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Feb. 22, 2007
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (5-1) returns home to Sarge Frye Field this weekend with a three-game series vs. Eastern Michigan (1-3) beginning on Friday, Feb. 23 with first pitch set for 3 pm. Both the Saturday and Sunday contests are set for 1:30 pm ET. Live audio, live video and live gametracker stats are available at uscsports.com with Tommy Moody calling the action.
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday
SC Harris Honeycutt (Jr.) RHP 2-0, 2.61 ERA, 10.1 IP, 10 K, 4 BB
EMU Jeff Fischer (Jr.) RHP 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 2 K, 1 BB
Saturday
SC Jay Brown (Jr.) RHP 2-0, 1.59 ERA, 11.1 IP, 14 K, 4 BB
EMU George Biddle (Sr.) RHP 0-1, 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 1 K, 1 BB
Sunday
SC Mike Cisco (So.) RHP 0-0, 5.25 ERA, 12.0 IP, 9 K, 2 BB
EMU Matt Shoemaker (So.) RHP 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.1 IP, 0 K, 1 BB
QUICK RECAP FROM LAST WEEK
South Carolina won two of three games at the Crab House Shootout (Charleston, S.C.).) last weekend. Carolina defeated Liberty 10-2 and Richmond 9-2 before falling to The Citadel 7-6.
ON THE ROAD WITH THE GAMECOCKS
Despite the first two weekends on the road, the Gamecocks had quite a contingent of fans on the road in Wilmington, N.C. and Charleston, S.C. Garnet and black-clad people were everywhere in both towns as the Gamecocks drew 14,959 fans in their first six games away from Sarge Frye Field including 5,055 at last Sunday’s game at The Citadel, a majority of which were Gamecock fans.
THIS WEEK IN THE RANKINGS
South Carolina is ranked No. 4 in the nation in both the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball rankings announced on Monday. The NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) has Carolina at No. 2 in the country.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT
The last time the South Carolina Gamecocks and Eastern Michigan Eagles met, was on the hallowed field at Rosenblatt Stadium in the 1975 College World Series. Greg Ward was the winning pitcher for Carolina as the Gamecocks defeated the Eagles 5-1 in the second game and winner’s bracket of the World Series.
Carolina leads the series history with Eastern Michigan, 2-1, with 1973 the only other time both schools met on the diamond. The schools split a doubleheader in Columbia with South Carolina winning the first game 1-0 and falling 4-2 in the second game.
THE GAMECOCKS IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY
Carolina has a near perfect record over the last seven seasons in the month of February. Dating back to the 2000 season, Carolina is 72-3 (.960) in games played in the month of February. The three losses came against Charleston Southern in 2003 , vs. Elon in 2006 and The Citadel, just last week.
HOT AT THE PLATE
The South Carolina offense scored 25 runs in three games over the weekend with the team recording an on-base percentage of .505 including 25 hits, 31 walks and four hit by pitches in three games. Carolina had 12 hits in the Friday win over Liberty, with nine players tallying at least one in the contest. The Gamecocks currently sit among the best in the SEC in most offensive categories including first in on-base percentage (.466) and second in slugging percentage (.605).
STEADY ON THE MOUND
The Carolina pitching staff holds a team ERA of 2.62 after the first two weeks and have allowed just 46 hits in 55 innings while striking out 58 batters. 13 different pitchers have seen action this season already with a pair of starters, Jay Brown and Harris Honeycutt with two apiece to start of the season.
FLASHING THE LEATHER
South Carolina continues to boast one of the top defensive teams in all of college baseball as the Gamecocks lead the SEC in fielding percentage, six games into the season. After setting a school record for fielding last year, the Gamecocks are off to another solid start defensively with a .982 percentage and just four errors with three error-less contests this season.
DARNELL DELIVERS
Sophomore infielder James Darnell struck with the hot bat over the weekend batting .400 with a two-run homer in all three games and six RBI overall. He is batting .353 this season with a team-high four home runs and eight RBI.
CHISENHALL CONTINUES HIS HOT START
Freshman Lonnie Chisenhall owns a six-game hitting streak to start the year and has a multi-hit game in five of the six contests. He went 6-for-14 with five runs scored at the Crab House Shootout and leads the team with a .464 batting average (13-for-28) on the season.
After a strong opening weekend in Wilmington, N.C. Chisenhall was named SEC Freshman of the Week. At the season-opening tournament, Chisenhall hit .500 (7-for-14) with three runs, a homer and seven RBI and also tied two single game school records in a win over Western Kentucky with two triples and two sacrifice flies. He became only the 13th player in school history to have two triples in one game and the first since Steven Tolleson did it in 2005.
Chisenhall was part of Carolina’s heralded recruiting class and was ranked the top freshman in the nation by Baseball America.
SMOAK’EM
Sophomore first baseman Justin Smoak returned to his hometown area in the Low Country last week and delivered with quality production in the three games. He was 4-for-9 at the plate over the weekend with a homer, three RBI and four runs scored to go along with an impressive seven walks.
He has totaled 10 walks in six games to lead the SEC and he holds an on-base percentage of .531, second highest on the team.
DISHER PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF LAST SEASON
Coming of a strong end to the 2006 season, junior designated hitter Phil Disher has picked up where he left off with a .409 batting average to start the year. Disher has two home runs and a team-high nine RBI to go along with four doubles and nine runs scored. Disher was 2006 NCAA Regional MVP in Charlottesville, Va.
HONEYCUTT CONTINUES SUCCESS ON THE MOUND
Junior right-hander Harris Honeycutt won his second straight game and is now 10-0 in his career with the Gamecocks. Honeycutt worked 5.1 innings and allowed two runs in four hits in Friday’s win over Liberty.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU??
Junior right-hander Jay Brown also won his second straight game this year in the 9-2 win over Richmond. He worked six innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out nine batters, the highest total by a Gamecock pitcher this year.
A QUICK RELIEF WITH ATWOOD
Junior left-hander Will Atwood for the second straight game came out of the bullpen and had success on the mound. In 2.2 innings of relief work on Friday, he allowed no runs on two hits with four strikeouts.
JONES SETS THE TABLE
Junior second baseman Travis Jones had found his way on base from the leadoff spot with a .296 batting average as well as three walks and three hit by pitches.
YOUNG ARMS PROVIDING DEPTH
Freshmen Blake Cooper and Nick Fuller have been productive in their first two stints on the mound for the Gamecocks. Cooper has pitched three scoreless innings of work with three strikeouts in two appearances with Fuller hurling two shutout frames as well.
JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANSFERS ALSO MAKING IMPACT ON THE MOUND
Carolina’s junior college transfers are also finding success on the hill. Junior right-hander Jordan Costner has not allowed an earned run in two appearances, junior right-hander Curtis Johnson picked up a save two weeks ago in Wilmington vs. the Seahawks and Nick Godwin has a scoreless inning of work to his slate from the win over Western Kentucky. Another junior college transfer seeing early action was junior right-hander Sean Wideberg.
