Yeah, the Garnet and Black Game will block out the sun this weekend -- even though it won't actually be counted in the record books. The baseball games against Mississippi, though, will.
The Rebels come to town for a series with -- gasp -- television coverage. Well, for a couple days, anyway. The 6 p.m. Friday contest is off-air. But FSN South picks up the 4 p.m. Saturday game and CSS will carry the noon Sunday match-up.
THREE FOR THE GAMECOCKS
- Justin Smoak. The all-time South Carolina home-run king. And, yes, Ron Morris, he is the all-time South Carolina home-run king. No asterisks. No "yeah, but..." I hate the aluminium bats as much as the next guy, but let it go. Oh, and he has a .370 average.
- Momentum. Hate to harp, but the Gamecocks are coming off a pretty big game, capping off a five-win week. Okay, the whole part about "hating to harp" on the Clemson win? That's a lie.
- The long ball. Smoak's not the only one ushering the ball off the premises. The Gamecocks have clubbed 70 home runs, tops in the league.
TWO FOR THE REBELS
- Pitching. Some of the match-ups on the mound aren't the most favorable for South Carolina. Mike Cisco's ERA of 4.35 looks a touch high against Lance Lynn's 3.21. As does Will Atwood's 4.17 against Drew Pomeranz' 1.89. (Not to mention that Pomeranz has 10 more strikeouts in three fewer innings.) Blake Cooper's line is favorable against Cody Satterwhite's, but one out of three ain't good.
- What if they're cold? Because when South Carolina's bats cool off, they really cool off, and the team loses. In South Carolina's 10 losses, the team averages 2.6 runs a game.