B
Brian Shoemaker
Guest
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Gamecock Nation Today
- Wednesday, May 22, 2019 -
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
The baseball team lost to LSU, 8-6, in the SEC Tournament to end its season.
We're 101 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
1. ⚾ USC's season ends with loss to LSU
The Gamecocks dropped Tuesday’s game to No. 5-seeded LSU 8-6, ending a season marred with struggle and more losing than most every team the Gamecocks (28-28, 8-23 SEC) have had since joining the SEC in 1992.
It’s the fewest SEC wins in school history and the .500 mark is the worst since they went 25-28 in 1996.
Starter Cam Tringali, on limited rest and a strict pitch count, gave his team enough through three innings, giving up three runs on four hits before turning it over to the bullpen that ultimately gave up the lead.
South Carolina's bullpen combined to give up five runs on five in the five innings after Tringali left, pitching the majority freshmen as they seemed to run out of gas towards the end.
The Gamecocks couldn’t muster much in terms of run production outside the second inning, getting one more run—a sac fly from TJ Hopkins—and couldn’t really figure out the Tigers’ bullpen.
They’d finish with six runs on eight hits but stranded nine batters.
Mark Kingston: “The results on the scoreboard weren’t what we wanted most of the year but what I told them is they kept their self-respect, their attitude and never waivered. They played hard, but they didn’t well enough often enough. They never embarrassed themselves and never didn’t give 100 percent. The lesson they learned this year that they’ll take with them the rest of their lives is no matter how tough it is, you don’t give in. They didn’t give in but we just didn’t play good enough baseball on a lot of days.”
– Collyn Taylor
2. Opposing wide receivers
It’s been well documented that South Carolina’s 2019 football slate is extremely difficult – arguably the hardest schedule in the country. Throughout the course of the challenging season, the Gamecocks will face some of the best players in the country.
This series looks at the five best players USC will face in 2019, position-by-position. We continue with wide receivers, which we will list in alphabetical order.
• Jerry Jeudy, Alabama – South Florida swagger; that’s what Jeudy brings to the receiver position. He’s impossibly quick, capable of taking a slant pass and making something big out of it, and also has the speed to get past defenders on deep routes. Trying to tackle him in the open field can be an adventure.
• Tee Higgins, Clemson – A tall receiver with outstanding ball skills, Higgins is a former standout high school basketball player who was ranked as a five-star out of the state of Tennessee. He’s a bigtime threat in the red zone or in the vertical passing game.
• Justyn Ross, Clemson – Simply put, perhaps the freakiest receiver USC will see this season. Ross is a matchup nightmare with his reach, body control, and athleticism. He didn’t start regularly last season and still put up a huge year, including a standout performance against Alabama in the national title game.
• Henry Ruggs, Alabama – It was reported in the offseason that Ruggs turned in a 40 time in the 4.2 second range in Tuscaloosa. He has big-time speed and playmaking ability and is just another playmaker that the Gamecocks will have to deal with in 2019.
• Jaylen Waddle, Alabama – Waddle is going to cause issues for teams this season as a receiver and also on special teams, where he’s capable of housing punts. He was the conference’s freshman of the year, and 30 of his 45 catches went for first downs or touchdowns. He’s a big-play threat, no doubt.
– Chris Clark
3. This, that, and the other
Men's Basketball: Martin participates in leadership discussion series - Frank Martin was the first speaker in a newly formed four-part leadership discussion series, a year-long collaboration between USC and Shaw Air Force Base. (link)
Football: Season-ticket sales up 17 percent - The South Carolina football program is enjoying its best ticket renewal rate in the last three years. (link)
Football Recruiting: Carolina Confidential - Recruiting notes on South Carolina targets Javion Cohen, Marshawn Lloyd, and more. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Assessing the 2021 quarterback offers - Taking an early look at the South Carolina's 2021 quarterback board. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Scouting Gamecocks commit Mohamed Kaba - What stands out about the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder? Check out his film and Gamecock Central's breakdown. (subscription)
Men's Golf: Stachler named CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 - Senior Ryan Stachler was recently named to 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-District 4 Men's At-Large Team. It's the first career academic all-district selection for the Alpharetta, Ga., native. (link)
Women's Tennis: Horvit and Martins advance to second round - The women's tennis doubles team of senior Ingrid Martins and junior Mia Horvit advanced to the second round of the NCAA Doubles Championship with a victory on Tuesday. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
May 22, 1981 – First baseman Jim Curl set two school records in a 15-6 win over Temple in the first game of the NCAA East Regional.
5. Birthdays!
LB Dantzler - An honorable mention junior college All-American at Manatee-Sarasota, Dantzler signed with Carolina and started all 69 games during the 2012 season. He hit .262 and tied for the team lead in doubles (15) and was second in homers (10). He was named to the NCAA All-Regional team that year and among his heroics was a walk-off single to defeat Clemson, 5-4, in the regional. He also had a game-winning RBI against Tennessee and slugged .458 in the College World Series. He also earned notoriety as his pet fish Reptar became a mascot of sorts for the 2012 squad. Dantzler moved from third to first for the 2013 season and led the team in slugging, doubles, home runs, RBI and OPS. He was also named Academic All-American of the Year by CoSIDA. He was drafted in the 14th round by the Toronto Blue Jays and played in their organization from 2013 through 2016.
Jeremy Burgess (football/center, 2004-07)
Riley Hogan (baseball/first base, 2017-18)
Cory Lewis (men's soccer/midfielder, 2006-07)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 3 – MLB Draft, Day 1 (12 days)
• June 4 – MLB Draft, Day 2 (13)
• June 5 – MLB Draft, Day 3 (14)
• June 6 – Football: One-day camp (15)
• June 7 – Football: One-day camp (16)
• June 8 – Football: One-day camp (17)
• June 13 – Football: OL/DL camps (22)
• June 13 – Football: 7-on-7 passing tourney (22)
• June 14 – Football: OL/DL camps (23)
• June 14 – Football: 7-on-7 passing tourney (23)
• June 15 – Football: One-day camp (24)
• June 19 – Football: One-day camp (28)
• June 20 – Football: One-day camp (29)
• June 21 – Football: One-day camp (30)
• June 22 – Football: One-day camp (31)
• June 22 – Football: Specialists camp (31)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (54)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (55)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (56)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (57)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (59)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (101)
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecock Nation Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
Gamecock Nation Today
- Wednesday, May 22, 2019 -
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
The baseball team lost to LSU, 8-6, in the SEC Tournament to end its season.
We're 101 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
1. ⚾ USC's season ends with loss to LSU
The Gamecocks dropped Tuesday’s game to No. 5-seeded LSU 8-6, ending a season marred with struggle and more losing than most every team the Gamecocks (28-28, 8-23 SEC) have had since joining the SEC in 1992.
It’s the fewest SEC wins in school history and the .500 mark is the worst since they went 25-28 in 1996.
Starter Cam Tringali, on limited rest and a strict pitch count, gave his team enough through three innings, giving up three runs on four hits before turning it over to the bullpen that ultimately gave up the lead.
South Carolina's bullpen combined to give up five runs on five in the five innings after Tringali left, pitching the majority freshmen as they seemed to run out of gas towards the end.
The Gamecocks couldn’t muster much in terms of run production outside the second inning, getting one more run—a sac fly from TJ Hopkins—and couldn’t really figure out the Tigers’ bullpen.
They’d finish with six runs on eight hits but stranded nine batters.
Mark Kingston: “The results on the scoreboard weren’t what we wanted most of the year but what I told them is they kept their self-respect, their attitude and never waivered. They played hard, but they didn’t well enough often enough. They never embarrassed themselves and never didn’t give 100 percent. The lesson they learned this year that they’ll take with them the rest of their lives is no matter how tough it is, you don’t give in. They didn’t give in but we just didn’t play good enough baseball on a lot of days.”
– Collyn Taylor
2. Opposing wide receivers
It’s been well documented that South Carolina’s 2019 football slate is extremely difficult – arguably the hardest schedule in the country. Throughout the course of the challenging season, the Gamecocks will face some of the best players in the country.
This series looks at the five best players USC will face in 2019, position-by-position. We continue with wide receivers, which we will list in alphabetical order.
• Jerry Jeudy, Alabama – South Florida swagger; that’s what Jeudy brings to the receiver position. He’s impossibly quick, capable of taking a slant pass and making something big out of it, and also has the speed to get past defenders on deep routes. Trying to tackle him in the open field can be an adventure.
• Tee Higgins, Clemson – A tall receiver with outstanding ball skills, Higgins is a former standout high school basketball player who was ranked as a five-star out of the state of Tennessee. He’s a bigtime threat in the red zone or in the vertical passing game.
• Justyn Ross, Clemson – Simply put, perhaps the freakiest receiver USC will see this season. Ross is a matchup nightmare with his reach, body control, and athleticism. He didn’t start regularly last season and still put up a huge year, including a standout performance against Alabama in the national title game.
• Henry Ruggs, Alabama – It was reported in the offseason that Ruggs turned in a 40 time in the 4.2 second range in Tuscaloosa. He has big-time speed and playmaking ability and is just another playmaker that the Gamecocks will have to deal with in 2019.
• Jaylen Waddle, Alabama – Waddle is going to cause issues for teams this season as a receiver and also on special teams, where he’s capable of housing punts. He was the conference’s freshman of the year, and 30 of his 45 catches went for first downs or touchdowns. He’s a big-play threat, no doubt.
– Chris Clark
3. This, that, and the other
Men's Basketball: Martin participates in leadership discussion series - Frank Martin was the first speaker in a newly formed four-part leadership discussion series, a year-long collaboration between USC and Shaw Air Force Base. (link)
Football: Season-ticket sales up 17 percent - The South Carolina football program is enjoying its best ticket renewal rate in the last three years. (link)
Football Recruiting: Carolina Confidential - Recruiting notes on South Carolina targets Javion Cohen, Marshawn Lloyd, and more. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Assessing the 2021 quarterback offers - Taking an early look at the South Carolina's 2021 quarterback board. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Scouting Gamecocks commit Mohamed Kaba - What stands out about the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder? Check out his film and Gamecock Central's breakdown. (subscription)
Men's Golf: Stachler named CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 - Senior Ryan Stachler was recently named to 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-District 4 Men's At-Large Team. It's the first career academic all-district selection for the Alpharetta, Ga., native. (link)
Women's Tennis: Horvit and Martins advance to second round - The women's tennis doubles team of senior Ingrid Martins and junior Mia Horvit advanced to the second round of the NCAA Doubles Championship with a victory on Tuesday. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
May 22, 1981 – First baseman Jim Curl set two school records in a 15-6 win over Temple in the first game of the NCAA East Regional.
- Curl, who hit two home runs and drove in six in the win over the Owls, broke marks for most RBI in a season (68) and career home runs.
- He would finish the season with 75 RBI and 33 career homers.
- Curl and catcher Rob Lowry both had three hits, while Dennis Lubert survived some shaky innings to pick up the win.
- Carolina took an early 4-0 lead following one of Curl's homers, then after falling behind 5-4 rallied in the eighth to take an 8-5 lead and never looked back.
- Second baseman Jamey Thaw also had a two-run home run as USC advanced to the winner's bracket to take on Memphis State.
5. Birthdays!
LB Dantzler - An honorable mention junior college All-American at Manatee-Sarasota, Dantzler signed with Carolina and started all 69 games during the 2012 season. He hit .262 and tied for the team lead in doubles (15) and was second in homers (10). He was named to the NCAA All-Regional team that year and among his heroics was a walk-off single to defeat Clemson, 5-4, in the regional. He also had a game-winning RBI against Tennessee and slugged .458 in the College World Series. He also earned notoriety as his pet fish Reptar became a mascot of sorts for the 2012 squad. Dantzler moved from third to first for the 2013 season and led the team in slugging, doubles, home runs, RBI and OPS. He was also named Academic All-American of the Year by CoSIDA. He was drafted in the 14th round by the Toronto Blue Jays and played in their organization from 2013 through 2016.
Jeremy Burgess (football/center, 2004-07)
Riley Hogan (baseball/first base, 2017-18)
Cory Lewis (men's soccer/midfielder, 2006-07)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 3 – MLB Draft, Day 1 (12 days)
• June 4 – MLB Draft, Day 2 (13)
• June 5 – MLB Draft, Day 3 (14)
• June 6 – Football: One-day camp (15)
• June 7 – Football: One-day camp (16)
• June 8 – Football: One-day camp (17)
• June 13 – Football: OL/DL camps (22)
• June 13 – Football: 7-on-7 passing tourney (22)
• June 14 – Football: OL/DL camps (23)
• June 14 – Football: 7-on-7 passing tourney (23)
• June 15 – Football: One-day camp (24)
• June 19 – Football: One-day camp (28)
• June 20 – Football: One-day camp (29)
• June 21 – Football: One-day camp (30)
• June 22 – Football: One-day camp (31)
• June 22 – Football: Specialists camp (31)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (54)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (55)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (56)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (57)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (59)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (101)
