Arkansas (42-18, 18-12)
Team
Batting Average: .300 (17th in NCAA)
Home Runs: 88 (3rd in NCAA)
Stolen Bases: 37 (226th in NCAA)
Fielding Percentage: .972 (88th in NCAA)
Projected Lineup
RF – Eric Cole - .328, 13 HR, 12 doubles, 47 RBI
3B – Casey Martin - .336, 13 HR, 10 doubles, 44 RBI
LF – Heston Kjerstad - .344, 13 HR, 14 doubles, 52 RBI
DH – Luke Bonfield - .299, 8 HR, 9 doubles, 34 RBI
CF – Dominic Fletcher - .294, 8 HR, 14 doubles, 39 RBI
2B – Carson Shaddy - .331, 11 HR, 11 doubles, 43 RBI
C – Grant Koch - .250, 7 HR, 6 doubles, 34 RBI
1B – Jared Gates - .248, 5 HR, 6 doubles, 21 RBI
SS – Jax Biggers - .281, 4 HR, 9 doubles, 22 RBI
Breakdown
The Hogs pounded out 24 runs on 34 hits including five long balls to sweep the field in three games at the Fayetteville Regional last week. In other words, it was business as usual. Jared Gates is on a six-game hitting streak in which he is hitting .450 with a home run, 4 RBI, and has three multi-hit games. In five games since returning from a finger injury, Jax Biggers has hit .333 with 4 runs and 3 RBI . After spending some time in the second spot in the order, Carson Shaddy returned to the six hole and snapped an 0 for 16 streak going 4 for 10 with a double, triple, home run, and 5 RBI in the Regional. While Eric Cole, Casey Martin, and Heston Kjerstad form a menacing top of the order, the production out of these guys at the bottom makes this lineup hard to get out one through nine.
South Carolina (36-24, 17-13)
Team
Batting Average: .278 (90th in NCAA)
Home Runs: 71 (17th in NCAA)
Stolen Bases: 48 (160th in NCAA)
Fielding Percentage: .982 (3rd in NCAA)
Projected Lineup
CF – Danny Blair - .245, 2 HR, 2 doubles, 7 RBI (53 AB)
LF – Carlos Cortes - .260, 15 HR, 9 doubles, 44 RBI
DH – Madison Stokes - .331, 10 HR, 12 doubles, 43 RBI
3B – Jonah Bride - .307, 4 HR, 12 doubles, 31 RBI
2B – Justin Row - .345, 6 HR, 12 doubles, 23 RBI
SS – LT Tolbert - .322, 6 HR, 10 doubles, 51 RBI
C – Hunter Taylor - .266, 8 HR, 9 doubles, 32 RBI
RF – Jacob Olson - .233, 10 HR, 20 doubles, 34 RBI
1B – Matt Williams - .222, 3 HR, 4 doubles, 21 RBI
Breakdown
South Carolina has several weapons they can deploy at any time in a game. Carlos Cortes is the most potent with 15 home runs, including a two run shot that gave the Gamecocks their only victory against Arkansas in four games this season. Justin Row and LT Tolbert provide veteran leadership, solid defense up the middle infield, and steady production in the middle of the lineup. Danny Blair has been called on recently due to injury and has not disappointed, earning Greenville Regional Most Outstanding Player. Though they started the season slowly, South Carolina’s offense has surged into the post season, winning 16 of their last 23 games and scoring at least eight runs in 13 of them.