South Carolina baseball enters Top 25 after big win against Clemson

Fresh off the heels of their 2-1 series win against rival Clemson, the South Carolina Gamecocks entered Baseball America’s Top 25 rankings for the first time this season.

The Gamecocks began the year unranked by all major baseball publications, likely owing to heavy personnel losses both in the field and especially on the mound. However, Carolina now stands at 9-2 overall with a series victory over the Tigers, who were ranked in the Top 20 in most polls.

The Gamecocks took the first game of the rivalry series by a slim 5-4 margin, suffered an 11-5 loss in the second contest, then emphatically won the third with a 14-3 score.

In Baseball America’s rankings, South Carolina edged Clemson there as well, where the Tigers are now ranked 21st.

In addition to getting some props from BA, the Gamecocks got love from the SEC, too. Senior outfielder T.J. Hopkins was named the Player of the Week, while right-handed pitcher Brett Kerry earned Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Hopkins homered in all three games of the series, contributing a total of nine RBIs, while Kerry turned in outstanding relief work during his appearance in Friday’s nail-biting victory.

USC next faces The Citadel, today at 4 p.m., and Gardner-Webb on Wednesday. The Gamecocks will follow up those midweek contests with a series against Valparaiso.