By james art 
If you watched a baseball game in South Carolina in 2024, you may have seen a mistake.
Gamecocks is fighting the fields of the earth, making accurate throws, hitting the cut person and everything else you would expect to find somewhere in a video of Tom Emanksi.
Sometimes it was speed, but down the stretch became exhausting. South Carolina made 17 mistakes in eight games after the season, setting the record of the SEC tournament with a dozen in Hoover, just to deal with five more omissions in the Relway Region.
Paul Manners He knows that too.
“Hitting and peeing can be up and down,” Manners said. “The protection should not be up and down. Protection is the only aspect of the game that you need to be able to do quite consistently. “
South Carolina ended last season second until recently in SEC in both errors and field percentage, as a systematic problem with 19 different players who made at least one team error, a total of 64 in 62 games. Focus on a new season with new staff, how many of this is remedial beyond the presence of a new coaching staff?
For starters, the two team leaders in mistakes – Parker Noland and Gavin Casas With 10 in number – they are no longer in the program. Noland and Casas invented the right side of the South Carolina site last season and never found their foundation in defense.
Will type Projects to slide from a short stop to a second base, with the situation on the first base is still up in the air. Superstar and 2024. Right player Ethan Petri You took a lot of repetitions on the first base in the fall, but he also competed with the Clemson Transfer Nolane For the role.
Petri’s place in the squad is not a debate with his offensive skill, only his position. But for almost all other jockey between roles, the protection is a separator.
“I tell our players if you want to play regularly for this coach, better to play good protection,” Maje said. “This is a prerequisite.”
Henry Kachmar is Wild Card. The Ohio State Transfer and 2024. The Second All-Big Ten Shortstop team will be a piece for switching on and playing for Mainieri, sliding Tippett over the middle field and changing a dual-play tandem. Fresherman Kj scobey There is an internal song about the third base work, which means that Gamecocks should occupy the field on the day of opening with four start -ups that either played a different position last spring or were not even in the program.
After 41 of these 64 mistakes last season came from the places of built -in, this transformation at least has a chance to be better. Junior college transfers Kaiden Gaskin and Jase woita Add two more pieces of depth to the playground that have joined the shoes, and the real freshman Beau Hollins is another newcomer.
This is a fresh group, but finding the right combination will be his own challenge.
“I have the feeling that we have a lot of utility guys,” Kachmar said. “We can play many different guys who can play many different places and this is something that will only help us all year long.”
And of course, the elephant in the room is behind the plate.
In addition to being a hit for cleaning and emotional team leader last season, a hunter launches Cole Messina It was exceptional behind the plate. His departure to a professional baseball is undoubtedly the biggest hole that this team will fill and, as always, has a critical impact on overall protection.
Last year’s third founder and ex -hunter Talmadge Lacquer Occupies the position again in the fall, joining a crowded room with Texas A & M Transfer Max CaraferSophomore Ryan baking and an incoming freshman Gavin BralandS Lecroy is designed as a starter with the highest offensive up, but Kaufer offers more SEC catch attempt.
Currently, the position is cloudy in the best case, anxious concern for this team as the season approaches.
“As I am very transparent, this is the only area of the team I am most concerned about,” Manners said. “I don’t even know for sure what we are going to do.”
As at first glance, everything else with these Gamecocks, the questions are lingered. A rolled list provides a legitimate opportunity for improvement, but a little sure things.
Indeed, the only sure thing is that last year’s debate cannot be repeated. Not for this team or for their steels, which, as staff, lean more to a step to connect and get ground balls.
“You can’t focus great unless you have a great defense team behind you, unless you apply two Inning tests,” Manniers said. “I don’t think we have that kind of staff.”
A better defense team is not only a goal. This is a requirement for every tangible step forward.
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