No. 3 South Carolina Battling Injuries in Lexington

The Gamecocks will likely be without three key starters this weekend.

The Southeastern Conference has always been a baseball powerhouse, but 2023's group of 14 teams may combine for the best overall group of talent the league has seen in a long, long time. 

It can be exemplified by looking at the back half of Kentucky's schedule. The Bat Cats are set to play their third top-five opponent in the last four weeks, as No. 3 South Carolina is coming to Lexington for three games. 

Having lost four SEC series in a row, UK has to try and find some good fortune late in the season, or else it will be limping into Hoover for the SEC Tournament.

Sitting at 36-8 (14-6 SEC), SC will almost certainly be hosting an NCAA Tournament Regional in June. It's been one of the biggest surprises in the country, mashing home runs and putting the hurt on opposing pitching staffs since the season began in February. The Gamecocks have blasted 98 homers, the most in the SEC and third most in the country. They're slugging .554 and have an impressive .429 on-base percentage, a much higher mark than what you'd expect from your usual power-hitting ballclub. 

At the helm of it all is superstar freshman Ethan Petry. The right fielder's numbers do all the talking:

• .408 batting average (2nd in SEC)
• 64 hits (7th)
• 67 RBIs (2nd)
• 21 home runs (2nd)
• .854 slugging (2nd)
• .482 OBP (11th)

Put Petry in the same light as LSU's Dylan Crews and Florida's Jac Caglianone. He's the main bat in the SC lineup that Kentucky can't let beat it this weekend. Third baseman Cole Messina is right behind, slashing .325/.445/.686. He's laced 14 doubles, 15 homers and has 54 RBIs. Gavin Casas has belted 16 HRs of his own in 2023. Kentucky Proud Park plays deep at times, but with the warm weather and reachable corners, it shouldn't have an impact on the Gamecocks' power. 

What has hindered SC as of late, however, is injuries. It's been hit hard. 

Second baseman Will McGillis (.297/.480/.770) is expected to remain out due to a broken bone in his right arm that occurred back in late March. Shortstop Braylen Wimmer (.299/.419/.573) is also set to be out with a hamstring injury, while infielder Talmadge LeCroy (.320/.465/.467) is making the trip to Lexington, but won't be full strength, as he's also recovering from a bum hamstring. All of the infield has dealt with some sort of ailment this season. 

None of the three are in the lineup for SC Friday night: 

1. CF Dylan Brewer (.267) 
2. Michael Brasswell (.272) 
3. RF Ethan Petry (.408) 
4. 3B Cole Messina (.325) 
5. LF Caleb Denny (.252) 
6. 1B Gavin Casas (.247) 
7. C Jonathan French (.250) 
8. DH Carson Hornung (.253) 
9. 2B Will Tippett (.155) 

Kentucky's starting lineup: 

1. CF Jackson Gray (.362) 
2. 3B Jase Felker (.310) 
3. 1B Hunter Gilliam (.348) 
4. 2B Émilien Pitre (.360) 
5. LF Ryan Waldschmidt (.273) 
6. DH Chase Stanke (.222) 
7. C Devin Burkes (.255) 
8. RF James McCoy (.202) 
9. SS Grant Smith (.279)

First pitch at KPP is set for 6:30 p.m. EST. It will air on SEC Network+.