May 15, 2003
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina baseball team completes the 2003 regular season this weekend with a three-game series at Sarge Frye Field vs. Georgia. With a 35-18 overall record and a 16-11 mark in the SEC, Carolina is looking to clinch sole possession of first place in the SEC Eastern Division. One South Carolina win or one Tennessee loss will clinch the Gamecocks’ fourth SEC Eastern Division title in five years. The champions of the two divisions automatically receive the first two seeds at next week’s SEC Tournament in Birmingham, Ala. Georgia heads into the weekend series with a 29-23 record overall and 10-17 mark in the SEC.
Carolina senior LHP Steven Bondurant (4-3, 3.80 ERA) will make his 13th start of the season on Friday night with Bulldog freshman Michael Hyle (6-0, 3.58 ERA) taking the hill for Georgia. Friday’s first pitch is set for 7 p.m. with the game being televised on CSS. Saturday’s game is set for 4 p.m. with the final game of the series on Sunday scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Junior LHP David Marchbanks (11-2, 2.39 ERA) gets the start for Carolina on Saturday with Sunday’s starter to be announced. Georgia’s starting pitchers on Saturday and Sunday are also to be announced.
The Gamecocks have won six consecutive SEC games played and 15 of the last 20 overall games. After a 1-5 start in conference play, South Carolina is 15-6 in 21 games of its last seven SEC series. Carolina also leads the overall series with Georgia 39-34 including nine of the last 11 contests between the two teams. South Carolina swept Georgia last year in Athens to win Carolina’s second SEC championship. This is the first meeting in Columbia between the two schools since the 2000 season when USC swept Georgia in a three-game series.
South Carolina will pay tribute to nine graduating seniors in a home plate ceremony before the Saturday game with Georgia. The seniors will be playing in their final regular season home series. In case of rain, the ceremony will be shifted to Sunday’s game. Seniors to be recognized include pitcher Rico Bravo, first baseman/designated hitter Demetric Smith, designated hitter/outfielder Matt Riddle, outfielder Tim Seaton, pitcher Chris Hernandez, outfielder Jon Coutlangus, shortstop Justin Harris, pitcher and captain Steven Bondurant and third baseman and captain Brian Buscher.
