2020 BASEBALL / SOFTBALL PREVIEW FEBRUARY 2020 • VOLUME 42 • ISSUE 2
ARMED & READY Ace Carmen Mlodzinski leads revamped Gamecocks into 2020 season
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Fan’s Choice: New program helps fans with W-B seat selection..........5 Firehouse Subs Athlete of the Month: Jermaine Couisnard .......... 6
Editor’s Note: The editorial deadline for this issue was Feb 13
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Gamecock Club
Play Ball! Gamecocks determined to bounce back stronger...............................8 Coming Up Aces: SC armed with deeper pitching staff......................... 12 Special K: Brett Kerry relishes new role as starter....................... 14 B&B Boys: Beaver, Bowen bring pop, leadership to lineup............... 16 2020 Schedule............................................. 20
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Softball
Girardeau: How 2010 champions started it all ........................... 39
O-K-C: Experienced Gamecocks have sights on CWS.................................... 20 Love of the Game: Jana Johns born to play............................ 22
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‘Fan’s Choice’ helps fans impacted by stadium renovations By Brad Muller | SC Athletics • Photo by Travis Bell
• Have the first right to stay in their seating area and will be provided a discount on the purchase of each existing season ticket that they have in the area until the 2022 season. • Have an early option to re-select seats if they’d like to move thanks to the Fan’s Choice pre-selection process, an early selection window designed to accommodate these fans. • Have the opportunity to relocate to a seat in the stadium’s lower level at, or below, the price they are currently paying.
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outh Carolina Athletics has launched its “Fan’s Choice” pledge aimed at accommodating existing season ticket holders in the areas that will be improved for the 2020 season thanks to the ongoing renovations of Williams-Brice Stadium. The program, which was unveiled in late January, features three tenets that not only give fans access to the most affordable club seating in the SEC, but also ensure that any donor not wishing to buy club seats can purchase tickets elsewhere in the lower bowl at or below the price they’re currently paying. The pledge states that any existing season ticket holder in these areas affected by the renovations will:
“We’re excited about the changes,” said Bob Cleary of Lexington, a 39-year member of the Gamecock Club who is opting to remain in his 400 level seats. “We’ve sat there for quite a while. Having a nice place to sit and nice amenities is very attractive to us. When they announced what this was and the cost, we thought, ‘shoot yeah, this is good.’ We don’t have to increase our scholarship, and the cost is phased in, so I think the University has done a good job in trying to allow people who currently sit in the 400 level to keep sitting in the 400 level." “In this project, it was important for us to prioritize the game day experience for fans while also creating funding opportunities that will have a long-term benefit for fans and studentathletes,” Athletics Director Ray Tanner said.
"I believe our fans will appreciate the new amenities in these areas, especially for games with excessive temperatures or inclement weather.” The renovations project keeps an eye on affordability while increasing the overall fan experience. Under the project, South Carolina offers the most affordable club seats in the SEC by more than 30 percent. The addition of exciting new areas, such as the South Club, provides existing seat holders access to the air-conditioned space featuring upgrades, concessions, new restrooms and an array of TVs for less than $25 more per game. “The renovations project at Williams-Brice Stadium is the culmination of a plan that was five years in the making,” said Steve Eigenbrot, Executive Associate Athletics Director for Development and CEO of the Gamecock Club. “We worked with two national firms to get us where we are for renovations in a way that would minimize any negative impact on fans while also maximizing the impact of our investment.” Also of note, South Carolina Athletics will dedicate the increased revenue from sales in new areas to fund future investments and stadium upgrades, including improvements to sound and video systems, restroom and concessions areas.
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Jermaine Couisnard W
hen Frank Martin inserted redshirt freshman Jermaine Couisnard into the starting lineup Jan. 15 against Kentucky, the Gamecocks took off. Couisnard had a career-high 26 points that night, including a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. With Couisnard taking over as the starting point guard, the Gamecocks won six of their next eight games to climb to 6-4 in SEC play. “Somebody had to take a step forward in leadership … and he has taken that responsibillity,” Martin said. Couisnard scored in double figures in six of eight games in January and early February. After 21 games, he was was averaging 12 points, three assists and three rebounds per game.
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SOMETHING TO PROVE Revamped Gamecocks have chip on their shoulders after rough 2019 season By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Allen Sharpe
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s far as Mark Kingston is concerned, last year was a fluke. South Carolina finished 2828 (8-22 in the SEC) and barely qualified for the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks missed the postseason in Kingston’s second season and for the third time in five years, an unacceptable stretch for a program that has made the NCAA Tournament 32 times and played in 11 College World Series. “Coming off last year, you are anxious to get back out there and prove that that was a fluke,” Kingston said. “We are anxious to get back on that field and make it right.” Kingston has a history of doing just that. In fact, he faced a similar situation as head coach at South Florida and his team responded in a big way. After compiling a 173-102 record (.629 percent) at Illinois State, Kingston took over a veteran team at South Florida and led the Bulls to the NCAA Tournament in his first season. The next year, they hit a skid, sliding to 24-33 and missing the postseason. But in year three, Kingston’s team made a big jump, winning a school-record 42 games and returning to the NCAA Tournament. He has followed a similar pattern at South Carolina. After inheriting a veteran team from Chad Holbrook, Kingston’s first Gamecock squad finished fifth in the SEC, won an NCAA Regional and advanced to the Super Regionals with a 37-26 record. After losing much of that team to the MLB Draft, the Gamecocks struggled last season. Now, with his first real recruiting class on campus, Kingston looks to follow a similar trajectory. “You come in your first year and you just try to help a returning team with a lot of seniors overachieve and do the best they can and have great success,” he said. “The second year is really the beginning of the rebuilding of the program and you struggle. And year three is
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when you start to see glimpses of where it is going. “I anticipate the same thing here with this team. … How far his team goes, I don’t know, but it’s very similar.” With four starters and several key pitchers returning, plus an influx of 16 new players in a top-10 recruiting class, Kingston believes his third South Carolina team should take a big step toward getting the Gamecocks back on track. They are using last year’s “fluke” as motivation. “It’s a team we are encouraging to have a
We are encouraging [them] to play like we have something to prove. – MARK KINGSTON
chip on their shoulder, we are encouraging to play like we have something to prove,” he said. While South Carolina is expected to have a deep and talented pitching staff (see page 12), it must also make big strides offensively to compete in a conference that had nine teams in the preseason Top 25, seven in the top 11. The Gamecocks hit just .236 as a team (last in the SEC) last year and were 12th in runs scored. Carolina returns five players that started games last year, but only one of them hit better than .240. Junior outfielder Andrew Eyster led the Gamecocks with a .309 average while slugging 12 doubles and 10 home runs. He finished strong last season and will be a centerpiece of the offense after slashing .309/.389/.576.
SEASON PREVIEW 9
Noah Myers Sophomore outfielder Brady Allen showed some pop, hitting seven home runs, but must improve on his .210 batting average. Shortstop George Callil is a defensive whiz at shortstop but hit just .214. Junior Noah Campbell is a preseason AllAmerican for the second straight year but struggled at the plate last year, hitting just .239. South Carolina hopes to get a big boost from four transfers and an exciting freshman. Dallas Beaver and Bryant Bowen are both grad transfers expected to add some pop to
the lineup (see page 16). Beaver hit .316 with 12 home runs and 56 RBI at Central Florida last season, while Bowen slashed .341/.403/.563 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI at Southern Miss. They can both catch, play the corner infield positions and will likely hit in the middle of the lineup. “They are two proven bats that will absolutely help us,” Kingston said. Noah Myers, a junior-college transfer who hit .376 with eight home runs last year, will likely start in center field and lead
off. He stole an astounding 77 bases at Wabash Valley (Ill.) Community College. Kingston doesn’t expect those kind of numbers in the SEC but believes Myers can be a catalyst at the top of the lineup and make an impact with his speed. “He will be a guy who will generally have the green light from me when he feels good,” Kingston said. “His speed will be a weapon for us.” One of the team’s most intriguing players is highly regarded freshman Brennan Milone, one of the top high
school prospects in the country last year. Milone was drafted in the 28th round by the Dodgers but chose to come to school and will start at third base as a freshman. He was impressive in the fall, slugging three home runs in the final fall scrimmage, and carried that over with an impressive spring camp. “He’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like that from a freshman,” Eyster said of Milone’s preseason performance. “He looks like he’s played at this level for a while now. He’s going to be fun to watch.” Jeff Heinrich, another juniorcollege player, could also be a factor in the infield. He missed fall practice with a shoulder injury but came out swinging in the spring and displayed an impressive overall game. He could push Campbell at second or Milone at third. Freshman Braylen Wimmer is another impressive infielder pushing for playing time. After the struggles last season, South Carolina will have a different offensive approach this year, one that will focus more on on-base percentage and quality at-bats. Last year the Gamecocks were fourth in the SEC with 75 home runs but 13th in on-base percentage (.333). They struck out twice as many times (511) as they walked (224).
2020 POSITION PLAYERS NO. NAME
3 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 26 28 29 32 33 38
Braylen Wimmer George Callil Brennan Milone Jeff Heinrich Noah Myers Colin Burgess Andrew Eyster Noah Campbell Jax Cash Wes Clarke Bryant Bowen Anthony Amicangelo Brady Allen Dallas Beaver
10 BASEBALL • SEASON PREVIEW
POS
B/T
HT/WT CLASS
HOMETOWN
INF INF INF INF/OF OF C OF INF C/RHP C/1B C/INF OF OF C/INF
R/R R/R R/R R/R L/R R/R R/R S/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/L L/R
6-4, 194 6-4, 180 6-0, 200 6-0, 201 6-1, 188 5-8, 183 6-3, 217 6-0, 208 6-3, 203 6-2, 224 6-0, 204 5-9, 220 6-1, 205 6-2, 225
Yukon, Okla. Melbourne, Australia Woodstrock, Ga. Lake in the Hills, Ill. Wyoming, Ontario Lexington, Ky. Ocala, Fla. Durham, NC Spartanburg, SC Forest, Va. Shreveport, La. Bremerton, Wash. Lakeland, Fla. Kissimmee, Fla.
FR SR FR JR JR FR JR JR FR SO GR JR SO GR
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“Last year we focused maybe a little bit more on power and we hit a lot of home runs, and on days we hit home runs we won, and days we didn’t we struggled to score runs,” Kingston said. “We want to be a much more balanced offense.” With assistant coach Stuart Lake serving as the full-time hitting coach, the Gamecocks will focus more on moving runners, hitting with two strikes and driving in runs, hopefully with some power mixed in. “We want to be an offense that can steal bases but also hit for power but also have clutch, two-strike, RBI at-bats,” Kingston said. “We want to be all of those things. Last year we were very one-dimensional. I think this an offense that will have guys who can give you tough, two-strike at-bats and I think it will be an offense that is going to have power.” The player who could benefit most from the new approach is Campbell, who has shined in the elite Cape Cod League the past two summers but struggled to adapt to the SEC. One of
the top 150 college players in the country, according to D1 Baseball, Campbell slashed .239/.324/.378 last year and had more strikeouts (47) than hits (45). Kingston takes part of the blame for Campbell’s struggles and believes a new approach will allow him to finally reach his vast potential. “I think we have tailored how we train him now more to what will benefit him. He’s a guy who needs to just spray the ball around,” Kingston said. “When you put a wood bat in his hand, he didn’t really think a whole lot about power playing in the Cape Cod League. He just sprayed the ball around and took his hits where he could get them and he had success.” South Carolina should have speed at the top and bottom of the lineup with Myers and Campbell and a powerful middle of the order with Eyster, Beaver, Bowen, Milone and Allen, who all have double-digit home run potential. Wes Clarke, who started 11 games at the end of last
season, also swings a powerful bat at first base. “This is not a team that will lack for power, but I think we will be able to get more consistent, quality at-bats up and down the lineup,” Kingston said. The Gamecocks should also be strong defensively, especially up the middle. Callil is one of the best defensive shortstops in the country, while Myers can fly in center field. They are also deep at catcher with Beaver as the starter and talented freshman Colin Burgess, a good defensive backstop, expected to play. Clarke, Bowen and freshman Jax Cash can also catch. Will it be enough to propel the Gamecocks back to the postseason and make a run at their first College World Series appearance since 2012? “We know what the goals are, and it’s to get to Omaha,” Kingston said. “Are we there yet? I don’t
know. [But] we will get on the field this year and we will play our butts off to try to get there.”
Noah Campbell
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SEASON PREVIEW • BASEBALL 11
Carmen Mlodzinski
style. … It is definitely a better group.” That’s good news for a team that struggled on the mound last season. The Gamecocks were last in the SEC with a 5.51 team ERA (6.85 in league play) and 13th with a .266 opponents batting average (.290 vs. SEC foes). They were 12th in the league in strikeouts (488) and second in wild pitches (70). Only one pitcher had a sub-3.00 ERA and only two were below 4.00.
Last year, it was like, ‘Oh geez, who can we put in to fill in this weekend? – BRETT KERRY
ACES HIGH
Gamecocks enter 2020 with deeper, more talented pitching staff
T
By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photo by Allen Sharpe here were times last year when Mark Kingston went into a big weekend series not knowing what his starting rotation would look like. The Gamecocks used 11 different starters, and that was not by design. With only one dependable starter — Reid Morgan, who was taken in the 13th round of the MLB Draft — Kingston had few options, forcing him to mix and match and start several young pitchers who either weren’t ready or were more suited for bullpen duty. That should not be a problem this season as South Carolina
is expected to have a deep and talented pitching staff. “We have options, we have options that we are very, very confident in,” Kingston said. “We just asked guys last year, because of the situation we were in, to do things that were just a little above where they were comfortable. This year I feel much more confident that the combination of talent and depth will allow us to put guys in areas where they can be comfortable, and when you are comfortable you have a better chance for success.” Due to injuries and inexperience, South Carolina had to rely on several young pitchers last season. Those
12 BASEBALL • PITCHER PREVIEW
pitchers are a year older now and most of them have made a big jump after summer ball and offseason workouts. The staff gets three pitchers back from injury and also has benefitted from an influx of new arms, including three highly-regarded junior-college hurlers. The Gamecocks entered the season with 17 healthy pitchers and plenty of options for the rotation and bullpen. “We have the type of depth now we should have,” pitching coach Skylar Meade said. “I think we have more candidates to be starters, I think we have some premier velocity throughout and hopefully we will have enough diversity in
South Carolina, which finished 28-28 last season and 12th in the SEC (8-22), never had a stable rotation after Friday night starter Carmen Mlodzinski was lost for the season in the Clemson series. After Morgan, who made 14 starts, five freshmen combined to start 27 games. The Gamecocks played the final few weeks of the season with just 10 healthy pitchers, with relievers Brett Kerry, Cam Tringali and TJ Shook swinging between the bullpen and starting rotation. “Last year, it was like, ‘Oh geez, who can we put in to fill in this weekend?” Kerry said. “We got a little thin toward the end of the year last year,” Tringali said. “I don’t think there are many teams who can say they played three SEC series with only 10 healthy arms. We have plenty of guys this year who can fill a bunch of different roles.” The starting rotation could have two elite starters at the top and a host of options for the third weekend spot and midweek roles. Mlodzinski returns with a big fastball and huge expectations. After an impressive summer in the Cape
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2020 PITCHERS
NO. 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 22 30 34 35 36 37 39 *40 *43 44 45 *47 49
NAME Josiah Sightler Graham Lawson Daniel Lloyd John Gilreath Julian Bosnic Andrew Peters Carmen Mlodzinski Brannon Jordan Brett Thomas Thomas Farr RJ Dantin TJ Shook Cam Tringali Will McGregor Wesley Sweatt Hayden Lehman Parker Coyne Trey Tujetsch Dylan Harley Brett Kerry
POS INF/LHP RHP RHP LHP LHP/OF RHP RHP RHP RHP RHP LHP RHP RHP LHP RHP RHP RHP RHP LHP RHP
B/T L/L R/R R/R L/L L/L R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R R/R L/L R/R
HT/WT CLASS 6-5, 232 SO 6-2, 229 R-SR 6-3, 227 SO 5-11, 191 JR 6-3, 219 R-FR 6-2, 189 JR 6-2, 231 R-SO 6-2, 187 JR 6-5, 216 FR 6-0, 195 R-SO 6-2, 197 FR 6-3, 226 JR 6-4, 224 SO 6-2, 213 FR 6-3, 219 SO 6-2, 215 R-JR 6-2, 209 JR 5-10, 185 FR 6-3, 222 SO 5-11, 211
HOMETOWN Gaston, SC Woodruff, SC Summerville, SC Rock Hill, SC Lutz, Fla. Morris, Ill. Hilton Head, SC Collinsville, Okla. Atlanta Tyrone, Ga. Spartanburg, SC Columbia, SC Columbia, SC Anderson, SC Rock Hill, SC Marietta, Ga. Suwanne, Ga. Charlotte Summerville, SC Clemmons, NC
* Will miss the season with Tommy John surgery. Cod League, he returned in the fall bigger, stronger and throwing 98 mph. He enters his third season as one of the top pitchers in the country and a top-10 prospect for the 2020 draft. “Everything is better,” Kingston said. “The fastball is better, the command is better, the cutter is better, the changeup is better. He’s more confident, he’s bigger and stronger. He’s just a different person all the way around.” Having an ace at the top of the rotation will be huge for the Gamecocks. “Everybody needs a Friday night ace,” Kingston said. “This league may have eight first-round picks this year, the majority of those Friday night pitchers. You need a guy like that that can go head to head and one on one on a Friday night to set the tone for you. I think he is well on his way to being that.”
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Kerry was South Carolina’s biggest surprise and most reliable pitcher last year. He led the Gamecocks with a 2.62 ERA and had four wins and seven saves pitching mostly out of the bullpen. But he also made two starts, including a quality outing to beat No. 3 Mississippi State in the final game of the regular season. Though Kerry was a shutdown reliever last year, he is expected to be in the starting rotation this season, forming a potent 1-2 combination with Mlodzinski. Kingston entered the season planning to start three junior-college pitchers on Sunday and in the mid-week games. Brannon Jordan, who was impressive in the fall and spring scrimmages, earned the weekend spot. Thomas Farr had a 1.39 ERA in 13 innings before suffering an injury last season and has a fastball that touches 96-97. Andrew Peters, another
hard-throwing right-hander, is coming off Tommy John surgery but has been on an aggressive rehab program and is ahead of schedule. The Gamecocks should have plenty of options at the back end of the bullpen, an area where it was thin last season. The closer appears to be sophomore Daniel Lloyd, who struggled as a freshman but made a big jump over the summer and was dominant in fall and spring practice. With a fastball climbing to 97, he struck out five of six batters in one spring scrimmage. “He’s what an SEC, lategame, high-leverage guy looks like,” Meade said. “Lloyd is outstanding,” Kingston said. “If he’s throwing strikes, he’s really, really tough to hit and that’s a great development for us.” The Gamecocks could have two closers if fifth-year senior Graham Lawson continues to
progress after Tommy John surgery. Lawson, who had three saves in 22 appearances in 2018 and held SEC hitters to a .189 batting average, was a 12thround pick in the 2018 draft before missing last season. His velocity was back up to 95-96 in preseason while he continued to work on his command. If Lloyd or Lawson can lock down the closer’s role, the Gamecocks could have a deep bullpen. Cam Tringali, who threw 66 innings last year, was most effective out of the bullpen and looks like a quality setup man. TJ Shook, Parker Coyne and freshman Brett Thomas, a 6-5 right-hander with a wicked curveball, are also options. One trouble spot for the Gamecocks could be left-handed relief. Junior John Gilreath had a strong fall but missed the first two weeks of spring practice due to a personal issue. He’s back and will be counted on heavily from the left side. Left-hander Dylan Harley, who threw 44 innings last year, will miss the season after having Tommy John surgery. Redshirt freshman Julian Bosnic, another left-hander, missed his freshman season with Tommy John surgery but looked good in spring practice and should be ready to help. Another wild card is 6-5 lefthander Josiah Sightler, who was moved to the mound in the fall after struggling at the plate as a freshman. Though he’s still building up his velocity, he looked good in his last two scrimmage appearances. Freshmen RJ Dantin and Will McGregor, both lefthanders, and right-hander Trey Tujetsch could also help at some point this season. With a deeper, more talented group, South Carolina could have a pitching staff that can go toe to toe with any team in the SEC. “I think it’s a complete change,” Kerry said. “I feel like our pitching staff is up there with anyone in the nation. I don’t know who on paper has a better staff than us right now.”
PITCHER PREVIEW • BASEBALL 13
SPECIAL K
After stellar freshman season, Brett Kerry ready for weekend rotation By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photo by Allen Sharpe
W
hen Brett Kerry tossed a scoreless inning in mopup duty in the second game of the season last year, no one thought much of it. Kerry had struggled in the fall, didn’t show much in spring practice and no one knew what to expect out of the freshman from Clemmons, N.C. But the next day, he was lightsout again, throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to pick up the win in a 3-2 victory over Liberty. 14 BASEBALL • BRETT KERRY
“You see what he does in the first game and you’re like, ‘OK, that looked pretty good,’” redshirt sophomore Cam Tringali said. “The next day it’s a tie game in the eighth inning and we bring him back in and he comes in and gets the job done again and you’re like, ‘Ok, we can absolutely work with that.’” A week later, Kerry did it again, earning another win with a two-inning, four-strikeout performance against Utah Valley. At that point, the 5-11, 195-pound right-hander looked like he might
be a reliable option out of the bullpen. That turned out to be a huge understatement. In his fourth appearance of the season, Kerry delivered a clutch performance that would foretell a remarkable season for South Carolina’s most valuable player. In a 5-4 win at Clemson, Kerry struck out seven batters in 3.1 innings of relief to shut down the Tigers and spark the Gamecocks to a series win over their arch-rival. It was then that the Gamecocks realized they had something special in Kerry.
“That was probably one of the most incredible things I have seen since I have been here,” Tringali said. “That’s when you realized this kid is pretty special.” Kerry’s rise to prominence has been well documented. He struggled so badly when he first arrived on campus, there where questions over whether he would even make the team. But after refocusing and working hard during winter workouts, he returned a different player last spring. “I think I just had to realize who I was as a pitcher,” Kerry said. “In high school, that’s kind of the pitcher I was in the spring. The fall was just a horrible speed bump. I fell out of rhythm and I felt like it just took time to get back to where I was and the focus that I need to go out and pitch and not focus on anything else.” Though he got off to an impressive start, the Clemson series was when he realized he could shine against top competition. “The first couple of weekends went well, but going against a toptier competitor and pitching well definitely showed me I could do something like that,” he said. Kerry was fired up when he walked off the mound that night at Clemson, but he downplays the performance now and doesn’t get too caught up in the fierce in-state rivalry. But shutting down the rival Tigers paved the way for what was to come. “If you go out there in maybe the biggest game of our season to that point and do what he did in a one-run game, in a rivalry game on the road, you feel on the top of the world at that point,” Tringali said. “He may not admit it, but you got to have some sort of feeling that I can absolutely do this and I belong here.” Kerry continued to prove that throughout the season, emerging as South Carolina’s ace and a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. In 22 appearances, he was 4-1 with a 2.62 ERA and seven saves. He struck out 65 batters and walked just 13 in 58.1 innings while holding opponents to a .200 batting average. He was at his best against SEC competition. He struck out five in two innings to earn a save at Tennessee and had three-inning saves against both Texas A&M and
FEBRUARY 2020
Kentucky. He shut out Alabama on the road to earn another win and then finished the season with a gem at No. 3 Mississippi State. In only his second start of the season, he held the Bulldogs to just two runs in six innings in a game the Gamecocks had to win to make the SEC Tournament. He had the 10th-best ERA in the SEC (2.95) and held conference opponents to a .208 average (ninthbest) to earn Freshman SEC and All-American honors. What was most impressive was his versatility. He pitched his team out of jams in the middle of games, closed out seven wins and earned two wins on the road as a starter. “He got a taste of doing everything last year,” said Tringali, who also filled multiple pitching roles last year. “He was a shutdown closer. When you look at him, he doesn’t really look like a guy who could come in and slam the door in the ninth but I think that goes in his favor. I think guys get up there and see what he looks like and say, ‘Who’s this kid?’ But he can beat you with anything. He’s one of the best in the SEC.”
Kerry was so good last year he surprised even himself. “Definitely a little surprised,” he said. “Obviously you see yourself doing that stuff, but you can’t say going into college, I am going to pitch against Clemson and close it out and do all that kind of stuff. But I did know that I had some of that in me.”
I’m a whole lot stronger, a whole lot more comfortable, I feel the best I have. – BRETT KERRY Now comes his next big challenge as Kerry moves into the weekend rotation, giving the Gamecocks a potent 1-2 punch
“The best dishwasher we’ve ever tested.”
with Friday night ace Carmen Mlodzinski. After straining his oblique late last season, he didn’t pitch over the summer. He was invited to pitch in the Cape Cod League but chose to stay on campus and work with strength and conditioning coach Billy Anderson. After gaining 15 pounds, he’s bigger, stronger, throwing harder and prepared for an even bigger role this season. “I’m a whole lot stronger, a whole lot more comfortable, I feel the best I have,” he said entering spring practice. He proved right away he’s ready to build on last year’s incredible season. In the first spring scrimmage, he started opposite Mlodzinski and tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. He went three more innings in his second start without allowing an earned run. Though his velocity was a bit down after not pitching for six months, he pounded the strike zone and kept hitters off balance with a sharp slider, a changeup and a developing curve ball.
“Brett Kerry was Brett Kerry,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “That’s the great thing about him. It’s in his DNA to throw strikes at a high level. He missed all fall and he was out here and he didn’t skip a beat. Very encouraging.” Kingston believes the bigger, strong Kerry is prepared to pitch deep into games as a starter. “He’s got to prove it but he minimizes his pitches. He’s not a guy who generally has to throw 25 pitches in a inning. He’s generally in the 12 to 15 range and that allows him to go deeper into games,” he said. “He doesn’t waste a lot of pitches, he doesn’t have a lot of three-ball counts. That’s a guy who could go deep into games for you.” After serving as the team’s jack-of-all-trades last year, Kerry relishes the opportunity to pitch in the weekend rotation. “I definitely feel like I can help the team starting,” he said. “But anything the team needs me to do is what I’m going to try to do.” Just like last year.
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thatlunchbox.com BRETT KERRY • BASEBALL 15
B
ryant Bowen is chasing a dream and he believes one more solid season, this one at South Carolina and in the mighty SEC, will help him reach it. Dallas Beaver is chasing the same dream, but there’s he even more driving him. He’s motivated by the number on his back, a number that means everything to him and has helped transform him into the player and person he is. The two newcomers on head coach Mark Kingston’s team have something else in common. They are both grad transfers, arriving at South Carolina through the infamous transfer portal to further their careers and help Kingston get the Gamecock program back on track. Though they arrived via different paths — Bowen from Southern Miss, Beaver from Central Florida — they quickly formed a special bond and are determined to give South Carolina a big boost offensively and the veteran leadership that could help the Gamecocks return to the NCAA Tournament.
PAYING HIS DUES
Bryant Bowen (L) and Dallas Beaver
THE B&B BOYS Transfers Dallas Beaver, Bryant Bowen bring power, leadership to Gamecock lineup By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Allen Sharpe
16 BASEBALL • BEAVER & BOWEN
Bowen had a big junior season at Southern Miss, hitting .341 with 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 51 RBI to make the All-Conference USA team and lead the Golden Eagles to the Baton Rouge Regional of the NCAA Tournament last year. But it took him a while to get there. An allstate player from Shreveport, La., Bowen had to redshirt his freshman year. As a redshirt freshman and sophomore, he was a platoon player on Southern Miss teams that slugged their way to the postseason each year. Bowen had to wait for his opportunity, waiting and watching as his dream of getting drafted and playing professional baseball seemed further and further away. Every day when he turned on his phone, one word popped up first: Resilience. “That was my word last year. I had it typed into my phone so I could see it every day and it’s something my family talks about,” the veteran catcher and utility player said. “Going and redshirting, you don’t play, so that’s tough being told you are not going to play for a season.” Bowen made the Conference USA AllTournament team as a redshirt freshman, but when he returned for his sophomore season, he still couldn’t crack the everyday lineup, starting just 26 of 62 games. He would have to wait one more year before he became an everyday player. “It was just being resilient … just staying the course because some days you look up and say, ‘Man, this is tough. Why am I here?’ But there are days you go 4-for-5 with two home runs and you look in the mirror and say, ‘This is why I still do it,’ and you find reasons why you love it. Just staying resilient is how I progressed over the last four years and being mature about it.”
FEBRUARY 2020
In three seasons at Southern Miss, Bowen hit 18 home runs and had 93 RBI in 125 games. Even after his big junior season, he did not get drafted. With one year of eligibility remaining, he decided to transfer to a school with a higher profile, one that plays the toughest competition in the country and could help him keep his dream alive. When he entered the transfer portal — a new avenue for college baseball players — he thought he would hear from only two or three schools. Instead, 25 to 30 came calling. He told his parents he would only consider a school if the head coach called him personally. Kingston was one of the first to call. “This is a historic place and it’s really just an honor to wear the SC,” Bowen said. “They flew me out here the next day, I took my visit and I saw no red flags, so I was like, ‘why not? If this is my last year of baseball, I can end it at the highest amateur level you can play at, so why not give it a shot.’” It took just one visit for Bowen to realize South Carolina was where he needed to be. “Just the resources, baseballwise and academically, if you are not getting better at an institution like this, you are wasting your time and their time too. You can only get better at a place like this,” he said. Bowen hopes his one year at South Carolina can help him finally realize his dream of playing at the next level. “That’s exactly why I’m here. If I can put up half the numbers I put up last year, even just a step below it, at this level, I think it’s a lock,” he said. “That’s a dream I want to pursue and I am not going to let anyone tell me I can’t do it.”
was fifth in the conference in RBI and top 10 in home runs, on-base percentage (.455) and slugging (.545). But he wanted more. Having graduated in just two years with a degree in criminal justice, he was ready to take his game to another level. “I just wanted to push myself,” he said. “I wanted to play amongst the best, I wanted to play at a program like this.” After entering the transfer portal, one of the first calls he got was from Kingston and “immediately the interest went through the roof.” “I was just like, ‘Wow.’ I was kinda in awe. A place like South Carolina wants me to come play there. … Once I got the phone call from South Carolina, I was pretty much set on coming here. There were a couple of other schools I was talking to, but this was the place I wanted to be.” Beaver, a Cape Cod League All-Star last summer, committed
Beaver
BEAVER’S INSPIRATION Dallas Beaver had an outstanding career at Central Florida, where he helped lead the Golden Knights to 111 wins in three seasons and to the 2017 NCAA Tournament. He made the American Athletic AllConference team as a sophomore and then had a breakout junior season, batting .316 with 12 home runs, 12 doubles and 56 RBI. He
FEBRUARY 2020
Bowen
to Central Florida early in his high school career in Kissimmee, Fla. but he knew of Kingston, who was building a winning program at South Florida. When he arrived in nearby Orlando, he played against Kingston’s South Florida teams. “I was aware of who he was and aware of the teams he had built at South Florida. The teams they had were unbelievable,” he said. “The games we played against them were always very tight and action-packed. I knew what kind of team he builds, so as soon as he called me, I just knew exactly what kind of [opportunity] I was getting.” Beaver also knew of South Carolina. He grew up playing with and against two former Gamecocks in Carlos Cortes and Riley Hogan. And, of course, he was very familiar with the history and tradition of one of the top programs in the country. “When you hear South Carolina in terms of baseball, you
are just thinking tradition, you think of winning, you think of Omaha and guys dog-piling and you think of the SEC, so there are a lot of things that are very interesting about this place,” he said. “The number one fan base in the country too, so I am really anxious and excited to get going.” The first thing Beaver did when he signed with South Carolina was request uniform No. 38, the number he wore at Central Florida and one that has a special meaning to him. No. 38 was the number of high school teammate Joe Skinner. Beaver and Skinner had grown up playing ball together. They played on the same travel ball teams, the same high school team and they committed to Central Florida together. But on their recruiting visit as seniors, Skinner got sick. When he went to the hospital, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He died just two months later, before their high school graduation. When Beaver arrived at Central Florida, he requested No. 38 to honor his friend. “That was one of the main reasons I appreciated my time there. I loved it there. I got to wear his number, and his parents were at every single ball game,” Beaver said. Sophomore first baseman Wes Clarke wore No. 38 for South Carolina last season, but gladly gave the number to Beaver when he arrived on campus. “It means a lot to be able to continue to wear his number here,” Beaver said. “It’s something I think of every single day.” The loss of his best friend gave Beaver a new perspective on baseball and life. It’s what drives him every day. “Beforehand, I was all baseball, baseball, baseball. It’s given me an opportunity to take a step back and appreciate the game and appreciate life. It’s definitely given me new perspective on everything,” he said. “It gave me a new appreciation for the game so I come out here and try to have fun and enjoy every second. I know that some kids don’t have the opportunity to come out here and play. A lot of kids would love to be at South Carolina playing baseball, so I just try to come out here and
BEAVER & BOWEN • BASEBALL 17
enjoy it with my teammates but also know the right time to put our heads down and get to work too.”
BRINGING SOME POP After South Carolina’s offense struggled last season, Kingston was looking for some veteran bats that could make an immediate impact. When he looked at the transfer portal, he quickly zeroed in on Beaver and Bowen, who had both put up good numbers against quality competition. “We brought them in because we thought our offense needed some proven guys who had had a ton of at-bats at the Division 1 college level and at a very high level,” he said. “Both were over .300 last year with really good power and RBI numbers and they are also two mature kids. … They are two proven bats that will absolutely help us.” Beaver and Bowen are both versatile players who can catch and also play the corner infield positions. And they are expected to be fixtures in the middle of what should be a much-improved lineup. The big question is whether they can handle SEC pitching. The Gamecocks were last in the SEC in hitting last year with a team average of .236. That average dipped to .208 in league play and South Carolina was 12th in the conference in runs scored. “There is nothing like playing SEC baseball and facing SEC pitching 10 weeks in a row,” Kingston said. “That grind will be a challenge for them, like it is for all players, but I think they will be up to the task. Will they put up the numbers they did in
Beaver the past? I hope they do, but if they don’t, it’s not the end of the world because I still think they will be a valuable piece of an improved offense.” Bowen believes their experience at Southern Miss and Central Florida will translate. The Golden Eagles were 40-21 last year and played Ole Miss, Mississippi State and faced LSU twice in the Baton Rouge Regional. Central Florida, 36-22, won games against Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Miami. Both are accustomed to playing big road games in front of big crowds. “I have played in Starkville [Miss.] for a three-game series, I have played Ole Miss eight times in four years, four times in Oxford. I played in an LSU Regional last year and played LSU twice. I’m very comfortable in that environment,” Bowen said. “I think it’s just keeping
that mental capacity to be able to bring it over here where it’s going to be like that night in and night out.” They know duplicating last year’s numbers over a 30-game SEC schedule will be a challenge. “It’s a different beast and I think I know the reality of it,” Bowen said. “You are not going to hit .400 in the SEC unless something crazy happens and you get hot. It’s really just staying the course.” While Beaver and Bowen are being counted on to boost the offense, they also bring something South Carolina desperately needs with 16 new players — experience and veteran leadership. “Those guys just have a lot of knowledge,” redshirt sophomore pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski said. “They have another year or two years of being around the game. There is a lot of stuff you can
learn from them. I think that’s something that can help the younger players.” Though Kingston doesn’t expect his two grad transfers to take over the team, he says they have already been a positive influence in the clubhouse. “I don’t think we have asked them to come in and lead this team because they have only been on this campus for about six months, but they have blended very well with our guys,” he said. “I know our younger guys have looked to them and asked them questions. They have been really good at just going about their business like the veteran, proven guys that they are.” Both are willing to do whatever they can to help the Gamecocks improve on last year’s 28-28 record and return to the postseason. Beaver is ready to lead a team that has an intriguing mix of eight new freshman and eight transfers. “We do have some young guys that we expect to step up this year and I think it helps when you have older guys,” he said. “A lot of times you have an older presence and a younger presence and they try to separate the two. ‘I’m a veteran, you do this.’ Or, ‘You’re a youngster, you have to do this.’ “I think the veterans we have brought in and the guys who have built his program, we have kinda taken the younger guys under our wing and put our arms around them because we expect big things out of them and we need them. It takes an entire team to get to Omaha and that’s our expectation and our goal.”
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FEBRUARY 2020
2020 BASEBALL SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES ET) Feb. 14
Holy Cross
4 p.m.
SECN+
April 3
at Ole Miss
7:30 p.m.
SECN+
Feb. 15
Holy Cross
2 p.m.
SECN+
April 4
at Ole Miss
7 p.m.
ESPNU
Feb. 16
Holy Cross
12 p.m.
SECN+
April 5
at Ole Miss
2:30 p.m.
SECN+
Feb. 18
Winthrop
4 p.m.
SECN+
April 7
North Carolina (BB&T Park, Charlotte) 7 p.m.
SEC+
Feb. 19
Presbyterian
4 p.m.
SECN+
April 10
at Vanderbilt
7:30 p.m.
SECN+
Feb. 21
Northwestern
4 p.m.
SECN+
April 11
at Vanderbilt
3 p.m.
SECN+
Feb. 22
Northwestern
2 p.m.
SECN+
April 12
at Vanderbilt
12 p.m.
SEC Network
Feb. 23
Northwestern
1:30 p.m.
SECN+
April 14
NC A&T
7 p.m.
SECN+
Feb. 25
North Florida
4 p.m.
SECN+
April16
Miss State
7 p.m.
ESPNU
Feb. 28
Clemson
7 p.m.
SECN+
April 17
Miss State
7 p.m.
SECN+
Feb. 29
Clemson (Segra Park, Columbia)
3 p.m.
April 18
Miss State
3 p.m.
SECN+
March 1
at Clemson
2 p.m.
ACCN
April 21
at The Citadel
7 p.m.
March 3
at Furman
6 p.m.
SOCON
April 24
at LSU
8 p.m.
SECN+
March 4
Boston College
7 p.m.
SECN+
April 25
at LSU
6 p.m.
ESPNU
March 6
Cornell
7 p.m.
SECN+
April 26
at LSU
3 p.m.
SECN+
March 7
Cornell
4 p.m.
SECN+
April 28
Furman
7 p.m.
SECN+
March 8
Cornell
1:30 p.m.
SECN+
May 1
Arkansas
7 p.m.
SECN+
March 10
The Citadel
7 p.m.
SECN+
May 2
Arkansas
2 p.m.
SEC Network
March 13
Tennessee
7 p.m.
SECN+
May 3
Arkansas
3:30 p.m.
SEC Network
March 14
Tennessee
4 p.m.
SECN+
May 8
at Kentucky
6:30 p.m.
SECN+
March 15
Tennessee
1:30 p.m.
SECN+
May 9
at Kentucky
2 p.m.
SECN+
March 18
NC State (BB&T Park, Charlotte)
6 p.m.
May 10
at Kentucky
12 p.m.
SEC Network
March 20 at Georgia
7 p.m.
SECN+
May 12
USC Upstate (North Augusta)
7 p.m.
SECN+
March 21
at Georgia
2 p.m.
SECN+
May 14
Florida
7 p.m.
SECN+
March 22
at Georgia
1 p.m.
SECN+
May 15
Florida
7 p.m.
SECN+
March 24 Charleston Southern
7 p.m.
SECN+
May 16
Florida
3 p.m.
SECN+
March 27
7 p.m.
SECN+
May 19-24 SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.) TBA SECN/ESPN2
March 28 Missouri
12 p.m.
SEC Network
May 29-June 1 NCAA Regionals
March 29
Missouri
1:30 p.m.
SECN+
June 5-8
March 31
App State (BB&T Park, Charlotte)
7 p.m.
Missouri
NCAA Super Regionals
June 13-24 College World Series
SEASON SCHEDULE • BASEBALL 19
SOFTBALL
OKC OR BUST
With strong, experienced team, softball has sights on College World Series
S
By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photo by Allen Sharpe & SC Athletics
ometimes Beverly Smith looks back on her tenure as South Carolina softball head coach and wonders where the time has gone. “Only a few people know how far we’ve come,” she said on Jan. 21 at her season preview news conference. Entering her 10th season at the helm, Smith has tried to create what she calls a culture of excellence — a culture of never settling. Now the fruits of her program’s labor are starting to be realized. Now it’s Oklahoma City — site of the College Softball World Series — or bust. “That’s our goal every season,” Smith said. “We want to end the season in Oklahoma City.”
20 SOFTBALL PREVIEW
Smith and her Gamecocks entered the 2020 season, which began on Feb. 7, having reached postseason play seven of the past nine seasons. The team reached the NCAA Regionals in Tallahassee last season and finished ranked No. 22 in the country. Even in an SEC that saw all 13 of its teams reach the NCAA Tournament last season, South Carolina players believe this season has potential to be special. “Our team has a lot of depth. I think we’re going to go into the season and just crush it,” junior third baseman Jana Johns told Spurs & Feathers. “I’m thinking OKC all the way. “If you’re not trying to get there, then what’s the point?”
Pitcher Kelsey Oh agreed, saying this season’s team has a strong bond and wants to win for each other. “I think we have a great dynamic,” the junior pitcher said. “The infield is so solid, the outfield is looking great and the pitching staff, we’ve added some great arms. “I think we all know our potential. … This is why we’re here. I think we have what it takes.” Smith said that with the team’s leadership — middle infielders Kenzi Maguire and Mackenzie Boesel will be fouryear starters — and its experience of playing postseason ball at Beckham Field, “the expectation is there.” “We do talk about it,” she said. “And I think we do have the team that can compete for it.”
FEBRUARY 2020
With Maguire (.949) at shortstop, Johns (.945) at third, Boesel (.945) at second and Madison Owens (.936) at first, South Carolina’s infield fielding percentages were top notch last season. Smith called Maguire and Boesel the “strongest” middle infield in the SEC, and with Johns at third, her entire infield “very special.” Smith introduced the highlightproducing Maguire at her preseason news conference by saying, “If you don’t know Kenzi, you can Google her. She’s responsible for a lot of our ESPN top plays.” Alongside Johns, Oh, Maguire and Boesel, the team returns dual hitting/ pitching threats Cayla Drotar and Karly Heath, speedsters Haley Simpson and Lauren Stewart, outfielder/DP Katie Prebble and catchers Jordan Fabian and Anna Vest. It welcomes infielder Kassidy Krupit, a transfer from Baylor, and several highly-touted freshmen in pitchers Bailey Betenbaugh and Karsen Ochs, infielder Ellie Bailey and outfielder Hannah Kumiyama. Smith said she will have a tough time figuring out which 10 players to write on her lineup card every day because South Carolina has so many players who can play multiple positions. Drotar can pitch and be the team’s designated player. Heath can pitch and play both right field and first base. Prebble can play right field, first base or be the team’s designated player. Owens can play any infield position and right field. Smith called Prebble the team’s “notable player” from the fall. “She came back a different player,” the coach said. “She’s healthy, strong. She’s gotten faster. If she’s not in the outfield, I would expect her to be in the DP spot.” Those who know Smith know she likes to have as many power bats in the lineup as possible. “That’s a problem I have to deal with,” she said. “… I have a lot of options.”
Cayla Drotar
2020 ROSTER NO. NAME
1 2 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 21 24 25 31 34 50 77
Lauren Stewart Kenzi Maguire Madison Owens Jordan Fabian Mackenzie Boesel Cayla Drotar Jana Johns Haley Simpson Kelsey Oh Alexis Lindsey Ellie Bailey Bailey Betenbaugh Karly Heath Alex Fulmer Katie Prebble Hannah Kumiyama Alyssa Kumiyama Karsen Ochs Rachel Vaughan Anna Vest Kassidy Krupit
POS
CLASS
HOMETOWN
OF SS INF C 2B P/DP 3B OF P OF INF P UT/P UT INF/DP UT INF/DP P P C INF
R-SR R-SR SO SO SR SR JR SO JR R-JR FR FR SO JR JR FR JR FR SO JR SO
Alpharetta, Ga. Hudson, Fla. Dillon, S.C. Hanahan, S.C. Yorba Linda, Calif. Hartsville, S.C. Calhoun, Ga. Cumming, Ga. Verona, N.J. San Jose, Calif. Whitewright, Texas Union, S.C. North Augusta, S.C. Little Mountain, S.C. Pomfret, Md. Lexington, S.C. Lakewood, Calif. Macon, Ga. Senoia, Ga. Lake Jackson, Texas Suwanee, Ga.
COACHING STAFF Beverly Smith | Head Coach Lisa Navas | Associate Head Coach Kaela Jackson | Assistant Coach Heather Gelbard | Volunteer Assistant Kenzi Maguire FEBRUARY 2020
SOFTBALL PREVIEW 21
T
he scene outside Jana Johns’ home in northwest Georgia could have been ripped straight from the screenplay of a Hollywood movie — some cross between “The Natural,” “Field of Dreams” and “A League of their Own.” Lit solely by headlights from her mom’s car and whatever stars were out that night, Johns hit softballs into a net as dusk turned to darkness. “We had a big pasture … and my paw-paw built a backstop and almost a whole field,” Johns said. “We would go out every day, just me and my dad. It was really great. “I just love the game so much and I remember just the pure joy of going out there and hitting or fielding or throwing. My siblings were younger than me, but I remember them being out there with me too. It was really cool.” “Jana has always worked really hard. She’s self-motivated and she’s a perfectionist,” her dad Ian said. “She’s always trying to get better.” It took mom’s pleas of “Alright, that’s enough” for her to come inside.
I think this can be a breakout season for her in terms of national recognition. – BEVERLY SMITH
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Jana Johns has always been the best; now she’s trying to prove it at South Carolina By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by SC Athletics
22 SOFTBALL • JANA JOHNS
That passion — plus a skill set matched by few across the country — led Johns to South Carolina, where she has started all 123 of the team’s games since she arrived on campus. The third baseman has been a staple in the middle of the batting order and will once again be a focal point this season. On Jan. 21 Gamecock head coach Beverly Smith said she thinks Johns will have a breakout season. A day later Johns was named Preseason All-SEC. On Feb. 3 she was named a second-team Preseason All-American by D1Softball and six days later had a walk-off base hit against UNC Greensboro. “She is just a vacuum at third base,” the coach said. “She’s got a strong arm. I think we’ve turned more double plays since Jana has been in the infield. I think, for her, [improvement will come] on the offensive side. She offers a lot of power. She’s really a true athlete and can do anything. “I think this can be a breakout season for her in terms of national recognition.” Last season Johns hit .348 with 50 runs scored, 44 RBI and 26 extra-base hits,
FEBRUARY 2020
including 15 home runs (tied for a program-best in a season). She slugged .708 with a .500 on-base percentage thanks in part to 51 free bases (30 walks). She earned SEC Player of the Week once and ended the season as an All-SEC second-team honoree. She worked this offseason on perfecting her defense — an elite skill she credits to the time spent taking awkward hops in the pasture — and plate discipline.
NATIONAL R-E-S-P-E-C-T While Johns’ numbers pale in comparison to the three third basemen who were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) first-team All Americans in 2019, her numbers fell just short of LSU’s Amanda Sanchez (.354 avg, nine home runs, 54 RBI), the second-team honoree. Third-team honoree Skylee James of IllinoisChicago hit .447 with eight home runs and 49 RBI for a team that did not reach the NCAA Tournament. “I honestly don’t think about or care what other people think,�
Johns said. “I just try to focus on taking it day by day and working as hard as I can and just getting better. If the awards come or if people start recognizing me or whatever, that’s great, but I don’t really focus on that. “I don’t think it’s striving for one award. I think it’s just winning each day or winning each at-bat. Or winning life in general. Getting As in school. “Whatever I do, I want to do it the best I can.� Gamecock alumnus Dixie Raley, who played two seasons with Johns, said the third baseman doesn’t get the level of respect she deserves nationally. “Seeing how this season goes will be the real test for her,� Raley said. “But she’s an extremely hard worker and has really high expectations of herself and never wants to let her teammates down.� Ian Johns downplayed the notion his daughter does not get the national respect she deserves and said all that matters is the Gamecocks’ record. “Heck, I would rather her not have any awards and them make it to Oklahoma City,� he said. “That’s what every little girl dreams of.�
“I don’t think she’s underrated. I think she can improve a lot more,� he added. “Hopefully this year she’ll play to her potential and maybe some more people will notice.� When asked about personal goals, Johns offers a teamoriented answer. “I just want to go out there and give it my all. And whatever happens, happens,� she said. “I don’t really focus on myself. I just want to do whatever I can to help the team.�
track & field and set a pole vault record. She also played basketball all through high school.
BORN TO PLAY Talk to anyone about Johns and they mention her athleticism. For starters, the characteristic comes from Ian, a former South Georgia and Columbus State basketball player, and her mom, Erin Phillips, who played high school softball and basketball. In middle school Jana played tennis for one season and won a region championship. (She also played soccer for a season in middle school.) As a junior in high school she decided she wanted to compete in
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“I love basketball. It’s just completely different from softball, so in-between fall ball in high school and spring travel ball, it just gave me something fun and competitive to do,” Johns said. “Just to keep competing every day, I really liked that.” But her focus throughout remained on softball, and she began playing travel ball at 8 years old. “She was pretty good from the time she was 5,” Ian Johns said. “And she’s always enjoyed it.” Jana hit in the pasture next to her home and also at a hitting facility one of Ian’s friends owned. She played shortstop, first base, outfield and even pitched some in middle school but settled on third base before high school. “You can’t be scared over there because you play so close to [the action],” Ian Johns said. “She’s always been kind of fearless.” South Carolina offered Johns her freshman season of high school. She had a visit to Alabama scheduled for a week or two later but decided to cancel it.
CLUTCH GENE Johns has delivered when her team has needed her most. In a win-or-go-home NCAA Regional game against Hofstra in 2018 — with South Carolina down a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning — she drew a walk to set the table for a dramatic Krystan White walk-off home run. “I knew it was gone off the bat. I got chills, and then we all just cried at home plate, ” Johns remembers. “That’s honestly the best memory I have so far from my time here.”
The day before, against UNC Greensboro, Johns walked and scored a run in the second inning before, with two outs in the third, dove safely into first base to prolong a two-run frame. Smith called it, “The difference in the ballgame.” “It was honestly just an instinct,” Johns said that night. “… I was just trying to do whatever I could do to get on base for my team.” Earlier in 2018, against then No. 2 Tennessee, Johns gave South Carolina life in what went from a four-run deficit to a comeback victory with a two-out, two-run home run in the sixth.
HIGH SCHOOL HEROICS Johns’ never-let-up mindset and athleticism dates back to her time at Calhoun (Ga.) High School, where she made plays that led the Chattanooga Times Free Press to describe her as a “human highlight film.” “I’ve seen her do some wild stuff on the ball field, everything from laying out and catching balls Superman style to Derek Jeter-ing the ball across her body off a slow grounder,” former travel ball and high school teammate Emily Weatherman said. “I think her ability to go [all out] every play is huge. “I don’t think I’ve ever really seen her half-ass anything. She’s not afraid of anything.” Added another former teammate, Canaan Burnett, “I remember going to hit in her barn with her dad when we were probably 8. She was always the best hitter. In high school every time I pitched against her I knew she was going to get hits. “If I could just keep her inside the park then I accomplished something.” Railey Greeson, who played two seasons of varsity basketball with Johns, called her “someone who possibly will always be the best all-around female athlete in Calhoun history.” Even Greeson’s own mom told her to “Go Jana Johns on them!” when she wanted her daughter to give 100 percent heart and intensity. Greeson recalled the time Johns floated in a buzzer-beater to beat rival Ringgold in a region championship game.
“Anytime Jana had the ball in her hands she was doing something crazy athletic that would just make everyone’s jaws drop,” Greeson said. “She’s the most competitive athlete I’ve ever played with or against. I have watched her single handedly not only keep our team in games but pull out a win because she simply will not quit. “If her feet were on the court, she was in beast mode.” “I think basketball may have been her best sport, to be honest,” Ian Johns said. “Her and [current Gamecock] Victaria Saxton used to have some good games in high school.” “We’re friends now, [but] I loved competing against her,” Johns said.
2020 VISION With Johns at the forefront alongside senior teammates Mackenzie Boesel and Kenzi Maguire and pitchers Cayla Drotar and Kelsey Oh, South Carolina has potential to host an NCAA Tournament regional round this season. But the Gamecocks have aspirations beyond that. John was part of a youth team that won a tournament at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, site of the Women’s College World Series. She wants to get back. “Our team has a lot of depth. I think we’re going to go into the season and just crush it,” she said. “I’m thinking O-K-C all the way.” Making it there, now that would be a Hollywood script Johns and her teammates would love to write.
Photos courtesy of Johns family
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24 SOFTBALL • JANA JOHNS
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ERA during the team's opening weekend. “I think Kelsey has done a great job preparing both her body and mind,” Gamecock head coach Beverly Smith said. “I think that’s always a challenge for athletes who are injured, coming back and the doubt that creeps into their mind. Are they ready? Are they good enough? Are they healed? “… She really came out and had an outstanding fall and hasn’t stopped since then. She’s throwing harder than she did last year. She’s going to be fun to watch.”
SOPHOMORE STRUGGLES
OH READY TO GO Pitcher Kelsey Oh looks to bounce back after injury
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By Josh Hyber | Photos by SC Athletics he stories about Kelsey Oh and her persistent work ethic are abundant. Last May, the South Carolina pitcher and teammate Cayla Drotar were in The Roost on an off day when Oh told Drotar she was heading to Beckham Field for a bullpen session. “Girl, my arm is about to fall off,” Drotar responded. “What are you doing?” But Oh wanted to work on controlling the speed on her seldom-used changeup.
26 SOFTBALL • KELSEY OH
The stories about Oh and her desire to prove doubters wrong are just as abundant. At 10 years old, Oh was told by her travel ball coach she wasn’t going to pitch. “She pitched every day before practice, before the coach got there, before games, and then finally towards the end of the year he needed a pitcher. And he asked her if she could pitch,” Kelsey’s dad, Ken, remembers. “She went in there and dominated.” Oh went 14-5 with a teambest 1.92 ERA and 135 strikeouts
and was named an All-SEC Freshman honoree in 2018 but, with a nagging right ankle injury, went only 5-5 with a 3.73 ERA last season. But with her four-pitch repertoire (including the now more-frequently used changeup), a drive for perfection and that want to prove doubters wrong, those around Oh think she will have her best season yet on the college level. The junior won SEC Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0 with 22 strikeouts and a 0.47
After her sensational freshman campaign, including a season-best 13 strikeouts in a seven-inning win over UNC Greensboro to open the NCAA Tournament Columbia Regional, Oh had what she called “a little strange” sophomore season. During the team’s seasonopening tournament in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, she tripped on a curb and sprained her right ankle. She initially thought it was a minor injury but later found out ligaments were torn. She did as much as she could to rehab, even pitching from her knees. “It was definitely difficult, because I’m a ‘go, go, go’ all the time person,” she said. “So it was kind of hard to dial back.” It was also hard to deal psychologically. Oh wanted to practice so much. “Can I throw with a boot?” she thought. “Is that allowed?” “It was definitely hard, and I really struggled with it a lot,” she said. “But I think it only made me better. An injury is inevitable in a sport you practice every single day, whether it’s big or small. I think the adversity I faced with my ankle will help me. It has already helped me.” It was estimated Oh would miss two months, but she came back in one. Though she returned and had some success — she threw a complete-game three-hitter against Ole Miss — Oh never felt 100 percent back. The injury lingered, and she had to adjust her mechanics around it. She
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used braces and taped the ankle just to pitch. “Whatever I could,” she said. “Anything to win. I dealt with some pain, but I really wanted to be a part of last season. It was hard.” Oh said at the end of January that the injury has only made her stronger, both physically and mentally. She took a few weeks off after last season and reflected. In that reflection, she realized how hard she was on herself and how she pushed herself “to the brink, practically, just to succeed.” She felt 100 percent by July and felt “back” by early September. “She’s got a new pitch. I don’t want to say what it is, but I think she’s going to surprise a lot of people this year,” Ken Oh said. “I think she’s going to far exceed what she did her freshman year, for sure. Her speed has gotten better. … It’s hard to believe that she’s throwing that hard. “I think you’re going to see Kelsey Oh 2.0.”
Charlie Guarino
Oh divulged to Spurs & Feathers what that pitch is. “I’ve been working on a changeup forever,” she said. “I’ve been focusing on that, and really all of my pitches, and getting them better.” Those practice sessions, on days like the one she told Drotar about in The Roost, could finally pay off. “I don’t know if I’ve found [a changeup], but I’ve been working very hard on it,” Oh said. “We’ll see how that hard work turns out. I feel confident with it.”
FAMILY FOCUS Oh’s goal-oriented mindset and hard work may be genetic. Ken Oh’s parents were first-generation Americans from South Korea and owned a successful Japanese restaurant in California. When Ken moved to New Jersey, he opened his own Japanese restaurant, called Daruma, and ran it for about 18 years. Every day Ken picked Kelsey up from school and ran her
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through pitching workouts before heading back to work. “That was seven days a week,” he said. “There were no days off. “But Kelsey’s self-driven. She’s so motivated.” When she was 9, Ken explained to Kelsey that other young athletes were out there working just as hard as her, so she needed to work even harder. So most days Kelsey threw for three hours and hit for two. “Softball clicked,” Ken said. “One time she laid out for a ball and threw a girl out from her knees and I said, ‘This is the sport. This is it.’” Oh played T-ball, lacrosse, competed in gymnastics and even acted for a bit growing up, but her love was always softball. Now, her stage is the circle at Beckham Field.
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Oh shied away from setting personal expectations for herself this season and instead said she would “love to play in the World Series and do whatever I can for my team to succeed.” Most importantly, though, she’s having fun again. “I’m super excited,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a great year.”
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FOOTBALL
BIG GET
Five-star prospect Jordan Burch caps impressive 2020 signee class By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by SC Athletics
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ill Muschamp introduced four new signees for his 2020 football team Feb. 5, players he said are “of the quality we are going to have to have in our league.” A day later, his excitement level was ramped up a notch when the national letter of intent of fivestar defender Jordan Burch finally arrived. Burch, Muschamp’s second five-star signee, was the prize recruit of the class, but his paperwork was not in by the time Muschamp introduced the February additions to the 2020 class. When his signing was official, the head coach and his entire coaching staff were ecstatic. “It’s a great way to close out our 2020 signing class with Jordan Burch deciding to stay home and play for the University of South Carolina,” Muschamp said. “He is a wonderful person and I’m excited that he will be part of the Gamecock family. We really appreciate his mother, Henri, trusting us and sending her son to the in-state school.” Burch, a 6-5, 265-pound defensive lineman from Columbia’s Hammond School, was rated the No. 2 defensive end and one of the top 10 overall prospects in the country. He is ranked No. 4 on the ESPN300 and is South Carolina’s highest rated signee since Jadeveon Clowney was ranked No. 1 in 2011. A dominant force on both sides of the ball, Burch played for former Gamecock quarterback Erik Kimrey and helped lead the Skyhawks to their third straight SCISA 3A state title in 2019 with a 12-2 record. A preseason All-American, he was selected a game captain in the 2020 Under Armour AllAmerican game and named the top player (Alpha Dog) at the Elite Under Armour camp. “Jordan is an explosive athlete, extremely smart and versatile player who can do a lot of things on the football field and I can’t wait to coach him,” Muschamp said. The five new signees join 20 players who were signed in December, 10 who were expected to participate in spring practice. The four other additions include three freshmen — defensive lineman Alex Huntley, wide receiver Ger-Cari Caldwell and linebacker Gilber Edmond — and junior-college running back ZaQuandre White. The team has also added two transfers in former Colorado State quarterback Collin Hill and his teammate, walk-on fullback Adam Prentice. Huntley, a 6-3, 279-pound defensive tackle who was Burch’s teammate at Hammond, is a four-star recruit rated the No. 16 defensive tackle in the country. He was ranked No. 225 in the ESPN300. He also played basketball and lacrosse at Hammond and was the state’s 2019 shot put champion. Muschamp said Huntley, whose nickname is “Boogie,” is “a big athlete, very flexible in his lower body, very powerful in his lower body.” Muschamp, whose son Jackson was the quarterback at Hammond, first saw Huntley play lacrosse as a freshman. “To see a 280-pounder run up and down the field like they do … he’s got great stick skills, he’s got great hand-eye coordination, he’s a very difficult guy as big as he is and the girth he has to match up with. … His
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White, a 6-1, 200-pound running back, was the top running back prospect in Florida in 2017 and signed with Florida State. He was redshirted his freshman year at FSU and moved to linebacker as a redshirt freshman. He transferred to Iowa Western Community College and was a NJCAA first-team All-American last year after rushing for 876 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games. He will have two years of eligibility. Muschamp said White was recommended by Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who recruited White at Florida State. “I talked to Jimbo about ZaQuandre [and he] really liked his athleticism and him as a young man and feels like he has a tremendous upside,” he said. " … A guy who has the type of measurables you want. Really excited to add a size-speed athlete to our football team.” Muschamp is also excited about Hill and Prentice, both players who followed new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo from Colorado State. Prentice is a 6-0, 236-pound fullback who could serve as a blocking back for South Carolina. “Adam has been extremely impressive,” Muschamp said. “He is going to be a really good football player for us. He has outstanding leadership ability. All the intangible qualities you are looking for is exactly how Coach Bobo explained him before he got here.” Hill, a 6-5, 214-pound quarterback, threw for 3,323 yards and 23 touchdowns at Colorado State
but had three ACL surgeries. He is still rehabbing his knee and won’t be available for spring practice. Muschamp said he should be cleared in May or June. Hill, a Spartanburg, S.C. native, will compete with sophomore Ryan Hilinski and freshman Luke Doty at quarterback and will bring some valuable experience to the group. “As much as anything, there is going to be some new terminology that Collin is familiar with and maybe Ryan and Luke and Jay [Urich] are not at this point,” he said. “… Those guys will be ready to go and certainly having Collin’s experience will do nothing but help.”
Alex Huntley
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athleticism, I can’t find 280-pounders who can run like this that are the type person he is,” he said. Caldwell, a 6-4, 195-pound wide receiver from Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, caught 51 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior to earn all-state honors and a spot in the Shrine Bowl. He is rated the No. 92 wide receiver prospect in the country. “He kinda kept coming onto the screen for us in the fall,” Muschamp said. “We got more and more excited about him and then you meet him and you see the type of young man he is and what he stands for. … Really excited to add another guy from the Rock Hill area to our football team.” Edmond, a 6-4, 215-pound linebacker from Fort Pierce, Fla., is a former wide receiver who moved to linebacker and had 80 tackles, including 17 sacks and 22 tackles for loss, as a senior. He is ranked as the No. 71 weakside linebacker prospect in the country. Muschamp said Edmond flashed on South Carolina’s radar late in the recruiting process. “We wanted to add another linebacker to our class,” he said. “He can really play in space and really run. “He does have pass-rush ability, but to see his space play is what excited me. We are projecting a little bit with him but you see the attributes of length and speed and that’s what you like on tape. He will stick his face in the fan, which is good.”
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2020 CLASS 29
BASKETBALL All Basketball content sponsored by:
‘KILLER’ INSTINCT Versatile freshman Zia Cooke determined to be the best
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By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Allen Sharpe & Jenny Dilworth
ississippi State guard JaMya Mingo-Young shuffled sideways from the restricted area underneath South Carolina’s basket all the way to the 3-point line — to where an imaginary free-throw line would extend — then backpedaled diagonally toward the top of the key. She tried desperately to create space where Aliyah Matharu could throw her an inbounds pass.
30 ZIA COOKE
But it was not going to happen on Zia Cooke’s watch. The South Carolina guard matched Matharu step by step and, when the inbounds pass was thrown, boxed her out like a football cornerback, snatched the ball at its apex and dribbled the Gamecocks to a nine-point fourth-quarter comeback victory over the then No. 9 Bulldogs. Added senior Ty Haris, Cooke's backcourt mate, "I'm super excited about Zia's game. I
love her. She's like my litter sister. We talk a lot. "I feel like we need a player that's a wild card.She can score at all three levels. She can defend. She's that hype person when she flexes her muscles. She's so passionate. At any given moment you don't know what she's going to do." It was a highlight moment among many for Cooke this season. Cooke averaged 12.4 points for the No. 1-ranked Gamecocks
through the Feb. 10 game against Connecticut. She led or tied for the team lead in scoring in six SEC games, with double figures in seven. “Zia is what I call a killer,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said in early January. “She plays on both sides of the ball. Whether she’s shooting the ball well or not, it never takes away from her energy or intensity. She’s one that wants it, like right now. Every day she tries to win that particular day. Every single day. She’s in the gym, she works, she studies it. “She wants to be the best.” Because of social media, Cooke has gotten feedback on her game from several NBA stars, including the late Kobe Bryant (“We did talk about getting in the gym together,” she told Spurs & Feathers), as well as Washington Wizards guard John Wall, who she said she talks with “a lot.” But Cooke got her “killer” mentality from her dad, Stratman Cooke. “My dad has always taught me hard work and dedication,” she said. “… I’ve always just been competitive. I’ve always competed and wanted to be the best at whatever I was doing.” Staley, a two-time national player of the year at Virginia, even admitted Cooke probably works “a little bit” harder than she did during her college career. As a young girl, Cooke “wore dresses and did cheerleading.” Her older brother played football and basketball, but neither of her parents have an athletic background. It wasn’t until she was 7 years old that Cooke started to play football. “I think it’s just a talent that God gave me,” she said. In this season’s biggest games, Cooke has delivered. She scored 13 points — including five in the fourth quarter — and grabbed six rebounds against Mississippi State and scored a team-high 21 points in a team-high 33 minutes against then No. 21 Arkansas. She had 20 against No. 22 Tennessee. She scored six of the team’s first 10 points of the third quarter in her SEC debut against then No. 13 Kentucky and scored her season-high points (27) against
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Dayton, the most by a South Carolina freshman since 2009. “It’s not surprising,” Staley said. “What she does well is score the ball. What she’s doing now, she’s comfortable. I kind of look at it, she doesn’t really get a whole lot of shots in practice. But in games she puts herself in position. She runs the floor. I think she reads [point guard] Ty [Harris] extremely well. Ty pushes it and gives it to her so she can get out in transition. “And she’s defending, so she’s getting some easy buckets by creating some offense from her defense.” Said Cooke, “Defense is what gets me going.” In the team’s only loss, to No. 2 Baylor on Nov. 30, Cooke played just 10 minutes. But Cooke said she didn’t believe she could play high-level college basketball until the Gamecocks’ season opener. “I was kind of nervous coming in. I didn’t know how it would be, if I would play,” she admitted. “But once I started getting out
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there I knew, ‘OK, I can play college basketball.’” She has not only played but dominated sequences both offensively and defensively. During one minuteand-48-second stretch against Arkansas, Cooke went on a personal 10-2 run. “I don’t know if I can dominate yet,” Cooke said. “That’s something I’m still working towards. I’ve still got four years here, so I think I’m going to start dominating as the years go on. … I can get in the zone, spurts here and there. “Hopefully down the stretch there’s going to be a game when I’m just in the zone the whole entire game.”
As the nation’s No. 7 recruit in the 2019 class, Cooke said the toughest part of her transition to college basketball was learning how she wasn’t the only player on her team who can be trusted with the ball. “My whole life I’ve been the one goto player,” she said. “We have 12 go-to players on this team. Anybody can score at any given moment. I had to learn the flow to the game. I had to learn what my role was.” Now? She loves playing in a system. “I love it. I love it,” she said. “It’s weight off my shoulders. “The flow is really good. Ty [Harris] does a good job at leading us. She’s helped me a lot,
especially with my passing. She’s taught me how to be calm. … She’s taught me how to be a leader. When she leaves I want to take [the baton].” For now, there are team goals in place. Cooke said before the season she wants to reach the Final Four every season and win a national championship. “I think we can get it done [this year],” she said. Personally, Cooke said “killers” can never truly settle. “I don’t think there’s a limit to my improvement,” she said. “Every angle, everywhere.” “Look at her. When the stakes are the highest, she locks in,” Staley said. “She’s got another level. She always plays with a sense of urgency. But then when you get down and need a bucket or you need a stop, she loves those instances.”
ZIA COOKE 31
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Trae Hannibal
FUN FRESHMEN
Trae Hannibal, freshman class step up for Martin, Gamecocks By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Allen Sharpe
32 BASKETBALL • FRESHMEN
ith two minutes left in the first half against Florida Jan. 7, Frank Martin put freshman point guard Trae Hannibal into the game. Hannibal made an instant impact, driving the lane for a layup. Moments later, he stole the ball, raced down court and dunked it to help the Gamecocks cut the Gators’ lead to three at the half. But much to the chagrin of the Colonial Life Arena crowd, Hannibal did not play in the second half of the 81-68 loss. Hannibal, a highly recruited guard from Hartsville, S.C., played only sparingly over the next two games. But every time he took the floor, he did something to excite Gamecock fans and give his team a spark. But almost as quickly, he would make a mistake that would drive Martin crazy and cause him to send the young freshman back to the bench. “He’s not there yet where I can just turn him loose and say ‘let’s go,’ because he is just going to do some stuff and I’m like, ‘what are you doing?’” Martin said. “That hurts sometimes.” But after missing two games with an ankle injury, things started to click for Hannibal. Against Vanderbilt on Jan. 25, he played 16 minutes. He scored four points and had four rebounds, five assists, three steals and helped the Gamecocks contain Vandy leading scorer Saben Lee. “He was really good on the ball … he was rock solid,” Martin said. For the first time all season, Hannibal looked like the point guard Martin saw when he recruited him. He ran the offense the way Martin wanted it, dishing out five assists and setting up his teammates. More importantly, he was a lock-down defender. “I put Trae in and he fought,” Martin said. “He got beat a couple of times but he fought. My whole thing is, fight, man, fight. Don’t give in. He fought, and that’s what Trae does. He has the ability to make that hard play. I just have to keep chasing him around so he makes fewer mistakes.” “At this point, I’m still learning,” Hannibal said at the time. “Coach Frank told me I was going to be a great defensive player once I learned how to guard the ball. So just guarding the ball is my main focus, and the offense will come down the line.” Four days later, Hannibal had his best game of the season, helping lead the Gamecocks to a big road win at Arkansas. Hannibal had a season-high 11 points and three rebounds and made the defensive play of the game when he denied the ball to Arkansas leading scorer Mason Jones on the final play. “He’s growing up,” Martin said after the game. Hannibal is one of three freshmen who started to make an impact for South Carolina in the second half of the season. Big men Wildens Leveque and Jalyn McCreary also saw their playing time increase and started to play big roles off the bench as the Gamecocks won five of six games to start 5-3 in the SEC. Fellow
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freshman Trey Anderson also earned praise from Martin for his hard work in practice, saying “he’s starting to turn the corner too.” Though Hannibal, McCreary and Leveque were averaging only about 10 minutes and three or four points per game, they all were showing the progress and attitude Martin wanted to see from the young group. “I was excited about those guys when we signed them, and now that we are in the fight, I’m even more excited about them because I see what they are about,” Martin said. “The best thing about that group is they are all very humble. They want you to coach them, they want you to help them. They care about their team, they care about what their teammates think of them.” No one has flashed more potential, and been more maddening, than Hannibal, the flashy, ultra-talented point guard who was the 4A High School Player of the Year in South Carolina. Martin’s demanding style is difficult for freshmen to adjust to, but the veteran head coach admits he has been particularly hard on Hannibal. “I told Trae the other day, I have been hard on you because I know how great you are going to be. ‘You don’t want me to cheat you, do you?’ He said, ‘No, don’t change.’ I said, ‘I’m not, you don’t have to worry about this old crusty youknow-what, I’m not going to change.’” Martin’s tough-love style affects players in one of two ways. Either they mope and pout and struggle to adapt and rarely leave the bench.
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Jalyn McCreary
Or they embrace it, earn Martin’s trust and eventually begin to shine. “I don’t recruit them and tell them how great they are, I recruit them and ask them how great they want to be,” Martin said. “And when they tell me, then I try to give them a walk-through as to what it is going to take to get there, and then it’s my job to help them get there. … If you do that you end up winning games because you create a real personal connection with the guys you are coaching.” Martin is starting to develop that relationship with his freshmen.
“I think that group of first-year guys, they are just fun,” he said. “There is no pouting and no moping, there are no off-the-court issues. When they don’t play, they don’t come in and go through the motions. I don’t have to get mad at them to compete, they do that on their own and that’s fun to be around.” While Hannibal has had a flare for the dramatic, making him a fan favorite at CLA, McCreary and Leveque have also provided valuable production off the bench. Through 19 games, McCreary, a 6-8 forward, was averaging four points and three rebounds. Leveque, a 6-11 center, was averaging three points and three rebounds and giving the Gamecocks a strong defender and rim protector. Their roles became even more important in early February when South Carolina lost starting forward Justin Minaya with a wrist injury. The attitude and commitment of his freshmen has Martin excited about the future. “They care, they care,” he said. “They come in every day and they watch film. You don’t have to call them, they show up on their own. They want to know what they can do to help. When you ask them to compete, they don’t roll their eyes. When they screw something up … and you deal with them, you coach them … they get excited, they want you to help them. “When people embrace that, I trust them, and when I trust them, I play them. … We have some fun freshman. I am excited about that group of guys.”
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• BASKETBALL 33
TENNIS
TOP SEED
After successful pro tour, Paul Jubb ready to defend his NCAA title
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By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by USTA & Arulram Sriram outh Carolina’s Paul Jubb reached the pinnacle of college tennis last season, winning the NCAA Singles Championship. Now things get really tough. After a successful run on the pro tour, which included a four-set match at Wimbledon, Jubb returns to defend his NCAA title. Now he faces his greatest challenge. “Now he is going to have the biggest target on his back,” South Carolina head coach Josh Goffi said. “Every guy here is going to want to beat the NCAA Champion. He is going to play everybody’s best tennis.” Jubb, a 20-year-old senior, is ready after a wildly successful professional debut last summer and fall. After going 38-4 last season and becoming the first NCAA champion in
34 PAUL JUBB
program history, Jubb leaped to the pro tour, where he played more than 40 matches at different levels. He started on the ATP Challenger Tour, where he went 3-3 and beat four of the top 160 players in the world, including No. 78 Andrey Rublev, who entered February ranked No. 15. That led him to London, where he fulfilled a childhood dream. Growing up in nearby Hull, England, Jubb had always dreamed of playing at the All England Club. After his NCAA run and strong pro debut, he received a wild-card invitation to play in the most prestigious tournament in the world. “It was really, really good to be around all the top pros in the world and be in that environment,” he said. “Just saying that you are actually a player in that tournament and being able to go to the place and train and
have all the access that you don’t have as a fan … it was a surreal experience.” Though he lasted only one round, Jubb put up a fight, falling to No. 69 Joao Sousa of Spain 0-6, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6. He admits he was nervous playing on the biggest stage in tennis. “I get nervous playing college matches,” he said. “I definitely had a bad start and that really didn’t help. I was able to get going a little in the third set but I never felt like I got going in the whole match. I fought hard and was able to take it to four sets, which was a positive, but I felt like if I was able to actually put my level on the court I would have a chance to win that match. But I didn’t, and that’s one thing that drives me, to get there again because I don’t feel like I did myself justice at all.” The highlight of the summer was the four tournaments he played leading up to Wimbledon. He lost his first Challenger match to No. 208 James Ward of Great Britain, but bounced back to beat four players ranked in the top 160 in the world, including the threeset win over Rublev in a qualifying match for his first big ATP tournament. “I was able to put together some really good performances back to back and show that I am good enough to compete at that level,” Jubb said. “That was a really good stand-out period of the summer.” After losing at Wimbledon, Jubb dropped down to the ITF Futures Tour, the minor leagues of professional tennis where young players earn a ranking and learn to play at the pro level. He made it to the semifinals of his first tournament and then the quarters of his next. Instead of returning to school in the fall, Jubb continued to play on the ITF Tour, making the semifinals three more times and winning his first pro tournament on Nov. 17 in Cancun, Mexico. He went 32-12 on the ITF Tour and ended the year ranked No. 494 in the world. Playing on the ATP Tour was a valuable but humbling experience. Goffi, who helped coach him at Wimbledon, said Jubb realized how close but yet how far he is from being a full-time professional. “There was some humility that was probably gained from it after the massive acceleration into this,” he said. “Coming off a 38-2 record last year in the spring and then having a great summer, you are full of confidence, because you just don’t know how to lose at that point. And that’s a real thing. Things were naturally flowing for him. But being on the tour consistently, it’s tough to win on a weekly basis. You are going to take your lumps.” Though Jubb won some big matches and played most opponents tough, he also had some humbling losses, including a 6-2, 6-3 loss to American Taylor Fritz. But that was the point of the offseason — to not only learn how
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to win, but how to lose, on the grueling weekto-week pro tour. “The whole purpose of getting him out there was, this is reality. You have established yourself in one arena, now you need to transition into the next,” Goffi said. “He showed a little grit this fall out there by himself.” Winning a pro tournament before returning to school was a huge step for Jubb,
It was really, really good to be around all the top pros in the world and be in that environment. – PAUL JUBB
who entered his final season at South Carolina knowing the pro tour awaits and that he can compete with the best in the world. “I was able to put some good tennis out on the court and get that title, which was a good confidence boost,” he said. “It was definitely a good period. I think I needed that and I think
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I got a lot of good progression out of that fiveor six-month time period.” Now he has some unfinished business before returning to the pro tour. Jubb could become the first player in NCAA history to win back-to-back singles titles and the first college player since 1945 to win consecutive national championships. After his strong pro debut, he could follow in the footsteps of American tennis legend John McEnroe. After reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon at age 18 in 1977, McEnroe returned to Stanford, where he won the NCAA Singles title and led his team to the national championship before winning seven Grand Slam tournaments. Says Goffi, who played on the pro ATP Tour, “A lot of people will say that was one of the best decisions he could have made, because playing with that target on your back allows you to be great. Because at some point, if you want to be great, you have to get used to that pressure.” That will be Jubb’s challenge this season, facing players that will be gunning for him. He learned that lesson early in the season, losing to two of the top players in the country in North Carolina’s William Blumberg and Illinois’ Aleks Kovacevic, who lost to Jubb in the national semifinals last year. He also won some big matches, though, leading the No. 12 Gamecocks to a big win over Georgia. Goffi is teaching Jubb to embrace the challenges. “You don’t hide from it. You accept it. You put it on the table and you deal with it every day,” he said. “You have to be even more
on point. If you go out here and try to walk around on your high heels like you have done something, you will get slapped in the face and you will go south, and the recovery from there is a whole different story.” That’s why Jubb joined the pro tour last summer, to not only get a head start on his professional career but to prepare for another NCAA title run and continue a path toward becoming one of the best players in the world. “This is not about getting ranked, it’s about building a player that can be top 100 in the world and better,” Goffi said. “Very few people ever get to have this opportunity that Jubb has given himself. Every guy he plays this entire spring will be shooting for him. He doesn’t get to go after anybody. “You don’t get that as just a player that has been OK or been one of the best. You only get that when you are the best. That is an opportunity for him. That’s the way we are going to approach it.” Jubb plans to take it one match at a time, just as he did last season when he battled fatigue, illness and grueling three-set marathons to reach the pinnacle of college tennis. Now he must do it again. “It’s been a really good process, literally starting from the bottom and working my way to the top,” Jubb said. “It’s been one good train ride so far, I just have to have faith because there is way more work to do yet. It’s nowhere near where I want to finish. I’ve just got to keep going and see what happens.”
PAUL JUBB 35
NO FEAR
Fierce competitor Mia Horvit ready to lead Gamecock tennis to another big season
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By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by USTA & Allen Sharpe
outh Carolina and Georgia were deadlocked at 2-2 with the 2019 SEC Championship on the line, and Mia Horvit was in deep trouble. Horvit, ranked No. 84 in the nation at the time, was down 5-1 to No. 64 Lourdes Carle in the first set of the SEC Tournament. That’s when head coach Kevin Epley had a stern message for his No. 3 singles player. “This match is coming down to you,” he told Horvit. The junior from Palm City, Fla. didn’t flinch. “Being put in those type of situations, pressure is a privilege,” Horvit said. She had already lost to Carle once last season, dropping a 6-3, 6-4 match that ended with the two fiery competitors in a heated
36 WOMEN'S TENNIS • MIA HORVIT
argument at the net. At the SEC Tournament in College Station, Texas, Horvit was down again, trailing Lourdes 5-1 when she made a major adjustment and started to mount a comeback. Instead of hitting the ball to her forehand and backhand, Horvit started driving the ball down the middle, forcing Lourdes to hit more balls and wearing her down. She rallied to take a 6-5 lead and then won the first set in a tiebreaker. She took the second set for a 7-6, 6-3 victory to lead the Gamecocks to an upset over No. 1 Georgia and the first SEC Championship in program history. Though teammate Ingrid Martins won the deciding match at No. 1 singles, it was Horvit’s victory that turned the tide. “If Mia hadn’t come back and won that set and taken that match, we would not have been SEC champions,” Epley said.
It was the type of moment Horvit thrives on, and the type performance she has delivered throughout her career. “I have been dealing with that my whole life, even in juniors,” Horvit said. “When it gets to a really important, key moment, I don’t let the whole entire environment get to me. I kinda hone into my core and just focus on what I need to do and just take it one step at a time, and eventually I will get things turned around.” Horvit helped lead the Gamecocks all the way to the NCAA Elite Eight last season and a No. 4 national ranking, the highest in program history. She finished 24-5 in singles, including 17-3 in dual matches and 6-1 in the SEC. In doubles, she teamed with Martins to go 29-8 (16-5, 8-1 in the SEC) to earn All-American honors and finish the season ranked No. 1 in the nation in doubles. A two-time All-American and three-time All-SEC performer, Horvit is looking to build on an already fabulous career in her senior season. She entered the spring season ranked No. 27 in the nation and playing No. 1 singles for South Carolina. She was 13-7 in ITA tournaments in the fall, including a 7-7 record against ranked opponents. She capped the fall season by beating No. 9 Jada Hart of UCLA in December.
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Epley expects her to continue her rise and emerge as one of the top players in the country. “She’s a player that plays better as the season goes on,” he said. “She’s very, very competitive and very driven. I expect her to get better and better. She just thrives off competition so the more she is competing, the better she plays. “She’s going to be carrying the load for the team.” Martins began last season ranked No. 48. By the end of the season, her first playing No. 1 singles, she had climbed all the way to No. 4. Senior Paige Cline (No. 2 singles) began the year unranked and finished No. 16. Epley expects a similar surge from Horvit. “She likes to play 1, to be honest,” Epley said. “There is no question she can. It’s a matter of how hard she works, how hard she pushes herself and how she kinda feels in that role. She will be playing tough competition every week. We expect that she can play with anybody.” Horvit’s goal is to follow in Martins’ footsteps, cracking the top five in singles and doubles, making the NCAA singles and doubles championships, leading South Carolina to another SEC championship and helping the Gamecocks make another deep postseason run, hopefully to the program’s first Final Four appearance. “The biggest thing right now is just not focusing too much on the results and rankings, just focusing on the little details that I am working on with my coach and my teammates, and just making sure we are doing the little things to help us achieve our goals,” Horvit said. To get there, Horvit will have to continue to shine in big matches. She’s a strong baseline player with exceptional ball-striking skills and a versatile all-around game. More importantly, she is a fierce competitor who doesn’t back down from any challenge.
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Kevin Epley, Ingrid Martins and Horvit “She’s a very, very strong competitor,” Epley said. “She’s a game-day type of kid and competition doesn’t scare her. It energizes her. Adversity at match time generally doesn’t affect her. It kind of pumps her up. She just has a really healthy outlook in terms of what competing is. It’s not a threat to her, it’s an opportunity.” Horvit credits her parents for her competitive nature. Her mom, Marilyn, played college tennis, while her dad, Adam, played golf collegiately. Her three siblings are also athletes. “Everyone in the family is pretty competitive,” she said. “My parents have always been by my side making sure I have everything I need and making sure I give it my all.” Horvit, a high-energy, enthusiastic player, has had a fiery demeanor and affinity for big moments since she walked onto campus. Ranked No. 11 in the 2016 recruiting class and No. 76 in the world junior rankings, she was 27-12 in her first season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championships to become South Carolina’s first Freshman All-American. Her mentally tough, resilient approach continued last season. She won three straight matches in the NCAA Tournament to help lead the Gamecocks to their first Elite Eight appearnace. “It’s really a mentality of just loving it, loving the battle,” Epley said. “There are so many of those girls that get intimidated by
the battle or the fear of exposure and losing and laying it on the line. She doesn’t take losses real hard, she doesn’t curl up into a ball, she doesn’t personalize things. If she loses, it doesn’t mean she is a bad player. A lot of players take big losses hard, so they have a harder time laying it on the line. She just kind of brushes them off and moves on.” With the loss of three seniors from last year’s squad, it is now up to Horvit and fellow senior Sylvia Chinellato to lead the 2020 team. They are joined by two-year starter Megan Davies, who climbed from No. 125 to No. 28 after a stellar fall season, junior Kennedy Wicker and a strong freshman class. After watching Martins, her former roommate, and Cline lead last year’s group, Horvit is ready to assume the mantle and lead the Gamecocks, who started the year ranked No. 9, to another strong season. “She is a very strong leader in terms of holding people accountable and disciplined and making sure they are adhering to the standards of our culture,” Epley said. “It’s about lifting up your teammates and she’s working on that and coming along.” “The biggest thing that we take away from last year is just being together and having that unity and playing not just for ourselves or the coaches or the university but for the whole team and for each other,” Horvit said. “That is definitely a big key to making sure that we are on the right track to hopefully win another SEC championship and an NCAA championship.”
MIA HORVIT
• WOMEN'S TENNIS 37
Dawn Staley has built new super power of college basketball By Bill Gunter | Contributing writer • Photo by Travis Bell
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y now, you probably have had time to recover from the celebration that occurred on Feb 10. South Carolina’s victory over national powerhouse Connecticut at Colonial Life Arena signaled a changing of the guard in women’s college basketball and validated everything Dawn Staley has worked toward over the last decade. It seems a little crazy that one home victory would be validation with a national championship already on the résumé but the victory was so dominating, so thorough that anyone not wearing Husky blue left the building feeling that the No. 1-ranked Gamecocks are the new super power of college basketball.
I remember going to one of Staley’s first practices when she arrived at South Carolina and, despite a team that was not as talented as the one she has now, thinking big things are in store for this program. Now Staley is on track to becoming the most highly acclaimed head coach in any sport the Gamecocks have ever had. You may argue that now, but if her program continues on this trajectory, you have to envision another national championship or two being added to the trophy case in the coming seasons. The other part of the Staley equation is the atmosphere that was on display at CLA against UConn. There are only a handful of venues in women’s college basketball that can match the crowd energy and excitement Staley has created. By not only
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producing a winning product, but becoming part of the Columbia community, she has endeared herself to Gamecock fans and made them want to embrace her teams year in and year out. This all equals a program that has been built from the ground up by one of the hardest working coaches in college athletics. One thing Gamecock fans should take away from the evolution of Staley’s program is that it was not built overnight. It took several years to put together, with a few setbacks here and there, but when success finally came, it came in waves. And on Feb 10, the Gamecocks cleared the last major hurdle on their way to the top. Now the landscape of women’s college basketball looks a little different. UConn
isn’t going anywhere and teams like Baylor, Oregon and Mississippi State have solid programs capable of challenging the Gamecocks. But with one national championship already under their belt, a core of players that rival any team and a head coach as respected as any in the country, it is hard not to believe the Gamecocks are positioned to rule the landscape for the next decade. We don’t know exactly how the rest of the season will play out or just how far this team will advance, but what Staley has built in Columbia all came together on one magical evening. Frank McGuire and Ray Tanner have always been the standards to which other coaches have been held at South Carolina, but Staley appears on the verge of passing them both. With that in mind, enjoy what is happening at Colonial Life Arena. Staley and the Gamecocks are the top program in the country and I have a feeling the excitement of February is going to carry on for years to come.
Bill Gunter is the co-host of the Early Game on 107.5 The Game in Columbia. Follow him on Twitter @WillGunter.
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Carolina’s memorable 2010 champions set standard of excellence By Ed Girardeau | Contributing writer
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s we head into a new decade, there is little question that, in terms of Gamecock sports, the 2010s were the best. And it all started 10 years ago when South Carolina baseball set the standard with back-to-back national championships. But it was an inauspicious start. Two losses at East Carolina followed by a 4-3 loss at Clemson, with the losing pitcher a littleknown kid named Michael Roth. A crushing 19-6 loss to Clemson at home. Believe me, that was a long day in the stands. The weather was nice, but not the play not as Carolina fell to 5-4 in what had promised to be a great season. The story goes that head coach Ray Tanner, who had brought Chad Holbrook in as an assistant to help push the Gamecocks over the top, looked at Holbrook in the dugout and said, “I’m sorry I brought you into this mess.” Carolina responded, though, by winning its next 13 in a row, including the first five in SEC play.
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It looked strong going into the last series of the season but lost two of three to finish a game behind Florida in the SEC East. That was followed by two and barbecue at the SEC tourney. Not exactly the way to head into NCAA play. The Gamecocks hosted a Regional and opened with Bucknell. Easy enough, right? Wrong. After a rain delay, the Gamecocks fell behind 5-1. It looked bleak. I went for a walk in the sixth inning. Anything to change our luck. Evan Marzilli hit a shot over the right-field fence that almost hit me and the mojo changed. I returned to my seat and Carolina scored five in the eighth to win 9-5. The winner was Roth, his first victory of the season. Carolina cruised into the Super Regional in Myrtle Beach against upstart Coastal Carolina. Christian Walker hit a home run that people still talk about today to lead the Gamecocks to a sweep and on to Omaha.
Once again, nothing was easy. Carolina lost the opener to Oklahoma to fall into the loser’s bracket. After a win, in another showdown with the Sooners, Carolina was down to its last strike when Jackie Bradley Jr. came through with an RBI to send it to extra innings and a 3-2 win. Then came undefeated Clemson. The Gamecocks needed two wins, which seemed unlikely since we were scraping the bottom of the barrel and started Roth. We all know the rest of the story. Roth was masterful and launched his star that would lead to 2012 National Player of the Year. SC returned the next night to win behind Matt Price’s brilliant relief performance. The stage was set to face No. 1 seed UCLA in a best-of-three series. The Bruins featured a couple of pitchers you may recognize. Gerrit Cole, the guy who just signed the richest contract ever with the New York Yankees, started and was the loser 7-1. The next night, Trevor Bauer, now with the Cincinnati Reds,
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started. He was on the bench when Whit Merrifield drove in Scott Wingo with the winning run to set off a celebration that lasted into the early morning in South Carolina. After being runner-ups three times in the College World Series, South Carolina was finally national champion. It still gives me goose bumps. And they did it again in 2011 and almost won a third straight in 2012. It all started 10 years ago. Here’s hoping the new decade gets off to another good start when the 2020 Gamecocks take the field. With loyal devotion, remembering the days ...
Ed Girardeau is a 1982 South Carolina graduate and has been a columnist for Spurs & Feathers since 2012. You can reach him at edgirardeau@spursandfeathers.com.
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