COLUMBIA, S.C. – Bethune-Cookman Baseball travels to 20th-ranked University of South Carolina this weekend for a three-game set against the Southeastern Conference (SEC) perennial power Gamecocks at Founders Park in Columbia, South Carolina. The series begins Friday, March 10, at 7 p.m.
 
Bethune-Cookman has never faced South Carolina in baseball, but the Wildcats are no stranger to SEC foes, with the Cats traditionally playing Florida in midweek games or NCAA Regional contests throughout the years in Gainesville, Florida. Last season, BCU traveled to LSU for a three-game series that saw the Wildcats go toe-to-toe with the 12th-ranked Tigers in the first two games of the series.
 
AT A GLANCE
Records: Bethune-Cookman 8-5 (0-0 SWAC) | No. 20 South Carolina 13-1 (0-0 SEC)
Rankings: Bethune-Cookman is unranked. South Carolina is ranked No. 20 in the D1Baseball.com poll.
On The Web: BCUathletics.com • Twitter: @BCUDiamondCats | @JDHerns30
 
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Baseball this year by following the Wildcats social media platforms. You can follow @BCUBaseball on Instagram and @BCUDiamondCats on Twitter.
 
BETHUNE-COOKMAN VS. SOUTH CAROLINA PROBABLE STARTERS
FRIDAY, MARCH 10 (7 p.m.)
Bethune-Cookman
RHP Louis Lipthratt (1-0, 5.40 ERA)
South Carolina
RHP Will Sanders (1-1, 3.60 ERA)
 
SATURDAY, MARCH 11 (4 p.m.)
Bethune-Cookman
RHP Nolan Santos (2-0, 1.93 ERA)
South Carolina  
RHP Noah Hall (2-0, 1.86 ERA)
 
SUNDAY, MARCH 12 (1:30 p.m.)
Bethune-Cookman
LHP Daniel Gaviria (2-0, 0.75 ERA)
South Carolina
RHP Jack Mahoney (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
 
Bethune-Cookman-South Carolina Series History

• This is the first ever meeting between the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman and the Gamecocks of South Carolina on the baseball diamond.

 
Bethune-Cookman Leadoffs

• In three outings this season, junior left-hander Daniel Gaviria has accumulated a 0.75 ERA across 24 innings pitched for the Wildcats. He has also tallied 15 strikeouts with zero (0) walks. He has not allowed a run in his last 17 innings on the bump.
• The Wildcats have yet to lose a weekend series this season, despite dropping the opener against Lehigh and Longwood, respectfully. The Cats came back to claim the final two games of each series in earning the victory.
• Four (4) BCU players are hitting .300 or better, including Robert Moya at a .349 clip thus far on the season. Luis Tuero (.340), Colton Olasin (.325) and Hylan Hall (.310) follow in order.
• A total of six different BCU players have registered home runs, including a team-high two – in the same game (vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, Feb. 25) – by Manny Souffrain.
• Jeremy Garcia enters the weekend on a four-game hitting streak, while Hylan Hall and Robert Moya carry three-game hitting streaks into the South Carolina series.
• Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Preseason First Team member Nolan Santos is 2-0 on the mound for the Wildcats in three starts, holding a 1.93 ERA in 18.2 innings worked thus far. He has tallied a team-best 30 strikeouts with just three (3) walks.

 
Last Time Out for Bethune-Cookman
No. 21 Florida State gave Bethune-Cookman all it could handle as the Wildcats fell, 10-1, Tuesday night at Dick Howser Stadium at Mike Martin Field in Tallahassee, Florida.
 
The Seminoles opened the night with two in the first frame off a solo homer and RBI double.
 
Florida State tacked on another run in the third on an RBI triple, and four in the fourth on four hits.
 
B-CU threatened in the top of the fourth. Hylan Hall led off with a single before he was caught stealing. Robert Moya doubled to right field and advanced to third on a fly ball, but a groundout ended the Wildcats threat.
 
Two more runs followed in the fifth after a pair of FSU solo shots that made it 9-0.

The Seminoles added one more in the eighth on an RBI single.
 
The Wildcats grabbed one run back in the top of the ninth, as Derek Cintron singled in Manny Souffrain to make it 9-1.
 
Seven Wildcats combined in the pitching effort. Marcos Gamboa took the loss after a two-run first inning.
 
Notes & Stats on South Carolina

• Gavin Casas doubled twice and drove in five runs as the Gamecocks defeated USC Upstate on March 8. He currently leads the team with eight home runs and 23 RBI while slugging .936. He also is third in the SEC in home runs and tied for fifth in the league in RBI.
• James Hicks threw five scoreless innings of relief in Carolina's 7-1 win over Clemson on March 5. Hicks allowed just two hits with six strikeouts and one walk to improve to 3-0 on the season. He has pitched 14 innings for the Gamecocks this year and has allowed just four hits with 14 strikeouts.
• Talmadge LeCroy was 5-for-10 with six RBI in the Clemson series, earning the Tom Price Award for the Most Valuable Player of the Clemson series. LeCroy belted his first career home run in Sunday's win while driving in a pair. He had a .500 on-base percentage and a .800 slugging percentage on the weekend.

 
Up Next
Upon returning from South Carolina, Bethune-Cookman opens a 12-game homestand at Jackie Robinson Ballpark when the Maroon and Gold welcome Jacksonville University to Daytona Beach for a midweek single game on Tuesday, March 14, at 7p.m. After that, BCU opens Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play at home to perennial SWAC East opponent Alabama State for a three-game set.
 
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