March 13, 2003
Columbia, S.C. –
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The South Carolina baseball team opens Southeastern Conference play this weekend hosting a three-game series against Arkansas at Sarge Frye Field. Ranked as high as sixth in the national polls, South Carolina enters the SEC season seeking its third SEC championship in four years. South Carolina won the SEC championship in 2000 and 2002 and has won three of the last four SEC East titles (1999, 2000, 2002).
First pitch for Friday night is set for 7 p.m. with senior LHP Steven Bondurant getting the start for the Gamecocks. Arkansas will counter with freshman RHP Charley Boyce. Bondurant enters this weekend with a 1-0 record and a 6.33 ERA. Bondurant earned his first victory of the season last Saturday in Carolina’s 7-1 win vs. Radford working a season-high six innings and allowing just one run on five hits. Boyce is 3-0 on the year with a 1.25 ERA with 14 strikeouts and no walks allowed.
South Carolina pitchers have found success on the mound in the first quarter of the 2003 season with a team ERA of 2.82 ERA as well as 149 strikeouts and 46 walks in 153 innings pitched. Junior LHP David Marchbanks (4-0, 1.87 ERA) or sophomore RHP Aaron Rawl (4-0, 2.67 ERA) will start on Saturday with sophomore LHP Matt Campbell (1-1, 4.50 ERA) or Rawl getting the nod on Sunday. Rawl earned his second save of the season Wednesday evening in USC’s 5-2 win vs. Western Carolina. The sophomore from Lexington, S.C. leads the team with 30 strikeouts and has pitched 27 innings in the 2003 season.
At the plate for Carolina, senior third baseman Brian Buscher has had the steady bat with a .386 batting average. Buscher has hit safely in 16 of 17 games for USC with two HR and 13 RBI. Buscher and junior catcher Landon Powell have started and played in all 17 games for Carolina this year. Powell owns a .317 batting average with seven doubles, a HR and team-high 16 RBI. Sophomore infielder Kevin Melillo has also been strong with the bat with a .380 batting average including seven doubles. Melillo has also walked a team-high 15 times.
The Arkansas Razorbacks head to Columbia this weekend fresh off a 2-1 win on Tuesday vs. No. 17 Kansas. The Hogs are 14-1 this year and ranked 27th in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn is in his first season as head coach at Arkansas and 15th overall. Van Horn came to Arkansas from Nebraska, where he guided the Cornhuskers to two consecutive appearances at the College World Series (2001, 2002). South Carolina defeated Van Horn’s Nebraska team last year 10-8 in Omaha, the only time USC head coach Ray Tanner and Van Horn have met. Along with Boyce, Arkansas will start sophomore LHP Clint Brannon (0-0, 0.90 ERA) on Saturday and senior RHP Jarrett Gardner (2-0, 5.56 ERA).
Live stats and live audio broadcast will be available on USCSports.com for all three games this weekend.
