March 3, 2008

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (5-1) returns to action on the baseball diamond this week beginning a seven-game homestand that includes a pair of midweek games at Sarge Frye Field. The Gamecocks will face Gardner-Webb (3-5) on Tuesday at 7 pm and Charlotte (7-1) on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 4 pm. Live video broadcast is available at gamecocksonline.com. Carolina remains at No. 3 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball Top 30 and moves up one spot to No. 9 in the Baseball America Top 25.

Tuesday
SC – Craig Thomas, LHP (Jr.), 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 2 K, 2 BB
GWU – Josh Drewery, RHP (Jr.), 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 3 K, 3 BB

Wednesday
SC – Nick Godwin, RHP (Sr.), 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 4 K, 0 BB
CHAR – TBA

NOTEBOOK
South Carolina had a successful week going 3-0 with a 12-0 win in the midweek vs. UNC Asheville and a pair of wins against nationally ranked Clemson … The Gamecocks defeated the Tigers at home on Saturday 10-1, and earned a win on the road on Sunday, 5-1 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium … Going back to the 2000 season, the Gamecocks are 19-15 against the Tigers … The 15-2 run advantage in the two-game set is the exact same margin that the Gamecocks had against Clemson last year in the two wins in the Saturday-Sunday set for the 2007 season (last year’s weekend wins were 12-1 and 3-2).

Sunday’s win marked head coach Ray Tanner’s 900th career win as a collegiate head baseball coach … He is 900-394-3 (.695) in 21 years as a head coach and 505-221 (.696) in his 12th year with the Gamecocks … That 12-year record with the Gamecocks and winning percentage of .696 is second highest in SEC history behind former LSU head coach Skip Bertman.

South Carolina tallied at least 10 hits in all three game s this week and have reached the 10-hit total in five of six games this year … Carolina is hitting .327 (73-for-223) as a team with 12 homers, 12 doubles, a pair of triples and 55 RBI … The Gamecocks have scored 60 runs in the first six games of the year for an average of 10 runs per contest.

Gamecock shortstop Reese Havens continued his production this week hitting .500 again (5-for-10) on the week to keep his average at the .500 mark for the season (12-for-24) … Havens tied the career-high he set last week with five RBI including a grand slam home run in the 10-1 win vs. Clemson on Saturday … Havens leads the team in hitting, runs scored (11), home runs (4) and RBI (15) … He has hit safely in all six games.

Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak has also hit safely in all six games this year and is batting .400 (10-for-25) with three HR and eight RBI … Smoak homered in Sunday’s 5-1 win at Clemson … He now has 42 career homers and is tied with Steve Pearce (2004-05) for sixth on the Gamecock All-Time Career List … The school record is 48 set by Hank Small (1972-73-74-75).

Gamecock catcher Kyle Enders is the third Gamecock player to have hit safely in all six games … The sophomore is batting .375 with a homer and five RBI.

Carolina freshman infielder Scott Wingo leads the team in on-base percentage (.609) … He is batting .357 and has scored six runs in five starts, walked six times and been hit by three pitches.

Senior outfielder Harley Lail had a pair of multi-hit games against the Tigers including three in Sunday’s victory … Lail doubled twice and also singled in the Gamecock win … He is hitting .417 with a team-high four doubles, a triple and three RBI … He also leads the team in multi-hit games with four on the year.

Junior right-hander Mike Cisco worked 7.1 innings and allowed just one run on eight hits in the 10-1 win vs. Clemson on Saturday … Cisco struck out four and walked just one to improve to 2-0 on the year … He has a 1.46 ERA after two games in 12.1 innings of work.

Sophomore right-hander Blake Cooper bounced back with a solid start and win at Clemson on Sunday … Cooper worked six strong innings and allowed just one run, unearned to pick up the victory … He allowed just seven hits and struck out three in the 5-1 win.

Senior right-hander Curtis Johnson picked up a save in Sunday’s win … He hurled three scoreless innings and struck out four batters … In two appearances, Johnson has a 1.86 ERA with 9.2 innings of work and nine strikeouts out of the bullpen … Opponents are batting only .188 against him.

Senior right-hander Nick Godwin was stellar in his first career start on Wednesday, the 12-0 win over UNC Asheville … Godwin allowed just two hits in the win and finished with four strikeouts and no walks allowed.

The Gamecock Pitching Staff owns a team ERA of 3.38 after 56 innings pitched with opponents only batting .264 against the Gamecocks.

Carolina has outscored its opponents 60-26 in six games and have homered at least once in each contest.

Saturday’s attendance at Sarge Frye Field was a season-high 5,921 fans at a packed Sarge Frye Field … The Gamecocks are averaging 5,389 fans in five contests.

NEXT WEEK
Tuesday, Mar. 4 – vs. Gardner Webb – 7 pm
Wednesday, Mar. 5 – vs. Charlotte – 4 pm
Friday, Mar. 7 – vs. Duquesne – 7 pm
Saturday, Mar. 8 – vs. Duquesne – 4 pm
Sunday, Mar. 9 – vs. Duquesne – 1 pm