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The Gamecocks got a win at the Citadel on Tuesday, improving to 20-9 (5-4) and earning consecutive wins for the first time in over two weeks. They will be looking for their second SEC series win of the season in Starkville this weekend. South Carolina leads the overall series with Mississippi State 36-29 but has lost four of their last five games against the Bulldogs. The Gamecocks last won a series in Starkville in 2011.
| SEC East Standings | SEC West Standings |
| Vanderbilt (7-2) | Texas A&M (7-2) |
| Missouri (6-3) | LSU (5-4) |
| Florida (5-4) | Alabama (4-5) |
| Georgia (5-4) | Ole Miss (4-5) |
| South Carolina (5-4) | Arkansas (3-6) |
| Ketucky (4-5) | Auburn (3-6) |
| Tennessee (2-7) | Mississippi State (3-6) |
Mississippi State enters the weekend 19-12 (3-6). The Bulldogs won their first 13 games of the season, but have gone 6-12 since then and have not won consecutive games in a month. The Bulldogs have lost every conference series so far, but managed to avoid being swept as they faced Alabama, Kentucky and Auburn over the past three weekends.
| South Carolina | Mississippi State | |
| Batting Average | .257 | .275 |
| On-Base % | .359 | .400 |
| Slugging % | .370 | .379 |
| ERA | 2.71 | 3.62 |
| Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio | 2.55 | 2.25 |
| Fielding % | .971 | .975 |
There really isn't much to say about this team's offensive struggles that hasn't already been said. Despite the presence of several talented hitters in the lineup, Carolina just can't score runs consistently. The team's current batting average is the lowest it's been since opening weekend. The Gamecocks are hitting just .248 in conference play, though that's still better than five other SEC teams (including the Bulldogs, who are hitting .240 in SEC play). While Carolina's ERA in SEC play (3.01) is a bit higher than their season ERA, it's still the third best in the conference behind Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. The Bulldogs have a conference ERA of 5.47.
As usual, sophomore right-hander Wil Crowe will get the first start of the series on Thursday night. He has a 2.84 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 14 walks on the season. Junior lefty Jack Wynkoop will take the mound on Friday for the Gamecocks. Wynkoop's ERA is 2.30 with 41 strikeouts and 6 walks. Carolina has not yet named a Saturday starter.
Mississippi State will send Lucas Laster to the mound on Thursday night. The senior left-hander has a 2.65 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 6 walks. The Bulldogs have not named a starter for Friday or Saturday.
Game 1, Thursday
Start Time: 8 pm
How to Watch: ESPNU
How to Listen: 107.5 The Game and Gamecock Radio Network affiliates
Game 2, Friday
Start Time: 7:30 pm 4 pm (Due to inclement weather)
How to Watch: SEC Network Plus
How to Listen: 107.5 The Game and Gamecock Radio Network affiliates
Game 3, Saturday
Start Time: 3 pm
How to Watch: SEC Network Plus
How to Listen: 107.5 The Game and Gamecock Radio Network affiliates