March 31, 2008

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina senior designated hitter Phil Disher and junior third baseman James Darnell picked up National and SEC Player of the Week honors following this weekend’s performance vs. Kentucky. Disher went 5-for-12 (.417) vs. the Wildcats and came up big with a homer and seven RBI on the weekend to receive SEC Player of the Week with Darnell earning National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball after his three home run performance vs. the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.

Disher’s home run came in Saturday’s 13-7 victory over Kentucky and was his 30th career homer in a Gamecock uniform. The senior came up in the clutch again for Carolina on Sunday with a pair of RBI singles including the game-winning hit in the eighth inning. In nine SEC contests, Disher leads the Gamecocks in hitting with a .387 average (12-for-31) conference games played. Four of his seven homers have come in conference play as well as 17 of his 26 RBI. The 17 RBI total is also highest in the league in conference games.

For the second straight week, James Darnell tied a USC single-game record for home runs in a game with three in Saturday’s win vs. Kentucky (3-29). Darnell accomplished the feat on Mar. 18 in a 13-1 win at the College of Charleston. Saturday’s game vs. Kentucky marked the 12th time in school history that a Gamecock player has hit three homers in one game and the first time ever that one player has done it twice. All three homers were two-run shots as he set a career-high with six RBI in the contest.

Disher and Darnell’s home runs this week put both players at the 30-home run mark in career numbers for the Gamecocks. Both players are two of 23 players in school history to have 30 or more home runs in a Gamecock uniform.

South Carolina ranks No. 6 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30 and ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll as well as No. 9 in this week’s Baseball America Top 25. Carolina returns to action on Tuesday night at The Citadel with first pitch at Joe Riley Park set for 7 pm.