South Carolina baseball: handing out 2021 team awards

South Carolina baseball saw some standout performances in 2021.

The South Carolina baseball team fell short of a Super Regional in the NCAA Tournament, with their season officially coming to a close last Sunday against Virginia. At year’s end, the Gamecocks hold a 34-23 record and a seventh place finish in the highly competitive SEC. While South Carolina wasn’t able to compete for a national title in 2021, the program did make some progress.

The Gamecocks went just .500 in its last full season of play, missing the postseason altogether. Though South Carolina were just 1-2 in a regional held at its home park this year, both losses were by a single run with the team coming oh-so-close to advancing to the championship round of the bracket.

Despite the disappointing results, the Gamecocks can look back at the season as a success, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, and possessing one of the top pitching staffs in the entire country.

Let’s take a look back at some special players and moments that helped the Gamecocks achieve that progress last season.

Best Player – Brady Allen

Allen was the team’s leadoff hitter, setting the table for the Gamecocks’ offense. The centerfielder finished the year hitting .276 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs. Allen led the team in hits and went a perfect 12-for-12 in the stolen base department.

Allen was also perfect on defense, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage. He finished fourth on the team in putouts while not recording an error, and made play after play for the Gamecocks in big moments. Check out this catch he made back in March to earn the top play of the week.

Top Pitcher – Brett Kerry

Kerry was a Swiss Army knife on the South Carolina pitching staff. The junior began the season in a relief role, getting the nod as the Gamecocks’ closer. In the backend of the bullpen, Kerry posted a 3-1 record, adding four saves and a 2.25 ERA. When the Gamecocks began to see struggles in the weekend rotation, Kerry was thrust into a starting role. In three starts, the righty earned two wins and recorded a 1.96 ERA.

On the year, Kerry finished at 5-1 with an ERA of 2.15. He notched 84 strikeouts in just 54 innings of work, for an average of 13.9 K’s per nine innings. He could have a big decision to make following next month’s MLB Draft.

Top Slugger – Wes Clarke

Clarke led the nation in homers, bashing 23 long balls on the season. He led the Gamecocks in runs batted in, extra base hits, on-base percentage, slugging, runs scored, and walks on his way to all-conference honors.

Clarke, too, will have a decision to make on his collegiate future. Viewed as a first baseman or designated hitter at the next level, his power could be intriguing enough for a team to select the slugger with an early to mid-round pick.

Freshman of the Year – Will Sanders

Sanders was a pleasant surprise for the Gamecocks, carving a role out as the Gamecocks’ Sunday starter for a good chunk of the season. He began the year in the bullpen, picking up wins in both of South Carolina’s defeats over archrival Clemson. He then shined in a starting role, entering the rotation early on the the Gamecocks’ SEC slate.

Sanders impressed in a start versus Georgia, throwing eight frames of one-run ball to earn a victory. Two weeks later, he tossed a six-inning shutout on the road at LSU. Over the rookie’s first seven career starts, Sanders went 4-0, recording a 1.76 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 30.2 innings of work. While he fell off a bit towards the end of the season, Sanders figures to be a major part of the South Carolina starting rotation in 2022.

Mr. Clutch – Andrew Eyster

Eyster earned this award early in the year, notching walk-off hits in both of South Carolina’s wins over Clemson. Game one saw him launch a two-strike double in the bottom of the 11th inning to take down the Tigers 3-2. The next night, he knocked in a game-tying run in the seventh before smacking a two-out single in the ninth to push across the winning run in an 8-7 victory.

Eyster also tied up a game against Florida with a two-out solo shot in the bottom of the 14th inning, a game South Carolina would win 9-8 later in the frame. He was the guy the Gamecocks wanted up with the game on the line. For the year, Eyster finished with a team-leading .279 average, hitting 11 homers and racking up 42 RBIs.

Top Moment – Walk-off wins vs. Clemson

Speaking of those two walk-off wins against Clemson, that weekend comes in as the top moment for the South Carolina baseball team this year. The Gamecocks entered the series with a perfect 4-0 record, and two heroic late game hits by Andrew Eyster would keep that mark unblemished.

Both games were tight, with the first seeing Clemson tie the contest in the ninth inning. South Carolina would earn the win two frames later in extras, before overcoming a 3-1 deficit in game two to squeak out an 8-7 victory.

It’s always fun beating your rival, particularly in dramatic fashion. Those two walk-off wins saw South Carolina earn their first series victory over the Tigers since 2019.