South-Carolina

Offensive slumber continues for Missouri in sweep against South Carolina

Published

5 days ago

April 11, 2026

Offensive slumber continues for Missouri in sweep against South Carolina

Mizzou baseball went into Saturday afternoon, looking to solve its latest offensive slump. The Tigers couldn’t quite find the key that opened that offensive lock, losing 6-4 in a game that, to put it lightly, came few and far between for the Tigers.

“Unfortunately, not a very competitive weekend,” Mizzou coach Kerrick Jackson said. “As I talked about with these guys all year, we just have to figure out how we can get a point of being consistent. We have these ups and downs, and the really drastic highs and lows. It’s our job as a coaching staff to figure out how we can get them consistent, keep them in the same mind place, keep them motivated to go out and get after it every day.”

The Gamecocks, with this win, clinched a three-game series sweep over Missouri, and Kerrick Jackson’s group walks away with a missed opportunity to climb out of the bottom of the Southeastern Conference.

South Carolina built the lead in pieces, striking for a pair of runs in the top of the second on a pair of singles and a two-run double from Patrick Evans.

A third hit of the afternoon for KJ Scobey came via the long ball, and Dawson Harman, after his previous solo shot in the fourth, launched his second home run of the day with a two-out blast in the sixth, stretching the road side’s advantage to 5-2.

Hannah Henderson/Rock M Nation

Will Craddock knocked up the homer counter to four, putting the offensive cherry on top of the Tigers’ pitching. His solo shot came in the top of the ninth, making the offensive production a slow drip for the Gamecocks in their final game at Taylor. The Tigers could not do the same.

I use the analogy of trying to find the right key for the lock,” Jackson said. “I don’t know where we go from game to game, and how we can look really good and look like we can beat anybody in the country, and then look the way that we looked this weekend. That’s what we have to figure out: what these guys need, how to get them motivated, how to keep them going and pushing, and understanding what it means to win and be competitive in the SEC.”

OFFENSIVE TROUBLES CONTINUE

Looking to avoid the sweep, the Tigers needed an offensive rebound after accumulating one run across the plate the last 18 innings against the Gamecocks pitching

It was more of the same for the Missouri offense throughout the afternoon. Similar to a volatile temper, there were sudden, unpredictable outbursts, which occurred in the fourth and ninth innings, respectively. For too long, the at-bats were filled with small contact, balls not leaving the infield, and strikeouts, of which the Tigers accumulated nine in the series finale.

For the opening three innings of play, the Tigers had a total of one ball hit out of the infield, a shallow pop fly to center field by Keegan Knutson. Gamecocks starter Alex Valentin had a no-hitter up until the former Gamecock, Jase Woita, connected on a two-run shot that nearly hugged the right-field foul pole.

Hannah Henderson/Rock M Nation

Woita was the lone Tiger to reach base multiple times, three in total, which included two walks after his homer pulled MU closer, making it 3-2 in the bottom half of the third inning. The big fly from Woita was, more importantly, the lone hit for Missouri through eight innings of play.

Then came the ninth. Down 6-2 heading into the final chance for Missouri to pick up a winner, Woita led off with a walk. Two outs later, Keegan Knutson’s ground ball knocked off the glove of Dawson Harman at third, putting Knutson and Woita on second and third, respectively.

A single from Jamal George, who was subbed in at second base in the eighth inning, scored Woita and advanced Knutson to third. The pass the bat mentality continued, as another player who had recently been brought off the bench into the ballgame by Jackson, Donovan Jordan, doubled to left center. 6-4 Gamecocks, Blaize Ward coming up to the plate with a chance to turn an afternoon of frustration around.

The comeback ultimately wasn’t to be, as Wards’ flyout to right center field ended the last gasp at a chance to steal a road sweep from the visiting Gamecocks.

“That was one thing we just didn’t do today, which was we didn’t have a lot of quality at bats,” Jackson said. Why then and not earlier? Maybe I should have gotten my degree in psychology, and it would have been a little bit easier for me, but just being able to try and figure that out.”

The Tigers head to Springfield for a second game of the season against its in-state foe, the Missouri State Bears. The two will clash on a 6:30 p.m CT midweek matchup on Tuesday evening.

Hannah Henderson/Rock M Nation

Then, Missouri will travel to Norman to clash against No. 16-ranked Oklahoma in a three-game series from Friday to Sunday. After this weekend’s inconsistency, Kerrick Jackson had this to say about the road ahead with a second consecutive SEC road series against a top-25 opponent on the horizon.

“You’re going into Oklahoma a competitive team, but they’ve also had their ups and downs,” Jackson said. They started off ranked high this year and they’ve kind of gone through it. They’re starting to kind of pick up with their pitching. We’re a credible club, maybe our guys don’t believe how good we are, and so that’s part of it. Its about how do we instill that belief system in them to go out and think you can compete with anybody in the country. Just by competing, you put yourself in a position to walk out with the victory.”

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South-Carolina

No. 17 State Set For Series At South Carolina – Mississippi State

Published

10 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

No. 17 State Set For Series At South Carolina – Mississippi State

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 17 Mississippi State hits the road this weekend looking to regain its footing in Southeastern Conference play, as the Diamond Dawgs travel to Columbia for a three-game series against South Carolina at Founders Park.

MSU (27-10, 7-8 SEC) enters the weekend having snapped its recent skid with a decisive midweek victory at Samford, offering a potential spark after a stretch that saw State drop six of eight contests. The win provided a needed reset as the Bulldogs turn their focus back to conference play.

Friday’s opener is set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+. The series continues Saturday at noon on SEC Network and concludes Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. first pitch streaming on SEC Network+.

The Bulldogs bring one of the SEC’s most potent offenses into the series, hitting .319 as a team with a .542 slugging percentage and a .422 on-base percentage. The lineup has produced 88 doubles, tops in the conference, along with 60 home runs and nearly 200 walks, combining power with plate discipline.

All-American third baseman Ace Reese continues to pace the attack, leading the SEC in doubles while serving as the centerpiece of a deep and experienced lineup. He’s joined by a veteran core that includes Noah Sullivan, Gehrig Frei and Bryce Chance, giving Mississippi State production up and down the order.

On the mound, MSU has been equally formidable. The staff owns a 3.60 ERA and ranks among the national leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio and strikeouts per nine innings, reflecting its ability to consistently control hitters.

Sophomore left-hander Tomas Valincius will take the ball in Friday’s opener and has emerged as one of the league’s top arms. He enters with a 6-1 record, a 1.53 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 53 innings, highlighted by multiple dominant outings this spring.

Right-hander Duke Stone is set to start Saturday after posting a 5-1 mark with 58 strikeouts, while lefty Charlie Foster is expected to close out the weekend on Sunday as the Bulldogs aim to secure the series.

South Carolina (19-19, 15-9 SEC) will counter with a pair of experienced right-handers at the front of its rotation. Brandon Stone is slated for Friday night and has been one of the Gamecocks’ most reliable arms, carrying a 4-1 record with a 2.89 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Amp Phillips is expected to start Saturday and has been equally effective, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.17 ERA and 56 strikeouts. The Gamecocks have yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s finale.

The all-time series between the programs has been tightly contested, with South Carolina holding a slight 43-40 edge. Mississippi State has had recent success against the Gamecocks, including a series win in Starkville last season.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching ‘HailStateBB’ on X, Facebook and Instagram.

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South-Carolina

LIVE: Full SC senate committee takes up latest abortion bill

Published

22 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

LIVE: Full SC senate committee takes up latest abortion bill

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The latest effort to ban abortion in South Carolina will go before a full Senate committee on Thursday.

The South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee will take up S.1095, a day after it was approved by a subcommittee. That vote came following a two-hour hearing on Tuesday.

The latest proposal, known as the “Unborn Child Protection Act,” would effectively replace the state’s current ban on abortion after six weeks.

The bill would prohibit abortions once a pregnancy is clinically diagnosable and eliminate existing exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies. Abortions would be permitted only in cases of medical emergencies to prevent a woman’s death or a “substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”

The current law allows for abortions up to 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest.

Supporters of the new bill argue that those exceptions do not go far enough. Sen. Richard Cash, a Republican from Anderson County and a sponsor, said he has pushed for stricter abortion laws since taking office in 2017.

“The right to life is an unalienable right that comes from God, and the state needs to recognize that and codify that in law,” Cash said Tuesday.

Under the proposal, doctors who illegally perform abortions could face felony charges punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Pregnant women could also face misdemeanor charges, carrying a potential sentence of up to two years in prison. Both parties’ would face hefty fines.

Opponents say the bill goes too far and would have serious consequences for patients and medical providers. Outside the committee room, advocates for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights rallied outside the South Carolina State House on Tuesday.

Carey Shofner with the Palmetto State Abortion Fund emphasized the existing six‑week ban has not satisfied some lawmakers.

“Even with that six‑week ban in place, that’s never going to be good enough for some people,” Shofner said. “Some people today were testifying that they didn’t think this total abortion ban was extreme enough because women couldn’t be charged with the death penalty.”

Back inside the committee room, Ashlyn Preaux, also with the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, said criminalizing women would harm families.

“You’re not protecting families by passing this bill,” she said. “You’re actually tearing them apart, because when you criminalize a mom, you’re not just punishing her — you’re punishing her children.”

The bill would also classify abortion medications such as Mifepristone as Schedule IV controlled substances under state law.

“Last year, this subcommittee rejected a bill just like this one because they saw it for what it was: disgraceful government overreach and abject cruelty,” Vicki Ringer, Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said in a statement after Wednesday’s vote. “And yet today they voted to advance the same total abortion ban that criminalizes doctors and patients, threatening to throw a woman who has an abortion in prison. We have to meet this assault on our rights. Keep calling, keep emailing, keep speaking out — let your legislator know that you’re watching, and your rights are not for the taking.”

Some argued the bill is a step in the right direction, but said it does not go far enough. Mark Corral with Equal Protection South Carolina said abortion should be treated as homicide under state law.

“Would you want your death to be treated as a mere misdemeanor?” Corral said. “Failing to treat the willful killing of a preborn child as homicide violates God’s law.”

Gov. Henry McMaster has previously said he believes South Carolina’s six‑week abortion ban reflects the views of most residents.

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South-Carolina

SCDOT wants to replace 18 Midlands bridges in poor condition: HERE’S WHERE

Published

1 day ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

SCDOT wants to replace 18 Midlands bridges in poor condition: HERE’S WHERE

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — An ageing bridge in your neighborhood could soon be replaced in a proposed project from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).

SCDOT’s Bridge Package 24 project is looking to replace 18 bridges across Aiken, Bamberg, Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, and Sumter counties that have one or more components in poor condition.

The bridges will either be replaced on existing alignment with a signed detour rerouting traffic during construction, or replaced adjacent to the existing alignment, allowing through traffic during construction.

Officials say the following bridges make up Package 24 and are part of the SCDOT’s Closed and Load Restricted Bridge (CLRB) Program:

AIKEN COUNTY