Dec. 22, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team has been ranked No. 8 in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll. Senior third baseman Steve Pearce and senior right-handed pitcher Aaron Rawl also were named to the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American team with Pearce earning second team honors and Rawl named to the third team.
Rawl finished his junior season as the team’s leading pitcher with a 13-4 record including 98 strikeouts and just 17 walks allowed in 122 innings pitched with a 4.28 ERA. Rawl was a third team All-American selection by the NCBWA last year. The senior from Lexington, S.C. earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors last season as well after hurling his first career complete game shutout in a 2-0 win over Tennessee on May 15. In his first three seasons as a member of the Carolina baseball team, Rawl has compiled 26 wins as well as eight saves. He is currently 10th on the All-Time Carolina Wins List.
Pearce was last year’s triple crown winner for the Gamecocks leading the team with a .346 batting average, 21 HR and 70 RBI. Pearce was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team and was the 2004 Columbia Regional MVP following USC’s wins over The Citadel and North Carolina. Pearce had two home runs and four RBI in the first win over the Tar Heels and then went 3-for-4 with another homer as South Carolina clinched its fifth consecutive regional championship.
South Carolina begins the season on Friday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. when the Gamecocks host Longwood University at Sarge Frye Field. The Gamecocks schedule features 29 games vs. teams that reached the postseason in the NCAA Regionals last year. Carolina will open the SEC season on Friday, Mar. 18 at 7 p.m. when the Gamecocks host CWS participant Arkansas at Sarge Frye Field.
Over the last five seasons South Carolina has won more games than any other Division I baseball team in the nation with 260 victories. South Carolina has made three consecutive trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004), won two SEC championships (2000, 2002) and earned a SEC Tournament title (2004).
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll
(As of Dec. 22, 2004)
Rank School ('04 Final Record) Points Final '04 Rank1. Texas (58-15) 497 22. Miami, Fla. (50-13) 496 53. Cal. St. Fullerton (47-22) 495 14. Tulane (42-21) 493 155. Louisiana St. (46-19) 486 86. Stanford (46-14) 484 97. North Carolina (43-21) 480 278. South Carolina (53-17) 477 39. Georgia (45-23) 475 410. Texas A&M (42-22) 472 16
11. Arizona St. (41-18) 468 2312. Arizona (36-27-1) 466 613. Georgia Tech. (44-21) 462 1114. Long Beach St. (40-21) 459 1215. Rice (46-14) 458 1016. Mississippi (39-21) 456 2417. Washington (39-20-1) 453 2118. Florida St. (45-23) 451 1419. Mississippi St. (35-24) 447 NR20. Notre Dame (51-12) 445 19
21. Clemson (39-26) 442 2622. Florida (43-22) 441 1823. Oklahoma St. (38-24) 437 NR24. Central Florida (48-17) 433 2525. Baylor (29-31) 430 NR26. Wichita St. (49-16) 425 2827. Virginia (44-15) 423 2028. Winthrop (37-23) 420 NR29. Pepperdine (30-32) 416 NR30. Florida Atlantic (47-17) 413 30
31. Nebraska (36-23) 409 NR32. East Carolina (51-13) 407 1333. Arkansas (45-24) 403 734. Coastal Carolina (40-23) 399 NR35. Michigan (34-26) 395 NR36. U.C. Irvine (34-21-1) 394 NR37. Texas Christian (39-26) 390 NR38. Vanderbilt (45-19) 387 1739. Stetson (36-23) 383 NR40. Tennessee (38-24) 382 NR
