South Carolina baseball head coach Paul Mainieri has announced the starting rotation for the team’s opening weekend series against Northern Kentucky. The three-game series will feature redshirt freshman Riley Goodman, junior Amp Phillips, and junior Brandon Stone as starting pitchers.
Riley Goodman is set to make his collegiate debut in the first game on Friday. Last year, Goodman was recovering from Tommy John surgery during his first season at South Carolina. Before joining the Gamecocks, he attended Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee, where he earned All-State honors in 2023. He was also ranked as the No. 15 overall player and No. 5 pitcher in Tennessee’s class of 2024 by Perfect Game.
Amp Phillips will start the second game on Friday. Phillips transferred from USC Upstate, where he received several accolades including Big South Newcomer of the Year, a spot on the All-Big South first team, and selection to the Big South All-Tournament team. During his time with the Spartans, Phillips recorded a 7-2 record with a 3.64 ERA across 20 appearances and 12 starts. In an NCAA Regional game against Clemson, he struck out nine batters over six innings and had a season-high of 11 strikeouts in seven innings against High Point.
Brandon Stone will take the mound for Saturday’s game, marking his eighth start for South Carolina. Last season, Stone tallied 46 strikeouts for the Gamecocks. Notably, he pitched a complete game in a 3-2 victory over Ole Miss on April 17, striking out four without issuing any walks and throwing only 86 pitches. He also recorded six strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief against Clemson on February 28.
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