April 8, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina baseball team continues its seven-game road swing with a Wednesday night game at Clemson. Carolina enters Wednesday’s contest with a 20-12 record and a 5-7 mark in the Southeastern Conference. This will be the fourth meeting of the year for the Gamecocks and Tigers with Clemson holding a 2-1 edge in the series this season. Clemson is 23-7 this season and is ranked as high as 13th in the nation.

Wednesday’s game is the final regular season meeting between the two clubs. The Gamecocks will start senior RHP Chris Hernandez. Hernandez is 2-1 this year with a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts and two walks allowed. This will be Hernandez’s third career start at South Carolina. Last season Hernandez took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in his first career start vs. Furman and was the starter for Carolina in the championship game of the SEC Tournament vs. Alabama. Hernandez owns a 3-2 career record. The starter for Clemson is to be announced.

South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner is 11-11 vs. Clemson as head coach at Carolina and has won the last nine of 15 games vs. the Tigers.

Leading the way for Carolina at the plate is Brian Buscher, who is batting .386 on the year and has at least one hit in 30 of the 32 games played this year. Senior infielder Justin Harris has also had the hot bat as of late with a 10-game hitting streak and a .317 batting average. Harris owns a .385 batting average over the last 10 games for the Gamecocks.

Live stats and live audio will be available at USCSPORTS.COM and the game will be broadcast on the Gamecock Radio Network. The game will also be broadcast on television by Comcast/Charter Southeast.