June 3, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina baseball players, Brian Buscher, David Marchbanks, Steven Bondurant, Justin Harris and Jon Coutlangus were selected on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft.

Buscher, an All-American and All-SEC standout this season at third base, was drafted in the third round of the draft by the San Francisco Giants. Buscher leads the SEC in hitting with a .384 batting average and leads Carolina in HR (12) and RBI (58). Buscher has collected 31 multi-hit games this year for the Gamecocks and owned a 14-game hitting streak as well as a 11-game hitting streak this season.

The SEC Pitcher of the Year and a first team All-American selection by Collegiate Baseball, Marchbanks was selected in the seventh round by the Florida Marlins. Among the nation’s leaders in wins, Marchbanks has a 14-2 record with a 2.36 ERA and leads the SEC in wins (14), innings pitched (126) and earned run average (2.36). The junior from Simpsonville, S.C. owns 92 strikeouts on the year and has allowed just 19 walks. In his three-year career at Carolina, Marchbanks has accumulated a 30-7 record and is currently tied for seventh on the All-Time Gamecock Wins List.

Bondurant, a captain along with Brian Buscher, was selected in the 15th round by the Oakland A’s. Bondurant has pitched 101 2/3 innings this year for Carolina and owns a 6-3 record with a 3.90 ERA. Bondurant has struck out 89 batters with just 29 walks.

Harris was selected in the 16th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The senior from Longwood, Fla. has started 61 of 62 games for Carolina and is batting .352 with 12 doubles, three HR and 32 RBI. Harris had a 17-game hitting streak earlier this season, the longest on the team.

Coutlangus was also selected by the San Francisco Giants and was drafted in the 18th round. Coutlangus has started 60 games this year in center field, is batting .332 on the year and leads the team in stolen bases with 14.

In addition to the five current members of the Carolina baseball program selected in the draft, six Gamecock signees were also selected on the first day. The Los Angeles Dodgers used their first draft pick to select RHP Chad Billingsley (21st overall pick). Other signees drafted were LHP Darin Downs (5th round/Chicago Cubs), C Matt Pagnozzi (8th round/St. Louis Cardinals), RHP Billy Buckner (9th round/Tampa Bay Devil Rays), INF Steven Reinhold (13th round/Cleveland Indians and C Rob Johnson (18th round/Philadelphia Phillies).

The last 30 rounds of the MLB draft will begin tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET.