March 10, 2008

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina baseball continues its homestand on Monday evening with a non-conference tilt vs. Presbyterian with first pitch set for 7 pm. Live video broadcast is available at gamecocksonline.com. This is Carolina’s first meeting against Presbyterian since a 5-4 win on May 6, 1998 in Columbia. Carolina leads the all-time series 38-19, a series that dates back to 1901.

PITCHING MATCH-UP
SC – Craig Thomas, Jr. LHP, 0-0,7.20 ERA
PRESBYTERIAN – Daniel Hill, Jr. RHP, 0-1, 5.62 ERA

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Record: 8-2 (0-0 in the SEC)
7-2 in home games
1-0 in road games
0-0 in neutral games
4-1 vs. top 25 teams

Last Week: 3-1
Wednesday 3/5 – vs. Charlotte, L, 2-11
Friday 3/7 – vs. Duquesne, W, 15-4
Saturday 3/8 – vs. Duquesne, W, 10-2
Sunday 3/9 – vs. Duquesne W, 10-2

NOTEBOOK
South Carolina went 3-1 on the week including a weekend sweep of Duquesne … Carolina owns an 8-2 overall record and will play three non-conference games in the midweek before heading to Nashville, Tenn. for a weekend series with nationally ranked Vanderbilt.

This weekend’s sweep vs. Duquesne featured 35 runs from the Gamecock offense with the team batting .369 on the weekend (38-for-103) … The Carolina pitching staff was solid allowing eight runs, six earned (2.00 ERA) with 35 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched … Three Carolina pitchers (Will Atwood, Parker Bangs, Brandon Todd) combined for 15 K’s in the Saturday 10-2 win over the Dukes … The 15 strikeout total tied for the ninth highest mark by a staff under head coach Ray Tanner in a game … The Gamecocks also showed solid defense over the weekend with just one error made in 112 chances

Carolina has scored 97 runs in 10 games played for an average of 9.7 runs per contest this year … The Gamecocks have scored at least 10 runs in six of the 10 games this season … South Carolina is batting .330 as a team on the year with 16 home runs and 90 RBI … Carolina has hit at least one home run in all 10 games this season … South Carolina has been breaking out of the gates early with a 32-3 run advantage in the first two innings of games this year.

Gamecock junior shortstop Reese Havens continues to lead the team in hitting with a .455 average (20-for-44) after 10 games … He also leads the team in home runs (4), RBI (21) and runs scored (14) … He owns a 10-game hitting streak as well, the only Gamecock player to have hit safely in all 10 games this year. He also leads the team with six multi-hit games and five multi RBI games.

Gamecock senior outfielder Harley Lail leads the team in extra base hits with eight this year (6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR) … Lail hit a three-run homer, his first of the year, in Sunday’s win over Duquesne … He leads the team with six doubles and is batting .350 (14-for-4) with nine RBI.

Gamecock sophomore outfielder DeAngelo Mack had a strong week at the plate with three starts in left field … Mack hit .600 (6-for-10) vs. the Dukes with four runs scored … He also his first career home run in Saturday’s victory over the Dukes.

Carolina sophomore catcher Kyle Enders is also swinging a hot bat after going 5-for-9 (.556) in two starts this weekend vs. Duquesne … Enders had a career-high three hits and three RBI in Sunday’s win … He also homered in Friday’s victory … Enders is batting at a .389 (14-for-36) clip with a pair of homers and 10 RBI on the year.

Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak has hit safely in nine of 10 games this season and is among the team’s leaders with a .368 average (14-for-38) … He has walked 10 times on the year, hit three homers and drove in 11 runs.

Carolina freshman second baseman Scott Wingo continues to lead the team in on-base percentage at .643 after nine games played … Wingo reached base 11 times over the weekend vs. Duquesne with a single, five walks and five hit by pitches … Friday’s win featured Wingo being hit by pitch three times, to tie a school record … On the season, Wingo is batting .300 (6-for-20) with 10 runs scored a team-high 12 walks and nine hit by pitches.

Carolina junior Andrew Crisp returned this weekend to the starting lineup with a pair of starts on Saturday and Sunday at designated hitter … Saturday he tallied two hits … He is batting .333 (5-for-15) on the year.

Freshman outfielder Whit Merrifield went 5-for-8 (.625) over the weekend vs. Duquesne with six runs scored as well as three stolen bases … Merrifield raised his season batting average to .324 (11-for-34) and has 12 runs scored and seven RBI … He also leads the team in sacrifice hits with five this year.

Junior right-hander Mike Cisco is now 3-0 this season after picking up a win vs. Duquesne on Friday … Cisco went seven innings and allowed four runs on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks … He is 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA in a team-high 19.1 innings pitched … He has 14 strikeouts to just two walks on the year.

Sophomore right-hander Blake Cooper earned a second straight win in Sunday’s victory vs. Duquesne … Cooper hurled six scoreless innings with just three hits allowed while striking out six … He is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings pitched, nine strikeouts and just one walk.

Freshman right-hander Parker Bangs earned his first career win on Saturday with three scoreless innings of relief that featured five strikeouts.

The Gamecock Pitching Staff owns a team ERA of 3.72 after 92 innings pitched with opponents only batting .252 against the Gamecocks.

NEXT WEEK
Monday, Mar. 10 – vs. Presbyterian – 7 pm
Tuesday, Mar. 11 – vs. Yale – 7 pm
Wednesday, Mar. 12 – vs. Yale – 7 pm
Friday, Mar. 14 – at Vanderbilt – 6 pm CT
Saturday, Mar. 15 – at Vanderbilt – 2 pm CT
Sunday, Mar. 16 – at Vanderbilt – 1 pm CT