5 Keys for a Gamecocks Win at CWS Versus the Sooners

South Carolina (48-15) begins College World Series play on Sunday afternoon against Oklahoma (49-16) with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.  This is South Carolina‘s ninth College World Series appearance and the first by the Gamecocks since the 2004 season.

South Carolina will start senior right-hander Blake Cooper (12-1, 2.81 ERA) with Oklahoma countering with junior right-hander Michael Rocha (7-2, 3.57 ERA).

Here are the LOHD 5 keys to a USC win today —

1.  SC must Limit the OU long ball — The Sooners have homered in 52 of the 65 contests with 28 multiple-homer games. OU has homered in 20 of the last 23 games.  OU hit seven HRs in the Super Regional.  On the year they have 100 HRs.

2.  USC Bullpen has to be perfect — OU has scored 212 of its 515 runs, or 41 percent, in the sixth inning and later. In addition, the Sooners have outscored the opposition, 95-37, in the eighth and ninth innings combined, which includes 19 home runs.  The Sooners have come from behind to win 27 of the 65 games this season. Of Sunny Golloway’s 219 wins at OU, 113 (.516) have been in come-from-behind fashion, including 22 last year.

3.  USC must Get the 3rd out — The Sooners have come up with some clutch hitting throughout the season, hitting .320 as a team with two outs on the board. In addition, OU has connected for 206 two-out RBIs, nearly half of the 477 total on the season.

4.  USC needs to score first — OU has scored first in 27 of the last 57 games and in 31 overall, with a 26-5 record in those contests. The opposition has tallied the game’s first run in 34 games and OU is 23-11.  The Gamecocks are also 32-6 on the year when scoring first in the game.

5.  USC has to capitalize when RISP — it is all about timely hitting.  USC must produce runs today against a team that can total big numbers offensively.  I want to see offense today from the USC lineup.  Don’t care who steps up but now is the time to seize the moment.

The other key that did not make the list as it is obvious is Blake Cooper’s pitching.  He has to give at least 6 strong innings while limiting any threat and get out of the jams.  If he is throwing his best, I have no worries.

Other FYIs you need to know

• OU has won 14 of the last 16 outings
• OU is 4-5 in CWS openers with its last win coming in the 1994 National Championship run
• The OU bullpen is 21-2with 15 saves on the season and a 2.76 ERA and 276 Ks in 247.2 IP.
• On the road, OU is 24-10 (16-6 away, 8-3 neutral) and is hitting .301 with 10.7 hits and 7.3 runs per game, including 49 homers. The pitching staff has a 3.81 ERA away from home.
• South Carolina is hitting .302 (661-for-2187) as a team on the year with the squad’s on-base percentage .396 and slugging percentage at .493 for the season. The Gamecocks have scored 464 runs with 124 doubles, 12 triples, and 90 homers.
• South Carolina is now 39-4 on the year when it out-hits the opponent and 37-8 when hitting at least one HR.
• Carolina holds a 37-1 advantage when owning a lead entering the seventh inning and 7-3 when the game is tied heading into 7th.

Prediction

USC 7

OU 5

***Also read our College World Series, Gamecocks – Oklahoma Preview , read HERE about a Mohawk and a stick and take a look at Garnet and Black Attack’s preview HERE.