C
Collyn Taylor
Guest
--One of the best pitching performances of the scrimmage came from freshman lefty Mag Cotto, who looked like a potential weekend arm in his first innings of the fall. After giving up a leadoff walk, he'd retire the next three batters to get out of the inning. He was up to 94 miles per hour on his fastball, sitting in the lower-90s for the rest of his inning with a really good changeup. His fastball also has some cut to it, and can cause some weak contact. He's a guy who got some very strong looks from professional teams. Cotto pitched a lot this summer, which is why he took a little longer to make his debut, and he looked like the top 300 prospect coming to school.
--Another pitcher who made his debut was another lefty, Jackson Phipps, who threw an inning and looked really good. He wasn't overpowering on his fastball, sitting at 91 from the left side, but has a clean, repeatable motion that allows him to command his fastball and his breaking ball, which was a plus pitch in his outing. Phipp's curveball was in the upper-70s and he can throw it to righties and lefties. After giving up a leadoff double to Colin Burgess, he'd respond with three straight strikeouts to get out of the inning against Josh Shuler, Braylen Wimmer and Jalen Vasquez.
--Jack Mahoney also threw some in his second fall outing. He'd struggle in his first inning, giving up four hits and three hard-hit balls, but responded in his second inning, hitting the first batter he faced before getting out of the inning with two strikeouts. He wasn't throwing as hard as his first outing, sitting 91 on his fastball. We've mentioned it on here, but he's someone who's' a two-way guy who played three sports in high school. Once he gets deeper into a pitching program and focusing on baseball year-round he has a chance to be a weekend arm in the SEC.
--Andrew Eyster looks every bit of a veteran bat in the SEC and continued raking in his scrimmage Saturday. He'd double at 104.9 off the bat in his first at-bat before doubling again in his next at-bat at almost 100 miles per hour. He's swinging a really hot bat in the fall and showing the power coaches and scouts wanted to see from him last season. He's also attacking pitches early in at-bats, and it's resulting in power and being able to drive in runs. The Gamecocks need a guy like that in the middle of the lineup.
--A newcomer who popped in recent scrimmages, including Saturday, was David Mendham, who is working good at-bats and did it again with a two-run double Saturday off Jack Mahoney before drawing a walk in his next at-bat. He has a chance to be a fixture in the lineup at third, first, DH (he's also caught some) and gives the team a lefty bat in the lineup, too. He works good counts and is showing good development early.
--Two other guys who had good hits were Joe Satterfield, who singled at 101.4 miles per hour off the bat and freshman Connor Cino tripled to the gap in RCF just over 101 miles per hour off the bat. Satterfield, a switch hitter, can impact the lineup in a lot of different ways. He's going to get reps at first and second base but he's also playing some in left field in recent scrimmages. Cino is also playing in the outfield but can catch in a pinch, too. He's another lefty bat.
--Josh Shuler also had a hard-hit single, and Jalen Vasquez drove in two more runs on a RBI single off pitcher Sam Swygert.
--Two returners who will be key contributors this year had big days with Brennan Milone, who hit a RBI double and reached base again on a hit by pitch. Brady Allen cranked a three-run home off Cade Austin as well, hitting it at 101.3 miles per hour. Both have done really well this fall and look like veterans in the SEC.
--Sam Swygert, after a really good fall debut, had an up-and-down day. He'd get up into the low-90s on his fastball with a changeup at 83 and a breaking ball at 75. He'd give up four hits in two innings, hit one batter but also was able to work out of some trouble. After giving up the two-run single to Vasquez, he'd put another runner on but get a double play to get out of it.
--Another pitcher who made his debut was another lefty, Jackson Phipps, who threw an inning and looked really good. He wasn't overpowering on his fastball, sitting at 91 from the left side, but has a clean, repeatable motion that allows him to command his fastball and his breaking ball, which was a plus pitch in his outing. Phipp's curveball was in the upper-70s and he can throw it to righties and lefties. After giving up a leadoff double to Colin Burgess, he'd respond with three straight strikeouts to get out of the inning against Josh Shuler, Braylen Wimmer and Jalen Vasquez.
--Jack Mahoney also threw some in his second fall outing. He'd struggle in his first inning, giving up four hits and three hard-hit balls, but responded in his second inning, hitting the first batter he faced before getting out of the inning with two strikeouts. He wasn't throwing as hard as his first outing, sitting 91 on his fastball. We've mentioned it on here, but he's someone who's' a two-way guy who played three sports in high school. Once he gets deeper into a pitching program and focusing on baseball year-round he has a chance to be a weekend arm in the SEC.
--Andrew Eyster looks every bit of a veteran bat in the SEC and continued raking in his scrimmage Saturday. He'd double at 104.9 off the bat in his first at-bat before doubling again in his next at-bat at almost 100 miles per hour. He's swinging a really hot bat in the fall and showing the power coaches and scouts wanted to see from him last season. He's also attacking pitches early in at-bats, and it's resulting in power and being able to drive in runs. The Gamecocks need a guy like that in the middle of the lineup.
--A newcomer who popped in recent scrimmages, including Saturday, was David Mendham, who is working good at-bats and did it again with a two-run double Saturday off Jack Mahoney before drawing a walk in his next at-bat. He has a chance to be a fixture in the lineup at third, first, DH (he's also caught some) and gives the team a lefty bat in the lineup, too. He works good counts and is showing good development early.
--Two other guys who had good hits were Joe Satterfield, who singled at 101.4 miles per hour off the bat and freshman Connor Cino tripled to the gap in RCF just over 101 miles per hour off the bat. Satterfield, a switch hitter, can impact the lineup in a lot of different ways. He's going to get reps at first and second base but he's also playing some in left field in recent scrimmages. Cino is also playing in the outfield but can catch in a pinch, too. He's another lefty bat.
--Josh Shuler also had a hard-hit single, and Jalen Vasquez drove in two more runs on a RBI single off pitcher Sam Swygert.
--Two returners who will be key contributors this year had big days with Brennan Milone, who hit a RBI double and reached base again on a hit by pitch. Brady Allen cranked a three-run home off Cade Austin as well, hitting it at 101.3 miles per hour. Both have done really well this fall and look like veterans in the SEC.
--Sam Swygert, after a really good fall debut, had an up-and-down day. He'd get up into the low-90s on his fastball with a changeup at 83 and a breaking ball at 75. He'd give up four hits in two innings, hit one batter but also was able to work out of some trouble. After giving up the two-run single to Vasquez, he'd put another runner on but get a double play to get out of it.
