Notes and Quotes: Missouri Game 3
--LT Tolbert returned to the lineup after sitting yesterday. He bat eighth in the order, which is the lowest he’s hit all season. Madison Stokes took over at second for DC Arendas for his fifth start of the year. TJ Hopkins returned to center where he started Wednesday. It’s his second start this year there, and his 18th start this season.
--Gene Cone set the school record hitting streak at 27 games. He finished the weekend going 10-for-12 (.833) with seven runs, six RBIs and five extra base hits. He’s batting .377 on the year and .457 in SEC play. His five hits Sunday were a career high.
--Other hitting streaks continued: Alex Destino and Jonah Bride (5) and Dom Thompson-Williams (4).
--Announced attendance was 7,076.
--Adam Hill earned his first win in four starts after being in line for the win in every start this season. The three prior starts all ended in no decisions. He pitched 6.1 innings, which is a career-high for the freshman.
--Jonah Bride was hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season. He’s now six shy of tying the school single-season record of 21 hit by pitches set by Brandon Walters in 1996.
--The top half of the order (Cone, Hopkins, Jones, Destino) went a combined 13-for-20 (.650) with five runs scored. They also drove in all nine of the team’s runs.
--The Gamecocks have now swept four of six SEC series and are in sole possession of first place in the conference.
--There are five Gamecocks who are hitting over .300 with a minimum of 100 at-bats: Gene Cone, Alex Destino, Dom Thompson-Williams, John Jones and Marcus Mooney.
--Dom Thompson-Williams was picked off for the third time of the season Sunday in the first inning. He’s also been caught stealing three times.
Quotes
Gene Cone on if there were times he thought the streak would end: “Oh there were a lot. A lot. I’m very fortunate and very lucky to have made even close to this point. I’m still standing somehow.”
TJ Hopkins on Gene Cone: “He’s unbelievable. That’s the only way you can describe him. I really do think he hit’s the ball hard every time. He’s been on a tear.”
Gene Cone on the pressure being off: “Uh, maybe if people stop bugging me about it that would take some pressure off of me. Like I said, I try not to worry about it. It’s pretty tough, but it’s one A-B at a time.”
Gene Cone on where the ball will go: “I’m sure I’ll give it to my mom, so wherever she wants to put it. She has all of my like—I don’t hit many home runs—so she has all my home run balls. So I’m sure it’ll go where those are.”
Alex Destino on his six RBIs this weekend: “When we talk RBIs, I take none of that credit. Obviously I have to hit the ball to get those guys in, but they’re the ones who are on base and they did an extremely good job of that this weekend.”
Holbrook on Hill’s outing: “I think that was one of his best starts in a while…When he commands his fastball, he’s awfully tough.”
Holbrook on what they’ll do with no midweek game: “We’ll recruit, go see some high school kids and try to get out-and-about in regards to that. We’ll still practice; might have a midweek scrimmage game…We won’t stop practicing or preparing.”