March 14, 2011
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (11-2) returns to action on Tuesday night vs. Furman (6-11) in a non-conference tilt at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. with the game airing on the Gamecock Radio Network with live audio also available at GamecocksOnline.com. Carolina remains ranked as high as No. 4 in the country heading into this week’s action. South Carolina will start sophomore LHP Adam Westmoreland (0-0, 2.93 ERA). Furman will counter with junior LHP Daniel Stallsmith (1-1, 3.57 ERA).
RECAP
South Carolina continued the 2011 season with a victory vs. Clemson at Fluor Field on Tuesday and winning two of three games in a series vs. nationally ranked Cal State Bakersfield this weekend at Carolina Stadium. Carolina has won all four three-game series it has played this year. The Gamecocks own an 11-2 overall record.
ROTH
Junior left-hander Michael Roth improved to 4-0 on the year earning a victory in the 5-1 win over Cal State Bakersfield. Roth worked a season-high eight innings and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts and allowed just one walk and one unearned run in the victory. Roth is currently one of six pitchers in the SEC with four victories and is second in the conference with a 0.99 ERA. He is also tied for fourth in strikeouts (30) and tied for fourth innings pitched (27.1).
BRADLEY
Junior outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was stellar in the CSU Bakersfield series hitting .556 (5-for-9) in three games with a .615 on-base percentage. Bradley went 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI in the 5-1 victory over the Roadrunners. He also had a pair of hits in Tuesday’s 5-4 win over Clemson. With five hits this weekend, Bradley has 197 career hits now and is three hits away from becoming the 24th player in school history to record 200 or more hits. For the season, Bradley is batting .396 (19-for-48) with four HR and 14 RBI as well as six doubles. He has a .483 on-base percentage and a .813 slugging percentage. His slugging percentage is second best in the SEC, he is tied for second in home runs, tied for third in total bases (39), is eighth in on-base percentage and 12th in batting average.
WALKER
Sophomore first baseman Christian Walker was 2-for-4 with two doubles in Sunday’s 8-3 loss to Cal State Bakersfield. He leads the SEC in slugging percentage (.830), is third in on-base percentage (.536) and batting average (.447) and tied for second in home runs (4). He has a team-high nine multi-hit games in 13 games for the season.
NEFF
Junior left-hander Steven Neff earned his second win of the season in Saturday’s 5-2 win over Cal State Bakersfield. In his second start of the season, Neff went 5.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts and two hit by pitches. For the season, he is 2-0 with a 3.29 ERA in 13.2 innings with 13 strikeouts.
WILLIAMS
Junior outfielder Jake Williams had a pinch-hit three-run homer as Carolina defeated Clemson 5-4 on Tuesday night to clinch the season series vs. the Tigers. He also had two hits in the 5-2 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday. For the season, he is hitting .400 (12-for-30) with five runs scored, eight RBI, a double, two triples and a home run.
MORALES
Senior infielder Adrian Morales continues to find his way on base. He is hitting .308 (12-for-39) and has the team’s third highest on-base percentage at .463. Morales leads the team with nine walks and four hit by pitches as well.
BEARY
Senior utility player Robert Beary got the start behind the plate in Saturday’s 5-2 win over CSU Bakersfield and was productive at the plate going 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
TAYLOR
Senior right-hander John Taylor had two scoreless appearances in the weekend series vs. CSU Bakersfield. He worked one scoreless inning in Friday’s 5-1 win with a pair of strikeouts and also had a scoreless inning with a strikeout in the 5-2 win on Saturday. Taylor has a 0.00 ERA in eight relief appearances with just three hits allowed as well as 12 strikeouts in eight innings pitched.
PRICE
Sophomore right-hander Matt Price had a pair of scoreless outings in the Tuesday 5-4 win over Clemson and Saturday’s 5-2 win over CSU Bakersfield. Price hurled one scoreless inning to pick up his fourth save of the year in the win vs. the Tigers and retired both batters he faced in the win vs. the Roadrunners. Price has 14 career saves in a Gamecock uniform that is 10th best in school history.
HARPER
Junior left-hander Bryan Harper tied a season-high with 2.1 innings pitched in the 5-2 win over CSUB. Harper has a 1.69 ERA in six relief appearances with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
KOUMAS
Freshman right-hander Forrest Koumas won his first career game last Tuesday vs. Clemson. Koumas went 2.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
PITCHING STAFF
South Carolina’s pitching staff ranks third in the SEC with a 2.64 earned run average. The staff has allowed just 99 hits in 116.0 innings pitched with 115 strikeouts to 38 walks. Opponents are hitting just .233 against the staff.
ON THE FIELD
South Carolina is hitting .290 (120-for-414) as a team. The Gamecocks are tied for the league lead with 14 home runs. Carolina also is tied for second in the SEC with a .476 slugging percentage. South Carolina is fielding .972 as a team.
