Clemson Set to Carry Unbeaten Record Into Annual Rivalry Series With Gamecocks

Clemson and South Carolina are set to renew one of college baseball's greatest rivalries this weekend, playing three games at three different sites.

CLEMSON, S.C.- Monte Lee's Tigers capped off a perfect homestand on Tuesday with an 8-5 win over USC-Upstate and will carry a perfect 8-0 record into Columbia on Friday night where Clemson and rival South Carolina will play the first of a three-game weekend series.

The two teams are set to play three games over three days, at three different sites.

SERIES SETUP
• Who - Clemson (8-0) vs. South Carolina (7-1)
• When - Friday (7 p.m.), Saturday (4 p.m.), Sunday (3 p.m.)
• Where - Columbia, S.C. (Founders Park) Friday; Columbia, S.C. (Segra Park) Saturday; Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium) Sunday
• Watch - SEC Network+ (Friday), ACC Network Extra (Saturday), ACC Network (Sunday)

After taking two out of three from the Tigers a season ago, the Gamecocks have won the season series two times in the past three years. Under Lee, Clemson is 10-8 overall against its in-state rival. 

One of the keys to the team's eight-game winning streak to start the season has been the pitching. Clemson boasts a team ERA of 2.59 and opponents are hitting just .213 against Tigers' pitching. 

The bullpen has been really strong and is a perfect 5-0, boasting a 1.77 ERA, with opponents batting just .201. Clemson relievers have recorded 59 strikeouts and have walked just 19 in 40.2 innings pitched.

Friday starter Mack Anglin is also off to an impressive start, having yet to allow a run in 10 innings of work. The hard-throwing right hander is 2-0 and has struck out 14 hitters, with opponents batting a measly .034 against him.

The Gamecocks will counter Anglin on Friday with sophomore, Will Sanders. Another hard-throwing right hander, Sanders is also 2-0 on the season in starts against UNC-Greensboro and George Washington, having allowed 4 earned runs on 9 hits, in 12 innings of work.

Over the first two weekends of the season, Nick Clayton has been the Saturday starter for the Tigers, with Nick Hoffman going on Sunday's. However, ahead of this weekend's rivalry series, Lee has made a tweak to the rotation. Hoffman is scheduled to go on Saturday, and Clayton on Sunday.

STARTING PITCHERS
• Friday - RHP Mack Anglin (CU) vs. RHP Will Sanders (USC)
• Saturday - TBA (USC) vs. RHP Nick Hoffmann (CU)
• Sunday - TBA (USC) vs. RHP Nick Clayton (CU)

The Gamecocks come into the series a banged up baseball team, yet still sit at 7-1 on the young season. Outside of Sanders on Friday, no starting pitchers have been announced for the final two games of the series, as head coach Mark Kingston's pitching staff has been hit hard by the injury bug. 

Junior left-hander Julian Bosnic, expected to be the team’s Saturday starter, has yet to pitch this season and Josiah Sightler has not pitched since the Sunday game of the opening series against UNC-G. Then last weekend, the Gamecocks lost starter James Hicks for the season, as it was announced on Thursday that he will need Tommy John surgery.

Right-hander Noah Hall, a transfer from App State, could be a candidate to start after contending for a spot in the rotation in the preseason. Right-hander Wesley Sweatt, who has posted a 2.57 ERA in seven innings out of the bullpen, could be another option.

At the plate, South Carolina is once again led by Andrew Eyster. The sixth-year senior is off to a red-hot start, hitting .514 and slugging .865 with three home runs and 17 RBIs. It was Eyster that came up big for the Gamecocks in the rivalry series last season, delivering walk-off hits in each of the first two games. As a team, the Gamecocks come in hitting .311.

INF Max Wagner is one of several players pacing the Tigers at the plate. The sophomore is hitting .474, with 2 home runs on the season. Cooper Ingle has also gotten off to a hot start, and leads the team with 15 hits, while Caden Grice and Bryar Hawkins are tied for the team lead with 3 home runs apiece.

Overall, Clemson leads the all-time series against South Carolina 182-143.

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