Yesterday we took a quick look at the Florida batters the Gamecocks will face this weekend. Today we look at the 4 pitchers most likely to affect the series outcome. Florida’s pitching is in the top half of pitching staffs in the conference and they lead the conference where it matters: they give up the fewest runs.
Friday night’s starting pitcher will probably be Sophomore lefthander Alex Panteliodis. Panteliodis brings an 8-2 record and 3.34 ERA to the mound. He has a good walk to strike out ratio with 15 free passes and 53 strike outs. Opponents are batting only .234 against him, but he has been known to give up the long ball; batters have swatted 10 home runs against him this season.
On Saturday expect the Gators to trot out Freshman right hander Hudson Randall. Randall has the best ERA of the starters at 2.96 which has helped him to his 6-3 record. His walk to strike out ratio is similar to Pantedliodis’s at 16 to 49.
Brian Johnson is the expected Sunday starter, although Gamecock fans will probably see him earlier since he often serves as the designated hitter when he is not pitching. With a 3.53 ERA and a 5-2 record, Johnson has been a strong Sunday starter for the Gators. His walk to strike out ratio is in line with his colleagues at 11 to 41. Opponents do bat a little better against the lefthander who is allowing batters to hit .279 against him.
The last key Gator pitcher is the closer, Kevin Chapman. The left handed junior is probably the most dangerous pitcher Florida has. He has 8 saves in a team high 24 appearances. He has an ERA of 1.26 and opponents bat .185 against him. His walk to strike out ratio is 6 to 37. He is the reason that the Gators rarely lose a lead they hold late.
So what did we learn? Gamecocks need to bring their bats and score early.
Keep checking back with Leftoverhotdog for more on this weekend’s deciding series.
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