South Carolina baseball: SEC Tournament play begins Tuesday

South Carolina baseball will take on Alabama in Rd 1.

The field is set, and the South Carolina baseball team has made its way down to Hoover, AL to participate in the annual SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks are looking to pick up a few wins in the postseason event as they continue to battle for seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. With a couple of victories, South Carolina could find itself back in the mix for a regional hosting opportunity.

Mark Kingston helped guide the program to a 33-20 overall record, and seventh-place finish in the Southeastern Conference. That pits the Gamecocks in an opening round matchup with tenth-seeded Alabama to start of tournament play. The Crimson Tide are back in the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2016, and they too, are looking to improve their standing in the eyes of the NCAA selection committee as the postseason field of 64 teams is set to be announced next weekend. An early exit from the SECT could end Alabama’s season altogether, as they sit on the bubble after losing seven of their final eight regular season contests. The winner of this opening matchup will move on to face Tennessee in round two.

Check out the rest of the field below.

• No. 6 Florida vs. No. 11 Kentucky (10:30 a.m., SEC Network)
• No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 10 Alabama (2 p.m., SEC Network)
• No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 LSU (5:30 p.m., SEC Network)
• No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Auburn (9 p.m., SEC Network) 

Game Info

SC CJ Weins (1-0, 1,93 ERA) vs. AL Tyler Ras (6-4, 5.42 ERA)

South Carolina has typically used Weins in midweek action, with the junior posting in impressive 1.93 ERA in five appearances. He’s made starts against Clemson and Appalachian State, tossing a season high four innings versus the Mountaineers last week. The righty has struck out 11 batters over 9.1 frames, but needs to cut down on the walks, as he’s allowed nine free passes on the year.

Ras has been Alabama’s Friday night starter for the majority of the season, winning six of his 10 decisions. Unfortunately, he’s lost his last three games, and has allowed 22 earned runs over his last 21 innings of work. His ERA has ballooned by more than 1.50 in that time, but he’s looking to get things back on track against the Gamecock offense that’s hitting an SEC-low .228 in conference play.

Players to Watch

SC DH Wes Clarke

Clarke leads the nation in home runs, smacking 21 long balls this season. He’s been heating up of late following a midyear slump, and has seen his batting average climb back up to .274. Over his last 13 games, the slugger has gone 14-for-46 (.304), scoring nine runs, hitting six homers, and knocking in 17 base runners. He received second-team all-conference honors earlier this week.

AL C Sam Praytor

Praytor, the SEC’s first-team catcher, leads the Crimson Tide in home runs (13) and runs batter in (44). He’s also hit 11 doubles and is batting .288 on the year. Praytor has thrown out 11 baserunners, and will look to keep his team’s season alive as it navigates through the SEC Tournament.

Keys to the Game

The Gamecocks have to jump on an Alabama pitching staff that holds a 5.79 ERA in SEC games, and cut down on the strikeouts. Luckily for South Carolina, Tyler Ras isn’t the power arm that the Gamecocks are used to facing in conference play, as the junior has just 53 K’s over 76.1 innings. If the offense can put some runs on the board, the South Carolina pitching staff is more than capable of locking down a struggling Bama lineup.

What’s Next?

The winner of this matchup will face SEC Eastern division champion Tennessee in round two, where the double elimination format will begin. The loser goes home to await its postseason fate.