Jan. 16, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina head baseball coach Ray Tanner has announced captains for the 2007 season. As voted on by their teammates, captains for the position players are junior outfielder Steven Reinhold and sophomore infielder Reese Havens with junior left-handed pitcher Arik Hempy and junior right-handed pitcher Harris Honeycutt serving as captains for the pitchers. Carolina’s first official team practice is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 19. The Gamecocks open the season on Friday, Feb. 9 vs. Oklahoma at a tournament hosted by UNC Wilmington. Carolina will also face Western Kentucky and the host Seahawks in the opening weekend.

South Carolina returns six position starters back from last year’s team that reached the NCAA Super Regional and also adds a recruiting class ranked No. 1 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball and No. 2 in the nation by Baseball America. Last year’s Super Regional appearance was Carolina’s sixth in the past seven seasons, making the Gamecocks one of only three teams in the nation to achieve that feat since the 2000 season. In that span, Carolina has reached the College World Series three times (2002, 2003, 2004), won two SEC championships (2000, 2002) as well as an SEC Tournament title (2004). Carolina’s seven consecutive years reaching the NCAA Regionals is also the longest current streak among all 12 SEC schools. Over the past seven years, the Gamecocks own a 342-135 record; the fourth highest win total in Division I Baseball as well as an SEC-best 130-79 record in conference match-ups.