FOR STARTERS

Carolina hosts No. 4 Arkansas for a three-game SEC series starting Friday night (March 20) at Founders Park.
Friday’s game will start at 7 p.m., with Saturday’s contest at 4 p.m. Sunday’s game will have a 1:30 p.m. first pitch.
All three games will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
All three games also will be broadcast on the Gamecock Sports Network presented by Learfield with Derek Scott and Stuart Lake on the call.

GAME DAY PARKING INFORMATION (including public game day lots (PGDL: $10 per game). All gameday lots are cashless. Please have a debit card or credit card ready for payment upon entry into parking lots.

Friday
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 6 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 6 p.m.

Saturday
Game Time: 4 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 3 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 2/2:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 3 p.m.

Sunday
Game Time: 1:30 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 12:30 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 12:30 p.m./1 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 11:30 a.m.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina Josh Gunther (Jr. RHP) 2-0, 3.65 ERA, 24.2 IP, 8 BB, 31 SO
Arkansas Gabe Gaeckle (Jr. RHP) 2-1, 2.73 ERA, 9 BB, 31 SO

Saturday
South Carolina Amp Phillips (Jr. RHP) 2-2, 2.62 ERA, 24.0 IP, 12 BB, 23 SO
Arkansas Hunter Dietz (R-So. LHP) 2-2, 4.18 ERA, 23.2 IP, 8 BB, 42 SO

Sunday
South Carolina TBA
Arkansas Colin Fisher (Jr. LHP) 2-1, 1.95 ERA, 27.2 IP, 5 BB, 36 SO

PROMOTIONS
Friday – Rally Towl Giveaway for first 1,000 fans
Saturday – Game Show Day – T-Shirt Giveaway
Sunday – Postgame Kids Run the Bases

SCOUTING ARKANSAS

The Razorbacks are coming off a midweek sweep of Northern Colorado in Fayetteville on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Camden Kozeal drove in four runs in Tuesday’s 13-2 win over the Bears.
Damian Ruiz leads Arkansas with a .359 batting average while Kozeal has a team-best 27 RBI to go along with a .346 average.
On the mound, Colin Fisher is 2-1 with a 1.95 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched.
Dave Van Horn is in his 24th season at Arkansas. The three-time SEC Coach of the Year guided the Razorbacks to a trip to the College World Series last season.

SERIES VS. ARKANSAS

Arkansas has a 50-37 series advantage on Carolina heading into Friday’s game.
The Razorbacks won three games against the Gamecocks last season in Fayetteville.
The Gamecocks were 2-2 against Arkansas in 2024, including a 6-5 win in the SEC Tournament.
Carolina is 18-18 all-time against Arkansas in Columbia.

DOUBLES PARTY

After 22 games, Carolina has 53 doubles on the season, which is second in the SEC behind Mississippi State’s 57 and is ninth in the country.
Texas Tech leads Division I baseball with 59 doubles.
KJ Scobey has 10 doubles on the season, which is tied for third in the SEC. Patrick Evans has nine doubles in 2026.

GUNTHER NAMED SEC PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Junior Josh Gunther was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on March 2.
Gunther, who made his first career start, went seven innings and allowed just three with no runs and 10 strikeouts to just one walk in a 7-0 win over No. 15 Clemson.
Gunther ended five of his seven innings with a strikeout and retired the final six batters of the night.
Clemson came into the game hitting .332 but Gunther and Alex Valentin combined on Carolina’s second shutout of the season.
Gunther did not allow a hit or a run in Friday’s game against No. 23 Florida on March 13. He struck out five in his third career start.
Gunther is a perfect 2-0 on the year with a 3.65 ERA. 

AMP’D UP

Amp Phillips did not allow an earned run in Carolina’s game at No. 23 Florida on Saturday night (March 14).
Phillips pitched six innings for the Gamecocks and allowed five hits with three strikeouts.
Phillips has two wins on the season to go along with a 2.62 ERA and a .207 opponent’s batting average.

CRADDOCK NAMED SEC FROSH OF THE WEEK

Freshman infielder Will Craddock was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday, Feb. 23 after his debut in a Carolina uniform.
Craddock went 8-for-15 with nine runs scored, two doubles, a triple, two home runs, two walks and six RBI to help lead the Gamecocks to four wins last week.
He was a perfect 3-for-3 and reached base safely in all five of his plate appearance in the Gardner-Webb win on Wednesday.
In the win over Navy on Saturday, he opened the first with a leadoff home run and added a two-run double. Craddock had four RBI in the game.
Then on Sunday in the win over Air Force, Craddock once again led off the Carolina first with a home run. He also added a double in the 4-2 win.
Craddock becomes the first Gamecock to win Freshman of the Week honors since Tyler Pitzer in 2024.
Craddock is hitting .393 with four doubles, a triple, five home runs and 15 RBI with a .754 slugging percentage this season.
Craddock hit a three-run home run on March 17 against Charlotte.

LECROY RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON

Catcher Talmadge LeCroy returns for his fifth year at Carolina in 2026 after missing the second half of last season due to injury.
LeCroy has played in 187 games in his Carolina career with 170 starts. If he plays in 24 games this season, LeCroy will become one of 17 Gamecocks to play in 200 games or more and the first to do it since Adam Matthews (2009-12).
LeCroy also is 10 walks away from cracking Carolina’s top-10 list in bases on balls.
The Belton, S.C., native has 153 hits, 29 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 95 RBI in the Garnet and Black, helping Carolina to a Super Regional berth in 2023.
LeCroy belted his first career grand slam in a win over Princeton on March 8.
LeCroy is hitting .289 with four home runs and leads the team with 16 RBI this season.

UP NEXT

Carolina travels to the Queen City and faces North Carolina on Tuesday afternoon (March 25) at Truist Park.
Tuesday’s game will start at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.