June 15, 2012

NCAA College World Series Book

Omaha, Neb. – South Carolina (45-17) begins play at the 2012 College World Series on Saturday vs. Florida (47-18). First pitch is set for 9 p.m. ET with the game televised live on ESPN. Mike Patrick, Nomar Garciaparra and Jessica Mendoza will have the call. It is also available on the Gamecock Radio Network from IMG College including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game,” with Andy Demetra and Tommy Moody behind the microphone.

A limited amount of tickets will be available for Gamecock Club members in Omaha to purchase on Saturday morning. Tickets will be on sale from 11 am to 12 noon CT at the Hilton Omaha in the Merchants Room. Individual tickets are $35 apiece with cash only accepted. Silver Spur members and above are limited to four tickets with full scholarship members and below limited to two seats as well. Gamecock Club members must provide his/her own GCC card and payment at the time of pickup.

Hilton Omaha
1001 Cass Street
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 998-3400

Alumni & Gamecock Fan Events at the College World Series in Omaha!

If you are going to the 2012 College World Series to cheer on the Gamecocks, join My Carolina, the Gamecock Club and Carolina alumni and fans in Omaha at The Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grill, where the garnet-and-black faithful will be gathering before every game the team plays.

The Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grill is located at 13th and Cass streets just a half-block from the stadium. (Tent entrance is off of 13th Street.) Our fan headquarters tent, featuring beverages and food available at no cost, will open two hours before game time.

The Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grill
501 North 13th Street
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 346-9116

The first tent event will be on Saturday, June 16 at 6 p.m. CT

PITCHING MATCHUP
South Carolina: Michael Roth (Sr. LHP) 7-1, 2.50 ERA, 115.0 IP, 37 BB, 79 SO
Florida: Brian Johnson (Jr. LHP) 8-4, 3.56 ERA, 86.0 IP, 15 BB, 68 SO

SOUTH CAROLINA & THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
South Carolina (45-17) is making its 11th appearance in the College World Series. Under head coach Ray Tanner, this will be the sixth time in 11 years that Carolina heads to Omaha. No NCAA Division I school has been to Omaha more times in the last 11 years than the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks closed out Rosenblatt Stadium to win the 2010 National Championship and opened up TD Ameritrade Park winning the 2011 National Championship.

The Gamecocks are one of three teams from the SEC in the CWS along with Florida and Arkansas.

NCAA DIVISION I SCHOOLS TO REACH NCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES OVER THE LAST 11 YEARS (2002-12)
1. South Carolina 6 – 2002-03-04-10-11-12
1. Texas 6 – 2002-03-04-05-09-11
3. Cal State Fullerton 5 – 2003-04-06-07-09
3. Florida 5 – 2005-08-10-11-12
3. North Carolina 5 – 2006-07-08-09-11
3. Rice 5 – 2002-03-06-07-08
7. Arizona State 4 – 2005-07-09-10
7. LSU 4 – 2003-04-08-09
7. Miami (Fla.) 4 – 2003-04-06-08
10. Arkansas 3 – 2004-09-12
10. Clemson 3 – 2002-06-10
10. Florida State 3 – 2008-10-12
10. Georgia 3 – 2004-06-08
10. Stanford 3 – 2002-03-08

SOUTH CAROLINA-FLORIDA SERIES
South Carolina leads the all-time series history with Florida 41-32 including two wins last year in the 2011 National Championship Series at the College World Series. Head coach Ray Tanner is 30-25 as head coach of the Gamecocks vs. the Gators.

South Carolina and Florida have met four times this season with the Gamecocks winning one of four games vs. the Gators. Carolina defeated Florida 9-3 on Mar. 22, 2012 at Carolina Stadium with Florida winning 8-2 on Mar. 23 and the Gators clinching the series with a 5-4 win in the rubber game on Mar. 24. Both teams also played in the SEC Tournament with Florida coming out on top 7-2 on May 25.

THE FAB FIVE
South Carolina have five current players selected in the 2012 MLB Draft. Junior first baseman Christian Walker was a fourth round selection by the Baltimore Orioles, junior right-hander Matt Price a seventh round selection also picked by the Orioles with Evan Marzilli going in the eighth round to the Arizona Diamondbacks, senior left-hander Michael Roth a ninth round choice by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and senior outfielder Adam Matthews a 29th round pick by the Cincinnati Reds.

FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA
Gamecock catcher Grayson Greiner and left-hander Jordan Montgomery were named to the Freshman All-America team announced by Collegiate Baseball. Greiner, a SEC All-Freshman selection, has played in 55 games with 48 starts and owns a .236 batting average (41-for-174) with six homers and 31 RBI and has been stellar behind the plate throwing out 17 runners attempting to steal throughout the year. Montgomery owns a 5-1 record with a 4.05 ERA with 51 strikeouts and just nine walks in 66.2 innings pitched.

ROTH NAMED 2011-12 SEC H. BOYD MCWHORTER MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
University of South Carolina baseball player Michael Roth has been named the 2011-12 SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athletes of the Year, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced last Friday. The award was formally presented to Roth at the annual Awards Banquet at the league’s spring meeting in Destin, Fla., on May 31.

Roth was chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities and will receive a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by AT&T, an SEC Corporate Champion sponsor, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Roth, a native of Greer, S.C., will earn a B.S. degree in International Business and Marketing in May. He was a first-team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American and a recipient of the NCAA Elite 88 Award, having the highest grade point average of all student-athletes participating in the College World Series last season. A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, he is also a member of Carolina’s Dean’s List and President’s List.

Roth was a consensus first-team All-America in 2011 and finished the season with a 14-3 overall record and 1.06 earned run average as a starting pitcher for the Gamecocks. He was a first-team All-SEC choice and member of the College World Series All-Tournament Team. A four-year letter winner, he was a team captain of the 2011 NCAA Champions. He was the winning pitcher in the 2010 and 2011 national championship-clinching games. He was named the 2011 National Player of the Year by CollegeBaseballInsider.com and a semifinalist for USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award.

In the community, Roth has visited children at various elementary schools and hospitals and took part in the “Light the Night” Walk, helping to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He is also a member of Carolina’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has also used his academic interests in the business community. He created and executed a marketing plan to maximize textbook buybacks for Better World Books and consulted with Avwatch, a system integration company, helping it create an international market entry strategy, leading it into new markets in Canada, Chile and the United States.The son of David and Deborah Roth intends to pursue a master’s degree in international business and learn new languages. He studied in Alicante, Spain in 2011.

ROTH A FINALIST FOR THE LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
University of South Carolina senior left-handed pitcher Michael Roth is one of 10 finalists selected as a finalist for the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for baseball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in February. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to determine the winner.

Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award® winner during the 2012 NCAA College World Series®, which will be held June 15-26 in Omaha.

For more information on all the finalists, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

SEVEN GAMECOCKS HONORED BY SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
South Carolina senior pitcher Michael Roth was named SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and junior first baseman Christian Walker earned first-team All-SEC honors, as the league announced its annual baseball honors on May 28.

A total of seven Gamecocks received recognition. Junior relief pitcher Matt Price was a second team All-SEC selection, while outfielder Tanner English, shortstop Joey Pankake and catcher Grayson Greiner made the All-Freshman Team. Roth and junior outfielder Evan Marzilli also garnered All-Defensive Team accolades.

Roth adds to his already lengthy list of honors for his efforts on the field and in the classroom, as he is also the 2012 SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award and is on the Golden Spikes Award watch list.

This marks the third-consecutive season Walker has earned All-SEC accolades, as he was named to the second team and earned All-Defensive honors last season and was an All-Freshman Team selection in 2010. Price becomes a three-time All-SEC honoree as he was a first-team selection last season and garnered second-team honors in 2010. English, Pankake and Greiner have all turned in stellar freshman campaigns for the Gamecocks.

SOUTH CAROLINA BASEBALL
South Carolina has won more games than any SEC team in the league the last 13 years. The Gamecocks own a 240-148 record in that span (.619), from 2000-present.

WIN TOTALS OF SEC TEAMS IN CONFERENCE GAMES (2000-12)
1. South Carolina 240-148
2. Florida 227-161-2
3. LSU 221-164-3
4. Ole Miss 207-182
5. Alabama 199-191
6. Arkansas 191-192
7. Georgia 189-195-1
8. Vanderbilt 183-200
9. Auburn 177-213
10. Mississippi State 172-208
11. Tennessee 159-225
12. Kentucky 148-237-2
note*** only conference games (As of May 20, 2012)

ROTH LEADS THE WAY ON THE FIELD
Senior left-hander Michael Roth is 7-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 17 starts with 115.0 innings pitched. He has 79 striketouts to 37 walks and opponents are batting just .215 against him. Roth hurled 7.2 scoreless innings to earn a win in the 5-0 victory vs. Oklahoma in the NCAA Super Regional, his final start at Carolina Stadium. He would receive a curtain call in front of the Gamecock faithful as well.

In SEC games, Roth went 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA. He hurled 65.2 innings in 10 league starts.

Roth’s victory vs. Vanderbilt was his 20th career win, making him the 20th player in school history to tally 20 or more career victories.

Roth has a career record of 24-6 at South Carolina. He has 91 career appearances as a Gamecock, second only to current teammate Matt Price. He also has hurled 332.1 innings in his career, ninth highest in school history.

Top 9 Career Innings Pitched List at South Carolina
482.0 Kip Bouknight (1998-2001)
377.0 Blake Cooper (2007-10)
370.0 Aaron Rawl (2002-05)
361.1 Jason Haynie (1993-96)
350.2 Matt Threehouse (1989-93)
345.0 Rich Pratt (1990-93)
340.1 Dennis Lubert (1979-82)
340.1 Greg Ward (1972-75)
332.1 Michael Roth (2009-present)

THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Junior right-hander Matt Price is 4-4 on the year with a 3.47 ERA in 24 games with 11 saves. Nine of his 11 saves have come against SEC teams this year. Opponents are batting just .197 against him, second best mark in the league. Price picked up a save with three scoreless innings of relief in the 5-1 win over Oklahoma in the NCAA Super Regional.

Price is the all-time saves leader at South Carolina with 41 as well as appearances with 98 for the Garnet & Black. Price is tied for the SEC record of 41 with Joshua Fields of Georgia (2005-08).

Top 10 Career Saves List in NCAA Division I History
53 Blair Erickson, UC Irvine (2004-07)
49 Jack Krawczyk, Southern California (1995-98)
48 Tom Hickox, Stetson (1988-91)
46 Gabe Gonzalez, Long Beach State (1992-95)
44 Marc Bluma, Wichita State (1996-99)
43 Casey Lambert, Virginia (2004-07)
43 Daniel Latham, Tulane (2004-07)
41 Matt Price, South Carolina (2009-present)
41 Joshua Fields, Georgia (2005-08)
41 Huston Street, Texas (2002-04)
41 Thad Chrismon, North Carolina (1992-95)

CLOSE GAMES
South Carolina is 14-12 in one-run games this year. South Carolina is also 27-14 in games decided by three runs or less, 66 percent of games played this year.

AT THE PLATE, ON THE FIELD & ON THE MOUND
South Carolina is among the nation’s leaders with a .979 fielding percentage. The Gamecocks lead the SEC on the mound in opposing batting average at .222. The Gamecocks 3.06 ERA is among the best in the league. South Carolina is hitting .271 as a team with a .358 on-base percentage.

WALKER PROVIDES A PUNCH
Junior first baseman Christian Walker continues to be productive for the Gamecocks. He leads the Gamecocks in hitting with a .315 average (69-for-219) 44 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples, 11 homers and 54 RBI. Walker has a .440 on-base percentage and a .534 slugging percentage.

In SEC games, Walker was also among the best as he ranked first in walks (28), second in runs scored (28), second in on-base percentage (.463), tied for second in home runs (7), tied for second in runs batted in (25), third in slugging percentage (.578) and sixth in total bases (59). Walker is up to 240 career hits for the Garnet & Black, five hits shy of Hank Small (1972-75) for 10th on the All-Time hits list at South Carolina.

Walker was the top hitter for the Gamecocks in the Vanderbilt series as he hit .500 (6-for-12) with a .625 on-base percentage and a phenomenal 1.250 slugging percentage. Walker belted three homers in the series and drove in five runs with five runs scored as well. Walker tallied his first two-homer game of his career at South Carolina with three RBI and three runs scored in the 8-3 win on Friday vs. the Commodores. In Sunday’s 6-4 win, he reached base five times including a game-winning two-run homer in the top of the 13th in the victory.

Walker became the 25th player in South Carolina history to reach the 200 career hit total with his homer in the 8-3 win over Vanderbilt.

Top 10 Career Hits List at South Carolina
303 Mac White (1991-94)
299 Michael Campbell (2003-06)
285 Drew Meyer (2000-02)
265 Landon Powell (2001-04)
265 Derick Urquhart (1995-98)
263 Whit Merrifield (2008-10)
262 Andrew Crisp (2005-09)
250 Mike Curry (1996-98)
246 Justin Smoak (2006-08)
245 Hank Small (1972-75)
—————————————
240 Christian Walker (2010-present)

ONE MORE NOTE ON WALKER
Walker is also 10th on the All-Time singles list at South Carolina with 161 in his three-year career.

Top 10 Career Singles List at South Carolina
209 Drew Meyer (2000-02)
201 Michael Campbell (2003-06)
198 Mac White (1991-94)
194 Whit Merrifield (2008-10)
191 Andrew Crisp (2005-09)
176 Derick Urquhart (1995-98)
172 Greg Jonson (1977-80)
165 Dave Willman (1989-92)
162 Mike Curry (1996-98)
161 Christian Walker (2010-present)

MATTHEWS FINDS HIS WAY HOME
Senior outfielder Adam Matthews was named 2012 Columbia Regional MVP after hitting .385 with a homer, four runs scored and six RBI. Matthews had three RBI in the 7-0 win over Manhattan, hit a two-run homer in the 5-4 win over Clemson and tallied a RBI single in the 4-3 victory over the Tigers.

Matthews collected three hits in the 5-3 win vs. Auburn at the SEC Tournament that tied a season-high. Matthews also went 3-for-4 with a RBI double in the 5-4 win over LSU with two stolen bases a few weeks ago.

He was stellar in the outfield in the Arkansas series with two key assists in Sunday’s 10-7 victory over the Razorbacks. Matthews threw out a runner attempting to score on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning and threw out a runner trying to score off a base hit from second base in the seventh inning. He also drove in the first run of the game for the Gamecocks with a two-out RBI single on Sunday in the seventh inning in the Gamecock victory. Matthews has four assists from the outfield this year.

Matthews hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to help lift South Carolina to a 1-0 win over the Crimson Tide. Matthews followed that up with a solo home run in the 12-11 win. Three of Matthews’ home runs came in SEC play. Matthews hit .271 in league games (26-for-96).

HOLMES WITH THE ANSWER
Junior right-hander Colby Holmes limited Oklahoma to one hit in five innings of work in the 5-1 win over the Sooners. In his start before that, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of the 7-0 win over Manhattan. He struck out a career-high nine batters and yielded just one hit in the outing to earn the victory. He was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team.

Holmes is 7-1 on the year with a 2.80 ERA in 74.0 innings pitched with 61 strikeouts to just 15 walks.

CHASE HIM ON BASE
Junior second baseman Chase Vergason is the team’s leading hitter in the postseason with a .417 average (5-for-12) with a run scored and five RBI. Vergason had a key two-out two-run double in the eighth inning of the 5-1 win over the Sooners in the NCAA Super Regional.

He made the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team after recording a .538 on-base percentage with four walks and three hits. He also drove in a pair of runs.

Vergason has been strong as of late as he went 4-for-9 (.444) in the SEC Tournament at the plate. He also hit .500 (5-for-10) in the Arkansas series with a .545 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage with a homer, two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI.

Vergason hit .245 in SEC games (13-for-53) with a .406 on-base percentage in the league as well. For the season he is batting .262 (28-for-107) with a .410 overall on-base percentage.

PANKAKE SHOWCASE
Freshman shortstop Joey Pankake was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team and has moved his batting average to .286 (60-for-210) with 41 runs scored, a team-high 15 doubles, three triples, two homers and 25 RBI. He has a .382 on-base percentage.

Pankake had a two-run single in the 12-5 win over Auburn. He also scored two runs in the 11-7 win on Sunday. Pankake gave the Gamecocks some insurance in the 6-4 win over Mississippi State with a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pankake, who moved to the leadoff role that weekend, had five hits and hit .357 vs. the Bulldogs.

He had a 5-for-6 game with a pair of RBI in the 8-5 win over Furman. The last Gamecock player with five hits in a game was Christian Walker on April 5, 2011 vs. USC Upstate. He tallied his first career homer and RBI in the 2-1 win vs. Presbyterian, a home run coincidentally on National Pankake Day. In the Elon series, he was 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored in the 8-1 win in the opener. He had two walks in game two and a hit and a run scored in the Sunday series finale.

MARZILLI PUTS ON A SHOW
Junior outfielder Evan Marzilli continues to show why he is one of the best defensive outfielders in the country with several key catches and diving grabs all over the field throughout the season. He has four assists on the year from the outfield and was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.

Marzilli tallied three hits and a run scored in the 5-4 win over Clemson in the NCAA Regional.

He is hitting .288 (70-for-243) and is the team leader in runs scored with 50 on the year He has a .369 on-base percentage as well.

Marzilli is tied for the school’s single-season record of eight sacrifice flies. Marzilli is tied with Jim Curl (1981) and Jim Pankovits (1974)

Marzilli had two sacrifice flies for the weekend series vs. the Crimson Tide as well as a sacrifice fly vs. Davidson and now leads the team with seven for the season, one short of the school single-season record of eight. Marzilli also leads the Gamecocks with eight stolen bases. He stole a base and scored two runs in the 9-1 win on Saturday vs. Alabama.

Marzilli reached base in the first 31 games of the 2012 season but saw his streak snap in the 6-1 victory vs. the Volunteers.

Marzilli had four hits including a three-run homer in the 8-5 win over Furman and was 3-for-4 win the 9-3 win over Florida. Marzilli had a game-winning three-run double as well as a career-high four RBI in the 6-4 win over Appalachian State. He also tied a school record with three doubles in the 2-1 win over Princeton. It is the 25th time in school history that a player has tallied three doubles in one game.

Marzilli’s defense was essential for the Gamecocks in the 3-2 win over Clemson in 11 innings. Marzilli had his first assist of the year with a throw to home plate to nab a Tiger runner trying to score and his diving catch with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning sealed the Gamecock victory.

Marzilli was effective in the first weekend vs. VMI as he hit .500 (6-for-12) with a .538 on-base percentage. Marzilli had a 3-for-4 day at the plate on Opening Day. He scored the game-winning run in the opener and also was key in the 13-1 victory as he went 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and two RBI.

Tyler Webb MAKES HIS MARK
Junior left-hander Tyler Webb is eighth all-time for appearances in a single season at South Carolina with 35 on the year. Webb is 6-1 with a 1.91 ERA and has 50 strikeouts to just 14 walks in 47.0 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .223 against him.

Top 10 Single-Season Appearances List at South Carolina
50 John Taylor (2011)
37 Michael Roth (2010)
37 Chad Blackwell (2004)
37 Blake Taylor (2002)
36 Matt Price (2011)
36 Lee Gronkiewicz (2001)
36 Craig Ross (1994)
35 Tyler Webb (2012)
33 Jose Mata (2010)
32 Scott Barber (2000)

LB LIGHTS IT UP – #FearTheFish
Junior third baseman LB Dantzler is hitting .389 (7-for-18) in the postseason with four runs scored and a pair of RBI.

Dantzler made the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team after hitting .400 (4-for-10) including a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning of the 5-4 win over Clemson.

Dantzler is hitting .264 (63-for-239) with 13 doubles, nine homers and 45 RBI. In SEC games, Dantzler had six homers and 24 RBI.

Dantzler hit a solo home run in the 3-0 win over Georgia and had a two-run double in the ninth inning of the 6-5 loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Dantzler had a clutch bat in the Auburn series as he went 5-for-13 (.385) with five runs scored, two homers and four RBI. His slugging percentage was .923. Dantzler belted a two-run homer in the 5-3 win on Saturday. He added three hits, three runs scored a RBI double and a homer in the 11-7 win over the Tigers on Sunday.

Dantzler tallied a walk-off RBI single in the 2-1 win on Saturday night vs. Tennessee. He hit his fifth homer of the year and finished with three RBI in the 6-4 win over Vanderbilt. He was 2-for-4 with a season-high three runs scored in the 6-4 win vs. Appalachian State.

Dantzler was solid in his debut vs. VMI as he tallied a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning as South Carolina defeated VMI 2-1 in the opener. Dantzler followed that up with a three-run homer, a double and four RBI in the 13-1 win over VMI that helped Carolina sweep the Keydets. Dantzler finished the weekend 4-for-11 (.364) at the plate with five RBI and a .727 slugging percentage.

LB stands for Little Brad and #FeartheFish is one of the team’s catchphrases this year after Dantzler took his pet fish Reptar with him on the road to the Auburn series, a series in which the Gamecocks swept the Tigers.

ENGLISH HAS A KNACK
Freshman outfielder Tanner English leads the Gamecocks with 22 multi-hit games and is second on the team in batting average with a .306 mark (68-for-222). He also has nine stolen bases. and a team-high four triples as well.

English led the Gamecocks in hitting in the MSU series with a .455 average (5-for-11). English scored four runs over the weekend with a triple and also a RBI.

He tallied two hits in the 9-3 win over Florida. He was 2-for-5 with a run scored in the 8-5 win over Furman He had a season-high three hits and a run scored in the 5-2 win over Charleston Southern. English went 2-for-4 with two runs in the 8-1 win over UNC Asheville. He scored a run in all three games of the Elon series and hit safely in all three games as well. English drove in three runs for the weekend with a key two-run triple to left-center in 6-0 win over Elon in the second inning.