South Carolina baseball head coach Mark Kingston gave a first glimpse into who will be in the pitching rotation for the Gamecocks’ opening series this weekend against UNC Greensboro. In a radio appearance on 107.5 The Game’s Halftime Show, Kingston said the Gamecocks will likely go with Will Sanders, James Hicks, and Josiah Sightler on the mound this weekend. He said the lineup will be finalized with the staff this week. “I’m guessing, and obviously we need to solidify this as a staff this week just to make sure we know exactly how we want to do it, but best chance is those are the three guys you’ll see starting this weekend,” Kingston said.
Kingston mentioned Sanders first when discussing pitchers who would step up this weekend. Sanders, a sophomore right-handed pitcher who made 22 appearances with 10 starts as a freshman last season, finished 2021 with a 3.54 ERA, a save, and 54 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. Hicks is a junior college transfer from Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., where he played from 2020-21. The right-handed pitcher from Conway, Arkansas, pitched with a 4.28 ERA, 89 strikeouts, and eight complete games in 90.1 innings last season. Sightler made 51 starts last season and started the majority of time in the infield. He appeared in five games on the mound and made two starts, recording a 4.70 ERA weight eight strikeouts in 2021.
Kingston mentioned Sanders first when discussing pitchers who would step up this weekend. Sanders, a sophomore right-handed pitcher who made 22 appearances with 10 starts as a freshman last season, finished 2021 with a 3.54 ERA, a save, and 54 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. Hicks is a junior college transfer from Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., where he played from 2020-21. The right-handed pitcher from Conway, Arkansas, pitched with a 4.28 ERA, 89 strikeouts, and eight complete games in 90.1 innings last season. Sightler made 51 starts last season and started the majority of time in the infield. He appeared in five games on the mound and made two starts, recording a 4.70 ERA weight eight strikeouts in 2021.