Aug. 1, 2002

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina head baseball coach Ray Tanner has been named the American Baseball Coaches Association’s South Region Coach of the Year following a 57-18 (.724) season in which the Gamecocks reached the championship game of the NCAA College World Series. The award was voted on by the region’s head baseball coaches.

Under the direction of Coach Tanner, South Carolina reached the College World Series for the first time since 1985, advancing to the championship game for the third time in school history (1975, 1977, 2002). The Gamecocks claimed the school’s second SEC Championship (2000, 2002) in three years with a 21-8 record, and the third SEC East title in the past four years (1999, 2000, 2002).

Over the past three seasons, Tanner has won more games than any NCAA Division I coach. In the three-year span, Carolina owns a 162-48 (.771) record with three straight appearances in the NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals. Tanner was the 2000 National Coach of the Year following a 56-10 year at Carolina.

Since coming to Carolina in 1997, Tanner has compiled a 274-113 (.708) record, averaging over 45 wins in six seasons. In 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Coach Tanner owns a record of 669-285-3 (.701).