South Carolina still evaluating offense early in season
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Baseball is a sample size sport, and right now South Carolina isn’t even at a quality enough sample size to gauge things offensively.
They’ve only played four games, just 36 innings, and are still trying to figure out a group of position players with a large chunk of those players new to the program.
“Too early to evaluate. Baseball’s all about sample size and four games is not even a small sample size. It’s just beginning to see what your team looks like. We’ll continue to look at different guys,” Mark Kingston said. “We had seven freshmen that played tonight. We’ll continue to give them looks. A lot of these freshmen, as we continue to give them looks, look good.”
Through four games, the Gamecocks are slashing .313/.410/.469 and, while incredibly early, are averaging 5.3 walks and 7.3 strikeouts per game.
They’re still trying to figure out how all of the pieces fit together and how a group of talented freshmen hitters mesh with a core of returners.
So far this season, eight players have already picked up at least 10 at-bats. Four of those are newcomers: Michael Braswell (17), Kevin Madden (16), Brandt Belk (13) and Matt Hogan (12).
They’ve also had six freshmen and one sophomore, Connor Cino, impact the offense in a few different ways. All seven logging at least one at-bat and three getting at least one start: Cino, Talmadge LeCroy and Thad Ector.
South Carolina is still working back to getting healthy, getting Cole Messina back for the first time Tuesday night in a win over Winthrop.
Messina had two plate appearances and, while he didn’t pick up a hit, Kingston liked what he saw from his plate approach.
“You saw Cole Messina play for the first time tonight and I thought looked really good,” Kingston said. “He brings power and he brings speed. He has the it-factor as far as I can tell. It was really good to see him back in there tonight.”
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Again, while a small sample size, the Gamecocks are showing progress hitting .262 with two outs, .271 with runners on base and .263 with runners in scoring position.
South Carolina is also 7-for-14 with a runner at third and less than two outs, an area they struggled in during the 2021 season.
It can still certainly improve, and the Gamecocks think it will as the season continues and guys find their rhythm.
“In terms of situational hitting, that needs to improve. We had some chances today,” Madden said. “We just need to scratch earlier in games, win the early innings and the middle part of the game too. Overall I think everyone’s doing a good job.”
Until then South Carolina is relying on its veterans and getting it with Andrew Eyster and Braylen Wimmer are hitting a combined 19-for-38 with 12 RBI.
The Gamecocks think they’ll continue to mesh as the season continues and see the progress they want from an offense.
“We’re still trying to figure it out. We have a lot of pieces. The coaches are doing a really good job of getting guys and putting guys in good situations,” Madden said. “Everyone’s just trying to figure out each other, coaches included. We have a lot of new guys.”
