South Carolina baseball: Gamecocks look to complete sweep of Clemson

South Carolina baseball looking for sweep of archrival.

The South Carolina baseball team will travel to the upstate tonight as they look to finish out a three-game sweep of rival Clemson. Originally slated to be played as part of a weekend series in February, the Friday night opener was postponed due to inclement weather, and pushed to May. The Gamecocks ended up taking the two previous matchups in that February series, and they’ll hope to close things out with their first sweep of the Tigers since 2014.

Let’s hope tonight’s matchup is as entertaining as the previous meetings, both of which ended with walk-off wins from the bat of Andrew Eyster. In game one, the Gamecock offense notched 15 hits, but found itself in a 2-2 game after the ninth inning ended. Clemson battled back from a one-run deficit in the top half of the inning to send the game into extras. After a scoreless tenth, Andrew Eyster sent the fans home happy by roping a double to right-center field to give the Gamecocks a 3-2 win.

James Parker knocked in both Tiger runs, while Eyster, Jeff Heinrich, and Wes Clarke each tallied an RBI for South Carolina.

Game two was just as exciting, with Clemson jumping out to an early 3-1 advantage. The Gamecocks would take the lead in the bottom of the fifth, plating four runs on homers from Clarke and Braylen Wimmer. The Tigers answered with four runs of their own in the top of the seventh, but South Carolina knotted the score at seven in the bottom of the frame. A scoreless eighth would ensue, before Eyster, again, provided the late-game heroics with a walk-off RBI single.

Eyster would knock in the tying and winning runs that game, while Clarke racked up four RBIs to give the Gamecocks an 8-7 victory.

Game Info

• No. 25 South Carolina (28-17, 12-12) v. Clemson (22-21, 15-15)
• First pitch: 6 PM EST
• TV: ACC Network

Tonight’s matchup will be important for both squads, as South Carolina is battling to get back into regional host contention, and the Tigers are looking to secure a postseason bid. The Gamecocks currently sit at No. 12 in the RPI, but have lost seven of their last 11 contests. A win would go a long way towards jumping back into host contention, and give the team much needed confidence heading into a series versus Kentucky. They’re currently projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Clemson is looking to get into the field of 64, but needs to finish the year strong in order earn a spot. The Tigers were projected to be a No. 3 seed after sweeping a seventh-ranked Louisville squad, but those chances took a hit following a sweep at the hands of Georgia Tech last weekend.

Series Info

Clemson leads the all-time series 181-143-2, with a 100-44 advantage at home. The teams are 5-5 in their last 10 meetings.

Players to watch

James Parker – .313 / 7 HR / 31 RBI

Parker went 5-for-9 against Gamecock pitching in February, knocking in three runs to go with a homer and a double. He’ll hope to stay hot against his in-state rival in the final game of the series.

Caden Grice – .329 / 12 HR / 44 RBI

Grice has been on a tear of late, earning National Player of the Week honors against Louisville. In that three-game set, the designated hitter went 9-for-13 with four homers and 12 runs batted in. He leads the team in batting, home runs, and RBIs.

Wes Clarke – .277 / 18 HR / 42 RBI

Clarke feasted on Clemson pitching earlier in the season, going 4-for-9 with a pair of home runs. He’s cooled down drastically since his torrid start to the year, but maybe this will be a chance to get back on track.

Brady Allen – .282 / 11 HR / 34 RBI

Allen went 4-for-10 in the leadoff spot for the Gamecocks in the previous two meetings, scoring four runs and setting the table for the offense. He’s since been pushed back to the three-hole as the team looks for more production from the lineup. He’s seen his batting average dip from .320 to .282 over the last two weeks, and needs to get out of a funk if South Carolina hopes to end the season strong.