Feb. 29, 2008
Columbia, S.C. –
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One of college baseball’s most storied rivalries renews this weekend as the South Carolina Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers meet on the baseball diamond in a two-game set. The Gamecocks host Clemson on Saturday at Sarge Frye Field with first pitch set for 1:30 pm with Sunday’s game up at Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium scheduled for a 2 pm start. Both games can be heard live on 107.5 FM “The Game.” Live video broadcast for Saturday’s game is also available at gamecocksonline.com with live audio broadcast on Sunday as well.
The series has been tight in the past eight years with the Gamecocks holding a slight lead in that timespan with a 17-15(.531) record in the last 32 games dating back to the 2000 season. Clemson leads the all-time series, 163-114-2. The series dates back to 1899.
PITCHING MATCH-UP
Saturday
SC Mike Cisco, Jr. (RHP) 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4 K, 1 BB
CU Ryan Hinson, Jr. (LHP) 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4 K, 3 BB
Sunday
SC Blake Cooper, So. (RHP) 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0 K, 1 BB
CU D.J. Mitchell, Jr. (RHP) 1-0, 5.40 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4 K, 3 BB
South Carolina head baseball coach Ray Tanner met with the media on Friday afternoon to discuss this weekend’s series vs. the Clemson Tigers.
HEAD COACH Ray Tanner
On preparations for this weekend:
“It’s a rivalry weekend. We like to think that this time of year our weekend series is the best in the country. Two games, one here, one there, both of them sold out for college baseball – that’s a great statement.”
On playing Clemson earlier in the season:
“It’s the same for everybody. They’ve played four times (going into tonight), and we’ve played four times. With the new schedule, this is what we’re going to have to deal with. I plan to try to have some discussion with Coach (Jack) Leggett about the future of the series and if we want to continue to do it this way or wait until later on in the season. The weather is pretty good right now; the weekend is supposed to good. We’ve both played the same amount of games.”
On whether he would prefer to play Clemson later in the season:
“We both have issues within the next couple of weeks. They go into ACC play, we go into SEC play. Maybe this is better. Maybe we should just play a weekend series and play three, one here and one there and maybe a mid-week game. We both have to think about what’s better for our individual programs. Certainly this rivalry is very good and we want to maximize the number of games we can play, while not hurting each other once we go into league play.”
On a Clemson’s offense:
“They’re very good. Their numbers through four games are staggering. (Wilson) Boyd’s got 4 homeruns already, and (Doug) Hogan is one of the best catchers in the country. Stan Widmann is back to his old form, although I’m glad to see him play. Last year when we played them he wasn’t able to play. I think that took something away from the rivalry, you want your guys to play and their guys to play as well. So I’m glad to see Widmann back in the lineup and he’s doing well. They’re very good. They’re good every year.”
On whether this game will be an indicator of just how good Carolina is:
“I don’t know if it will or not. You’d like to have a good weekend and feel good about your team, but it is games five and six, and that’s what it is. I’m hoping that we can become a better team as the season goes on than we are right now. I expect that we’re going to have some more pitching depth, maybe going in game 15, game 20, with some guys that are just now getting their feet wet or coming off of injury. I hope that we can become a better team later on. But you have to be able to win games as you go, and certainly this weekend is a great challenge.”
On Reese Havens:
“It seems like he’s been on base every time he’s been up there. I know that hasn’t been the case, but he has reached an awful lot. I’m happy that he’s off to a great start. He’s swung the bat well. As I expected him to do, he goes deep in the count. He’s drawn a lot of walks, he’s doing what a leadoff batter is supposed to do right now. And he’s leading the team in home runs. You know I’ve said this before, but of all the guys I’ve ever coached, he probably gets the most respect from his teammates than anybody I’ve ever coached. And it’s not because he’s out soliciting popularity. That’s not what he does. He leads by example. He works hard and he’s very serious about what he does. The guys just gravitate towards him. When he says something, they listen.”
On Will Atwood:
“I thought he had a good inning on Wednesday against UNC Asheville. I was pleased with his performance. He filled up the strike zone and he looks pretty sharp to me. He will need to play a role in this weekend series, no doubt in my mind. He will need to play a role in order for us to do well.”
On Clemson starting pitcher Ryan Hinson:
“He’s good. Hinson is a quality pitcher. He’s been in their rotation. He and (Mike) Cisco locked up over here last year at a low-scoring affair. He’s a quality pitcher in the ACC and in the Southeast. He’s good. We’re going to have difficulty with him, not so much because he throws hard, but just because he’s a quality pitcher. It’s a challenge, and I hope that they have trouble against Cisco as well.”
A LOOK AT THE POLLS
The Gamecocks are ranked among the top teams in the nation coming in at No. 3 (Collegiate Baseball) No. 3 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches’) and No. 10 (Baseball America) in the three major collegiate polls. South Carolina dropped a spot in the Collegiate Baseball poll but moved up two spots in Baseball America’s rankings.
One week removed from a weekend vs. a nationally ranked team, the Gamecocks will play two more games this week vs. a ranked opponent as the Gamecocks and Clemson Tigers meet this weekend.
HAVENS NAMED SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
South Carolina junior shortstop Reese Havens earned SEC Player of the Week honors following his performance over the weekend vs. East Carolina. Havens was 7-for-14 (.500) for the series with a pair of homers, six RBI and seven runs scored. His five hits in the season opener tied his career-high and he set a career-high as well with five RBI in the 22-5 win over the Pirates.
Havens reached base all five times in Tuesday’s 12-0 win vs. UNC Asheville. He tallied a two-run homer, walked three times and was hit by a pitch. He finished with two runs scored and three RBI. Havens leads the team in hitting with a .533 average and in on-base percentage at .696. He has nine runs scored and nine RBI on the year as well as three home runs.
SMOAK MOVES UP THE CHARTS
South Carolina junior first baseman Justin Smoak had a strong first weekend as well as he went 5-for-12 at the plate (.417) with a pair of homers and five RBI. His two home runs vs. the Pirates on the weekend also moved him up to a tie for seventh on the All-Time Gamecock Career List. He is seven home runs shy of the school’s record of 48 set by Hank Small from 1972-75.
Home Runs Career List48 Hank Small (1972-73-74-75)47 Garrett Carter (1985-86-87-88)45 Jeff Parnell (1990-91-92-93)44 Landon Powell (2001-02-03-04)43 Chris Boyle (1981-82-83-84)42 Steve Pearce (2004-05)41 Justin Smoak (2006-07-08)41 Tripp Kelly (1998-99-00-01)41 Charlie Aldrich (1985-86-87)
GODWIN IS GOOD IN WIN OVER UNC ASHEVILLE
Senior RHP Nick Godwin delivered for the Gamecocks in his first career start. He pitched six scoreless innings and limited UNC Asheville to two hits as the Gamecocks earned a 12-0 win over the Bulldogs. Godwin struck out four batters and had no walks in the contest.
SHUT THE DOOR
South Carolina’s 12-0 win over UNC Asheville marked the Gamecocks first shutout of the year. The Gamecocks had six shutouts last year and five in the 2006 season. The team has increased its shutout total by one in each of the last three seasons (2005 – 4, 2006 – 5, 2007 – 6).
2007 shutouts2/10/2007 vs. Western Kentucky W, 12-02/23/2007 vs. Eastern Michigan W, 6-03/3/2007 at Clemson W, 12-03/16/2007 vs. LSU W, 5-04/4/2007 vs. Furman W, 10-04/17/2007 vs. Wofford W, 8-02008 shutouts2/27/2008 vs. UNC Asheville W, 12-0
WALK ON BY
Pitchers have been showing the Gamecock hitters a lot of respect in the first four games as the Gamecocks have walked 34 times for an average of 8.5 per game. Havens leads the way with seven free passes, followed up by six walks apiece for James Darnell and Justin Smoak.
WHAT A CROWD
Gamecock fans were out and about on the first weekend at Sarge Frye Field as the weekend attendance for the series with East Carolina finished up at 16,719 for an average of 5,573 fans per game. The Saturday season opener featured the largest crowd as the Gamecocks brought in 5,823 fans in game one vs. East Carolina. The Gamecocks set a school record for total attendance last year with 159,545 as a total in 2007 that averaged 4,985 fans per game. It is “Extra Innings” at Sarge Frye Field as the Gamecocks prepare to move into a new baseball stadium in the beginning of the 2009.
ENDERS FINISHES IT
South Carolina sophomore catcher Kyle Enders started all three games for the Gamecocks over the weekend including two games behind the plate. The sophomore from Riverside HS came up big in the clutch for the Gamecocks in Sunday’s 7-6 rally as his two-run single with the bases loaded and one out gave Carolina a one-run victory and clinched the series. Enders finished the week with five hits, a homer and three RBI.
DISHER STARTS OFF STRONG
Phil Disher had a strong season opener for the Gamecocks as he collected three hits with a pair of homers and five RBI in the 22-5 win over East Carolina. Disher’s two homers marked the first multi-homer game of his career and his five RBI total was a career-high.
22-5
South Carolina’s 22-5 win over East Carolina was the third largest run total by a Gamecock team on Opening Day and the most runs in a season opener since April 3, 1901 vs. King’s Mt. MA when Carolina won 26-0 in the opener in Columbia.
The 22-run total also tied for seventh highest by a Gamecock team under head coach Ray Tanner. It was the most runs by a Gamecock team since Feb. 14, 2004 when South Carolina defeated Charleston Southern, 38-0.
THAT RECORD IS A HIT
The 22-5 opening day win also saw South Carolina tie a single-game record as the Gamecocks were hit by pitch five times in the contest. It was the third time in school history. Both previous times came in the 1996 season vs. Charlotte (2/13/96) and the College of Charleston (2/10/96).
CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER MILESTONE
With two wins vs. ECU and a win over UNC Asheville, head coach Ray Tanner moved his career record to 898-394-3 in his 21st year as a head coach, just two wins shy of 900 wins. Tanner has put together a 503-221 record in 12 seasons with the Gamecocks. Both win totals translate to a .695 winning percentage. That winning percentage at South Carolina is second highest in SEC history behind legendary former LSU coach Skip Bertman.
THE CISCO KID
South Carolina opening day starter Mike Cisco worked five solid innings to pick up the win vs. ECU on Saturday afternoon. Cisco limited the Pirates to one run on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Cisco is now 14-7 in his career with the Gamecocks including a 9-4 mark at Sarge Frye Field and 9-1 mark against non-conference teams. Cisco is the scheduled starter for Carolina on Saturday.
CUJO
South Carolina senior reliever Curtis Johnson pitched a career-high 6.2 innings and tied another career-high with five strikeouts as he came up big in relief in the 7-6 win over ECU. Johnson kept the East Carolina bats at bay to help the Gamecocks rally as he did now allow a run to ECU from the fifth-eighth innings.
ON BASE WITH WINGO
Freshman infielder Scott Wingo put together an on-base percentage of .636 in the first weekend to lead the team. Wingo was 3-for-7 at the plate in two starts at second base with two walks and two hit by pitches as well.
MERRIFIELD SHOWS SOME POWER AND SOME SACRIFICE
Freshman outfielder Whit Merrifield had some pop in the bat over the weekend and also played some small ball vs. the Pirates. Merrifield homered both Saturday and Sunday vs. East Carolina and also totaled a pair of sacrifice bunts and a bunt single. He finished with four hits and four runs scored in his first weekend in a Gamecock uniform.
RIDE THE HARLEY
Senior outfielder Harley Lail provides the leadership in the outfield for the Gamecocks and shows his way with the bat as well. Lail had five hits in the three games vs. ECU including two doubles and one triple. Lail scored once and drove in two runs on the weekend.
DARNELL DELIVERS
Junior third baseman James Darnell drove in the first Gamecock runs of the year with a two-run double vs. the Pirates in the first inning of Saturday’s opener. Darnell had four hits and walked five times as well on the weekend. He also scored five runs. He put together a three-hit performance on Tuesday vs. UNC Asheville.
NEW FACES
Several Gamecocks made their debuts in the Garnet & Black in the first four games. 12 new faces found playing time: (Parker Bangs, Alex Burrell, Will Casey, Sam Dyson Justin Hopper, Keegan Linza, Sam Mahoney, Whit Merrifield, Tyler Musselwhite, Jose Rodriguez, Richard Royal, Scott Wingo).
A LOOK BACK AT LAST YEAR
South Carolina won the series last year with Clemson with a 3-1 record over the Tigers. Below is a look a back at the four games last season.
March 3, 2007
Phil Disher and James Darnell belted three-run home runs and Harris Honeycutt allowed just two hits over 7.0 innings to lead the fourth-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks to a 12-0 rout over the second-ranked Clemson Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The whitewash was Carolina’s first shutout of the Tigers since 1986, the first Gamecock shutout at Doug Kingsmore Stadium since 1974 and was USC’s largest margin of victory in the series since a 21-8 win in 2001.
The Gamecocks jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning off Clemson starter and loser David Kopp (1-1). Cheyne Hurst led off the game with a double down the left field line. He moved to third on a balk, and then scored on Justin Smoak’s RBI double to left-center. Smoak scored the game’s second run when Disher followed with an RBI single to center.
A three-run homer from Disher, a shot that landed on the roof of the batting cages beyond the right-center field wall, put USC up 5-0. Darnell put the game away in the top of the sixth with his team-leading fifth-home run of the year. Trent Kline beat out a one-out single to second and Andrew Crisp walked, which got Kopp out of the game. Darnell greeted reliever D.J. Mitchell with a three-run blast over the left field wall on a 2-2 offering.
Carolina added four insurance runs in the seventh. Hurst again led off the inning with an infield single. One batter later, Smoak hit a wind-blown home run over the left field wall, his third round tripper of the campaign. Disher reached second on a throwing error, Kline walked, Crisp stroked an RBI single to center and Darnell followed with an infield single for his fourth RBI of the game.
Honeycutt kept the Tigers off-balance all afternoon. He opened the game with 4.2 hitless innings until ninth-place hitter J.D. Burgess stroked a solid single to center to break up the no-hitter. He walked four and fanned seven batters, all looking.
March 4, 2007
Trent Kline’s one-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted fourth ranked South Carolina to a 3-2 win over second ranked Clemson in front of 5,913 fans at Sarge Frye Field. Sophomore reliever Will Atwood pitched one scoreless inning of relief to pick up the win.
With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth inning, Carolina’s James Darnell got things started drawing a leadoff walk. His walk was followed up by a sacrifice bunt by Steven Reinhold. With one out and first base open, the Tigers elected to intentionally walk Jon Willard bringing Trent Kline up to bat with two runners on and just one out. Kline drilled a hard hit 3-1 pitch from Clemson reliever Daniel Moskos that got by shortstop Taylor Harbin for a single and scored Darnell with the game-winning run. Moskos suffered the loss after working 1.1 innings and allowing two runs on three hits with three walks. He is 2-1 this season.
Clemson had eight hits on the afternoon with the Gamecocks finishing with seven. Andy D’Alessio and Marquez Smith each had two hits for the Tigers. Carolina was led by Phil Disher and Kline who each had two hits apiece.
South Carolina drew first blood in Sunday’s contest with a run in the first inning. Disher knocked a one-out RBI base hit up the middle that scored Travis Jones and gave the Gamecocks a one-run edge. The game would remain that way for the next five innings as both Carolina starting pitcher Mike Cisco and Clemson starter Ryan Hinson kept both offenses at bay. The Tigers would finally get to Cisco in the seventh inning on a RBI base hit from Marquez Smith. Cisco finished the game with 6.2 innings of work allowing just one run on five hits. Hinson would leave the game after six innings and allowed just one run on four hits for the Tigers.
Both teams would trade runs in the eighth inning. Clemson went ahead on a RBI base hit from Addison Johnson, but the Gamecocks rallied in the bottom half courtesy of a two-out RBI double from Phil Disher that scored the tying run.
April 18, 2007
Fourth ranked South Carolina hit four solo home runs and behind a solid six-inning effort from starting pitcher Mike Cisco earned a 4-2 win over 13th ranked Clemson at Sarge Frye Field in front of 5,821 fans.
Cisco, who made his first start since March 31st against Vanderbilt, limited the Tigers to just one run on four hits and struck out five batters while yielding one walk. Clemson starting pitcher Matt Zoltak suffered the loss. Zoltak went only 2.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout.
The home run barrage began in the first inning when South Carolina went ahead 1-0 on a solo home run from Travis Jones. Carolina continued to use the long ball with three more home runs in the third inning that increased the lead to 4-0 over the Tigers. Harley Lail led off the frame with his fourth of the year; James Darnell launched his team-leading 13th of the year and Justin Smoak hit his 12th of the season. Darnell and Smoak’s home runs were back-to-back, the first time this year Carolina had achieved the feat. Darnell’s came off Zoltak while Smoak’s was against reliever Matt Vaughn.
Clemson came back to score a run in the fourth inning. Marquez Smith hit a one-out triple over the head of center fielder Andrew Crisp and scored on Andy D’Alessio’s RBI ground out. The Tigers would add a solo home run in the ninth inning by D’Alessio with two outs before reliever Will Atwood struck out Doug Hogan to earn a save and preserve the Gamecock victory.
Carolina had several solid outings out of the pen along with Cisco’s performance. Sophomore left-hander Alex Farotto went 1.2 innings and struck out the side in the seventh inning. With two outs and runners on first and second base, Farotto gave way to Wynn Pelzer, who got Taylor Harbin to pop out.
April 25 2007
Clemson broke open a one-run game in the fifth inning with four runs and added seven more in the seventh inning on its way to a 14-5 win over South Carolina on Wednesday evening at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Justin Smoak earned the Tom Price Award as MVP for the series for the Gamecocks.
The Tigers pounded out 16 hits on the night on its way to the win. Ben Paulsen tallied three hits including his fourth homer of the year to lead the Tigers. Wilson Boyd also had two hits and four RBI with Marquez Smith and Doug Hogan also adding two hits.
Clemson starting pitcher D.J. Mitchell was effective in six innings of work as he limited the Gamecocks to one run on four hits with six strikeouts to pick up the win. South Carolina starting pitcher Blake Cooper recovered from a tough first inning and worked four in the game, limiting the Tigers to two runs, one earned, on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
South Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Harley Lail led off the game with a double to left center and scored on Travis Jones’ RBI single up the middle. The Tigers answered in the bottom half though with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Brad Chalk opened the frame with an infield single and advanced on a throwing error by shortstop Reese Havens. Chalk would then score on Wilson Boyd’s bloop single down the left field line with Boyd advancing to second on the throw home. Boyd would then score on the Tigers’ third straight hit, a RBI single courtesy of Taylor Harbin.
It remained 2-1 until the fifth inning when the Tigers added four runs to go ahead 6-1 against the Gamecocks. Alex Burg and J.D. Burgess each had one-out singles and would both score on a triple by Alex Lee. Lee would score the third run of the inning on a wild pitch issued by Gamecock reliever Alex Farotto. Andy D’Alessio then hit a two-out single, stole second base and scored on Marquez Smith’s RBI single to right field.
South Carolina mounted a rally in the seventh inning with a pair of runs against Clemson reliever William Bond. Andrew Crisp hit a two-out single and would score all the way from first base on a dropped fly ball by Clemson right fielder Alex Burg on a ball hit by Harley Lail. Lail would then score on Travis Jones’ second RBI hit of the game, another single up the middle.
The Tigers came back in the bottom half to score seven more runs though as Ben Paulsen delivered with a three-run homer to highlight the frame for the Tigers. Phil Disher homered with two outs in the top of the eighth inning for the Gamecocks. South Carolina scored a final run in the ninth inning on Jones’ third RBI of the night, a triple down the right field line.
