For the first time since the 2018 season, Mark Kingston’s first at USC, the Gamecocks are moving to the Super Regional portion of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. And depending on what happens in Gainesville, they could be hosting next weekend.
The #1 seed Gamecocks completed a three-game run through their Columbia regional Sunday night with a 16-7 win over #2 seed Campbell. The Gamecocks outscored Central Connecticut, NC State and Campbell by a combined 41-11 in their three wins. The Camels advanced to the regional final earlier in the day with an 11-1 win over NC State.
The Camels, playing as the home team, took a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Logan Jordan off Matthew Becker. The Gamecocks responded with two runs in the second, then blew the game open with seven runs in the third.
The Gamecocks sent 11 batters to the plate in the third, and nine of them had a hit. Will McGillis had a two-run homer and Talmadge LeCroy a two-run double to lead the surge.
Campbell came back with three runs in the bottom of the third on Jordan’s second homer of the night, but the Gamecocks squelched any hopes the Camels had of stretching the regional into Monday by scoring a run in the fourth and four more in the fifth for a 14-5 lead.
Braylen Wimmer led off the fifth with his second home run of the regional and 14th of the season. The Gamecocks had to manufacture runs the rest of the inning. With runners on the corners and no one out, LeCroy got a run home with a ground out to short. USC then loaded the bases and scored a run on a wild pitch followed by a sacrifice fly by Will Tippett.
From there it was just a matter of the Gamecock pitchers getting outs. Becker was pulled after three innings and five runs allowed. Nick Proctor (5-0) followed for three innings and allowed a pair of runs. Will Sanders finished up and gave the Gamecocks hope about his sharpness for the Super. He struck out six over three innings and allowed just one hit to earn the save.
At the end of the night the teams combined for 29 hits, six doubles, four home runs, nine walks, three hit batters, 16 runners left on base and four errors, all by the Camels. Eight of the Gamecocks’ starters had at least one hit with Wimmer leading the way with four. Messina and LeCroy each had three.
USC first baseman Gavin Casas was voted the regional MVP. He was 6-13 at the plate and scored six runs.
The Gamecocks improved to 42-19, and they will return to action either on Friday or Saturday at Founders Park in Columbia or Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville.
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