* Nationally 2nd-ranked South Carolina wrapped up a 5-0 week with a three-game sweep of Tennessee over the weekend. The highlights included a pair of walk-off home runs on Saturday. In the first instance, freshman Jordan Gore, playing because starting second baseman D.C. Arendas had been pinch-hit for earlier, led off the bottom of the 14th inning with his first career home run, ending a game that had been suspended late Friday because of rain.
The finish to the second game likely will earn a prominent spot in Gamecock lore. USC fell behind 6-0 and still trailed 6-3 with none on and two outs in the ninth. Brison Celek got a pinch-hit single and Max Schrock, hitless in his last 17 at-bats, stepped in. Schrock belted a two-run homer to right to make the score 6-5.
Joey Pankake hit what appeared to be a routine fly ball to right. But the wind was swirling in Columbia and the Tennessee right-fielder staggered as the ball hit his glove and popped out. Kyle Martin worked a walk and Connor Bright was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tennessee brought in relief pitcher Peter Lenstrohm to face Grayson Greiner. USC's junior catcher deposited an 0-1 pitch far over the left-field fence to give the Gamecocks a 9-6 victory.
After the game, USC coach Chad Holbrook and several players mentioned that the team has confidence it can overcome any deficit. That certainly seemed evident Saturday.
Sunday's game was a run-of-the-mill 8-0 shutout, the 11th shutout by USC pitchers in 26 games this season.
The next SEC series for USC is at Arkansas, with Thursday's opener on national TV. Much like at Kentucky, the Gamecocks typically struggle in Fayetteville. It should be a good test of USC's confidence. If the Gamecocks can win two of three there, this could be shaping up as a special season in Columbia.
* Clemson completed a 3-0 week with a pair of ACC wins at Maryland. The Tigers got superb outings from starting pitchers Daniel Gossett and Matthew Crownover.
Shane Kennedy looks ready to resume his role as one of the Tigers' key offensive players, going 4-for-4 with a home run on Friday. On Saturday, freshman Chris Okey hit his second home run of the week and third of the season.
Coincidentally, Okey and USC's Greiner have 29 RBIs apiece.
Clemson returns home for a Saturday-Monday series with N.C. State, with the finale set for national TV. The Wolfpack, a preseason Top 5 team, has struggled in ACC play, starting 3-9. The Tigers have a chance to pretty much bury the Wolfpack's Atlantic Division title hopes this weekend.
* The wet spring has inconvenienced all baseball teams in the state, but it has been particularly rough on the NJCAA Region 10 teams. The league's conference schedule consists of doubleheaders on Saturdays and Sundays. That gives the teams no options for makeup games.
Every team has lost at least one Region 10 game to weather and 15 of 40 region games scheduled so far have been washed out. Incredibly, USC Sumter has played eight region games and had eight canceled. There are three weekends of region play left. No doubt, the coaches would like to see clear weather for a while.
* College of Charleston didn't have a memorable debut in the Colonial Athletic Association, losing two of three at home to Northeastern.
* Peach Belt Conference leader Lander dropped its series opener at 12th-place Georgia Southwestern on Sunday. It just goes to show baseball's unpredictability.
* Presbyterian's losing streak reached nine games with a three-game sweep by Liberty. Worse yet, all three losses to Liberty were by shutout.
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