Good morning. FAMS, your College Game Day signs were bar none.

What else is mixed into today’s Brew? ⤵️

🔥 A hot start
🏡 Heading home
🤙 And much, much more

🎥 GAMECOCKS+

An All-American transfer pickup, Gamecock softball got themselves an ace in the circle out of the transfer portal. Alana Vawter comes to Columbia after a decorated career at Stanford, but now it's time for a new path at South Carolina. With Bev Smith's team off to a hot start to the 2024 season, let's sit down with the Gamecocks' newest weapon.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 A Hot Start. South Carolina baseball returned to the diamond with a bang this Opening Weekend, outscoring Miami (Ohio) 30-5, en route to a 3-0 start to the season. Roman Kimball stole the show on Sunday in his much-anticipated return to the mound, going scoreless across two innings as the Gamecock pitching staff combined for the eighth no-hitter in school history. Kimball was fired up as he came off the field after the top of the second with his fifth strikeout of the day.

And it wasn’t just the pitchers that were hot this weekend. From Gavin Casas to Cole Messina to Dylan Brewer, South Carolina’s bats came alive on Sunday as the Gamecocks capped off a run-rule victory to put an exclamation point on the first weekend of the season.

The Gamecocks will be back at it tomorrow at 4:00pm at home against Winthrop and again on Wednesday vs. Queens at 4:00pm.

🔼 Heading Home. Puerto Vallarta was good to our Gamecocks! South Carolina finished its weekend tournament with a sweep of UC-Davis, winning 6-4 in eight innings, and UC-San Diego, winning 18-1 in five innings, bringing the Gamecocks to 8-1 on the season.

Sage Mardjetko and Aniyah Black both earned All-Tournament Team honors. The Gamecocks will be back in Columbia on Wednesday to host Furman, then will play two doubleheaders over the weekend before a Sunday afternoon contest.

🔼 New Discipline. Ethan Petry turned in one of the best rookie performances in South Carolina baseball history. With a new season just underway and Petry already picking up where he left off, the sophomore sensation is bringing a new kind of discipline into his follow-up campaign. Here’s what he has planned for a fresh year on the diamond.

🔼 They’re Back. Two of South Carolina’s opening weekend starters battled back from Tommy John surgery, and both turned in fantastic performances in their returns to the mound. Read more about Eli Jones’ path from the sidelines to starting pitcher in Columbia, then enjoy this recap of how Roman Kimball got things started as the Gamecocks posted a no-no on Sunday afternoon.

🔼 25-0. That’s a new SEC record for South Carolina women’s basketball! The squad posted its 43rd straight SEC regular-season win, good for the all-time conference record. Kamilla Cardoso recorded her 12th double-double of the season with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Te-Hina Paopao scored 15, Chloe Kitts added 12, and Raven Johnson posted nine as the Gamecocks beat Georgia, 70-56, at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday afternoon. With the W, South Carolina has now beaten Georgia 18 straight times. Enjoy three of our favorite moments from the game here, here, and here.

🤔 GAMECOCK TRIVIA

Stole It. Gamecock softball is off to a scorching 8-1 start this season, so let’s dabble in a little softball trivia. Do you know who has the most career stolen bases in program history?

Got it? Scroll down to the bottom of this email for the right answer!

📬 STICK WITH US

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📬 A LOOK AHEAD

Monday 2/19 - Saturday 2/24

🏊 Swimming & Diving @ SEC Championships (Auburn, AL)

Tuesday 2/20

⚾ Baseball vs. Winthrop @ 4:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

Wednesday 2/21

⚾ Baseball vs. Queens @ 4:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

🥎 Softball vs. Furman @ 5:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

Thursday 2/22

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Alabama @ 7:00pm ET on SEC Network | Tickets

Friday 2/23 - Saturday 2/24

🏃 Track & Field @ SEC Indoor Championship (Fayetteville, AR)

Friday 2/23

🏖️ Beach Volleyball vs FAU @ 11:00AM ET (Tampa, FL)

🥎 Softball vs. UMass @ 3:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

🥎 Softball vs. James Madison @ 5:30pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

⚾ Baseball vs. Belmont @ 4:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

Saturday 2/24

🏖️ Beach Volleyball vs Arizona State @ 8:00am ET (Tampa, FL)

⚽ Men’s Soccer vs. High Point (Exhibition) @ 12:00pm ET

🐎 Equestrian vs. Georgia @ 1:00pm ET

⚾ Baseball vs. Belmont @ 2:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

🏖️ Beach Volleyball vs. Georgia State @ 2:00pm ET (Tampa, FL)

🥎 Softball vs. South Alabama @ 3:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

🥎 Softball vs. UMass @ 5:30pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

🏀 Men’s Basketball @ Ole Miss @ 3:30pm ET on SEC Network

Sunday 2/25

⚾ Baseball vs. Belmont @ 1:30pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. Charlotte @ 2:00pm ET | Live Stats

🏀 Women’s Basketball @ Kentucky @ 3:00pm ET on SEC Network

🥎 Softball vs. Charlotte @ 3:00pm ET on SEC Network+ | Tickets

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. Charleston Southern @ 6:00pm ET | Live Stats 

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Tiff Tootle stole 114 bases from 1990-93 — 39 more career stolen bases than anyone else to ever wear the Garnet & Black.

🤙 Have a good Monday, y’all.