Bat 'Cats Welcome No. 3 South Carolina to Lexington this Weekend

That SEC grind is something.

The freshly unranked Bat ‘Cats will play their third consecutive ranked opponent this weekend when the No. 3 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks make their way to Kentucky Proud Park. It’s safe to say this is a crucial series for the Kentucky program.

After winning 21 of 22 games from February 26-April 7th, the ‘Cats have suddenly lost 10 of their last 13 games, including four consecutive series. As of now, Kentucky is still firmly in the NCAA Tournament, but a sweep this weekend would be detrimental. The ‘Cats finish their season at No. 18 Tennessee and hosting No. 4 Florida, so picking one or two games off this weekend would be a huge boost to their postseason chances.

If you aren’t heading up to Louisville for the Derby this weekend, stop by Kentucky Proud Park for some SEC Baseball. The weather is looking to be phenomenal this weekend, so grab a $9 beer and a $4 hot dog and cheer on the ‘Cats.

South Carolina Impact Players

South Carolina’s Ethan Petry is one of the most electrifying players in all of college baseball, and he’s just a freshman. Petry has catapulted the Gamecocks to heights they didn’t even think they could reach this season.

After being projected to finish fourth in the SEC East in the Preseason Poll, the ‘Cocks are tied with Vanderbilt for first place in the division. Petry is batting an incredible .408 this season with 21 home runs and 67 RBI. With a two-run double hit on April 22, Petry claimed the South Carolina freshman record for home runs (21) and RBI (65). He’s just getting started. Gavin Casas, brother of Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, is batting just .247 this season but is second on the team in home runs hit (16). South Carolina’s 98 home runs hit ranks third in the country.

The ‘Cats get a run of luck this weekend, as the Gamecocks will trot out two righty starters. Kentucky has had a known problem with lefty pitching this season, so this is definitely a good sign for the ‘Cats. RHP Will Sanders, RHP Jack Mahoney, and LHP Matthew Becker are Carolina’s probable starters. Mahoney, who will be starting on Saturday, has been their most reliable starter this season. Mahoney sports a 4-2 record with a 3.91 ERA over 53.0 innings pitched. The South Carolina bullpen has been notoriously lock down this season, sporting four relievers with a sub-3.00 ERA.

Carolina has a 59-43 series advantage on Kentucky heading into the weekend. The Gamecocks won 2-of-3 games against the Wildcats last year in Columbia.

Kentucky Impact Players

Jackson Gray has silently jumped over Émilien Pitre and Hunter Gilliam as Kentucky’s batting leader this season. Gray is slashing .362 on the year with 39 RBI and 17 SB. Pitre has been in a bit of a slump lately but is still batting .360 with a team-high 13 doubles.

“The Captain” Hunter Gilliam continues to mash, leading the ‘Cats in hits (55), home runs (eight), and RBI (55). This series will truly be a battle of power and small ball. Whereas the Gamecocks have combined for 98 home runs this season, Kentucky has combined for just 28. Nick Mingione loves the way they play, and it’s gotten them to 30 wins for the fourth time in his tenure (2017-2023).

RHP Travis Smith has reclaimed the Friday night start after Darren Williams started in the spot last Friday. Smith, Tyler Bosma, and Zack Lee will start on the mound for the ‘Cats this weekend. Smith is coming off his best start of the season in last Tuesday’s loss to Louisville, throwing five four-hit, one-run innings with eight strikeouts. Midseason All-American Ryan Hagenow suffered his first loss of the season after giving up a ninth-inning lead to Vanderbilt last Sunday, but he still holds a 1.96 ERA on the season. Strong pitching performances will be instrumental in a win this weekend.

Game 1: Friday, May 5th, 2023 (Kentucky Proud Park – 6:30 PM)
UK: RHP Travis Smith (3-1, 4.02 ERA, 31.1 IP) vs SC: RHP Will Sanders (4-2, 5.61 ERA, 51.1 IP)
Game 2: Saturday, May 6th, 2023 (Kentucky Proud Park – 2:00 PM)
UK: LHP Tyler Bosma (4-3, 4.82 ERA, 46.2 IP) vs SC: RHP Jack Mahoney (4-2, 3.91 ERA, 53.0 IP)
Game 3: Sunday, May 7th, 2023 (Kentucky Proud Park – 2:00 PM)
UK: RHP Zack Lee (3-2, 3.66 ERA, 46.2 IP) vs SC: LHP Matthew Becker (4-0, 4.19 ERA, 34.1 IP)

New week. In the meanwhile, good luck to our boys on their final exams. pic.twitter.com/d0tnBLbmPX

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 1, 2023