Mark Kingston, Gamecocks ready for first SEC test of the season at Georgia

Sitting at his desk overlooking the green grass of Founders Park, Mark Kingston was loose and jovial Thursday afternoon — a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

Through the first month of action, the South Carolina baseball coach has steered his No. 16 Gamecocks to a 17-1 record, sparking a renewed enthusiasm around the program. But Kingston knows as much as anyone that the season’s true test comes in SEC play, set to begin for the Gamecocks this weekend at Georgia.

As players boarded the bus for Athens on Thursday, Kingston talked about the important opportunity that lies ahead for the Gamecocks — a chance to truly test their mettle.

“I think we’re all in the phase of, ‘Let’s see what this looks like against other SEC teams,’ ” Kingston said, “because most of the SEC teams have had good nonconference seasons — all the coaches in the league. I talked to (coach Scott) Stricklin this morning from Georgia, and he’s waiting to see how his team looks against us and we’re waiting to see how our team looks against them.”

In some respects, the Bulldogs and Gamecocks might feel like they’re looking in the mirror when they match up 6 p.m. Friday — barring a possible rain postponement. Though UGA (13-6) comes into the game unranked, the Bulldogs boast a veteran, power-heavy lineup that stacks up with the kind of numbers USC has put up this season.

USC (48 home runs) and UGA (41 home runs) rank first and third, respectively, in the country in homers, and both teams rank in the top 10 in scoring and slugging percentage. UGA’s veteran sluggers Charlie Condon and Connor Tate are both hitting above .500 and have 15 combined homers, while newcomers like powerful freshman Ethan Petry and Vanderbilt transfer Gavin Casas have added juice to USC’s lineup.

Despite their near perfect start, the Gamecocks rank 69th in RPI due to a pedestrian non-conference strength of schedule. It’s more than likely, if not expected, that USC’s offensive numbers will come back down to earth against some of the premium arms in league play.

The Gamecocks will see two such pitchers with UGA’s weekend one-two punch of lefties Jaden Woods and Liam Sullivan. Both have racked up strikeouts during non-conference play, and Woods can touch the mid-90s with his fastball, presenting a challenge for USC’s bats.

“He’s got good stuff,” third baseman Talmadge LeCroy said of Woods. “He’s got a good fastball. He’s gonna come right after us, and that’s the big thing. We’re gonna have to go in there thinking that they’re gonna throw those fastballs like people have thrown in the past, and we’re gonna be ready to hit it.”

Of course, UGA will need to contend with a deep USC pitching staff, which ranks fifth in the country with a 2.55 ERA. After trying to juggle multiple injuries last season, pitching coach Justin Parker has had much more to work with, thanks to the return of a healthy Jack Mahoney and James Hicks and the addition of hard-throwing freshman Eli Jerzembeck.

This weekend’s series is one that could provide some answers for Kingston and the Gamecocks about where they stand in the conference, and Kingston is optimistic his players will be up for the task.

“I think the manner in which we’ve won a great majority of our games — we haven’t squeaked by for the most of our wins,” Kingston said. “I think we’ve won pretty convincingly. I think when you look at the stat sheet, you see numbers that aren’t that dependent on who you’re playing. I think you’re seeing a good number of stolen bases, you’re seeing power, which when you square the ball up against somebody it doesn’t matter who you’re playing. I think the fact that we had good pitching; I think the fact that our defense has been trending in a really good direction the last 10 games.

“I just think your eye test tells you that you have the pieces there that you need to compete.”

USC at Georgia baseball series

When: Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.

Where: Athens, Georgia

USC probable pitchers: Will Sanders, Noah Hall, Jack Mahoney

UGA probable pitchers: Jaden Woods, Liam Sullivan, TBA

TV/Streaming: SEC Network Plus on Friday and Saturday, SEC Network on Sunday