Good morning. See what the Senior Bowl’s Jim Nagy had to say about what it’s like to play at Willy B.

What else is mixed into today’s Brew? ⤵️

🏖️ Basketball at the beach
🏆 Award season
🤙 And much, much more

🎥 GAMECOCKS+

Let’s talk about perfection today because that’s exactly what Gamecock women’s basketball was last season. In today’s look back at our best Gamecock Talk episodes, we’re recapping the perfect season, starting with the program’s 10th straight appearance in the Sweet 16.

It's back to a familiar place for Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks: the Sweet Sixteen. That makes ten straight years advancing at least into the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Can they make it a third national title in eight years? 

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Making Moves. Cole Messina continues to earn accolades! South Carolina’s superstar catcher won the 2024 Johnny Bench Award this week, making him a top male catcher in NCAA baseball. Messina also earned All-American honors from D1 Baseball, landing on the publication’s second team. The move makes Messina a consensus All-American on the season, as he earned honors from Baseball America, ABCA, NCBWA, Perfect Game, and D1 Baseball.

🔼 Big League. MLB is nearing its midway point of the season, so it’s time to check in on some former Gamecocks in the big leagues! GamecockCentral breaks down how former South Carolina stars like Whit Merrifield, Clarke Schmidt, and Christian Walker are faring in the pros so far.

🔼 Basketball At The Beach. The defending women’s basketball national champs are heading to Fort Myers, Florida. South Carolina will face Iowa State and Purdue at the 2024 Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off at the end of November. Click here for more info on ticket packages and travel.

🔼 Award Season. This year’s ESPY nominations are here, and you can now vote for your favorites! A’ja Wilson earned a nominee for Best Female Athlete and Best WNBA Player, while the defending national champion South Carolina women’s basketball squad is nominated for Best Team. Here’s how you can vote.

🤔 GAMECOCK TRIVIA

At Bat. Cole Messina led South Carolina in batting average last season on the diamond. What was his batting average for the year?

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

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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Messina hit .326 along with 64 runs scored, 21 homers, 71 RBI, 19 doubles, 50 walks, and eight stolen bases.

🤙 Have a good Thursday, y’all.