With the 2021 Baseball Season about to kick off this coming weekend at Founders Park against the Dayton Flyers, I think its time we should re-introduce ourselves to Head Coach Mark Kingston’s 4th Gamecock ballclub.
Last season the team went 12-4 before the season was cut short due to the Covid-19 virus. For 2021, the Gamecocks come into the season ranked 18th per both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America, 21st per Collegiate Baseball and 23rd by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll. The Gamecocks are also ranked 20th in the USA Today Coaches poll.
Projected Starters - Pitchers:
The Gamecocks lost one weekend starter in Carmen Mlodzinski, but return their two other starters and add by most all accounts, the starting weekend trio of pitchers will be the weekend starters from last season, who started strongly despite the shortened season:
Thomas Farr (R-Jr. RHP) – 3-0 (3 starts), 1.72 ERA, 14 K, 5 BB, .113 OPP. BA
Brannon Jordan (Sr. RHP) – 2-0 (4 starts), 1.71 ERA, 32 K, 9 BB, .104 OPP. BA
Julian Bosnic (R-So. LHP) – 2-0 (0 starts), .000 ERA, 7 K, 8 BB, .000 OPP. BA
Coach Kingston also has a solid depth of arms in the bullpen for Tuesday starts as well as to rely on for weekend work should any of these top guys falter, with several having starts already under their belts, such as:
Cam Tringali (Jr. RHP) – 1-0 (0 starts), .338 ERA, 13 K, 2 BB, .205 OPP. BA
Parker Coyne (Sr. RHP) – 0-0 (2 starts), 4.50 ERA, 13 K, 8 BB, .290 OPP. BA
Wesley Sweatt (Jr. RHP) – 0-0 (no appearances recorded)
Newcomer freshmen expected to get opportunities are:
Jack Mahoney (Fr. RHP)
Magdiel Cotto (Fr. LHP)
Will Sanders (Fr. RHP)
Jackson Phipps (Fr. LHP)
Sam Swygert (Fr. RHP)
Cade Austin (Fr. RHP)
Projected Bullpen:
Veteran Reliever Brett Kerry (Jr. RHP) – 2-0 (2 starts), 1 SV, .360 ERA, 18 K, 3 BB, .224 OPP. BA – will get the tab as top closer out of the ’Pen for the Gamecocks. He’ll be supported by veteran relievers as well:
John Gilreath (Sr. LHP) – 0-0 (5 app.), .000 ERA, 9 K, 3 BB, .174 OPP. BA
Brett Thomas (So. RHP) – 0-0 (4 app.), .000 ERA, 5 K, 0 BB, .000 OPP. BA
Josiah Sightler (Jr. LHP) – 0-0 (2 app.), .000 ERA, 5 K, 0 BB, .111 OPP. BA
Projected Lineup:
C: Colin Burgess (So. R/R) - .308 BA (26 ABs), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 RUNS
(Backup: Wes Clarke)
1B: David Mendham (Jr. L/R) – JUCO
(Backup: Joe Satterfield)
2B: Jeff Heinrich (Sr. R/R) - .250 BA (56 ABs), 1 HR, 14 RBI, 10 RUNS
(Backup: Michael Robinson)
SS: George Callil (Gr-Sr. R/R) - .271 BA (48 ABs), 1 HR, 10 RBI, 9 RUNS
(Backup: Michael Robinson)
3B: Brennan Milone (So. R/R) - .154 BA (13 ABs), 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 RUNS
(Backup: Joe Satterfield)
LF: Andrew Eyster (Sr. R/R) - .305 BA (59 ABs), 4 HR, 12 RBI, 14 RUNS
(Backup: Noah Meyers)
CF: Braylen Wimmer (So. R/R) - .220 BA (21 ABs), 0 HR, 5 RBI, 6 RUNS
(Backup: Brandon Fields)
RF: Brady Allen (Jr. R/L) - .327 BA (49 ABs), 3 HR, 8 RBI, 11 RUNS
(Backup: Noah Meyers)
DH: Wes Clarke (Jr. R/R) - .286 BA (56 ABs), 8 HR, 22 RBI, 16 RUNS
(Backup: Joe Satterfield/Josiah Sightler)
Last season the team went 12-4 before the season was cut short due to the Covid-19 virus. For 2021, the Gamecocks come into the season ranked 18th per both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America, 21st per Collegiate Baseball and 23rd by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll. The Gamecocks are also ranked 20th in the USA Today Coaches poll.
Projected Starters - Pitchers:
The Gamecocks lost one weekend starter in Carmen Mlodzinski, but return their two other starters and add by most all accounts, the starting weekend trio of pitchers will be the weekend starters from last season, who started strongly despite the shortened season:
Thomas Farr (R-Jr. RHP) – 3-0 (3 starts), 1.72 ERA, 14 K, 5 BB, .113 OPP. BA
Brannon Jordan (Sr. RHP) – 2-0 (4 starts), 1.71 ERA, 32 K, 9 BB, .104 OPP. BA
Julian Bosnic (R-So. LHP) – 2-0 (0 starts), .000 ERA, 7 K, 8 BB, .000 OPP. BA
Coach Kingston also has a solid depth of arms in the bullpen for Tuesday starts as well as to rely on for weekend work should any of these top guys falter, with several having starts already under their belts, such as:
Cam Tringali (Jr. RHP) – 1-0 (0 starts), .338 ERA, 13 K, 2 BB, .205 OPP. BA
Parker Coyne (Sr. RHP) – 0-0 (2 starts), 4.50 ERA, 13 K, 8 BB, .290 OPP. BA
Wesley Sweatt (Jr. RHP) – 0-0 (no appearances recorded)
Newcomer freshmen expected to get opportunities are:
Jack Mahoney (Fr. RHP)
Magdiel Cotto (Fr. LHP)
Will Sanders (Fr. RHP)
Jackson Phipps (Fr. LHP)
Sam Swygert (Fr. RHP)
Cade Austin (Fr. RHP)
Projected Bullpen:
Veteran Reliever Brett Kerry (Jr. RHP) – 2-0 (2 starts), 1 SV, .360 ERA, 18 K, 3 BB, .224 OPP. BA – will get the tab as top closer out of the ’Pen for the Gamecocks. He’ll be supported by veteran relievers as well:
John Gilreath (Sr. LHP) – 0-0 (5 app.), .000 ERA, 9 K, 3 BB, .174 OPP. BA
Brett Thomas (So. RHP) – 0-0 (4 app.), .000 ERA, 5 K, 0 BB, .000 OPP. BA
Josiah Sightler (Jr. LHP) – 0-0 (2 app.), .000 ERA, 5 K, 0 BB, .111 OPP. BA
Projected Lineup:
C: Colin Burgess (So. R/R) - .308 BA (26 ABs), 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 RUNS
(Backup: Wes Clarke)
1B: David Mendham (Jr. L/R) – JUCO
(Backup: Joe Satterfield)
2B: Jeff Heinrich (Sr. R/R) - .250 BA (56 ABs), 1 HR, 14 RBI, 10 RUNS
(Backup: Michael Robinson)
SS: George Callil (Gr-Sr. R/R) - .271 BA (48 ABs), 1 HR, 10 RBI, 9 RUNS
(Backup: Michael Robinson)
3B: Brennan Milone (So. R/R) - .154 BA (13 ABs), 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 RUNS
(Backup: Joe Satterfield)
LF: Andrew Eyster (Sr. R/R) - .305 BA (59 ABs), 4 HR, 12 RBI, 14 RUNS
(Backup: Noah Meyers)
CF: Braylen Wimmer (So. R/R) - .220 BA (21 ABs), 0 HR, 5 RBI, 6 RUNS
(Backup: Brandon Fields)
RF: Brady Allen (Jr. R/L) - .327 BA (49 ABs), 3 HR, 8 RBI, 11 RUNS
(Backup: Noah Meyers)
DH: Wes Clarke (Jr. R/R) - .286 BA (56 ABs), 8 HR, 22 RBI, 16 RUNS
(Backup: Joe Satterfield/Josiah Sightler)