Jan. 5, 2006

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina baseball team has been ranked 14th in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25 for the 2006 season. Carolina is one of seven SEC teams to be ranked by Baseball America along with Florida (No. 2), Tennessee (No. 9), Mississippi State (No. 13), Arkansas (No. 18), LSU (No. 20) and Ole Miss (No. 23). USC opens the 2006 season on Friday, Feb. 10 with a three-game home series vs. Elon at Sarge Frye Field.

The 2006 schedule features 56 games including 30 against teams that advanced to the NCAA Regionals last year. SEBaseball.Com recently ranked Carolina’s schedule the sixth toughest in the nation. South Carolina heads into the season fresh off a sixth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance.

Over the last six years, Carolina owns the third highest win total in NCAA Division I baseball with a 301-110 record. The Gamecocks have made three trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004), reached five NCAA Super Regionals (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004), captured three SEC Eastern Division titles (2000, 2002, 2003), won two SEC regular season championships (2000, 2002) and earned one SEC Tournament title (2004).

USC head coach Ray Tanner is in his 10th season at South Carolina. Since coming to South Carolina in 1997, head baseball coach Ray Tanner has compiled a 413-175 record, winning over 70 percent of baseball games USC has played. Coach Tanner will enter his 19th year of coaching and owns an overall record of 808-348-3 with 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach at NC State and South Carolina. He has averaged over 44 wins a season and is currently the eighth winningest active coach in Division I college baseball.

Baseball America Preseason Top 25

Rnk Team (2005 Record)
1. Texas (56-16)
2. Clemson (43-23)
3. Florida (48-23)
4. Georgia Tech (45-19)
5. Cal State Fullerton (46-18)
6. North Carolina (41-19)
7. Rice (45-19)
8. Oregon State (46-12)
9. Tennessee (46-21)
10. Missouri (40-23)
11. Pepperdine (41-23)
12. Tulane (56-12)
13. Mississippi State (42-22)
14. South Carolina (41-23)
15. Florida State (53-20)
16. Arizona State (42-25)
17. Southern California (41-22)
18. Arkansas (39-22)
19. TCU (41-20)
20. LSU (40-22)
21. Fresno State (30-29)
22. Long Beach State (37-22)
23. Ole Miss (48-20)
24. NC State (41-19)
25. California (34-23)