Good morning. This reunion between two of our favorite former Gamecocks on the court is the only way to start your Thursday 🥺

Here’s what’s mixed into today’s Brew ⤵️

🌴 Summers off
🪜 Run up the ladder
🤙 And much, much more

🎥 GAMECOCKS+

Best Of Spring Follow. Yesterday, we reminisced over our favorite episodes of The Follow from the fall season and today we’re doing it all over again with the spring!

No. 5: Everything It Takes: Relive the magical postseason runs from 2010 and 2011 with Scott Wingo.

No. 4: Spring is in the Air: New faces are always a big storyline in the offseason, but perhaps the bigger one for the Gamecocks this year is who came back. Spencer Rattler, Juice Wells, and Dakereon Joyner return to lead a South Carolina offense now under the direction of Dowell Loggains. Can the Gamecocks take the next step and replace a few key pieces on both sides of the ball? Spring football is the first chance to find out.

No. 3: All on the Line: There’s no denying it was a rollercoaster of a year for the Gamecocks. 2023 got off to a historic start, but injuries and slumps had South Carolina fighting to host a Regional. Flip the calendar to June, and this team was right back to how they started-- red hot.

No. 2: Lean on Leadership: Right in the middle of their SEC gauntlet, South Carolina took its first series loss of the year at No. 4 Vanderbilt. How would they respond with a depleted lineup in front of their home fans against No. 3 Florida? Bring the brooms, it was a sweep for the Gamecocks in Columbia! Hear from Coach Kingston, Braylen Wimmer, and Jack Mahoney on why leadership and experience were key.

No. 1: Fresh Faces: Breaking into SEC baseball isn't supposed to be easy, but Ethan Petry had one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory. Pair him with an electric Eli Jerzembeck on the mound, and you have two of the most exciting young stars in college baseball on the same roster. Hear from the duo and hitting coach Monte Lee as they describe how they got here, and their approach to the game of baseball.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 No Rest. Summers off? Not for Ethan Petry. The South Carolina sensation took to the diamond with the Lexington County Blowfish for the summer league team’s final nine games — and promptly crushed one out of the park in his home debut. Read more about Petry’s decision to play in the summer league and how he’s using the experience to add more fuel to his goals with the Gamecocks.

🔼 Add Another. South Carolina women’s hoops will now play East Carolina this season, adding a road game against the Pirates on December 30. East Carolina made its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007 last season while the school claimed its first-ever AAC Tournament championship.

🔼 100 Percent. Former Gamecock superstar Jaycee Horn is all systems go for the start of the NFL season! The Panthers cornerback told reporters that he won’t start the season on the PUP list and is “ready to go” after suffering an ankle injury during the offseason.

🔼 Run Up The Ladder. What does Paul Finebaum think about the current state of South Carolina’s program? The college football analyst is feeling good about the Gamecocks, telling The State that what Coach Beamer has done over the last two years is “very, very impressive…he just shattered the doubters…I think he’s not far from getting enough recruits in there to start to make a run up the ladder.”

And on QB1 coming back for another season, Finebaum is feeling bullish: “I think it’s great because he had such a chaotic season. But nobody remembers that. He put all that to bed late in the year and I’m hoping he’s got some confidence and momentum and I expect a really big year.”

🤔 GAMECOCK TRIVIA

Countdown: 37. The best mark in Gamecock history for average yards per reception in a single game (with a minimum of four catches) is 37 yards per catch. Who owns the record?

Got your guess? 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: Alshon Jeffery

Jeffery hauled in four catches for 148 yards and a score on January 2, 2012.

Have a good Thursday, y’all.