C
Collyn Taylor
Guest
--It was not a great day for the pitchers, who struggled all day. They'd give up 17 hits, walk four and hit two batters. For the most part guys struggled with command and fell behind hitters and, when attacking the zone, grabbed too much of the plate which resulted in a lot of hard-hit balls. The Gamecocks had at least 10 balls in play considered hard-hit balls (over 95 miles per hour off the bat).
--The highlight of the pitching performances came from potential Friday night starter Thomas Farr, who looked like a SEC weekend arm. Farr pitched two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit (a single to Brady Allen) and striking out four of the seven batters he'd face. He started his day with two punchouts before the single, then got Brennan Milone to fly out. He'd pitch a clean second, striking out two.
The biggest thing was him being able to rebound if he fell behind hitters. His fastball was sitting 94-95 and touching 96 miles per hour with a changeup at 86 miles per hour and a great slider at 84/85 miles per hour.
--Brannon Jordan started opposite him, cruising through his first inning, pitching around a one-out single, but really hit command problems in the second. He'd give up a leadoff single to Braylen Wimmer then walked four straight with one out after that. Almost all of his misses came missing low and away and it looked like he was overthrowing a little bit, which affected his release point.
His stuff was electric—up to 94 on his fastball with a solid changeup and cutter—and the issues are easy, mechanical fixes.
--A player who continues to rake is Brennan Milone, who hit three balls over 95 miles per hour Thursday. He 2-3 with two doubles and two RBI. After flying out in his first at-bat, Milone cranked a two-run double to the wall in LCF at 105.4 miles per hour off the bat before doubling again next time up at 105.8 miles per hour exit velocity. He's a guy who's going to be a factor in the lineup and has the tools to be one of the better hitters in the SEC.
--Andrew Eyster, after missing the first two scrimmage, continues to hit for power in his return. The highlight of his scrimmage was a homer at 108.1 miles per hour off the bat, but he also singled at 98.7 miles per hour off the bat as well. He's someone that, in a 40-round draft, probably would have gotten picked and it's a big boost to get him back in the outfield.
--John Gilreath struggled in his first inning of work, recording two outs and not getting out of the inning. He'd face nine batters and allow seven hits while walking another. He would fill up the zone, but wasn't getting enough on his stuff and guys were able to square it up. He was touching 89 on his fastball with a good changeup at 80 but his better pitch of the day was a curveball at 76/77 miles per hour. Gilreath responded well in his second inning of work, getting two groundouts and striking out Brandon Fields.
--Josiah Sightler had an up and down outing, giving up two hits in the first inning but struggling in his second. He was sitting 89 miles per hour on his fastball from the left side with a slider in the high-70s and a changeup at 80.
--The best pitching performance out of the pen came from Danny Lloyd who was up to 95 miles per hour on his fastball in a perfect, 12-pitch, inning to close out the game. Lloyd's fastball has a really high spin rate, which allows him to move the fastball around the zone, and throws a cutter in the upper-80s, which is really, really good.
--The highlight of the pitching performances came from potential Friday night starter Thomas Farr, who looked like a SEC weekend arm. Farr pitched two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit (a single to Brady Allen) and striking out four of the seven batters he'd face. He started his day with two punchouts before the single, then got Brennan Milone to fly out. He'd pitch a clean second, striking out two.
The biggest thing was him being able to rebound if he fell behind hitters. His fastball was sitting 94-95 and touching 96 miles per hour with a changeup at 86 miles per hour and a great slider at 84/85 miles per hour.
--Brannon Jordan started opposite him, cruising through his first inning, pitching around a one-out single, but really hit command problems in the second. He'd give up a leadoff single to Braylen Wimmer then walked four straight with one out after that. Almost all of his misses came missing low and away and it looked like he was overthrowing a little bit, which affected his release point.
His stuff was electric—up to 94 on his fastball with a solid changeup and cutter—and the issues are easy, mechanical fixes.
--A player who continues to rake is Brennan Milone, who hit three balls over 95 miles per hour Thursday. He 2-3 with two doubles and two RBI. After flying out in his first at-bat, Milone cranked a two-run double to the wall in LCF at 105.4 miles per hour off the bat before doubling again next time up at 105.8 miles per hour exit velocity. He's a guy who's going to be a factor in the lineup and has the tools to be one of the better hitters in the SEC.
--Andrew Eyster, after missing the first two scrimmage, continues to hit for power in his return. The highlight of his scrimmage was a homer at 108.1 miles per hour off the bat, but he also singled at 98.7 miles per hour off the bat as well. He's someone that, in a 40-round draft, probably would have gotten picked and it's a big boost to get him back in the outfield.
--John Gilreath struggled in his first inning of work, recording two outs and not getting out of the inning. He'd face nine batters and allow seven hits while walking another. He would fill up the zone, but wasn't getting enough on his stuff and guys were able to square it up. He was touching 89 on his fastball with a good changeup at 80 but his better pitch of the day was a curveball at 76/77 miles per hour. Gilreath responded well in his second inning of work, getting two groundouts and striking out Brandon Fields.
--Josiah Sightler had an up and down outing, giving up two hits in the first inning but struggling in his second. He was sitting 89 miles per hour on his fastball from the left side with a slider in the high-70s and a changeup at 80.
--The best pitching performance out of the pen came from Danny Lloyd who was up to 95 miles per hour on his fastball in a perfect, 12-pitch, inning to close out the game. Lloyd's fastball has a really high spin rate, which allows him to move the fastball around the zone, and throws a cutter in the upper-80s, which is really, really good.
