FOR STARTERS

Carolina continues its five-game homestand in a Thursday-Saturday series against No. 2 Texas at Founders Park.
First pitch for both Thursday and Friday’s game is at 7 p.m. with Saturday’s game starting at 2 p.m.
Thursday’s game will be televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal and Gregg Olson on the call, while Friday and Saturday’s 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 Cade Crenshaw 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.

Weeknights
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: 2 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 1 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 12/12:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 1 p.m.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Thursday
South Carolina Alex Valentin (Jr. LHP) 1-2, 3.91 ERA, 23.0 IP, 13 BB, 31 SO
Texas Ruger Riojas (Sr. RHP) 5-0, 1.59 ERA, 39.2 IP, 7 BB, 64 SO

Friday
South Carolina Josh Gunther (Jr. RHP) 2-2, 6.97 ERA, 31.0 IP, 15 BB, 40 SO
Texas Luke Harrison (Gr. LHP) 3-0, 2.65 ERA, 37.1 IP, 14 BB, 37 SO

Saturday
South Carolina Amp Phillips (Jr. RHP) 2-3, 2.68 ERA, 37.0 IP, 17 BB, 38 SO
Texas Dylan Volantis (So. LHP) 3-0, 2.08 ERA, 39.0 IP, 14 BB, 51 SO

PROMOTIONS
Thursday – Western Night
Friday – Rally Towel Giveaway
Saturday – Postgame Easter Egg Hunt

SCOUTING TEXAS

The Longhorns are coming off a 10-8 win over Texas State on Tuesday night.
Ethan Mendoza was 3-for-4 with three RBI in the win over the Bobcats.
Aiden Robbins leads the Longhorns with a .372 batting average and shares the home run lead (10) with Casey Borba.
On the mound, Ruger Riojas was 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched.
Jim Schlossnagle is in his second season at Texas and 24th season as a head coach. He is a two-time National Coach of the Year and has made six trips to the College World Series.

SERIES VS. TEXAS

Texas holds a 7-2 series advantage on Carolina heading into Thursday’s game, but the Gamecocks have won the last two meetings.
Carolina won both ends of a doubleheader on March 13, 2022, winning the opener 4-2 and the nightcap 9-4.
Matthew Becker struck out 11 batters in the second game on his way to SEC Pitcher of the Week honors.
The two teams have faced off three times in Omaha, including the championship games in 1975 and 2002.

BAK’S BIG NIGHT

Junior Tyler Bak went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBI in an 11-1, seven-inning win over Wofford on March 31.
Bak’s three-run home run was part of a six-run fifth inning for the Gamecocks.
Bak is tied for the team lead with 20 RBI while hitting .279 with four doubles and four home runs.

RANDOLPH’S A BLAST

Fifth-year senior Jake Randolph belted three home runs in the Arkansas series, including a pair in the 9-4 win over the Razorbacks on Sunday, March 22.
Randolph had a two-run home run on Friday, one of three home runs by the Gamecocks in that game.
Randolph then had home runs in consecutive at-bats against Arkansas on Sunday. His solo shot to lead off the fourth gave Carolina a 4-0 lead.
He then had a two-run home run in the sixth, part of a three-run frame.
Randolph hit a home run in the seventh inning at Georgia on March 29.
Randolph currently is hitting .323 with eight runs scored and nine RBI.

STONE’S LIKE A ROCK

Junior Brandon Stone earned his third win of the season in a 9-4 victory over Arkansas on March 22.
Stone struck out five in 5.1 innings pitched, allowing five hits and two runs.
Stone is now 3-1 on the year with a 3.23 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 30.2 innings pitched.
Stone now has five career wins in Columbia with 76 strikeouts at Carolina.

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.

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 then went seven strong innings against Arkansas on March 21, striking out six and allowing one run on three hits.
Phillips struck out a season high nine batters in six innings of work at Georgia on March 28.
Phillips has two wins on the season to go along with a 2.68 ERA and a .197 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 .295 with six doubles, a triple, six home runs and 19 RBI with a .568 slugging percentage this season.

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 203 games in his Carolina career with 186 starts. LeCroy is 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 10th all-time in walks at Carolina with 121 free passes.
The Belton, S.C., native has 165 hits, 30 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 106 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 .284 with five home runs and is tied for third on the team with 19 RBI this season.

KJ MOVING TO SHORT FOR 2026

Sophomore KJ Scobey manned the hot corner last year, starting at third in 56 of Carolina’s 57 games in 2025.
Scobey will now move to shortstop this season, a position he played at Team USA training camp this summer and all through fall ball.
Scobey had 34 runs scored, seven doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBI in his freshman season.
Scobey had a walk-off double in Carolina’s 3-2 win over North Florida on April 22 and had a home run to lead off the ninth in the Gamecocks’ 6-5 win over No. 1 LSU on May 15.
Scobey spent the summer of 2025 in the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team training camp in Cary, N.C. He had two hits in the Stars and Stripes exhibition on June 30.
In the second game of the 2026 season, Scobey hit a walk-off solo home run to start the bottom of the ninth, lifting Carolina to a 6-5 win.
Scobey is hitting .300 with 13 doubles, four home runs and is tied for the team lead with 20 RBI this year.
Scobey leads the SEC with 13 doubles this season.

MILESTONE CENTRAL

Talmadge LeCroy became the 17th Gamecock to play in 200 career games in Friday’s game against Georgia. LeCroy also moved into 10th place on Carolina’s base on balls mark after his two walks vs. Wofford on March 31.
LeCroy currently is in 13th place for games played at Carolina. Michael Campbell (2003-06) holds the Carolina record with 255 games played.
LeCroy surpassed 100 RBI in his career after his grand slam in the win over Princeton (March 8). LeCroy has 106 career RBI.

UP NEXT

Carolina hosts the College of Charleston on Tuesday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.