Aug. 9, 2006

Cotuit, Mass. – South Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak has been named MVP for the 2006 Cape Cod Baseball League as announced Tuesday afternoon (August 8). Smoak, a rising sophomore for the Gamecocks, is a member of the Cotuit Kettleers, the regular season division champions in the Western Division.

Smoak was the regular season league leader in home runs with 11 to go along with 27 RBI as well as a .286 batting average. The native of Goose Creek, S.C. earned freshman All-America honors this past year in his first season at Carolina. Smoak was the only Gamecock player to start all 66 games this past year and batted .303 with 17 HR and 63 RBI.

Smoak is joined at Cotuit with Gamecock teammates Reese Havens, Mike Cisco and Gamecock signee Jay Brown. The Kettleers advanced to the playoffs as the first place team in the Cape Cod Western Division. Cotuit is currently in a three-game series with Wareham. The winner advances to the championship series against the Eastern Division playoff winner. Two other Gamecocks that are playing for the Cape Cod League championship are pitcher Will Atwood and catcher Trent Kline, who are members of the Brewster Whitecaps in the Eastern Division.