March 20, 2008

Game Notes in PDF Format

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (12-5, 1-2 SEC) returns to SEC action this weekend with a three-game series vs. Mississippi State (9-9, 1-2 SEC) at Sarge Frye Field. Video broadcasts for games one and three are available at gamecocksonline.com and can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan and Tommy Moody on the call. Live audio for game two is available online and video will be shown tape delayed. The Gamecocks defeated the Bulldogs in two of three games last year in Starkville, Miss. and hold a slight edge, 24-22, in the series history.

WEEKEND PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
SC Mike Cisco, Jr. (RHP) 3-0, 2.84 ERA, 25.1 IP, 18 K, 4 BB
MSU Jesse Carver, Sr. (LHP) 1-0, 7.50 ERA, 12.0 IP, 10 K, 1 BB

Saturday
SC Will Atwood, Jr. (LHP) 1-0, 4.05 ERA, 13.1 IP, 13 K, 9 BB
MSU TBA

Sunday
SC Blake Cooper, So. (RHP) 2-2, 3.43 ERA, 21.0 IP, 12 K, 2 BB
MSU Ricky Bowen, So. (RHP) 2-2, 6.38 ERA, 24.0 IP, 25 K, 10 BB

RECAP FROM THE LOWCOUNTRY
South Carolina is 1-0 on the week following a 13-1 win on Tuesday night in the Lowcountry at College of Charleston. Carolina’s win featured a solid eight-inning start from Nick Godwin and a 19-hit outburst from the Gamecock offense including five home runs.

DARNELL DRIVES THEM IN
South Carolina junior third baseman James Darnell tied a South Carolina single-game record with three home runs in Tuesday’s win over the Cougars. The last player to accomplish the feat was Landon Powell in a win at Georgia (5/23/04). Darnell also set a career-high with five hits and had five RBI.

All five of Darnell’s home runs have come in the last five games. He hit a grand slam home run last Wednesday vs. Yale and added a home run last Saturday in the win at Vanderbilt. Darnell has 11 hits in the last three games played and has raised his batting average to .333 on the year with 25 RBI.

BREAK OUT THE BATS
Tuesday’s 19-hit performance vs. the College of Charleston tied Carolina’s season high for hits in a game as well as home runs. The Gamecocks also had 19 hits and five home runs in the season opener vs. East Carolina. All nine starters recorded at least one hit vs. College of Charleston.

COMPLETE PERFORMANCE
South Carolina has been impressive in 12 victories this season with a total of 133 runs in those wins. That averages to 11.1 runs per win. Nine of the 12 wins (.750) on the year have featured at least 10 runs scored by the Gamecock offense. Carolina has also hit .358 in the wins with the team ERA at 2.51 as well. South Carolina is 11-0 on the year when out-hitting its opponent in a game.

GODWIN IS GOOD
Senior right-hander Nick Godwin had his best performance to date in a Gamecock uniform as he limited the Cougar offense to one run on two hits in a career-high eight innings. Godwin struck out six while walking just two as well.

He is 2-2 on the year with a 3.22 ERA as well as a team-high 20 strikeouts in 22.1 innings of work. Godwin also recorded a win in the 12-0 victory vs. UNC Asheville.

A LOOK AT THE POLLS
Carolina sits at No. 11 (Collegiate Baseball), No. 12 (USA Today/Coaches) and No. 13 (Baseball America) in this week’s major collegiate polls.

A CRISP RETURN
Junior Andrew Crisp has returned as a spark to the lineup over the past 10 games. He currently owns a 10-game hitting streak and has played both in left field and second base. Crisp was 3-for-5 in Tuesday’s win vs. College of Charleston. He is batting .364 (16-for-44) on the year with eight runs and seven RBI as well. Crisp talied five hits with three runs and four RBI over the weekend at Vanderbilt.

GAMECOCKS AT THE PLATE & ON THE MOUND
As a team, Carolina is batting .319 (198-for-621) with 149 runs scored, 29 HR and 141 RBI. Carolina has homered in 16 of 17 games this year. The pitching staff has an ERA of 3.87 in 158.1 innings of work with 152 strikeouts.

HAVENS CONTINUES HIS STRONG START
Gamecock junior shortstop Reese Havens continues to lead the team in hitting with a .384 average (28-for-73) after 17 games. He also leads the team in hits (28) and RBI (27). Havens started the year with a 13-game hitting streak before it was snapped on Friday night at Vanderbilt. He bounced back with a pair of hits in the Saturday victory vs. Vandy and followed with a hit and three walks in Sunday’s game. He also homered on Tuesday night at College of Charleston and drove in two runs.

Havens earned SEC Player of the Week honors following his performance on opening 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.

SMOAK MOVES UP THE CHARTS
Carolina junior first baseman Justin Smoak is also among the team’s leading hitters with a .348 (23-for-66) average with four HR and 15 RBI. Smoak homered last Sunday at Vanderbilt and now has 43 career homers tying him with Chris Boyle (1981-82-83-84) for fifth on the Gamecock All-Time Career List. The school record is 48 set by Hank Small (1972-73-74-75).

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)43  Justin Smoak (2006-07-08)

THE CISCO KID
Despite a no-decision in Friday’s game at Vanderbilt, Gamecock junior right-hander Mike Cisco continues to give the Gamecocks solid starts in the series openers. Cisco is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four appearances. He has pitched a team-high 25.1 innings and has 18 strikeouts to four walks.

THE WILL TO WIN
Junior left-hander Will Atwood won his first game of the year over the weekend and has 13.1 innings in two starts and four appearances for Carolina. Atwood worked into the seventh inning in Saturday’s win at Vanderbilt and struck out a career-high seven batters. He has 13 strikeouts this year.

HANGING WITH MR. COOPER
Sophomore right-hander Blake Cooper earned a second straight win in the Sunday victory vs. Duquesne. Cooper hurled six scoreless innings with just three hits allowed while striking out six. He is 2-2 with a 3.43 ERA in 21 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts and just two walks.

900 AND MORE
Carolina’s win at Clemson on March 2 marked head coach Ray Tanner’s 900th career win as a collegiate head baseball coach. He is 907-398-3 (.695) in 21 years as a head coach and 512-225 (.695) 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.

CUJO
Senior right-hander Curtis Johnson has been solid in four appearances out of the bullpen. He went five innings in Friday’s game at Vanderbilt and allowed just one run on four hits. He is 1-0 with one save with a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings with 15 strikeouts as well.

“CuJo” picked up his first save of the year in a 5-1 win at Clemson. He hurled three scoreless innings and struck out four batters. The week before, 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 their bats at bay to help USC rally as he did now allow a run to ECU from the fifth-eighth innings.

ENDERS CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE
Carolina sophomore catcher Kyle Enders is also swinging a solid bat with a .333 average (23-for-69). He put together a pair of hits and a home run on Tuesday. The sophomore from Riverside HS came up big in the clutch for the Gamecocks in a 7-6 rally over East Carolina as his two-run single with the bases loaded and one out gave Carolina a one-run victory and clinched the series.

D-MACK DELIVERS
Gamecock sophomore outfielder DeAngelo Mack was back in the starting lineup on Tuesday night and responded with a single, sacrifice fly, RBI, two runs scored and an assist from the outfield. In 10 games with eight starts, Mack is hitting .385 (10-for-26) and has nine runs scored as well as a pair of homers and six RBI.

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 has 11 extra base hits (8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR) and leads the team in doubles. Lail hit a three-run homer, his first of the year, in a win over Duquesne and also homered last Wednesday vs.Yale.

DISHER SHOWS STRENGTH
Phil Disher showed off the power in the 16-7 win vs. Vanderbilt with a pair of hits including a homer and four RBI. Disher has four homers on the year as well as 12 RBI and a slugging percentage of .456.

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.

MERRIFIELD SHOWS SOME POWER AND SOME SACRIFICE
Freshman outfielder Whit Merrifield has shown some pop in the bat and also has played some small ball in his first weeks. Merrifield had a 4-for-12 (.333) series vs. Vanderbilt including two sacrifice bunts. Merrifield is hitting .316 (18-for-57) with three HR, 10 RBI and a team-high 20 runs scored. He also leads the team in sacrifice hits with eight this year.