April 7, 2008
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (20-10) returns home on Tuesday night for a non-conference tilt vs. Western Carolina (15-15). First pitch at Sarge Frye Field is set for 7 pm with live video broadcast available at gamecocksonline.com and live radio coverage on 107.5 FM “The Game.” The Gamecocks are home for two midweek contests this week, also hosting Clemson on Wednesday night. Prior to Tuesday night’s contest, Senator John Courson will present a Senate Resolution recognizing the accomplishment of Mr. Thomas Hart Price and remembering him for his many years as a faithful member of the University of South Carolina Family. Price served South Carolina as sports information director and historian from 1962 until his passing on February 1, 2008.
Carolina is ranked No. 14 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll as well as No. 15 by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America.
Tuesday
SC Sam Dyson, Fr. (RHP) 2-0, 5.73 ERA, 11.0 IP, 11 K, 11 BB
WCU TBA
Last Meeting
March 12, 2003 South Carolina (5) Western Carolina (2) Columbia, S.C.
A three run seventh inning home run by pinch hitter Jared Greenwood and two sterling defensive plays by third baseman Brian Buscher Wednesday night sparked sixth ranked South Carolina to a 5-2 non-conference win over Western Carolina.
Conor Lalor pitched 6 2/3 innings to earn the win and Aaron Rawl came on in the ninth inning to snuff out a Catamount rally with a double play ball to Buscher to earn his second save of the season. Brandon McDowell, 2-1, was charged with the loss.
South Carolina led 2-1 with one out in the seventh inning when Greenwood, a sophomore backup catcher, pinch hit for designated hitter Sadry Cafe after bases on balls had put Tim Seaton and Bryan Triplett on base. With a two ball and one strike count Greenwood lofted a long opposite field drive over the left centerfield fence to increase the Gamecock lead to 5-1. It was his first collegiate career homer.
Ironically, Greenwood would transfer the Gamecock program after 2003 and continue his career in 2004 and 2005 at WCU.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Record: 20-10 (6-6 SEC)
16-5 in home games
4-5 in road games
0-0 in neutral games
7-4 vs. top 25 teams
Last Week: 2-3
Tuesday, April 1 – W, 7-4 at The Citadel
Wednesday, April 2 – W, 9-2 vs. Davidson
Saturday, April 5 – L, 1-0 at Georgia
Saturday, April 5 – L, 5-3 at Georgia
Sunday, April 6 – L, 4-2 at Georgia
NOTEBOOK
South Carolina went 2-3 on the week with non-conference wins at The Citadel and vs. Davidson … Carolina is currently in a tie for sixth place overall in the SEC with a 6-6 conference mark.
Georgia’s Foley Field has been unkind to the Gamecocks over the past five years … The Gamecocks have dropped 10 of the last 12 games between the two schools in Athens, Ga. dating back to the 2004 season … All three losses this week to Georgia were by two runs or less.
Junior first baseman Justin Smoak hit .444 (4-for-9) on the weekend vs. the Bulldogs including a home run in Saturday’s game, giving him for 46 for his career and putting him just two shy of the school record 48 set by Hank Small … Smoak also walked three times, all intentionally, over the weekend vs. Georgia. He is currently hitting .349 with seven HR and 24 RBI on the year and leads the SEC in walks with 32 this season.
Despite the three losses, Carolina received three quality starts from the Gamecock pitching rotation over the weekend … Junior right-hander Mike Cisco worked eight scoreless innings and allowed just six hits in the first game of the series … Junior left-hander Will Atwood followed with 7.2 innings of work in game two of the doubleheader and allowed five runs, two earned, on five hits … Sophomore right-hander Blake Cooper also had 7.2 innings of work in Sunday’s game and gave up four runs on eight hits to the Bulldogs … For Cisco and Atwood it was each of their longest outings of the season with Cooper pitching his second longest outing.
Cisco is currently 4-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 44 innings pitched … Atwood owns a 3-1 record with a 3.71 ERA as well as 30 strikeouts in 34 innings … Cooper is 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA and has hurled 43.1 innings.
Junior shortstop Reese Havens had his second multi-homer game of his career in Saturday’s second loss to the Bulldogs … Havens hit a pair of solo homers in the 5-3 defeat … He continues to lead the team in hitting with a .375 average and has 10 HR and 38 RBI on the year.
All five runs vs. Georgia this weekend came on solo home runs for the Gamecocks … Along with Havens and Smoak’s homers on Saturday, Carolina got a pair from James Darnell and Phil Disher in Sunday’s loss … Darnell is hitting .328 with 10 HR and 41 RBI this season with Disher batting .276 with nine HR and 30 RBI.
Wednesday’s win vs. Davidson featured senior right-hander Sean Wideberg’s first start of the year … Wideberg struck out nine batters to earn his second victory on the year … His nine strikeouts is the highest by a Gamecock player in a game this season … He allowed two runs on two hits in 5.2 innings of work.
Carolina leads the SEC in home runs with 49 on the year as well as walks with 154 this season … The team’s .307 batting average puts them at fourth as well … The pitching staff team ERA of 3.76 is fourth best in the conference with opposing teams batting just .249 this season against Carolina … The Gamecocks are fielding .978, second best in the SEC.
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday, April 8 – vs. Western Carolina – 7 pm
Wednesday, April 9 – vs. Clemson – 7 pm
Friday, April 11 – at Auburn 6 pm CT
Saturday, April 12 – at Auburn – 3 pm CT (CSS-Delay)
Sunday, April 13 – at Auburn 2 pm CT
