C
Collyn Taylor
Guest
South Carolina begins preseason scrimmages Friday afternoon at 2:30. A few thoughts before things get cranked up:
--For starters, if healthy the Gamecocks could have one of the best one-two combinations in the SEC with Will Sanders and Julian Bosnic. Neither threw in the fall scrimmages but did get on the mound some for work and returns on those two have been really good in small group work. The coaching staff has high expectations for both guys.
The biggest question now is in what order do they go out and throw. Bosnic is the more veteran of the two but a right-left-right rotation could be something the staff opts for as well. The next three weeks will be a big determinate for who gets the opening day start.
--As for the final rotation slot, James Hicks seems to be the odds on favorite to win the spot. Mark Kingston mentioned Noah Hall, Wes Sweatt and Cade Austin as three guys who could start as well but Hicks is someone who has the edge entering scrimmages.
Hall is someone who can be used in a few different ways out of the bullpen, Sweatt is getting better as he gets further removed from Tommy John and Austin was someone the staff was high on as a freshman with the 2020 class who redshirted last season.
--The biggest question remaining for the pitching staff hinges on bullpen roles and how those shake out. The Gamecocks lost a ton from its bullpen last season including guys like Andy Peters, Daniel Lloyd, Brett Kerry and with Bosnic transitioning back to a starter will need some younger or more inexperienced guys to take on bigger roles. Hall and Sweatt will both do so and the Gamecocks have a junior college pitcher in Michael Esposito who has a chance to earn the closer role as well.
--As for the offense, it’s under a bit of a transition with Chad Caillet coming in to take it over and improve a unit that struck out far too much last season. The Gamecocks will have a few returners in the lineup—Andrew Eyster, Braylen Wimmer, Colin Burgess and potentially Josiah Sightler—and the rest will be made up largely of newcomers.
It’s a talented freshman class but those hitters will need to come along quickly. They’ll also incorporate two veteran transfers in Missouri’s Brandt Belk and Virginia Tech’s Kevin Madden, both experienced hitters at the college level.
--From an offensive mentality and identity standpoint, Caillet is big on body control and bat path to make sure guys are hitting line drives and striking out less. The goal is to have a much tougher lineup to hit from leadoff to the nine-spot. The lineup is a lot more athletic than last season with some of the newer additions. Now it’s about figuring out who has what role and putting together a good offensive lineup. The offense should see a marked improvement. By how much, though, is the question.
--There has been a concerted effort by Caillet and Kingston to make the lineup a little more left-handed after last season only had Sightler, Connor Cino, Jalen Vasquez, David Mendham and Noah Myers as options there. Sightler, Vasquez and Cino are back and the Gamecocks have a few lefties who could make an impact as well: Carson Hornung, Matt Hogan and Brandt Belk.
--The position battle I’m most interested in watching is centerfield. The Gamecocks have two centerfielders in Hogan and freshman Evan Stone while Braylen Wimmer will also get reps there and could play in the outfield this season. Hogan is a Vanderbilt transfer who was hampered in the fall because of a wrist injury and Stone had a really great fall in his first semester of college. Either one could win the position. If Wimmer ultimately plays out there, then it means the Gamecocks could insert someone else into the lineup at second.
--It’s not on-field related but I’ve heard nothing but good things about Scott Wingo and his impact on the team and the culture in the building. It’s never a bad thing to have someone like Wingo on staff and he’s been valuable to the roster in a short time already.
The team will scrimmage Friday (2:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) this week with both free and open to the public.
--For starters, if healthy the Gamecocks could have one of the best one-two combinations in the SEC with Will Sanders and Julian Bosnic. Neither threw in the fall scrimmages but did get on the mound some for work and returns on those two have been really good in small group work. The coaching staff has high expectations for both guys.
The biggest question now is in what order do they go out and throw. Bosnic is the more veteran of the two but a right-left-right rotation could be something the staff opts for as well. The next three weeks will be a big determinate for who gets the opening day start.
--As for the final rotation slot, James Hicks seems to be the odds on favorite to win the spot. Mark Kingston mentioned Noah Hall, Wes Sweatt and Cade Austin as three guys who could start as well but Hicks is someone who has the edge entering scrimmages.
Hall is someone who can be used in a few different ways out of the bullpen, Sweatt is getting better as he gets further removed from Tommy John and Austin was someone the staff was high on as a freshman with the 2020 class who redshirted last season.
--The biggest question remaining for the pitching staff hinges on bullpen roles and how those shake out. The Gamecocks lost a ton from its bullpen last season including guys like Andy Peters, Daniel Lloyd, Brett Kerry and with Bosnic transitioning back to a starter will need some younger or more inexperienced guys to take on bigger roles. Hall and Sweatt will both do so and the Gamecocks have a junior college pitcher in Michael Esposito who has a chance to earn the closer role as well.
--As for the offense, it’s under a bit of a transition with Chad Caillet coming in to take it over and improve a unit that struck out far too much last season. The Gamecocks will have a few returners in the lineup—Andrew Eyster, Braylen Wimmer, Colin Burgess and potentially Josiah Sightler—and the rest will be made up largely of newcomers.
It’s a talented freshman class but those hitters will need to come along quickly. They’ll also incorporate two veteran transfers in Missouri’s Brandt Belk and Virginia Tech’s Kevin Madden, both experienced hitters at the college level.
--From an offensive mentality and identity standpoint, Caillet is big on body control and bat path to make sure guys are hitting line drives and striking out less. The goal is to have a much tougher lineup to hit from leadoff to the nine-spot. The lineup is a lot more athletic than last season with some of the newer additions. Now it’s about figuring out who has what role and putting together a good offensive lineup. The offense should see a marked improvement. By how much, though, is the question.
--There has been a concerted effort by Caillet and Kingston to make the lineup a little more left-handed after last season only had Sightler, Connor Cino, Jalen Vasquez, David Mendham and Noah Myers as options there. Sightler, Vasquez and Cino are back and the Gamecocks have a few lefties who could make an impact as well: Carson Hornung, Matt Hogan and Brandt Belk.
--The position battle I’m most interested in watching is centerfield. The Gamecocks have two centerfielders in Hogan and freshman Evan Stone while Braylen Wimmer will also get reps there and could play in the outfield this season. Hogan is a Vanderbilt transfer who was hampered in the fall because of a wrist injury and Stone had a really great fall in his first semester of college. Either one could win the position. If Wimmer ultimately plays out there, then it means the Gamecocks could insert someone else into the lineup at second.
--It’s not on-field related but I’ve heard nothing but good things about Scott Wingo and his impact on the team and the culture in the building. It’s never a bad thing to have someone like Wingo on staff and he’s been valuable to the roster in a short time already.
The team will scrimmage Friday (2:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) this week with both free and open to the public.
