday: USC bows out of CCSA Championship in the quarterfinal round (link)
Softball: Gamecocks sweep UNCG doubleheader - The softball team swept a doubleheader over UNCG on Saturday. The Gamecocks started the day with a 6-3 victory against the Spartans before closing with 9-4 win to earn their 24th-consecutive non-conference victory. (link)
Track & Field: Gamecocks celebrate Senior Day, win 14 events at USC Outdoor Open - The track & field team celebrated its seniors and earned 14 event victories at the season's final competition in Columbia. (link)
Equestrian: Gamecocks fall in finale to Auburn - The Equitation on the Flat team fell, 4-0, to Auburn in the championship round on Saturday at the NCEA Championships. The Gamecocks also had their Horsemanship and Reining teams advance to the semifinals. (link)
Grayson Greiner - The former Gamecock catcher hit his first career major league home run over the weekend. (tweet)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
April 22, 2000 – No. 1 USC relied on the long ball in a doubleheader sweep of Kentucky.
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
John Dantonio – Dantonio was one of the first true freshmen to play a lot in the 1970s, with his top game in 1975 coming against Appalachian State when he had 10 tackles and one for a loss. He also recovered a fumble against Duke on the punt coverage team and had an interception in USC’s upset of No. 18 Baylor. Dantonio was a top backup in 1976 and had two tackles for loss against Clemson in the regular-season finale. He took over as a starter in 1977, and against East Carolina, he had nine tackles, three for losses, a sack and a fumble recovery. Dantonio also had two tackles for loss against Georgia Tech and was fourth on the team in tackles that year. He was named second-team All-South Independent in 1978 while finishing fourth in tackles and second in tackles for loss. Dantonio’s younger brother, Mark, also played for the Gamecocks and his cousin Dennis Franks played for Michigan. He lives in northern Virginia now.
• Joe Addison (football/long snapper, 1984-88)
• Charlie Aldrich (baseball/1B-OF, 1985-87)
• Brian Elam (football/cornerback, 1999-02)
• Michael Flint (football/wide receiver, 2001-05)
• Sadarius Hutcherson (football/offensive line, 2016-18)
• Rachiem Monroe (football/cornerback, 2000-03)
Gamecock Central birthdays (Thursday-today)
• @mtp4usc (member since 2002)
• @douggainey (member since 2002)
• @rcorley18 (member since 2003)
• @LakelandGamecock (member since 2004)
• @gamecockinNoVa (member since 2004)
• @hobcaw (member since 2005)
• @bengoshi73 (member since 2006)
• @jefferyming (member since 2007)
• @sportsmommy74 (member since 2012)
• @cockstothatop09 (member since 2015)
• @78 Yardcock (member since 2015)
If you have a Gamecock Central account, you can add your birthday here.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (3 days)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (16)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (29)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (84)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (89)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (131)
More happenings
• 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 8 – Marion Gamecock Club meeting
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
• May 18 – SC Legends Baseball Camp
Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including locations and ticket prices, can be found here.
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecock Nation Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
Gamecock Nation Today
Monday, April 22, 2019
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
The women's tennis team beat No. 1-ranked Georgia to win the SEC Tournament!
• On Tuesday, the baseball team plays Charleston Southern in a neutral-site game in North Augusta. This weekend, the Gamecocks play three games at Missouri.
• The Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp begins this week with stops in Augusta on Tuesday and Columbia on Wednesday. Event info can be found here.
1. Spring review: DL rundown – interior players
South Carolina put a bow on spring football earlier this month with the Garnet & Black Game inside Williams-Brice Stadium. In this series, Gamecock Central takes a look at where things stand at each position now that spring ball is over. Today's focus is the interior defensive line.
• The feel within the program here is that this group should feature the most depth on the interior since Will Muschamp has been the coach at South Carolina. There is more talent and to be quite frank, more available bodies. New staff addition John Scott Jr. has seemed to garner positive reviews as well.
• This unit will be bolstered tremendously by the return of Javon Kinlaw. He sat out spring football, but the Goose Creek product has certainly shown what he can do at times. If he can stay healthy and put together a big senior season, it’d be a boost to this defense.
• A couple of other very experienced players return on the interior as well in Kobe Smith, who’s a nose guard, and Keir Thomas, who’s capable of playing inside and outside. Both have played a lot of football in Columbia.
• Sophomore Rick Sandidge had an excellent spring by all accounts and should be a big factor this year at defensive tackle. He played plenty – more than expected – as a true freshman in 2018.
• Jabari Ellis, who transferred in last year from junior college, got off to a rockier start due to his late arrival and being limited with injury upon enrollment. He still played a bit last season, but was able to preserve his redshirt. He looked like a new man in spring ball and should be in position to help substantially this season.
• True freshman Zacch Pickens played mostly inside during spring football, and while he was limited at times with a hamstring, showed the physical traits that made him a five-star recruit. As he continues to progress, he should see the field in year one.
• Another newcomer, JUCO transfer Devontae Davis, can work inside or outside and was mentally “swimming” a bit during spring, but has a lot of traits the staff likes. His progression is a storyline to watch as well.
• Tyreek Johnson worked inside last year and sat out this spring recovering from an ACL injury. He was one of the surprises of the preseason last year prior to sustaining the knee injury, so he could be worth keeping an eye on going forward.
• Griffin Gentry has worked at BUCK and end during his career but played inside during spring football.
• Four-star Jaquaze Sorrells, who signed with the Gamecocks in February, will be on campus this summer and participate in preseason camp later this year.
• Related: Gamecock Football Scholarship Chart
– Chris Clark
2. ⚾ Baseball: Gamecocks lose another series
• The Gamecocks lost two of three to Texas A&M, marking the sixth-straight SEC series they’ve lost this season. They’re now 23-17 and 5-13 in SEC play.
• With the postseason all but out of reach, it's getting dicey for the Gamecocks to even make the SEC Tournament. Only 12 teams make it and right now the Gamecocks are in the final spot for the conference tournament, a game up on Alabama and Kentucky.
• It was another rough weekend for the Gamecocks offensively against one of the conference’s top pitching staffs, hitting .167/.294/.397 and averaging 2.67 runs over 23 innings. They left 19 runners on base.
• After a 3-2 win in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, T.J. Shook picked up his third win of the year while Brett Kerry threw three scoreless innings to notch his fifth save as a freshman.
• Game 1 story, photos | Game 2 story, photos | Game 3 story, photos
• Gamecocks 'tried just about everything' to get back on track - The South Carolina baseball coaching staff is trying to find new ways to get some positives out of this season. (link)
• Up next: South Carolina hits the road for the third neutral-site midweek game of the season, playing Charleston Southern at SRP Park in North Augusta Tuesday at 7 p.m.
• Baseball Links: News | SEC Standings | Schedule | Statistics | Polls
– Collyn Taylor
3. This, that, and the other
Women's Tennis: Gamecocks win first SEC Tournament in program history - The South Carolina women's tennis team claimed its first SEC Tournament in program history after defeating No. 1 Georgia, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon. (link)
Women's Golf: Gamecocks drop 2019 SEC Championship match - It took four playoff holes to decide, with the No. 11 South Carolina women's golf team falling just short against Ole Miss. (link)
Baseball Recruiting: One of Gamecocks' newest JUCO commits has 'all the tools' - South Carolina delved into the junior college ranks recently, picking up three commitments. The first was Jeff Heinrich, whose coach says the versatile defender and big bat has the skill set to step in right away and make an impact at the next level. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Scouting newest wide receiver commit Michael Wyman - South Carolina landed a key commitment from Greensboro, N.C., four-star wide receiver Michael Wyman last week, the second receiver commit to its 2020 class. Check out his highlight video and some analysis of him as a player. (subscription)
Men's Tennis: SEC Championship
Friday: Gamecocks upset No. 11 Texas A&M, advance to semifinal match (link)
Saturday: USC's tournament run ends with semifinal loss to No. 6 MSU (link)
Beach Volleyball: CCSA Championship
Friday: USC splits conference tournament's opening day (link)
Saturday: USC bows out of CCSA Championship in the quarterfinal round (link)
Softball: Gamecocks sweep UNCG doubleheader - The softball team swept a doubleheader over UNCG on Saturday. The Gamecocks started the day with a 6-3 victory against the Spartans before closing with 9-4 win to earn their 24th-consecutive non-conference victory. (link)
Track & Field: Gamecocks celebrate Senior Day, win 14 events at USC Outdoor Open - The track & field team celebrated its seniors and earned 14 event victories at the season's final competition in Columbia. (link)
Equestrian: Gamecocks fall in finale to Auburn - The Equitation on the Flat team fell, 4-0, to Auburn in the championship round on Saturday at the NCEA Championships. The Gamecocks also had their Horsemanship and Reining teams advance to the semifinals. (link)
Grayson Greiner - The former Gamecock catcher hit his first career major league home run over the weekend. (tweet)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
April 22, 2000 – No. 1 USC relied on the long ball in a doubleheader sweep of Kentucky.
- The top-ranked Gamecocks took Game One 15-5 as catcher Brandon Pack homered twice.
- Nate Janowicz, Trey Dyson, Tripp Kelly and Chris Plummer also cleared the fences.
- Kip Bouknight improved to 12-0 on the year with the win.
- Scott Barber picked up his ninth save by pitching three scoreless innings of relief.
- Game Two was closer, as Carolina edged the Wildcats 11-10 in 10 innings.
- Pack, Dyson, Kelly and Marcus McBeth all hit home runs in the second game.
- Reliever John Wesley picked up the win.
- Barber came out of the bullpen again to record his second save of the day.
- The victories were USC's 14th and 15th straight as the team improved to 40-4 on the year.
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
John Dantonio – Dantonio was one of the first true freshmen to play a lot in the 1970s, with his top game in 1975 coming against Appalachian State when he had 10 tackles and one for a loss. He also recovered a fumble against Duke on the punt coverage team and had an interception in USC’s upset of No. 18 Baylor. Dantonio was a top backup in 1976 and had two tackles for loss against Clemson in the regular-season finale. He took over as a starter in 1977, and against East Carolina, he had nine tackles, three for losses, a sack and a fumble recovery. Dantonio also had two tackles for loss against Georgia Tech and was fourth on the team in tackles that year. He was named second-team All-South Independent in 1978 while finishing fourth in tackles and second in tackles for loss. Dantonio’s younger brother, Mark, also played for the Gamecocks and his cousin Dennis Franks played for Michigan. He lives in northern Virginia now.
• Joe Addison (football/long snapper, 1984-88)
• Charlie Aldrich (baseball/1B-OF, 1985-87)
• Brian Elam (football/cornerback, 1999-02)
• Michael Flint (football/wide receiver, 2001-05)
• Sadarius Hutcherson (football/offensive line, 2016-18)
• Rachiem Monroe (football/cornerback, 2000-03)
Gamecock Central birthdays (Thursday-today)
• @mtp4usc (member since 2002)
• @douggainey (member since 2002)
• @rcorley18 (member since 2003)
• @LakelandGamecock (member since 2004)
• @gamecockinNoVa (member since 2004)
• @hobcaw (member since 2005)
• @bengoshi73 (member since 2006)
• @jefferyming (member since 2007)
• @sportsmommy74 (member since 2012)
• @cockstothatop09 (member since 2015)
• @78 Yardcock (member since 2015)
If you have a Gamecock Central account, you can add your birthday here.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (3 days)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (16)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (29)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (84)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (89)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (131)
More happenings
• 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 8 – Marion Gamecock Club meeting
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
• May 18 – SC Legends Baseball Camp
Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including locations and ticket prices, can be found here.
