Sept. 25, 2007

Columbia, S.C. –
The University of South Carolina incoming recruiting class has been ranked 18th in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. This year’s group features 13 players including 11 high school standouts and two junior college transfers. The class also includes three South Carolina High School Player of the Year award winners as well as four former MLB draft selections.

Alex Burrell
LHP
Landrum, S.C./Landrum HS
– Three-time South Carolina A Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2007)
– Four-time South Carolina A All-State team (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
– Member of South Carolina Class A state championship team in 2005 and 2007
– 2007 SC/NC All-Star Select team
– Finished 2007 season with an 11-1 record in 57 innings with 79 strikeouts and a 1.40 ERA
– Finished 2006 season with a 10-3 record in 92 innings with 161 strikeouts and a 0.60 ERA
– Career record at Landrum was 39-8 in 322 innings with 464 strikeouts and a 1.10 ERA

Will Casey
LHP
Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain HS
– 2007 MLB Draft Selection (38th round/Atlanta Braves)
– Finished 2007 season with a 10-3 record in 71 innings with 92 strikeouts and a 1.28 ERA
– 2007 Marietta Daily Journal Pitcher of the Year
– 2007 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Pitcher of the Year

Heath Hembree
RHP
Cowpens, S.C./Broome HS

– Did not pitch in 2007 high school season due to knee injury
– Hit .320 as a designated hitter as a senior (16-for-50)

Justin Hopper
UT/P
Lexington, S.C./Lexington HS

– 2007 South Carolina AAAA All-State team
– 2007 SC/NC All-Star Select team
– Hit .457 (43-for-94) with six HR and 30 RBI
– Hurled 53 innings and compiled a 5-1 record with a 1.32 ERA, allowed just 35 hits.

Keegan Linza
RHP
Salisbury, N.C./North Rowan HS
– Two-time All-CCC selection & two-time All-Rowan County selection

Whit Merrifield
INF
Advance, N.C./Davie Co. HS
– 2007 SC/NC All-Star Select team
– Two-time NC All-State selection
– Hit .400 as a senior as well as 462 as a junior as well as. 400 as a sophomore

Brandon Miller
LHP
Greenwood, S.C./Emerald HS
– 2007 Collegiate Baseball HS All-American
– Two-time South Carolina AA Player of the Year (2006, 2007)
– Two-time South Carolina AA All-State team (2006, 2007)
– 2007 SC/NC All-Star Select team
– Finished 2007 season with nine wins in 10 starts and 75.1 innings pitched; allowed just 14 runs, 10 earned, while striking out 130 batters; ERA of 0.93; hurled eight complete games.

Tyler Musselwhite
RHP
Gainesville, Ga./Chipola JC (Fla.)

– 2006 MLB Draft Selection (46th round/Atlanta Braves)
– Member of 2007 NJCAA National Championship team
– Posted a 5-1 record as a sophomore with a 3.99 ERA in 65.1 innings pitched
– Opposing hitters batted only .219 against him throughout the season, allowed just 52 hits
– Earned win vs. Spartanburg Methodist at NJCAA World Series; hurled five innings and allowed just three runs on five hits with four strikeouts

Steven Neff
LHP/OF
Lancaster, S.C./Lancaster HS

– 2007 MLB Draft Selection (26th round/Pittsburgh Pirates)
– 2007 Gatorade South Carolina HS Player of the Year
– 2007 PG CrossChecker South Carolina HS Player of the Year
– 2007 South Carolina AAAA All-State team
– 2007 SC/NC All-Star Select team
– Finished 2007 season with a 1.38 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 76.1 innings

Jose Rodriguez
OF
Hialeah, Fla./ Hialeah HS
– 2007 MLB Draft Selection (17th round/Minnesota Twins)
– 2007 Miami Herald second team All-Dade
– Batted .365 (23-for-63) with three HR and 15 RBI his senior season.
– Hit .333 (27-for-81) with three HR and 21 RBI in his junior year.

Richard Royal
C
Fayetteville, N.C./ Terry Sanford HS
– 2007 SC/NC All-Star Select team
– Hit .310 his senior season of high school with three home runs
– Hit .301 as a junior with seven double, a triple and one home run
– Earned second team All-Conference honors

Ryan Wilkins
OF
Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist JC
– Member of 2007 NJCAA 3rd Place Team at JUCO World Series
– Hit .371 his sophomore season with 38 RBI and 60 runs scored for the Pioneers

Scott Wingo
INF
Greenville, S.C./ Mauldin HS
– 2007 South Carolina AAAA All-State team
– 2007 SC/NC All-Star Select team

Collegiate Baseball's 2007 Recruiting Results
(As of Sept. 25, 2007)
Rank Team
1. Louisiana St.
2. Florida St.
3. Oregon St.
4. Notre Dame
5. UCLA
6. Cal. St. Fullerton
7. North Carolina
8. Arizona St.
9. San Diego
10. Texas
11. Washington
12. Auburn
13. Virginia
14. Oklahoma St.
15. Vanderbilt
16. Georgia
17. Rice
18. South Carolina
19. Missouri
20. Miami, Fla.
21. Clemson
22. Stanford
23. Georgia Tech.
24. Arizona
25. Mississippi
26. Mississippi St.
27. Florida
28. Louisville
29. U.C. Irvine
30. Tulane
31. Kentucky
32. Southern California
33. Arkansas
34. Wichita St.
35. Oklahoma
36. Pepperdine
37. Alabama
38. U.C. Riverside
39. Baylor
40. Jacksonville
    Central Florida

South Carolina is one of only two schools in the nation to reach the NCAA Super Regionals in seven of the last eight years (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007). Since the 2000 season, the Gamecocks are the only SEC squad to reach the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament each year and have compiled eight consecutive 40-plus win seasons. The Gamecocks have also put together a 388-155 record in that span, the fourth highest win total in Division I baseball as well as an SEC-best 147-92 in conference match-ups. That list also includes three trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004), two SEC Championships (2000, 2002) and one SEC Tournament title (2004).