Feb. 3, 2011

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina catcher Brady Thomas has been granted an additional season of competition by the NCAA and will be able to participate in the 2011 season for the Gamecocks. Thomas played in 47 games last year including 33 starts and finished with a .331 batting average (46-for-139) with eight HR and 30 RBI. He was also named to the College World Series All-Tournament team as well as the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team.

BRADY THOMAS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AT SOUTH CAROLINA

2010 – Named to 2010 CWS All-Tournament Team … Key pinch-hit single in 2-1 win over UCLA in national championship series victory at College World Series (6/29) … 1-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored in 7-1 win over UCLA in national championship series at College World Series (6/28) … 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in 5-1 win over Clemson at College World Series (6/25) … Game-winning RBI single in bottom of the 12th inning in 3-2 win over Oklahoma at the College World Series (6/24) … Named to NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team … 2-for-5 with three runs scored in 9-4 win over The Citadel in NCAA Regional (6/5) … Solo home run in 3-1 loss to Auburn at SEC Tournament (5/27) … 3-for-3 in 5-2 loss to Florida (5/21) … Key two-run homer in 5-0 win at Arkansas (5/15) … 2-for-5 with a double, two runs in 10-2 in over Charleston Southern (5/12) … 3-for-3 with a pinch-hit three-run homer, career-high four runs scored and tied career-high with four RBI in 20-15 win over Alabama (5/2) … Walk off two-run homer in bottom of 11th inning in 9-7 win over Alabama (4/30) … 3-for-4 with a double, homer, RBI and two runs scored in 9-5 win over Ole Miss (4/17) … 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in 8-7 loss to Mississippi State (4/3) … 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, three runs scored and four RBI in 10-2 win over Mississippi State (4/2) … Career-high three hits and career-high four RBI including game-winning three-run double and a homer in 8-5 win at Georgia Southern (3/23) … 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and a RBI in 4-0 win over Tennessee (3/21) … 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in 10-7 win over Brown (3/13) … 2-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored in 7-3 win over Valparaiso (3/10) … Two-run double in 12-4 win over Valparaiso (3/9) … 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in 15-0 win over Presbyterian (3/3) … 2-for-3 with a double in 5-3 win over Duquesne (2/21).

2009 – Pinch-hit RBI double in 8-6 loss to East Carolina at NCAA Regional (5/31) … First home run and first RBI as a Gamecock in 4-1 loss vs. LSU at SEC Tournament (5/22) … 1-for-4 with a run scored in 6-4 win over Charleston Southern (3/4) … Appeared in all three games of Duquesne series … Registered first start and first career hit as a Gamecock in 8-4 win over the Dukes (2/22).

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South Carolina is the defending national champion in college baseball after winning the title at the 2010 College World Series. South Carolina has nine College World Series appearances including four in the last nine years under head coach Ray Tanner. Under Tanner’s leadership South Carolina owns the fourth highest win total in the last 11 years in the nation with a 522-217 record. South Carolina is one of eight schools to appear in the NCAA Regional every season in the last 11 years including eight NCAA Super Regional appearances in that span, one of only six schools to accomplish the feat.

Carolina owns more overall wins than any SEC team in the last 11 years and more conference wins than any SEC team in the last 11 years with a 200-129 conference record. South Carolina is the only SEC school to record 40 or more wins each season from 2000-present and the only SEC school to reach the NCAA Regional every season in the last 11 years. The Gamecocks also have the most NCAA Super Regional appearances of the 12 SEC schools in the last 11 years.

Head coach Ray Tanner is the second winningest coach in Southeastern Conference history with a .692 winning percentage in 14 seasons at the helm of the Garnet & Black.