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South Carolina suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday night. The Gamecocks were shut out 12-0 and the game ended after the 7th inning due to the mercy rule. As terrible as the game was in almost every way, the early ending did give the team a little extra time to recover before today's elimination game against Florida. The Gators took two of three from the Gamecocks at Carolina Stadium when the two teams faced each other during the regular season. The all-time record in the series is now 43-37 in favor of South Carolina and the Gamecocks do have a 4-2 record against Florida in the SEC Tournament.
Both the Gamecocks and the Gators suffered upsets yesterday. The Gators fell to Kentucky in a 4-2 loss yesterday evening and dropped to 37-20 on the year, while last night's loss to the Bulldogs dropped the Gamecocks to 42-15 on the season. At first glance, the numbers appear to favor the Gamecocks in today's matchup, but as the Gamecocks learned earlier in the season, the Gators are very good at taking advantage of their opportunities. Florida is one of the only teams South Carolina played this year that got to the Gamecock bullpen; both regular season losses to the Gatos were rare occasions when the Gamecocks surrendered a late-inning lead. After yesterday's games, the Gators are hitting .266 with an on-base percentage of .349. Their ERA is 3.33 and opponents are hitting .254 against them. The Gamecocks are now hitting .281 with an on-base percentage of .361. Their ERA is up to 2.33 and opponents are hitting .226 against them.
Though it has not been officially announced, Jack Wynkoop is probably going to take the mound for the Gamecocks, leaving the usual weekend rotation intact. Wynkoop started last Friday against Vanderbilt, so he would be throwing on a day shorter rest than usual. He has a 2.80 ERA, with 57 strikeouts and 10 walks on the season.
Start time: About 1:30 p.m. ET (The game will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Vandy vs. Ole Miss game, which begins at 10:30 a.m.)
Location: Hoover, Alabama (Hoover Metropolitan Stadium)
TV/Online: Fox SportSouth and ESPN3
Radio: 107.5 The Game