JACKSONVILLE — Jax State baseball continues its season-opening nine-game homestand with a weekend series against the Toledo Rockets from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The three-game set begins on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. from Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
Both squads are looking to rebound after their opponents took series from each of them last week. The Cincinnati Bearcats came to Jacksonville and took games on Friday and Saturday to claim the series, but a combined shutout from the Jax State pitching staff and solo homer from
Grayson Ashe salvaged the series finale for the Gamecocks. Jax State also took on Georgia State in the midweek, walking off the Panthers after 11 innings, to get to .500 prior to the meeting with the Rockets.
Toledo, who did not play a midweek contest this week, comes in after falling 6-4 in the Sunday rubber match against the Memphis Tigers, who the Gamecocks will travel to visit next week. The Rockets won the Friday game, 8-6, but fell 5-4 on Saturday, then again on Sunday, to let the Tigers take the series.
The Gamecocks and Rockets have only met once prior to the weekend, with the Gamecocks taking a dominant 16-3 victory over Toledo on March 9, 2004. In that game, Robby Goodson became the first, and currently only, player in Jax State's Division I history to hit for the cycle. Goodsen went 5-5 that day, scoring four runs, two RBI, and a walk. He also closed the game on the mound, facing the minimum and striking out the final batter.
Jax State is 12-12 all-time against current MAC members, including UMass. Jax State is undefeated against Akron 3-0), Toledo (1-0), and Western Michigan (1-0). Jax State has never met Bowling Green, Ohio, or Northern Illinois in baseball. The Gamecocks have also never met Buffalo, but the Bulls have not fielded a team since 2017.
Jax State's pitching has turned in two impressive outings in the previous two games, holding opponents to just nine hits, two runs, and fanning 26 in those two outings. Against Cincinnati on Sunday, the Gamecocks put together a combined shutout and pitched a two-hitter. Against Georgia State on Tuesday, the Gamecocks did not allow a run after the second inning to hold off the Panthers before walking them off.
While the same players as last week appear in the pitching rotation, there has been a shuffle.
Eli Pillsbury will open the series on Friday night, with
Steven Cash beginning Saturday's game.
Beau Bryans will start on Sunday again this weekend. All three are southpaws. The Gamecocks will face an all-righty rotation for the second consecutive week, with
Saturday's game will not have an ESPN+ broadcast. Fans who are not able to attend are encouraged to follow along with the game via radio or live stats.
