March 16, 2009
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (11-4) returns to action on the baseball diamond on Tuesday night hosting Davidson(8-6) at Carolina Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. Live video broadcast and Gametracker stats is available at GamecocksOnline.com. The game will also be available on radio and broadcast on WISW 1320 AM in Columbia. South Carolina also will face Furman in midweek action on Wednesday night in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field. That game is also scheduled for 7 p.m.
PITCHING ROTATIONS
Tuesday
SC – Parker Bangs (RHP, So.) – 0-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 2 BB, 7 K
DAV – Chris Kennedy (LHP, Jr.) – 1-1, 5.73 ERA, 11.0 IP, 9 BB, 8 K
Wednesday
SC – Blake Cooper (RHP, Jr.) – 1-2, 8.31 ERA, 13.0 IP, 4 BB, 16 K
FUR – TBA
QUICK RECAP
South Carolina went 3-3 on the week with midweek victories vs. Presbyterian and Old Dominion, a loss to Wofford and a victory in one of three games at Mississippi State to open up SEC play … South Carolina is 11-4 on the year … The Gamecocks will be back in action beginning Tuesday hosting Davidson at 7 p.m., will head to Greenville, S.C. to face Furman at Fluor Field on Wednesday night, also a 7 p.m. start and will conclude the week with a three-game SEC series at home vs. LSU … Sunday’s game will be televised on SportSouth.
EBERT SHOWS STRENGTH
Junior first baseman Nick Ebert continues to swing the hot bat for Carolina … Ebert is the team’s leading hitter with a .471 batting average (16-for-34) with six HR and 15 RBI … Ebert has hit safely in seven straight games and had a streak of four straight games with a home run (vs. Long Beach State, Presbyterian, Old Dominion and Wofford) this past week … Ebert went 4-for-5 in Sunday’s 5-4 win over Mississippi State, he is the first Gamecock player this year to record four or more hits in a game (3/15) … He also was 1-for-2 with four RBI in the 6-5 win over Presbyterian (3/9) … He finished the week in six games batting 10-for-18 (.556) with three HR and nine RBI.
ENDERS WORKS HIS WAY INTO THE MIX
Junior catcher Kyle Enders saw his most action of the season this weekend as he appeared in all three games vs. Mississippi State including a start at designated hitter in second game and a start at catcher in the series finale … In the 5-4 win over Mississippi State, Enders went 2-for-3 with a double, HR as well as two RBI in the victory.
DALLES COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH
Not to be outdone at catcher is junior Justin Dalles … Dalles is among the team’s leaders in hitting at .390 (16-for-41) with four HR and 12 RBI … Dalles had Carolina’s game-winning RBI single in the 5-4 win over Mississippi State.
THE STOPPER – Alex Farotto
Senior left-handed pitcher Alex Farotto has been clutch out of the bullpen for the Gamecocks … Farotto improved to 2-0 on the year with a win in relief in Sunday’s 5-4 victory over Mississippi state .,. Farotto went 3.1 innings and allowed just one run on three hits in the win … He struck out six and walked four as well … The six strikeouts is a season-high … Farotto has factored in all five games he has appeared as he owns three saves along with his 2-0 record … He owns a ERA of 0.77 and has struck out 17 batters in 11.2 innings.
THE HOME RUN
The South Carolina offense has now homered in 14 of 15 games this season … The Gamecocks had a home run in 13 straight games before going without one in the second game of the series vs. Mississippi State … Carolina still has 28 homers on the year, five more at this point than last year’s total … Through 15 games last season (2008), the Gamecocks had 23 homers.
A LOOK CLOSER
South Carolina is 8-0 when tallying 10 or more hits in a game … South Carolina’s 14-hit total in Sunday’s 5-4 win over Mississippi State was the second highest total of hits in a game this year for the Gamecocks … As a team, South Carolina is batting .302 (152-for-503) … Carolina is also 10-0 on the year when the team out-hits its opponent … The team has scored 108 runs.
South Carolina is 2-0 in one-run games and 4-0 in two-run games year … Carolina’s record is 6-1 this season in games decided by three runs or less.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Gamecock pitching staff owns a team ERA of 5.08 after 15 games this season … The staff has 139 strikeouts in 131.0 innings pitched … Opponents are batting just .241 against the Gamecocks.
South Carolina is also fielding .972 (393 putouts, 154 assists, 16 errors).
CRISP CLOSES IN ON MILESTONE
Senior infielder Andrew Crisp is closing in on a milestone as his seven hits in six games this week put his career total at 198 hits, just two shy of 200 … The Gamecocks have 21 players in school history that have tallied 200 or more hits … Crisp hit .304 (7-for-23) on the week with a pair of homers and five RBI … Crisp is hitting .310 for the season (18-for-58).
WESTMORELAND IN THE SLOT
Freshman left-hander Adam Westmoreland picked up his second win of the year in a predetermined split in last Tuesday’s 13-3 win over Old Dominion … Westmoreland also started and had a no-decision vs. Mississippi State in the 5-4 victory … He is 2-0 this year with a 3.38 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched … Opponents are hitting just .161 against him.
ROTH PICKS UP FIRST CAREER WIN
Freshman left-hander Michael Roth earned his first career win at the collegiate level in the 6-5 victory over Presbyterian … Roth, who is also a position player, pitched three scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win … He allowed just one walk.
MEDLIN COMES THROUGH WITH A SAVE
Junior left-hander Grimes Medlin picked up his first career save with the final out recorded in the 5-4 win over Mississippi State.
