B
Brian Shoemaker
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Gamecock Nation Today
Monday, April 1, 2019
Good morning. Monday is expected to be a slow day with no games on the schedule. The football team doesn't have a spring practice, but selected defensive players will speak with the media at 11; USC returns to the practice fields Tuesday morning.
Correction. In Friday's newsletter, we incorrectly reported Brad Johnson's age. Johnson is 19 and will turn 20 in August. We apologize for the error.
Ryan Hilinski/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Three interesting things Will Muschamp said this weekend
Speaking to the media Saturday following South Carolina's second scrimmage of the spring, head coach Will Muschamp discussed the progress of his team so far with two spring practices and a spring game to go.
Muschamp is genuinely excited about the depth on the OL and DL
• Rattling off the names of several young players on the defensive line and offensive line to go along with their veteran counterparts, Muschamp seems genuinely excited about how far the team has progressed on the line of scrimmage.
• Muschamp mentioned by name Zacch Pickens, Joseph Anderson and Rodricus Fitten as young defensive linemen that have caught his attention to go along with young offensive linemen Hank Manos, Jovaughn Gwyn, Chandler Farrell, Jordan Rhodes and Eric Douglas. Add them in with the veteran returners Carolina has, and Muschamp likes his depth for the first time since arriving three years ago.
• Muschamp says: "We've come a long way up front, really on both lines of scrimmage. You're starting to talk about fast-twitch athletes on both side of the ball that can excel and that's got me excited about where we are at this point."
South Carolina's young QBs will be "live" in the spring game
• While it's common for coaches to protect their quarterbacks from getting hit in practice, Muschamp wants to put his inexperienced quarterbacks in "live" situations, meaning they can be hit just like their teammates.
• Redshirt sophomore Jay Urich, redshirt freshman Dakereon Joyner and freshman Ryan Hilinski continue to battle for the No. 2 quarterback spot with no leader among the bunch, according to Muschamp.
• Muschamp says: "Under duress, making decisions, ball security, we've been thudding them in the pocket and outside the pocket, we've made them live. We've done that both Saturdays and will be like that in the spring game. ... I would say that there's been some shining moments here and there throughout the first 12 days for all three guys involved and we've got to continue to move forward."
Core of young defensive backs has impressed
• With three starters from last year's secondary gone, South Carolina has limited numbers at defensive back this spring, until a group of four talented freshmen arrive this summer. But Muschamp has been impressed with what he's seen from his group this spring.
• The sophomore trio of Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu and R.J. Roderick gives the staff a core group to build from for the next couple of years. Muschamp praises their "competitive edge" and ability to compete every day.
• Safeties J.T. Ibe and Jaylin Dickerson have also made strides, according to Muschamp. Junior Jamyest Williams is banned from contact right now as his shoulder injury heals, but is still able to go through most drills.
• Senior A.J. Turner is primarily playing running back, but still works for two periods at defensive back in practice.
• Muschamp says: "I've been very pleased with where they've some this spring as far as their development. ... I think we've made some progress. We may be numbers-wise thing, but we've got some quality players. We've improved ourselves.
Related:
Why Mike Peterson wants his players to eat - yes, eat - fast – South Carolina assistant coach Mike Peterson has a certain way he wants his players to operate, both on and off the field, and it extends to just about every activity in their daily lives. (link)
– Wes Mitchell
2. Some upcoming events around Gamecock Nation
• Charlotte Baseball Happy Hour – South Carolina plays N.C. State in Charlotte at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and the Charlotte Gamecock Club is hosting a happy hour at Haymaker restaurant. It begins at 5, is free to attend and Ray Tanner is expected to make a guest appearance.
• Swearinger charity basketball game – D.J. Swearinger is holding a charity basketball game on April 6 to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands. Some of the players expected to participate are Stephon Gilmore, Melvin Ingram, Pharoh Cooper, Hayden Hurst, Bashaud Breeland (Green Bay Packers) and Antonio Hamilton (New York Giants). Former Gamecocks and SEC players will face former Clemson and SC State players. (link)
• Women's Soccer Fan Appreciation Clinic – Shelley Smith, coaches and players will hold a free clinic on April 10 as a 'thank you' to fans for all of their support last fall. (link)
• SC Legends Baseball Camp – Several former baseball players will hold a camp on Saturday, May 18. Expected coaches include Michael Roth, Matt Price, Scott Wingo, Joey Pankake, Brian Buscher and Trey Dyson. (link)
Do you have an event you would like mentioned in this newsletter? Click here or send an email to shoe@gamecockcentral.com.
Reid Morgan/Credit: Katie Dugan
3. This, that, and the other
Whit Merrifield (Kansas City Royals) has a 23-game hitting streak dating back to last season.
Men's Basketball: Cudd to transfer – Sophomore Jason Cudd will transfer from USC. The 7-foot-1, 263-pound center saw action in five games this season before a knee injury during a January practice cut short his season. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: Big official visitor – Jalyn McCreary from Legacy Charter in Greenville visited South Carolina this weekend. (subscription)
Women's Basketball: Baylor too much for Gamecocks – USC’s season came to an end Saturday with a 93-68 loss to Baylor in the Sweet 16. (link)
Football Recruiting: Big weekend with top targets on campus
• Desmond Evans has South Carolina firmly in mix after latest trip (subscription)
• In-state four-star goes in-depth with John Scott Jr. (subscription)
Baseball: USC loses series to Auburn
• Game 1: Gamecocks drop opener to Auburn (link)
• Game 2: Morgan dominates as Gamecocks even series (link)
• Game 3: Gamecocks lose Auburn rubber match (link)
• Game 1: USC lost the series opener at LSU, 8-5, on Friday. The Gamecocks tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fourth but the Tigers responded with four runs over the next two frames to help secure the win. (link)
• Game 2: USC overcame two deficits in a 7-5 victory over LSU on Saturday. The win marked Carolina's highest-ranked road victory since 2014. (link)
• Game 3: USC fell to LSU, 9-1, in six innings on Sunday. (link)
Track & Field: 2019 Florida Relays
• Day 1: USC opened its week at the 2019 Florida Relays late Thursday with five athletes competing in the 5000m. (link)
• Day 2: Three members of USC's 4x400m national champion squad laid down NCAA top-10 times in their outdoor quarter-miles debuts, and three additional Gamecocks logged new marks on the school's top-10 records list. (link)
• Day 3: USC's 4x400m relay squads rose to the occasion on Saturday night, putting an exclamation point on the team's week at the 2019 Florida Relays. The top highlight came from the women's quarter-milers, who posted the fastest time in the NCAA this season. (link)
Swimming & Diving: Nights 3 and 4 of NCAA Championships
• Night 3: USC's men had two individual All-America performances on the third night of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Itay Goldfaden earned All-American status in the 100 breaststroke while true freshman Anton Down-Jenkins qualified for the three-meter diving consolation final to earn All-America honors. (link)
• Night 4: USC finished with four total All-America performances from its men's team at the 2019 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Fynn Minuth earned recognition as an All-American in his second event of the week, finishing 14th in the 200 butterfly. (link)
Equestrian: Carolina earns multiple awards at SEC Championship – USC took home three MOP honors in its, 11-8, loss to Georgia on Saturday morning at the Hildebrand Equine Complex in the SEC Championship consolation round. (link)
Women's Tennis
• Friday: USC earned an SEC victory by blanking Texas A&M, 4-0. (link)
• Sunday: USC junior Silvia Chinellato clinched her second match of the weekend, winning the overall match for the Gamecocks, 4-0, against LSU. (link)
Men's Tennis
• Friday: USC dropped just its third home match in the past two seasons in a 5-2 loss to Texas A&M. (link)
• Saturday: USC finished off LSU with three singles victories in three-sets in a 5-2 win. The Gamecocks finish the season with a 12-2 home record. (link)
Beach Volleyball: Gamecocks edge Arizona State – USC ended the month of March on a high note, taking down Arizona State, 3-2, Sunday afternoon. (link)
USC-bound Messina brings Justin Smoak comparisons – Not since the days of former Stratford star Justin Smoak has the Lowcountry seen a display of power-hitting that Summerville sophomore catcher Cole Messina showcased over the last two weeks of the 2019 baseball season. (The Post and Courier)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
April 1, 2006 – A powerful USC offense blew out LSU, 18-4, to continue an eight-game winning streak.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Chris Cullen – Cullen was a second-team All-American as a high school senior and drafted by the Oakland A's, but enrolled at USC instead. He started 41 games as a true freshman at catcher, driving in 23 runs. Cullen was hampered by a knee injury as a sophomore but still hit .276 with five homers and 18 RBI in 34 games. Cullen moved full time to first base from catcher this season and had two hits in the win over Clemson on March 1.
• Coleman Harley (football/long snapper, 2011-14)
• Chris Randall (football/tight end, 1999)
• Kevin White (football/wide receiver, 2009-10)
• CC Whitlock (football/cornerback, 2008-11)
Gamecock Central birthdays, Saturday-Monday
• @gary9637 (member since 2002)
• @Paul Collins (2004)
• @03Alum (2016)
• @Grandparayray58 (2017)
• @usccocks31 (2018)
• @ButlerJ2 (2019)
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 6 – Football: Spring game (5 days)
• April 10 – Give 4 Garnet (9)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (24)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (37)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (50)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (105)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (110)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (152)
More happenings
• April 2 – Charlotte Pre-Baseball Happy Hour
• April 6 – Football: Alumni Game
• April 6 – Junior Gamecock Club Punt, Pass & Kick
• April 6 – DJ Swearinger Celebrity Basketball Game
• April 6 – Softball: Trinity Johnson jersey retirement
• April 10 – Women's Soccer: Fan Appreciation Clinic
• April 13 – Track & Field: Terrance Trammell, Miki Barber jersey retirements
• 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.
___________________________
Thank you for reading Gamecock Nation Today and being a part of the Gamecock Central community.
Customize: You get to choose which breaking news alerts and newsletters to receive from Gamecock Central.
Do you have something exciting you'd like to have mentioned in this newsletter? Click here or send an email to shoe@gamecockcentral.com.
– Brian Shoemaker
Celebrating 20 years! Established in 1998, Gamecock Central provides in-depth and insider coverage of Gamecock sports and recruiting, and is home to The Insiders Forum. Not a member of Gamecock Central? Subscribe here. Read what our members think about Gamecock Central.
NEED HELP? If you have a Gamecock Central account (free or pay) and cannot remember your password, please go to this link and enter your email address. If you don't receive an email from Rivals within five minutes, please alert me at shoe@gamecockcentral.com. The password needs to be at least nine characters, including at least one number.
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 1, 2019
Good morning. Monday is expected to be a slow day with no games on the schedule. The football team doesn't have a spring practice, but selected defensive players will speak with the media at 11; USC returns to the practice fields Tuesday morning.
Correction. In Friday's newsletter, we incorrectly reported Brad Johnson's age. Johnson is 19 and will turn 20 in August. We apologize for the error.
Ryan Hilinski/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Three interesting things Will Muschamp said this weekend
Speaking to the media Saturday following South Carolina's second scrimmage of the spring, head coach Will Muschamp discussed the progress of his team so far with two spring practices and a spring game to go.
Muschamp is genuinely excited about the depth on the OL and DL
• Rattling off the names of several young players on the defensive line and offensive line to go along with their veteran counterparts, Muschamp seems genuinely excited about how far the team has progressed on the line of scrimmage.
• Muschamp mentioned by name Zacch Pickens, Joseph Anderson and Rodricus Fitten as young defensive linemen that have caught his attention to go along with young offensive linemen Hank Manos, Jovaughn Gwyn, Chandler Farrell, Jordan Rhodes and Eric Douglas. Add them in with the veteran returners Carolina has, and Muschamp likes his depth for the first time since arriving three years ago.
• Muschamp says: "We've come a long way up front, really on both lines of scrimmage. You're starting to talk about fast-twitch athletes on both side of the ball that can excel and that's got me excited about where we are at this point."
South Carolina's young QBs will be "live" in the spring game
• While it's common for coaches to protect their quarterbacks from getting hit in practice, Muschamp wants to put his inexperienced quarterbacks in "live" situations, meaning they can be hit just like their teammates.
• Redshirt sophomore Jay Urich, redshirt freshman Dakereon Joyner and freshman Ryan Hilinski continue to battle for the No. 2 quarterback spot with no leader among the bunch, according to Muschamp.
• Muschamp says: "Under duress, making decisions, ball security, we've been thudding them in the pocket and outside the pocket, we've made them live. We've done that both Saturdays and will be like that in the spring game. ... I would say that there's been some shining moments here and there throughout the first 12 days for all three guys involved and we've got to continue to move forward."
Core of young defensive backs has impressed
• With three starters from last year's secondary gone, South Carolina has limited numbers at defensive back this spring, until a group of four talented freshmen arrive this summer. But Muschamp has been impressed with what he's seen from his group this spring.
• The sophomore trio of Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu and R.J. Roderick gives the staff a core group to build from for the next couple of years. Muschamp praises their "competitive edge" and ability to compete every day.
• Safeties J.T. Ibe and Jaylin Dickerson have also made strides, according to Muschamp. Junior Jamyest Williams is banned from contact right now as his shoulder injury heals, but is still able to go through most drills.
• Senior A.J. Turner is primarily playing running back, but still works for two periods at defensive back in practice.
• Muschamp says: "I've been very pleased with where they've some this spring as far as their development. ... I think we've made some progress. We may be numbers-wise thing, but we've got some quality players. We've improved ourselves.
Related:
Why Mike Peterson wants his players to eat - yes, eat - fast – South Carolina assistant coach Mike Peterson has a certain way he wants his players to operate, both on and off the field, and it extends to just about every activity in their daily lives. (link)
– Wes Mitchell
2. Some upcoming events around Gamecock Nation
• Charlotte Baseball Happy Hour – South Carolina plays N.C. State in Charlotte at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and the Charlotte Gamecock Club is hosting a happy hour at Haymaker restaurant. It begins at 5, is free to attend and Ray Tanner is expected to make a guest appearance.
• Swearinger charity basketball game – D.J. Swearinger is holding a charity basketball game on April 6 to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands. Some of the players expected to participate are Stephon Gilmore, Melvin Ingram, Pharoh Cooper, Hayden Hurst, Bashaud Breeland (Green Bay Packers) and Antonio Hamilton (New York Giants). Former Gamecocks and SEC players will face former Clemson and SC State players. (link)
• Women's Soccer Fan Appreciation Clinic – Shelley Smith, coaches and players will hold a free clinic on April 10 as a 'thank you' to fans for all of their support last fall. (link)
• SC Legends Baseball Camp – Several former baseball players will hold a camp on Saturday, May 18. Expected coaches include Michael Roth, Matt Price, Scott Wingo, Joey Pankake, Brian Buscher and Trey Dyson. (link)
Do you have an event you would like mentioned in this newsletter? Click here or send an email to shoe@gamecockcentral.com.
Reid Morgan/Credit: Katie Dugan
3. This, that, and the other
Whit Merrifield (Kansas City Royals) has a 23-game hitting streak dating back to last season.
Men's Basketball: Cudd to transfer – Sophomore Jason Cudd will transfer from USC. The 7-foot-1, 263-pound center saw action in five games this season before a knee injury during a January practice cut short his season. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: Big official visitor – Jalyn McCreary from Legacy Charter in Greenville visited South Carolina this weekend. (subscription)
Women's Basketball: Baylor too much for Gamecocks – USC’s season came to an end Saturday with a 93-68 loss to Baylor in the Sweet 16. (link)
Football Recruiting: Big weekend with top targets on campus
• Desmond Evans has South Carolina firmly in mix after latest trip (subscription)
• In-state four-star goes in-depth with John Scott Jr. (subscription)
Baseball: USC loses series to Auburn
• Game 1: Gamecocks drop opener to Auburn (link)
• Game 2: Morgan dominates as Gamecocks even series (link)
• Game 3: Gamecocks lose Auburn rubber match (link)
- Related: USC didn't win Sunday, but shortstop George Callil made a highlight play. (link)
• Game 1: USC lost the series opener at LSU, 8-5, on Friday. The Gamecocks tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fourth but the Tigers responded with four runs over the next two frames to help secure the win. (link)
• Game 2: USC overcame two deficits in a 7-5 victory over LSU on Saturday. The win marked Carolina's highest-ranked road victory since 2014. (link)
• Game 3: USC fell to LSU, 9-1, in six innings on Sunday. (link)
Track & Field: 2019 Florida Relays
• Day 1: USC opened its week at the 2019 Florida Relays late Thursday with five athletes competing in the 5000m. (link)
• Day 2: Three members of USC's 4x400m national champion squad laid down NCAA top-10 times in their outdoor quarter-miles debuts, and three additional Gamecocks logged new marks on the school's top-10 records list. (link)
• Day 3: USC's 4x400m relay squads rose to the occasion on Saturday night, putting an exclamation point on the team's week at the 2019 Florida Relays. The top highlight came from the women's quarter-milers, who posted the fastest time in the NCAA this season. (link)
Swimming & Diving: Nights 3 and 4 of NCAA Championships
• Night 3: USC's men had two individual All-America performances on the third night of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Itay Goldfaden earned All-American status in the 100 breaststroke while true freshman Anton Down-Jenkins qualified for the three-meter diving consolation final to earn All-America honors. (link)
• Night 4: USC finished with four total All-America performances from its men's team at the 2019 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Fynn Minuth earned recognition as an All-American in his second event of the week, finishing 14th in the 200 butterfly. (link)
Equestrian: Carolina earns multiple awards at SEC Championship – USC took home three MOP honors in its, 11-8, loss to Georgia on Saturday morning at the Hildebrand Equine Complex in the SEC Championship consolation round. (link)
Women's Tennis
• Friday: USC earned an SEC victory by blanking Texas A&M, 4-0. (link)
• Sunday: USC junior Silvia Chinellato clinched her second match of the weekend, winning the overall match for the Gamecocks, 4-0, against LSU. (link)
Men's Tennis
• Friday: USC dropped just its third home match in the past two seasons in a 5-2 loss to Texas A&M. (link)
• Saturday: USC finished off LSU with three singles victories in three-sets in a 5-2 win. The Gamecocks finish the season with a 12-2 home record. (link)
Beach Volleyball: Gamecocks edge Arizona State – USC ended the month of March on a high note, taking down Arizona State, 3-2, Sunday afternoon. (link)
USC-bound Messina brings Justin Smoak comparisons – Not since the days of former Stratford star Justin Smoak has the Lowcountry seen a display of power-hitting that Summerville sophomore catcher Cole Messina showcased over the last two weeks of the 2019 baseball season. (The Post and Courier)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
April 1, 2006 – A powerful USC offense blew out LSU, 18-4, to continue an eight-game winning streak.
- The Gamecocks had outscored opponents 91-23 during that streak and batted .365.
- USC jumped out a 2-0 lead on a home run by Smoak and never looked back.
- Michael Campbell, Robbie Grinestaff, Trent Kline and Justin Smoak all homered for USC, with Campbell, Grinestaff and Cheyne Hurst all driving in three runs each.
- Mike Cisco won his fourth decision of the year with no losses as he gave up just two runs in seven innings on three hits and two walks.
- USC (25-3, 7-1 in SEC) would go on beat LSU the next day to sweep the series.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Chris Cullen – Cullen was a second-team All-American as a high school senior and drafted by the Oakland A's, but enrolled at USC instead. He started 41 games as a true freshman at catcher, driving in 23 runs. Cullen was hampered by a knee injury as a sophomore but still hit .276 with five homers and 18 RBI in 34 games. Cullen moved full time to first base from catcher this season and had two hits in the win over Clemson on March 1.
• Coleman Harley (football/long snapper, 2011-14)
• Chris Randall (football/tight end, 1999)
• Kevin White (football/wide receiver, 2009-10)
• CC Whitlock (football/cornerback, 2008-11)
Gamecock Central birthdays, Saturday-Monday
• @gary9637 (member since 2002)
• @Paul Collins (2004)
• @03Alum (2016)
• @Grandparayray58 (2017)
• @usccocks31 (2018)
• @ButlerJ2 (2019)
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 6 – Football: Spring game (5 days)
• April 10 – Give 4 Garnet (9)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (24)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (37)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (50)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (105)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (110)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (152)
More happenings
• April 2 – Charlotte Pre-Baseball Happy Hour
• April 6 – Football: Alumni Game
• April 6 – Junior Gamecock Club Punt, Pass & Kick
• April 6 – DJ Swearinger Celebrity Basketball Game
• April 6 – Softball: Trinity Johnson jersey retirement
• April 10 – Women's Soccer: Fan Appreciation Clinic
• April 13 – Track & Field: Terrance Trammell, Miki Barber jersey retirements
• 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.
___________________________
Thank you for reading Gamecock Nation Today and being a part of the Gamecock Central community.
Customize: You get to choose which breaking news alerts and newsletters to receive from Gamecock Central.
Do you have something exciting you'd like to have mentioned in this newsletter? Click here or send an email to shoe@gamecockcentral.com.
– Brian Shoemaker
Celebrating 20 years! Established in 1998, Gamecock Central provides in-depth and insider coverage of Gamecock sports and recruiting, and is home to The Insiders Forum. Not a member of Gamecock Central? Subscribe here. Read what our members think about Gamecock Central.
NEED HELP? If you have a Gamecock Central account (free or pay) and cannot remember your password, please go to this link and enter your email address. If you don't receive an email from Rivals within five minutes, please alert me at shoe@gamecockcentral.com. The password needs to be at least nine characters, including at least one number.
