C
Collyn Taylor
Guest
South Carolina began its second weekend of preseason scrimmages Saturday with a 5.5 inning outing Saturday with a few big names on the mound, including two likely weekend starters.
--Carmen Mlodzinski was the first out of the gate, giving up a hit in his first inning but getting out of it and not allowing much over the course of his three-inning start. He'd get up to 93 miles per hour on his fastball with no real changes in velocity as he sat in the mid-80s on his cutter and low 80s on the slurve he throws. It's Friday night stuff that he'll need to continue to command, but that should come with more time and better weather (Saturday's pitching conditions were less than ideal).
He'd put a runner in scoring position with two outs and get out of it with a nice ground ball to second.
--The best start of the day was by Brett Kerry, who looked like a weekend arm in three innings. He'd have a rougher start than expected, putting two on (one via an error, another a walk) and give up a bloop single that scored both runs, but he'd respond with a 1-2-3 inning after that and looked good doing it. He'd strike out one in the next inning and get a liner and a grounder to end it.
He'd get two more strikeouts in his third inning, one on Eyster and another on Colin Burgess with a runner in scoring position. He was in the high-80s on his fastball but his breaking pitches are what really helps him. He had a great curveball in the mid-70s and a slider in the low-80s, around 81 miles per hour. It's weekend stuff.
--The pitcher that really stole the day, though, was Danny Lloyd, who looked every bit like a SEC closer. He struck out five of his six batters and was up to about 93 miles per hour on his fastball. The pitch that really works for him is his cutter, which is in the mid-80s at about 86 and has a slider too that is around 81-82. There's so much break on his cutter and slider it really is hard to lay off and his fastball is so explosive (high spin rate), that he's able to elevate it in the zone and get swings and misses as well.
It's still to be determined what he'll be in the bullpen, but it will be at the back end.
--Braylen Wimmer continues to have a really good spring. He'd reach base at least twice Saturday with a single and stole two bases. He's a guy who's steadily developing and it's easy to see him chiseling out a potential role as a pinch runner or pinch hitter this season. He had a great diving play at second as well, throwing out a runner on a ball near the infield grass. He's an above average defender too, especially as a freshman.
--Brennan Milone continues to impress at the plate. He rocketed a home run at 106 miles per hour off the bat, which means it was really squared up, and has some serious pop in his bat. He also drew a walk Saturday and is as refined a hitter as a freshman as I can remember. He should be the team's opening day starter at third base.
--Another presumed starter who continues to have a solid offseason is George Callil, who had the bloop single off Kerry but also had a rocket to right field that found a glove. He's continuing to look better at the plate and squaring up balls. The team knows what it's getting from him defensively, which is elite play at shortstop, but if he can hit it adds another solid bat in the lineup.
--Outside of Lloyd, Graham Lawson has a chance to be the team's closer and he threw as well Saturday. He had his best velocity of the spring, getting up to 95 miles per hour and in the mid-80s on his slider. He'd strike out Jeff Heinrich but struggle at times with command, which is something he needs to work on as he continues to figure out his elbow a year after Tommy John surgery.
--RJ Dantin made his first appearance of the spring, coming out in the high 80s on his fastball with a curveball in the mid-70s. He's a guy with talent but needs to continue to develop, which he should since he's only a freshman.
--Carmen Mlodzinski was the first out of the gate, giving up a hit in his first inning but getting out of it and not allowing much over the course of his three-inning start. He'd get up to 93 miles per hour on his fastball with no real changes in velocity as he sat in the mid-80s on his cutter and low 80s on the slurve he throws. It's Friday night stuff that he'll need to continue to command, but that should come with more time and better weather (Saturday's pitching conditions were less than ideal).
He'd put a runner in scoring position with two outs and get out of it with a nice ground ball to second.
--The best start of the day was by Brett Kerry, who looked like a weekend arm in three innings. He'd have a rougher start than expected, putting two on (one via an error, another a walk) and give up a bloop single that scored both runs, but he'd respond with a 1-2-3 inning after that and looked good doing it. He'd strike out one in the next inning and get a liner and a grounder to end it.
He'd get two more strikeouts in his third inning, one on Eyster and another on Colin Burgess with a runner in scoring position. He was in the high-80s on his fastball but his breaking pitches are what really helps him. He had a great curveball in the mid-70s and a slider in the low-80s, around 81 miles per hour. It's weekend stuff.
--The pitcher that really stole the day, though, was Danny Lloyd, who looked every bit like a SEC closer. He struck out five of his six batters and was up to about 93 miles per hour on his fastball. The pitch that really works for him is his cutter, which is in the mid-80s at about 86 and has a slider too that is around 81-82. There's so much break on his cutter and slider it really is hard to lay off and his fastball is so explosive (high spin rate), that he's able to elevate it in the zone and get swings and misses as well.
It's still to be determined what he'll be in the bullpen, but it will be at the back end.
--Braylen Wimmer continues to have a really good spring. He'd reach base at least twice Saturday with a single and stole two bases. He's a guy who's steadily developing and it's easy to see him chiseling out a potential role as a pinch runner or pinch hitter this season. He had a great diving play at second as well, throwing out a runner on a ball near the infield grass. He's an above average defender too, especially as a freshman.
--Brennan Milone continues to impress at the plate. He rocketed a home run at 106 miles per hour off the bat, which means it was really squared up, and has some serious pop in his bat. He also drew a walk Saturday and is as refined a hitter as a freshman as I can remember. He should be the team's opening day starter at third base.
--Another presumed starter who continues to have a solid offseason is George Callil, who had the bloop single off Kerry but also had a rocket to right field that found a glove. He's continuing to look better at the plate and squaring up balls. The team knows what it's getting from him defensively, which is elite play at shortstop, but if he can hit it adds another solid bat in the lineup.
--Outside of Lloyd, Graham Lawson has a chance to be the team's closer and he threw as well Saturday. He had his best velocity of the spring, getting up to 95 miles per hour and in the mid-80s on his slider. He'd strike out Jeff Heinrich but struggle at times with command, which is something he needs to work on as he continues to figure out his elbow a year after Tommy John surgery.
--RJ Dantin made his first appearance of the spring, coming out in the high 80s on his fastball with a curveball in the mid-70s. He's a guy with talent but needs to continue to develop, which he should since he's only a freshman.
