Dec. 19, 2003
Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team has been ranked No. 14 in the Collegiate Baseball 2004 Preseason College Top 40. The Gamecocks open up the 2004 season on Saturday, February 7 at Wofford with the home opener set for Friday, February 13 vs. Charleston Southern.
Collegiate Baseball also announced its Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American Team with senior catcher Landon Powell named to the first team and junior infielder Kevin Melillo named to the third team. Powell batted .339 his junior year with 10 home runs and 61 RBI. He also started all 67 games for the Gamecocks and finished with a .994 fielding percentage behind the plate for the Garnet & Black. Last season Melillo finished with a .317 batting average and 12 home runs and 43 RBI.
In the 2003 season, the Gamecocks reached the College World Series for the second consecutive year, compiled a 45-22 overall record and won its fourth SEC Eastern Division title in the last five seasons. Over the past four years, the South Carolina baseball program is the second winningiest program in Division I baseball with a 207-70 record making four straight appearances in the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Super Regionals.
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll
(As of Dec. 19, 2003)
Rank School (’03 Final Record) Points Final ’03 Rank
1. Rice (58-12) 495 1
Miami, Fla. (45-17-1) 495 5
3. Louisiana St. (45-22-1) 491 7
4. Georgia Tech. (44-18) 489 14
5. Texas (50-20) 486 4
6. Stanford (51-18) 484 2
7. Arizona St. (54-14) 481 10
8. Cal. St. Fullerton (50-16) 477 3
9. Wichita St. (49-27) 475 NR
10. Notre Dame (45-18) 470 28
11. Baylor (45-23) 468 13
12. Long Beach St. (41-20) 464 11
13. Tulane (44-19) 462 NR
14. South Carolina (45-22) 458 6
15. Florida (37-21-1) 457 NR
16. Southern California (28-28) 456 NR
17. Clemson (39-22) 450 NR
18. Auburn (42-21) 449 20
19. Florida Atlantic (47-16) 446 23
20. Nebraska (47-18) 445 15
21. North Carolina (42-23) 443 19
22. Arizona (35-23) 441 NR
23. Washington (42-18) 438 27
24. Florida St. (54-13-1) 437 9
25. Minnesota (40-22) 432 NR
26. UNLV (47-17) 430 26
27. Mississippi (35-27) 424 NR
28. Winthrop (35-22) 416 NR
29. North Carolina St. (45-18) 411 12
30. Mississippi St. (42-20-1) 408 24
31. Ohio St. (44-21) 406 18
32. Texas A&M (45-19) 403 17
33. Oklahoma St. (34-24) 398 NR
34. U.C. Riverside (41-17) 395 30
35. Alabama (28-24) 392 NR
36. Va. Commonwealth (46-13) 390 NR
37. Southern Miss. (47-16) 386 25
38. Tennessee (31-24) 380 NR
39. San Diego (32-30) 378 NR
40. Stetson (41-24) 375 NR
