Cock-A-Doodle Brew 4/29: Steal of the draft

Today: Draft recap, a new record, and more.

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Cock-A-Doodle Brew Crew
April 29, 2024

a:

Good morning. It’s that time! The new Gamecock football poster is here. Here’s how to get your hands on it.

What else is mixed into today’s Brew? ⤵️

🏈 Drafted and ready
🏖️ New heights
🤙 And much, much more

🎥 GAMECOCKS+

A lifelong Gamecock fan from the Midlands, Dalton Reeves grew up around Founders Park as a little kid asking for autographs. A decade later with two pitstops along the way, he's now living out a childhood dream: not only is he hitting bombs against his former team, he's getting the opportunity to help this Carolina team down the stretch as they prepare for a postseason run.

Meanwhile, the always-steady Eli Jones is anchoring a rotation looking to hit its stride as May draws near.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Draft Recap. It was a great draft weekend for the Gamecocks, who had
their first player selected in the first round since 2021. Overall, four Gamecocks were drafted across three days: Xavier Legette (No. 32) is in Carolina, while Spencer Rattler (No. 150) is headed to the Saints. Marcellas Dial (No. 180) is off to the Patriots and Nick Gargiulo (No. 256) will head west to the Broncos.

After the draft, Trey Knox signed with the Vikings, Ahmarean Brown signed with the Browns, and Dakereon Joyner earned an invite to Seattle’s rookie mini camp.

Here are the best highlights from NFL Draft weekend:

🔼 Series Winners. South Carolina softball used three solo homers and a complete game shutout from Sage Mardjetko to secure the series win over No. 21 Kentucky on Sunday afternoon with a 3-0 victory. Riley Blampied paved the way for the Gamecocks as she went 2-for-3 with a solo shot, while Mardjetko fanned seven and allowed just five hits on the day.

Watch all three of Sunday’s homers here, here, and here.

South Carolina will host USC Upstate at home on Wednesday at 6:00pm ET.

🔼 Tourney Time. It’s Selection Monday for Gamecock men’s and women’s tennis! The men’s selection show is slated for 6:00pm ET this evening, while the women’s show will follow 30 minutes later.

Follow Gamecock men’s tennis and Gamecock women’s tennis for up-to-the-minute coverage as the brackets are revealed.

As the Gamecocks gear up to learn their fate, Ayana Akli is focused on what’s next: the NCAA tournament and finishing her master’s degree. Read more about Akli’s plans for the future as her incredible South Carolina tennis career draws to a close.

🔼 New Heights. South Carolina beach volleyball reached the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association’s tournament championship for the first time in program history this weekend! While the Gamecocks fell to fourth-ranked Florida State for the title, South Carolina took out a slew of formidable opponents to reach the championship game. The Gamecocks beat No. 17 GCU on Friday afternoon, then defeated No. 10 LSU in the semifinals. Skylar Allen, Riley Whitesides, Sophie Bengoechea, and VB Troust all finished the season by earning spots on the conference’s all-tournament team.

🔼 Record Setter. Another weekend, another record for freshman phenom JaMeesia Ford! Ford set the Gamecock record, the new leading NCAA time, the third-best time in the world, and the 14th-best time in college history with a 22.21 in the 200m. Full results from the weekend here.

🔼 Run Ruled. A run-rule victory for South Carolina baseball on Sunday afternoon delivered the series win over No. 4 Kentucky at Founders Park! South Carolina blanked the Wildcats in the rubber match, securing the 10-0 win in the seventh frame.

South Carolina’s offense came from everywhere with Ethan Petry getting things started in the third with a two-RBI single that put the Gamecocks up 2-0. South Carolina would score another in the fourth courtesy of a Kennedy Jones RBI that scored Cole Messina, while things exploded in the fifth.

Blake Jackson singled to bring home Austin Brinling, then a Jones RBI single brought home Messina and Petry for the 6-0 lead. Dalton Reeves grounded out on a sac bunt to score Jackson to go up 7-0, Gavin Casas brought home Jones on an RBI single, and Brinling added the game’s ninth run with an RBI single that scored Talmadge LeCroy. A Kennedy Jones sac fly out in the bottom of the sixth closed out the 10-0 scoring on the day.

Dylan Eskew picked up the win for his third victory on the season; he pitched 6.1 innings, scattering five hits, one walk, and two strikeouts in the shutout win. He left the game in the top of the seventh to a rousing ovation from Gamecock Nation.

🤔 GAMECOCK TRIVIA

Carolina To Carolina. The Gamecocks to Panthers pipeline is hot right now, as the last two first-round picks from South Carolina have gone to the Panthers (Xavier Legette - 2024, Jaycee Horn - 2021). Overall, how many first-round picks have the Gamecocks had in the NFL Draft?

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

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📬 A LOOK AHEAD

Wednesday 5/1

🥎 Softball vs. USC Upstate @ 6:00pm ET

⚾ Baseball vs. East Tennessee State @ 6:30pm ET on SEC Network+

Friday 5/3

🥎 Softball vs. Missouri @ 6:00pm ET on SEC Network+

⚾ Baseball @ Missouri @ 7:00pm ET on SEC Network+

Saturday 5/4

⚾ Baseball @ Missouri @ 4:00pm ET on SEC Network+

🥎 Softball vs. Missouri @ 6:00pm ET on SEC Network

Sunday 5/5

⚾ Baseball @ Missouri @ 2:00pm ET on SEC Network+

🥎 Softball vs. Missouri @ 3:00pm ET on SEC Network+

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Legette became the 16th first-round pick for South Carolina and the 10th since 2000.

🤙 Have a good Monday, y’all.