Feb. 27, 2009

Game Notes in PDF Format

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (3-0) and Clemson (4-0) renew one of college baseball’s greatest rivalries with a home and home series this weekend. Both teams will meet up at Clemson with first pitch on Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium set for 2 p.m. The second game of the series will take place on Sunday at Carolina Stadium with the game scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The fourth game of the season is the earliest that South Carolina has played Clemson since the 1952 season. Live audio broadcast is available for Saturday’s game at GamecocksOnline.com with a live video broadcast also available for Sunday’s contest.

Carolina dominated in the four games of the series last year with a sweep of the Tigers. South Carolina earned victories of 10-1, 5-1, 7-1 and 6-0. Carolina has been successful in most recent history with victories in seven of the last eight games played between the two schools as well as a 21-15 edge in games played in the last nine years. Head coach Ray Tanner is 23-20 all-time vs. Clemson.

PITCHING ROTATIONS
Game 1 Pitcher 09 Stats
SC Sam Dyson (RHP, So.) – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 K
CU Trey Delk (RHP, Sr.) – 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 1 BB, 5 K

Game 2 Pitcher 09 Stats
SC Nolan Belcher (LHP, Fr.) – 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4.0 IP, 4 BB, 4 K
CU Chris Dwyer (LHP, Fr.) – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP, 1 BB, 9 K

SERIES HISTORY
Under head coach Ray Tanner: South Carolina leads 23-20

Most Recent History
South Carolina-Clemson Series (The Tanner Years)

Date – Winning Team – Score – Site
4/2/1997 – South Carolina – 11-3 – Clemson
4/9/97 – Clemson – 15-1 – Columbia
4/16/97 – Clemson – 12-9 – Clemson
4/23/97 – South Carolina – 38-16 – Columbia
4/1/98 – Clemson – 6-4 – Columbia
4/14/99 – Clemson – 8-7 – Clemson
4/12/2000 – South Carolina – 6-3 – Columbia
4/19/00 – South Carolina – 9-8 (12 inn.) – Columbia
3/3/01 – South Carolina – 21-8 – Clemson
3/4/01 – Clemson – 7-4 – Columbia
4/18/01 – South Carolina – 9-3 – Columbia
4/25/01 – South Carolina – 2-1 – Clemson
3/2/02 – Clemson – 9-7 – Columbia
3/3/02 – Clemson – 11-10 (10 inn.) – Clemson
4/17/02 – South Carolina – 8-6 – Clemson
4/24/02 – Clemson – 4-1 – Columbia
6/19/02 – South Carolina – 12-4 – Omaha
6/21/02 – South Carolina – 10-2 – Omaha
3/1/03 – Clemson – 8-0 – Clemson
3/2/03 – South Carolina – 6-4 – Columbia
4/2/03 – Clemson – 4-2 – Columbia
4/9/03 – Clemson – 4-2 – Clemson
3/6/04 – South Carolina – 5-2 – Columbia
3/7/04 – South Carolina – 8-7 (10 inn.) – Columbia
4/7/04 – Clemson – 9-4 – Clemson
4/14/04 – Clemson – 13-5 – Columbia
3/12/05 – South Carolina – 6-3 – Columbia
3/13/05 – South Carolina – 6-5 – Columbia
4/13/05 – Clemson – 12-2 – Clemson
4/20/05 – Clemson – 7-5 – Columbia
3/4/06 – South Carolina – 6-3 – Columbia
3/5/06 – Clemson – 6-4 – Clemson
4/5/06 – Clemson – 3-2 – Columbia
4/12/06 – Clemson – 10-5 – Clemson
3/3/07 – South Carolina – 12-0 – Clemson
3/4/07 – South Carolina – 3-2 – Columbia
4/18/07 – South Carolina – 4-2 – Columbia
4/25/07 – Clemson – 14-5 – Clemson
3/1/08 – South Carolina – 10-1 – Columbia
3/2/08 – South Carolina – 5-1 – Clemson
4/9/08 – South Carolina – 7-1 – Columbia
4/16/08 – South Carolina – 6-0 – Clemson

TRADITION HAS A NEW HOME
The University of South Carolina opened its new baseball facility to start the 2009 season last weekend begin with a three-game sweep of Duquesne.

Carolina Stadium is an 8,242 capacity facility. The facility includes coaches’ offices, an indoor hitting/pitching area, a 4,000 square-foot weight room, suite and club seating and a state-of-the-art scoreboard and sound system.

South Carolina’s opening weekend at Carolina Stadium didn’t disappoint with the inaugural opener attendance at the new complex at 8,153. South Carolina’s average attendance for the first weekend was 6,980.

A PAIR OF SHUTOUTS
Carolina recorded two shutouts in the opening series marking the first time since the 2004 season that the Gamecocks have tallied a pair of shutouts in the opening weekend series … In that series, Carolina defeated Charleston Southern 38-0 and 3-0 for two shutouts. The last time South Carolina recorded two shutouts in a series was in February of 2006 with 7-0 and 2-0 victories over Radford.

NEW FACES
14 of the Gamecocks’ 16 newcomers made their debuts this weekend (Nolan Belcher, Jackie Bradley, Jr., Justin Dalles, Nick Ebert, Bobby Haney, Jeffery Jones, Adam Matthews, Grimes Medlin, Matt Price, Jordan Propst, Casey Rihn, Michael Roth, Brady Thomas, Adam Westmoreland).

CAROLINA BY THE NUMBERS
South Carolina’s pitching staff had a strong first weekend allowing just four runs on 10 hits in 27 innings for a 1.33 ERA. 11 Gamecock pitchers had action and struck out 31 Duquesne batters. Carolina’s defense was solid the first weekend with just one error for a .991 fielding percentage. The team hit .313 (30-for-96) on the weekend with a .439 on-base percentage.

DYSON TO GET THE NOD IN THE OPENER
South Carolina sophomore RHP Sam Dyson is scheduled to start game one of the series. The junior right-hander hurled five scoreless innings with six strikeouts in the 13-0 Opening Day win over Duquesne. He owns a career record of 9-0 heading into the weekend.

Dyson is a 2009 Preseason All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball. A third-team choice, Dyson posted an 8-0 record in his freshman season for the Gamecocks including a win in the 2008 NCAA (Raleigh) Regional vs. Charlotte.

Dyson earned Freshman All-America honors last year and moved into the rotation late in the season with two of his top performances coming in May in postseason play. On the first day of the SEC Tournament, Dyson was strong vs. LSU as he limited the hot-hitting Tigers to just two hits in 6.2 scoreless innings of work. Despite a no-decision in the game, Dyson’s performance was one of the top pitching performances of the tournament and moved Dyson into the first game of the NCAA Regional vs. Charlotte. Against the 49ers, Dyson also worked a strong 6.2 innings on his way to a victory in the 15-8 win for Carolina.

Dyson finished last year 8-0 with a 4.09 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched. Opponents batted just .238 against him on the year. He is only the third sophomore under head coach Ray Tanner to ever make an Opening Day start. The other sophomores were David Marchbanks in 2002 and Kip Bouknight in 1999.

Opening Day Starters Under Head Coach Ray Tanner2009        Sam Dyson (So. RHP)2008        Mike Cisco (Jr. RHP)2007        Harris Honeycutt (Jr. RHP)2006        Andrew Cruse (Jr. RHP)2005        Aaron Rawl (Sr. RHP)2004        Aaron Rawl (Jr. RHP)2003        Steven Bondurant (Sr. LHP)2002        David Marchbanks (So. LHP)2001        Kip Bouknight (Sr. RHP)2000        Kip Bouknight (Jr. RHP)1999        Kip Bouknight (So. RHP)1998        Brett Jodie (Jr. RHP)1997        Eddie Hoff (Jr. RHP)

NOLAN MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF AS HE GETS WEEKEND ROTATION STARTING SPOT
South Carolina freshman LHP Nolan Belcher made his debut in game two vs. Duquesne. Belcher worked four innings in his first appearance and allowed just one run in the 8-4 win. Belcher’s start marked the first time under head coach Ray Tanner that a freshman earned a rotation spot in the first weekend series of the year.

The Augusta, Ga. native won three high school state championships and recorded a career record of 47-2 with 516 strikeouts in 282 innings. He was 12-1 with a 0.89 ERA as a senior as well as 10-1 on the mound as a junior. Baseball America rated him the No. 46 best prospect in the state of Georgia for the 2008 MLB Draft.

HANGIN’ WITH MR. COOPER
South Carolina junior RHP Blake Cooper earned a win in his first start with six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts in Monday’s 6-0 win over the Dukes. Cooper has 33 career appearances at Carolina with 27 starts and owns a 13-8 career record.

Last season, Cooper made the 2008 NCAA Regional All-Tournament team after hurling a career-high nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings of a 7-5 win over James Madison. Cooper was a 2007 Freshman All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball after posting a 7-2 record in his first year with the Garnet & Black.

A HEALTHY CRISP
After undergoing back surgery in the summer, senior third baseman Andrew Crisp is back and healthy for his final season in a Gamecock uniform. Crisp tallied three hits in the opening series vs. Duquesne.

One of the more versatile players on the team, Crisp has played in 178 career games and is a career .302 hitter with the Gamecocks. Despite his back problems last year, Crisp played in 51 games with 48 starts and hit .296 (55-for-186) with five doubles, a pair of homers and 25 RBI. Crisp is the most experienced player on the 2009 squad.

QUICK WHIT
Sophomore outfielder Whit Merrifield is another returning starter in the mix for the Gamecocks. Merrifield hit .375 in the Duquesne series and reached base all four times at the plate in the season opener. He also stole two bases in the opening game as well.

Last year, Merrifield was a 2008 SEC All-Freshman team selection and played in 62 of 63 games. Merrifield was among the team’s leading hitters in 2008 as he hit .326 (77-for-236) with nine doubles, a triple and three HR. He was also a 2008 NCAA Regional All-Tournament team pick in Raleigh, N.C. He scored 58 runs and led the team in stolen bases with 11. Merrifield played last summer for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League with teammate DeAngelo Mack.

D-MACK
Junior outfielder DeAngelo Mack got off to a solid start, also batting .375 with a pair of three-run homers and six RBI in the opening weekend vs. Duquesne.

Mack started the season in left field for the Gamecocks. He had a strong end to the 2008 season and made his way into the starting lineup late in the year. Mack blasted seven homers including a pair at the 2008 NCAA Raleigh Regional that put him also on the All-Tournament team. Mack joined Whit Merrifield on the Cape this summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

Mack played in 38 games with 30 starts, hit .283 (30-for-106), tallied five doubles, a triple, seven homers and 21 RBI. He also scored 25 runs and stole a pair of bases.

JUNIOR
Freshman OF Jackie Bradley, Jr. showed promising signs vs. Duquesne on the opening weekend with three hits in Sunday’s 8-4 win including two doubles and a three-run homer.

A native of Prince George, Va., Bradley, Jr. was a 2008 all-state performer in the state of Virginia. Bradley, Jr. looks to maybe sit at top of Ray Tanner’s batting order for the 2009 season.

DALLES
Junior college transfer Justin Dalles earned two starts and played in all three games of the Duquesne series at catcher. Dalles homered on Opening Day and tallied a hit in each game to help the Gamecocks to the series sweep.

Dalles played two years at St. Petersburg JC (Fla.) and has been drafted three previous times in his career.

MR. JONES
Junior college transfer Jeffery Jones started all three games of the Duquesne series at first base and hit safely in all three contests.

Jones played two years at Navarro JC (Texas) before entering the Carolina program.

WINGO GETS THE NOD AT SECOND BASE
Sophomore infielder Scott Wingo is expected to start at second base for Carolina. Wingo played almost every day as a true freshman with 54 game appearances as well as 34 starts. Wingo finished with a solid .438 on-base percentage and set the USC freshman record with 17 hit by pitches. He also fielded a very strong .978 with just five errors.

FAROTTO NOTCHES A SAVE
Senior left-hander Alex Farotto picked up his first save of the year in Sunday’s 8-4 win over Duquesne. Farotto hurled 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and had two strikeouts in the victory. It marked his second career save as well.

WELCOME BACK
Senior right-hander Curtis Johnson returned to the field for his first appearance since suffering an injury in the beginning of the 2008 season. Johnson pitched two innings and earned the win in Sunday’s victory over Duquesne.

THE PALMETTO STATE PRODUCES
A majority of South Carolina’s roster is filled with products of the Palmetto State with 21 players from throughout the state. The midlands, lowcountry and upstate are all highlighted on Carolina’s roster.

South Carolina (21)Austin Ashmore - GreerJesse Barbaro - AwendawBlake Cooper - NeesesJordan Costner - SpartanburgAndrew Crisp - GreerKyle Enders - GreerAlex Farotto - GreerJustin Hopper - LexingtonCurtis Johnson - SumterDeAngelo Mack - W. ColumbiaAdam Matthews - LexingtonBrandon Miller - GreenwoodSteven Neff - LancasterMatt Price - SumterJordan Propst - GaffneyJames Rawls - LeesvilleMichael Roth - GreerBrady Thomas - AndersonCraig Thomas - LexingtonAdam Westmoreland - CayceScott Wingo - Greenville

GAMECOCKS SCHEDULED TO BE ON TELEVISION NINE TIMES DURING REGULAR SEASON
The South Carolina baseball team will have eight home baseball games televised by SportSouth for the 2009 season. SportSouth will showcase games with LSU and Auburn as well as the entire series with both Vanderbilt and Georgia. The Gamecocks will also be featured once on FSN South and SEC-TV on Saturday, April 25 as the SEC Game of the Week at Florida.

Here is the complete TV game schedule. Please note the game time changes in bold.
March 22 – LSU @ South Carolina – 1:30 p.m. ET
April 18 – Auburn @ South Carolina – 4 p.m. ET
April 25 – South Carolina @ Florida – 4 p.m. ET (SEC-TV/FSN South)
May 1 – Vanderbilt @ South Carolina – 7 p.m. ET
May 2 – Vanderbilt @ South Carolina – 7 p.m. ET
May 3 – Vanderbilt @ South Carolina – 1:30 p.m. ET
May 14 – Georgia @ South Carolina – 7 p.m. ET
May 15 – Georgia @ South Carolina – 7 p.m. ET
May 16 – Georgia @ South Carolina – 1 p.m. ET

The regional sports networks serving the Southeast – FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Carolinas and FOX Sports Tennessee – collectively reach more than 12 million cable and satellite television households in seven states in the Southeast. SportSouth reaches more than nine million homes in six Southeastern states.