Gamecocks Left With Plenty Of Options In Infield

South Carolina Baseball coaches Mark Kingston and Monte Lee will have multiple lineup options to roll with in the Gamecocks NCAA Regional.

If one part of South Carolina's roster has been decimated by injuries more than others this season, it's been the Gamecocks' infield. When looking at the group that started the season in Gavin Casas, Will McGillis, Braylen Wimmer, Talmadge LeCroy, and Cole Messina, the five infielders have missed 49 games as a collective unit. While the lineup instability has been unideal for fielding and hitting coach Monte Lee in terms of getting the unit to gel, it's also allowed other capable players in Michael Braswell and true freshman Will Tippett to get some experience.

The good news for South Carolina is for the first time in what seems like ages, the Gamecocks are going to have each of their infielders available for the NCAA Regionals, including Will McGillis, who's twice been on the mend due to complications related to a broken bone in his right forearm.

"We may have a few tricks left up our sleeves," Mark Kingston suggested at his Thursday press conference. "Show up tomorrow night at 7 o'clock, and you'll get your answer."

While Coach Kingston's answer was extremely vague, McGillis potentially being able to play in some capacity is huge for South Carolina, as he was one of the better bats on the team up until he suffered his forearm injury in the Missouri series. Combine this with the revelation that Braylen Wimmer will be back in the field at shortstop for the first time in over a month, which creates a good problem for Monte Lee and Kingston both, as they now have several lineup options they can roll with in this Regional.

Michael Braswell offers versatility in the field as someone who can play third base, shortstop, and second base and possesses decent pop in his bat. Will Tippett is a promising freshman who has grown significantly in his plate approach throughout the latter portion of the season and is the lone switch hitter on the roster. Talmadge LeCroy has become an extremely reliable third baseman for the Gamecocks this Spring and has excellent vision at the plate, making him a threat to reach base on any given at-bat.

This isn't even including the designated hitter position, where left-handed batter Carson Hornung could see some action this weekend, depending on which route the coaching staff takes with their infield. One thing's for sure; this will be something to monitor throughout the weekend.

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