South Carolina baseball outlasts NC A&T in midweek action: Three things we learned

The South Carolina baseball team continues to roll.

Head coach Mark Kingston’s bunch outlasted North Carolina A&T 11-3 on Tuesday afternoon at Founders Park to remain as one of just two teams in the Southeastern Conference that are still undefeated.

Here are three things we learned about the Gamecocks (9-0) in the win:

Starter James Hicks has the stuff to be a weekend starter, if needed

Backtrack a year and James Hicks entered the year as South Carolina’s projected Saturday starter. Two starts and one surgery later, he’s been moved into midweek duty, at least for the time being.

Hicks was largely untouchable against a North Carolina A&T squad that was outmatched on Tuesday. He finished his predetermined two innings of work throwing strikes on 15 of his 25 pitches and allowing just one baserunner — who he threw out on a pickoff attempt during the following at-bat.

“This is where we needed him to be,” Kingston said. “He’s developing very nicely and he’ll be available as we move forward.”

Will Sanders, Noah Hall and Jack Mahoney have all looked more than capable through the first two weekend series’ of the 2023 season, but don’t be surprised if Hicks becomes an important innings eater at some point in time.

Pair of transfers starting to heat up? Maybe.

Will McGillis wasted little time getting the Gamecocks offense going on Tuesday afternoon — belting a homer into the home bullpen on South Carolina’s first at-bat of the contest.

McGillis is one of the more experienced players on this year’s roster, following four years at Southern Miss. He’s not the hitter Caleb Denny is, but McGillis did hit .265 with 16 home runs, 51 RBI and a .937 OPS his final year in Hattiesburg.

The ex-Golden Eagle has been up and down to start the year, though he’s recorded two hits in five of nine games this year and has six hits over his last four contests.

“I thought well gave us a decent look there at the top of the order and I liked how that looked,” Kingston said of shifting McGillis to the leadoff spot. “...We’ve been experimenting a little bit with that leadoff spot and I kind of liked the look of Will up there tonight.”

Like McGillis, Gavin Casas has come on strong to start his South Carolina career after transferring from Vanderbilt.

Casas recorded his third multi-hit game of the season on Tuesday, clocking two singles for a pair of RBI and earning a walk. He’s now tied for third on the team in RBI and is hitting .364 with runners in scoring position.

South Carolina’s lineup has started the season on a tear. If Casas and McGillis can stay hot through the weekend series vs. Clemson, it’s something to circle heading toward SEC play.

Reliever Trey Wheeler flashes in a big spot

Trey Wheeler name sometimes gets lost in the shuffle in the middle of a deep South Carolina pitching staff, but he was electric on Tuesday.

Wheeler inherited a tricky spot with a runner on second and the Gamecocks leading 4-3 after an erratic effort from California transfer Nick Proctor. He promptly struck out six-hole hitter Michael Logan, walked a runner then forced a pop-up to right field to end the frame.

“I think I’ve always just kind of been really emotional (on the mound),” Wheeler said. “That plays into my competitiveness. I don’t really care what the situation is. I’m just going out there to suffocate the offense on the opposing side. The emotion is just a byproduct of being that competitive.”

South Carolina’s pitching staff, as star-studded as it is, lacks a ton of options from the left side outside of Wheeler, Matthew Becker and Jackson Phipps — who’s been particularly up and down. Wheeler has only pitched 1.1 innings this year, but the gritty effort in a tight spot Tuesday was an encouraging sign.