Mark Kingston impressed by James Hicks in SEC Tournament, will consider a starting role

South Carolina pitcher James Hicks was a weekend starter at the beginning of the 2022 season, before going down with an injury and missing most of the year.

Hicks is now healthy but has been used primarily out of the bullpen this season. However, that could be about to change.

The righty pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings against Georgia in the SEC Tournament, while making only his fourth start of the year. Gamecocks coach Mark Kingston was asked if he will consider Hicks’ start against Georgia when setting his pitching rotation for the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina was named one of 16 regional hosts Sunday night.

“Damn right. I mean you have to, right? You have to,” Kingston said. “You always have to be evaluating what is going on in the trends of your team. Yeah, absolutely we have to look at that. We have to evaluate it.”

The South Carolina pitching staff has been banged up for much of the year, and ace Will Sanders hasn’t pitched since May 5. The hope is that Sanders will be available this weekend, but it remains to be seen what his role will be.

Either way, Hicks is sure to have an important role, potentially as a starter.

“The reason why James was in the bullpen early in the season was not because he was not capable of being a weekend starter. It was because we just had probably one of the best, deepest pitching staffs in the country,” Kingston said. “And the best role for James to help our team at that time was to be a swing man, to maybe start on a Tuesday, maybe come in and throw big innings after a Noah Hall or a Will Sanders or Jack Mahoney.”

Kingston has no regrets about the way Hicks has been used this season. The redshirt junior has been a versatile and consistent piece of the South Carolina pitching staff. For the year, he is 7-1 with a 3.61 ERA. Hicks has 48 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings pitched and opponents are hitting .240 against him.

“His stats reflect that [he’s been used the right way]. He’s got six wins. He’s got saves. He’s been everything that we could hope for,” Kingston said. “Now that we’re in the position we are from an injury standpoint, he got the opportunity to start in an SEC game, and he came through with flying colors like we thought he probably would, but I’m really glad that he did.”