Good morning. “It’s all about who’s playing the best when it matters the most. How many times have we said that? And South Carolina, last week, I mean, the way they played, I think they could have beaten just about anybody. They were a buzzsaw for three straight days. So it wouldn’t surprise me if they went down there and won that super.”

D1Baseball’s Aaron Fitt joined the Gamecock Talk podcast to preview the Super Regionals. You’re going to like what he had to say about South Carolina heading into this weekend’s showdown.

The first pitch of tonight’s opening game is slated for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Tomorrow’s game is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

What else do we have stirred into today’s Brew? ⤵️

👀 However he can
🏀 Grow together, stick together
🤙 And much, much more

🎥 GAMECOCKS+

Super Surprise! Happy Friday and happy Super Regionals Day! We’re dropping a brand-new episode of The Follow ahead of tonight’s opening pitch in Gainesville.

Go behind the scenes with Will McGillis and James Hicks as we explore South Carolina’s rollercoaster season, dominance in the regionals, the upcoming match-up against Florida, and what it would mean to make it to Omaha.

It’s all in the latest episode of The Follow streaming now on GamecocksPlus!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 However He Can. Will Sanders battled his way back from injury to take the mound for the Gamecocks during the regionals and he delivered an electrifying performance: a combined one hit, one walk, and eight strikeouts across four scoreless innings against Central Connecticut State and Campbell.

Now he’s ready to contribute on the diamond in any way he can — no matter what that looks like in Gainesville against a Florida team he historically pitches well against (2.00 ERA in 18 career innings against the Gators).

“If I get the ball, I’m going to get as many outs as I can.”

🔼 Pride In Leading. It doesn’t matter that Gamecock catcher Cole Messina is a sophomore; he’s embraced a leadership role on the team not through his words, but through his actions.

“I took a lot of pride in leading,” Messina said. “I think I lead through actions more than words. I bring a lot of energy to the table. I think that feeds to everybody.”

His teammates have taken note. Senior Braylen Wimmer said: “He’s only a sophomore but I’ve learned leadership things from him. He knows how to play the game the right way and run the clubhouse. He’s been good for us.”

Read more about Messina’s leadership role as the Gamecocks get ready for this evening’s Super Regional.

🔼 To The Finals. Gamecock men’s track star Anass Essayi is on to the NCAA Championship Finals! Essayi took the second heat of the 1500-meter semifinal in Austin this week, finishing the race in 3:39.52, a time good for second overall in the semis. Essayi will run for the championship later today.

🔼 Cast Your Ballot. It’s that time to get your WNBA All-Stars votes in! FAMS, y’all can vote once every 24 hours now through June 21. A’ja Wilson, Tiffany Mitchell, Allisha Gray, and Aliyah Boston are all nominees. Click here to vote now.

🔼 Grow Together, Stick Together. The Freshies will forever have a special place in women’s basketball history, and the latest episode of Inside Fever Basketball is all about Aliyah reminiscing on her time playing with that incredible class. Check it out here.

Meanwhile, give the latest Title IX newsletter a read this morning as it explores why Aliyah Boston’s WNBA start isn’t just fantastic - it could rewrite the history books.

🤔 GAMECOCK TRIVIA

Get Out Of Here. The Gamecocks tied an NCAA D1 record for consecutive homers when South Carolina blasted how many straight in a 2006 Super Regional against Georgia?

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

📬 STICK WITH US

Did someone send you the Gamecock Brew? The first thing you should do is thank them. Then, hit subscribe below to receive the Brew in your inbox every weekday morning; it goes great with your first cup of coffee.

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: 5

The Gamecocks beat Georgia 15-6 on June 10, 2006. Those five homers came in the second inning off the bats of Neil Giesler, Justin Smoak, Phil Disher, Andrew Crisp, and Robbie Grinestaff.

Have a great weekend, y’all. Enjoy the games!