Series Primer: South Carolina at Arkansas
The South Carolina Gamecocks are looking to get back on track in conference play this weekend when they take on the first place team in the SEC in the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Gamecocks have lost three of their last four conference series, including a sweep last weekend against the Kentucky Wildcats.
While South Carolina has had a slew of injuries play a key role in their recent slump, national pollsters have begun to dock them for their recent performances. For the Gamecocks to get back in the good graces of the NCAA's Selection Committee, particularly when it comes to a Top 8 national seed, they'll likely need to find a way to secure a series win over the Razorbacks.
Arkansas comes into this game with one of the best home records in the country, having compiled 28 wins in 31 home contests. While their batting lineup is deep in terms of power, hitting they're spearheaded by Jace Bohrofen and Kendall Diggs, who've combined for 23 homers and 96 RBI's this season.
South Carolina's depleted pitching staff will need to prioritize working their off-speed breaking balls in order to keep the Arkansas batters off-balance and give themselves a better chance to work through the order quickly. On the mound, Arkansas finds themselves a little bit more top-heavy, as only four pitchers who have made seven or more appearances this season possess an ERA lower than 4.15.
The Razorbacks pitching staff also have a hard time putting hitters away, as they possess a collective strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.95:1. The Gamecocks also got some much needed good news when it was announced that both Braylen Wimmer and Talmadge LeCroy would be in the lineup on Friday. If South Carolina can use their grind-it-out hitting approach to wear down the Razorbacks and get to their bullpen, they'll have a chance to leave Fayetteville with a much-needed series win.
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