Sept. 26, 2005

Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball recruiting class has been ranked No. 1 in the 2005 Collegiate Baseball rankings released on Monday afternoon. This marks the second time in three years that the Gamecocks have been ranked first in the nation.

“Being ranked the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation is a tremendous compliment to our new players and it speaks volumes about the efforts of associate head coach Jim Toman along with pitching coach Mark Calvi and hitting coach Monte Lee,” said South Carolina head baseball coach Ray Tanner. “We are excited about our new class as we strive to be among the nation’s best.”

This year’s newcomers features
– 23 total players including 13 HS and 10 JC signees
– The list includes nine pitchers, six infielders, five outfielders and three catchers
– Nine signees that have been drafted professionally
– 13 South Carolina recruits
– 10 High School All-State and six JC All-State players
– Two High School All-Americans
– One Junior College All-American

“This could we very well be our top class since we have been at South Carolina,” said USC associate head baseball coach Jim Toman. “We hope that this class can help get us back to the College World Series for the fourth time in five years.”

Name            Pos.    B-T Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School
Travis Adair     INF L-R 5-9 150 Fr. Spartanburg, S.C./Broome HS-   2005 South Carolina AA All-State Team
Will Atwood      LHP L-L 6-1 170 Fr. Piedmont, S.C./Greenville HS-   2005 South Carolina AAA Player of the Year-   2004 & 2005 South Carolina AAA All-State Team-   Member of 2005 SC/NC Select All-Star Team
Jonathan Bertschinger    OF  L-R 6-4 215 Jr. Ft. Worth, Texas/Navarro JC (Tex.)-   2004 MLB Draft Selection (34th Round/New York Yankees)
Kyle Brown       RHP R-R 6-3 195 Fr. Lexington, S.C./Lexington HS-   2005 South Carolina AAAA All-State Team
Mike Cisco      RHP R-R 5-10    175 Fr. Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando HS-   2005 South Carolina AAAA All-State Team-   Member of 2005 SC/NC Select All-Star Team-
Adam Crisp       OF  R-R         So. Greer, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist JC (S.C.)-   2004 MLB Draft Selection (38th Round/Baltimore Orioles)-   2005 NJCAA All-American-   2005 NJCAA Region 10 Player of the Year/NJCAA All-Region X Team
James Darnell       INF R-R 6-2 190 Fr. Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley HS-   2005 All-Conference honors
Kyle Enders      C   R-R 5-10    175 Fr. Greer, S.C./Riverside HS-   2004 & 2005 South Carolina AAA All-State Team-   Member of 2005 SC/NC Select All-Star Team
Alex Farotto     LHP R-L 5-11    175 Fr. Greer, S.C./Riverside HS-   2005 South Carolina AAA All-State Team
Robbie Grinestaff    3B  L-R 6-0 215 Jr. Jeffersonville, Ind./Okaloosa-Walton CC (Fla.)-   2004 MLB Draft Selection (37th Round/Chicago White Sox)-   2005 FCCAA All-State & NJCAA All-Region VIII Team-   2005 FCCAA Panhandle All-Conference Team-   Finished 10th in hitting in the FCCAA with a .389 batting average (63-for-162)-   Finished 2005 with 15 doubles, eight HR and 45 RBI
Reese Havens     INF L-R 6-2 185 Fr. Sullivan's Island, S.C./Bishop England-   2005 MLB Draft Selection (29th Round/Colorado Rockies)-   2005 HS All-American (Baseball America, American Baseball Coaches Association)-   One of 36 players in the nation to play in 2005 HS All-American Baseball Game-   2005 South Carolina AA Player of the Year-   2004 & 2005 South Carolina AA All-State Team-   Member of 2005 SC/NC Select All-Star Team-   Batted .530 with five HR and 48 RBI as a senior in 2005-   Member of 2005 South Carolina AA State Champions at Bishop England HS
Cheyne Hurst     OF  L-L 5-9 175 Jr. Ormond Beach, Fla./St. Petersburg JC (Fla.)-   2005 NJCAA Gulf District All-District Team-   2005 FCCAA All-State & NJCAA All-Region VIII Team-   2005 FCCAA Suncoast All-Conference Team-   Led the FCCAA in 2005 in runs scored with 71 on the season-   Finished fifth in hitting in the FCCAA with a .413 batting average (88-for-213)-   Also contributed with 11 doubles, three triples, four HR and 39 RBI-   Tied for 13th in the FCCAA with 18 stolen bases
Trent Kline      UTIL    S-R 5-10    170 So. York, Pa./St. Petersburg JC (Fla.)-   2003 MLB Draft Selection (39th Round/Montreal Expos)-   2005 FCCAA Suncoast All-Conference Team-   2005 FCCAA State Baseball All-Tournament Team-   Batted .320 (58-for-181) with nine doubles, two HR and 34 RBI
Harley Lail      INF/OF  R-R 5-9 175 Jr. Lancaster, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist JC-   Earned JC All-State honors in South Carolina
DeAngelo Mack        OF  L-L 5-10    175 Fr. W. Columbia, S.C./Airport HS-   2004 South Carolina AAAA All-State & 2005 South Carolina AAA All-State Team-   Member of 2005 SC/NC Select All-Star Team
Chris Munn       RHP R-R 6-4 195 Jr. Spartanburg, S.C./Manatee CC (Fla.)-   2002 MLB Draft Selection (28th Round/New York Mets)
Jud Norton       RHP R-R 6-2 175 Jr. Sarasota, Fla./Manatee CC (Fla.)-   2004 MLB Draft Selection (25th Round/Atlanta Braves)-   Finished third in saves in the FCCAA with eight on the year-   Was 4-4 with a 4.98 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings pitched

Jonathan Ratledge    OF/LHP R-L  6-0 195 Fr. Charlotte, N.C./South Meck HS
Justin Smoak     1B  B-L 6-3 195 Fr. Goose Creek, S.C./Stratford HS-   2005 MLB Draft Selection (16th round/Oakland A's)-   2005 HS All-American (Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, American Baseball Coaches Association)-   One of 36 players in the nation to play in 2005 HS All-American Baseball Game-   2004 & 2005 South Carolina AAAA Player of the Year-   2004 & 2005 South Carolina AAAA All-State Team-   Batted .558 with 18 HR and 49 RBI as a senior in 2005-   Member of 2005 South Carolina AAAA State Champions at Stratford HS
Dozier Taylor        RHP R-R 6-6 215 Jr. Houston, Texas/Panola JC (Tex.)
Brandon Todd     RHP R-R 6-1 205 Jr. Ocala, Fla./Central Florida CC (Fla.)-   2004 MLB Draft Selection (38th Round/Houston Astros)-   2005 FCCAA All-State & NJCAA Region VIII Team-   2005 FCCAA Mid-Florida All-Conference Team-   Logged 90 innings pitched and was 8-3 with a 2.70 ERA-   Sixth in strikeouts in the FCCAA with 87 punchouts as well as fifth in wins
Chase Tucker     LHP L-L 6-0 200 Jr. Carthage, Texas/Panola JC (Tex.)-   Named to Baseball America 2004 Valley Baseball League Top Prospect List
Jacob Wallace        C   L-R 5-11    185 Fr. Moore, S.C./Dorman HS-   2004 & 2005 South Carolina AAA All-State Team-   Member of 2005 SC/NC Select All-Star Team