Mark Kingston Discusses Game Plan Ahead Of Georgia Matchup

South Carolina Baseball coach Mark Kingston met with the media ahead of the Gamecocks' first round matchup in the SEC Tournament with the Georgia Bulldogs.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming into the SEC Tournament in desperate need of some wins, as their performances over the past month have left national voters, and likely the selection committee, wanting to see Mark Kingston's squad return to the form they had for the majority of the season. If the Gamecocks are going to have any chance to be a regional host, they need to take care of business on their end, and that starts with the Georgia Bulldogs early Tuesday morning.

Kingston started off his gaggle interview on Monday by stating that right-handed pitcher James Hicks will be the starting pitcher, and Cade Austin will likely be the first guy out of the bullpen, although the staff will play it by ear. Mark said the decision came down to how the staff felt about the matchup and them feeling that Georgia being full of right-handed hitters makes it a good matchup having Hicks on the mound.

Mark also discussed how Georgia's offense is set up to where the team will have to try and keep balls in play on the ground because the Bulldogs have a lot of power, emphasizing the importance of minimizing free baserunners so that Georgia won't be able to score runs in bunches. South Carolina has faced the Bulldogs already this season, although that was back on March 17th and 18th and Kingston acknowledged that Georgia isn't the same team as they were then. The biggest difference in Kingston's eyes is that the Bulldogs have figured out some things from a pitching standpoint and with ace pitcher Jaden Woods coming back for the first time in a while, the pitching matchup between both teams will be key in the matchup on Tuesday.

In terms of injuries, Will Sanders isn't expected to factor into the team's plans for the SEC Tournament, but Mark Kingston is optimistic they'll have him back for regional play. Noah Hall on the other hand, is unlikely to return for the rest of the season.

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