Live updates/game thread: South Carolina vs. Florida (Game 1)

South Carolina is back at home in the middle of a seven-game homestand and it’s a doozy of a series.

The Gamecocks once again host a top-five team, this time No. 3 Florida coming to Founders Park for a series starting Thursday night.

It’s a matchup of two aces in Will Sanders and Brandon Sproat while South Carolina tries to rebound after a series loss to Vanderbilt on the road.

GamecockCentral is on hand providing live updates.

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Follow along with live updates here.

Series details

Who: No. 3 Florida (31-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 6 South Carolina (31-6, 10-4 SEC)

When: Thursday, April 20 through Saturday, April 22

Game times (ET): Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.

How to watch: Thursday, ESPNU; Friday and Saturday, SEC Network Plus

How to listen: 107.5 FM (Gamecock Radio Network)

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Probable pitchers

Thursday: RHP Will Sanders (3-1, 5.03 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Sproat (5-1, 4.96 ERA)

Friday: RHP Jack Mahoney (3-1, 3.22 ERA) vs. RHP Hurston Waldrep (6-1, 4.15 ERA)

Sunday: TBA vs. LHP Jac Caglianone

Notes from South Carolina baseball

SCOUTING FLORIDA
The Gators defeated Florida A&M, 17-7, in seven innings on Tuesday night. Jac Caglianone homered for the 22nd time this season and drove in four. Luke Heyman also had four RBI in the win. Josh Rivera leads the Gators with a .400 batting average, 14 home runs and 52 RBI. Wyatt Langford is hitting .389 with 35 walks and Caglianone has a .382 average with 58 RBI. On the mound, Hurston Waldrep has 83 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched.

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SERIES VS. FLORIDA
The all-time series between the two teams is tied at 51 games apiece. Carolina and Florida played four times last season, including in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Carolina’s win was in the regular-season finale as Josiah Sightler went 3-for-4 with a home run in the 4-1 win. Carolina swept Florida in the last meeting in Columbia in 2021. That included a wild 9-8, 14-inning win on March 26, 2021.

PETRY MOVES INTO THE RECORD BOOK
Freshman Ethan Petry belted his 18th home run of the season at Vanderbilt on April 16, moving past Justin Smoak (2006) for Carolina’s freshman home run record. Petry homered in Friday’s 14-6 win over the Commodores and had three home runs on the week. Petry continues to lead Carolina with a .424 batting average and 56 RBI.

WIMMER NAMED TO BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST
Shortstop Braylen Wimmer has been named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, the College Baseball Foundation announced Tuesday (April 18). The Brooks Wallace Award is given to the top Division I shortstop in the country.

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Wimmer has played in all 37 games for the Gamecocks this season and is hitting .310 with eight doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 32 RBI and 13 stolen bases. The Yukon, Okla., native is slugging .586 and has a .416 on-base percentage. He was a perfect 5-for-5 in the season opener against UMass Lowell (Feb. 17) and drove in five runs the very next game. He hit back-to-back leadoff home runs at Mississippi State (March 31-April 1) and drove in three runs in a win over Georgia (March 18).

RPI WATCH
With 37 games in the books, it’s time to start looking at the RPI. The Gamecocks currently are second in those rankings, one of four SEC teams in the top five. Carolina currently is 21-1 at home and 8-5 on the road. Carolina has three-game series remaining against No. 1 Kentucky, No. 5 Arkansas and No. 10 Florida.

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