April 1, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina baseball team returns to the baseball diamond Wednesday night with the Gamecocks third meeting of the season vs. Clemson in a non-conference game at Sarge Frye Field. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on television on CSS. South Carolina enters the contest with a 19-9 record and fresh off a three-game sweep of Vanderbilt over the weekend. Clemson is 19-6 on the year and hosts Western Carolina on Tuesday night before heading to Columbia for Wednesday’s game.

South Carolina will start junior LHP Matt Campbell. Campbell is 1-1 on the year with a 5.52 ERA and 38 strikeouts and 18 walks in 29 1/3 innings pitched. This is Campbell’s second start vs. Clemson this season. Campbell owns a 1-2 record vs. the Tigers. Campbell’s win vs. Clemson came at the 2002 College World Series in which the sophomore left-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing no runs on two hits and striking out eight batters. In this season’s 8-0 loss at Clemson, Campbell started and pitched 3 2/3 innings allowing five hits and six runs while striking out four and walking four batters. The starter for Clemson is to be announced.

This Wednesday night’s game is the last home game for South Carolina as the Gamecocks prepare for a seven-game road swing at LSU for three games, at Clemson next Wednesday and at Florida in two weekends. The Gamecocks are ranked as high as 20th in the national polls by Sports Weekly/ESPN. Collegiate Baseball ranks Carolina 22nd in this week’s polls.