Dec. 14, 2011

2012 NCBWA Preseason All-America Team

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina senior left-handed pitcher Michael Roth, junior right-handed pitcher Matt Price and junior first baseman Christian Walker all picked up 2012 Preseason All-America accolades as announced by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Wednesday afternoon. The NCBWA tabbed Price and Roth with first-team honors with Walker receiving second-team honors. South Carolina opens the 2012 season on Friday, Feb. 17 hosting a three-game series with VMI at Carolina Stadium.

Roth, a consensus All-American and CollegeBaseballInsider.com’s National Player of the Year in 2011, went 14-3 last year while posting a 1.06 ERA in 145.0 innings of work. In his first full year as a starting pitcher, Roth struck out 112 batters and walked 41 to help lead the Gamecocks to their second-consecutive NCAA Division I national championship. Roth also tallied a 1.17 ERA in Southeastern Conference play, the lowest of any starter in the league. His 14 wins tied for fifth most by a Gamecock in a single season. A first-team All-SEC selection, Roth was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team and was a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American as well.

Price was also a consensus All-American in 2011 and a finalist for the 2011 NCBWA Stopper of the Year award. He earned first-team All-SEC honors and was on the College World Series All-Tournament Team. One of the nation’s top closers in 2011, Price went 7-3 with a 1.83 ERA along with 20 saves in 59.0 innings pitched. A first-team All-SEC selection, opponents hit just .213 against him as he compiled 75 strikeouts. Price is looking to begin the 2012 season in the weekend rotation.

Walker earned third-team All-America honors last year from Baseball America. He was the team’s leading hitter in the 2011 season with a .358 average (97-for-271) along with 21 doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 62 RBI. A second-team All-SEC selection, Walker would go on to earn College World Series All-Tournament Team honors after playing the entire CWS Championship Series with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist.

Matt Price BIO
2011 – 2011 MLB Draft Selection (6th round/Arizona Diamondbacks) … Earned All-America honors from Baseball America, CollegeBaseballInsider.com, NCBWA and PerfectGame … Finalist for 2011 NCBWA Stopper of the Year award … First-team All-SEC honors as a relief pitcher … College World Series All-Tournament Team … One of the nation’s top closers as he finished with a 7-3 record and a 1.83 ERA along with 20 saves in 59.0 innings pitched; opponents hit just .213 against him, he also compiled 75 strikeouts … 2-0 with two saves in five CWS appearances; hurled nine scoreless innings with eight strikeouts … 20th save of the season came in 5-2 win over Florida to clinch national championship; 1.1 perfect innings with a strikeout (6/28) … Earned 19th save of the season with one scoreless inning and a strikeout in 2-1 win in 11 innings vs. Florida in game one of Championship Series at CWS (6/27) … Earned win with 5.2 scoreless relief innings in 3-2 win over Virginia at CWS; struck out five batters (6/24) … 0.2 perfect innings to earn win in 5-4 win over Texas A&M at College World Series (6/19) … Two scoreless innings of relief to earn 18th save of the year with four strikeouts in 8-2 win over Connecticut in NCAA Super Regional (6/12) …… Save with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts in 8-2 win over Stetson to clinch NCAA Regional (6/5) … 1.2 perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts in 2-1 win over Georgia Southern in NCAA Regional (6/3) … Two scoreless innings of relief with just two hits allowed, two strikeouts and a walk in 4-2 loss to Georgia (5/27) … Earned 15th save of the year with 1.1 hitless innings of relief with two strikeouts in 3-2 win at Alabama (5/21) … Earned 14th save of the year with three innings of work in 6-3 win at Alabama (5/20); allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts … Picked up win with 2.1 innings of work allowing two runs on two hits with four strikeouts in 6-5 win over Arkansas (5/14) … Two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts to earn 13th save of the year in 7-3 win over Auburn (5/1) … One perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts to earn a save in 9-6 win vs. Liberty (4/26) … 2.1 scoreless innings of relief in 13-4 win over Mississippi State, allowed just two hits and struck out four batters … Two appearances in two wins vs. No. 1 Vanderbilt with a win and a save; 11 of 13 outs recorded were via strikeout … Season-high three scoreless innings with just two hits allowed and a season-high seven strikeouts to pick up the win in 5-3 victory vs. Vanderbilt (4/17) … Struck out all four batters he faced to pick up save in 3-1 win vs. Vanderbilt (4/15) … 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to pick up a save in 2-1 win at Tennessee (4/9) … Struck out lone batter he faced to pick up a save in 2-0 win at Tennessee (4/8) … 1.1 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and a strikeout in 4-0 win at Tennessee to pick up a save (4/7) … Earned victory with two perfect innings of relief and a pair of strikeouts in 4-3 win over Kentucky in 10 innings (4/2) … Earned seventh save of the year with one scoreless inning of relief in 3-1 win over Kentucky (4/1) … Picked up sixth save of the year with one perfect inning of relief with a pair of strikeouts in 6-4 win over The Citadel (3/30) … Picked up second win of the year with 2.1 scoreless innings out of the pen and just one hit allowed with one strikeout in 4-3 win over Florida (3/27) … Earned fifth save of the year with two scoreless innings with four strikeouts in 8-3 win over Georgia (3/20) … Picked up first victory of the year with one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts in 2-1 win over Georgia (3/19) … Pitched one scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in 8-4 win over Wofford (3/16) … Worked 0.2 perfect innings with a strikeout in 5-2 win over CSU Bakersfield (3/12) … Earned fourth save with one scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in 5-4 win over Clemson (3/8) … Picked up third save of the year with 1.2 perfect innings of relief in 6-3 win vs. Clemson, struck out the side in the top of the ninth as well (3/4) … One scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in 14-1 win over Furman (3/1) … Earned second save of the year with 0.2 perfect innings with one strikeout in 10-6 win over Southern Illinois (2/25) … Picked up first save of the season with 1.1 hitless innings of relief in 2-1 win over Santa Clara (2/19).

2010 – Freshman All-America selection by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball … Earned second-team All-SEC honors and named to SEC All-Freshman Team … Picked up win 2-1 victory over UCLA that clinched the national championship; hurled 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with just one hit and one walk allowed and struck out three batters (6/29) … Earned victory in 4-3 win over Clemson at College World Series that sent Gamecocks to national championship series (6/26); allowed one run on three hits in 2.1 innings with three strikeouts … Three no-hit innings of relief in 3-2 win over Oklahoma at the College World Series with five strikeouts (6/24) … Hurled 1.2 scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts in 11-4 win over Arizona State at College World Series (6/22) … One perfect inning of relief to earn a save with a strikeout in 10-9 win over Coastal Carolina in NCAA Super Regional (6/13) … Two scoreless innings of relief to earn a save in 4-3 win over Coastal Carolina in NCAA Super Regional (6/12) … Earned a save with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief and two strikeouts in 9-4 win over The Citadel in NCAA Regional (6/5) … Quality outing out of bullpen despite a loss in 3-1 defeat vs. Auburn at SEC Tournament (5/27); allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits in 3.1 innings with five strikeouts … Closed out 11-6 win vs. Florida with 2.2 innings of work allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks (5/22) … Earned a save with a perfect 1.1 innings of relief in 5-3 win at Arkansas (5/16) … Earned a save with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts in 3-2 win at Arkansas (5/14) … Picked up a save with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts in 13-9 win at Kentucky (5/7) … Key relief performance in 20-15 win over Alabama (5/2); allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work … 1.1 perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts in 5-4 loss to Ole Miss (4/18) … 0.1 scoreless inning of relief with a walk and a strikeout in 9-5 win over Ole Miss (4/18) … Pitched two perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts in 2-0 win at Vanderbilt (4/11) … Pitched 0.2 perfect innings of relief with a strikeout in 3-2 win at Vanderbilt (4/9) … Strong relief performance to earn win vs. Mississippi State (4/4); pitched five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits while striking out six batters in 14-2 victory (4/4) … Hurled a perfect inning of relief and struck out the side in 10-1 win over The Citadel (3/30) … Pitched 1.1 perfect innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts in 2-0 win at Auburn to earn save (3/27) … Pitched two perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts and earned first career save in 4-0 win vs. Tennessee (3/21) … One scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts in 8-4 win over Brown (3/13) … Picked up second win of the season with four scoreless innings of relief with just one hit and one walk allowed and a career-high eight strikeouts in 7-3 victory over Valparaiso (3/10) … Earned win with one inning of relief with two strikeouts and one run allowed on two hits in 7-5 victory over Clemson (3/6) … Pitched one scoreless inning of relief in 15-0 win over Presbyterian (3/3) …. Hurled one inning of relief and allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 10-3 win over Duquesne (2/19).

2009 – Missed most of the 2009 season due to fractured right wrist he sustained at The Citadel (3/31) … Career-high seven scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts in 2-1 win over Georgia Southern (3/25) … Two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts in 6-0 win vs. Davidson (3/17) … Three scoreless innings of relief allowing just three hits in 13-3 win vs. Old Dominion (3/10) … Earned first career win after 2.2 innings of relief, allowed just one run on two hits with three strikeouts in 7-5 victory over Long Beach State (3/7) … Pitched one inning of scoreless relief with one strikeout in 6-0 win vs. Duquesne (2/23).

Michael Roth BIO
2011 – Captain … National Player of the Year by CollegeBaseballInsider.com … Consensus All-America honors from ABCA, Baseball America, CollegeBaseballInsider.com, Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, Perfect Game USA … Earned first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors … Semifinalist for Golden Spikes Award presented by USA Baseball … Earned first-team All-SEC honors … Quarterfinalist for National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Hall of Fame … Named to Academic All-District Team … 2011 MLB Draft Selection (31st round/Cleveland Indians) … College World Series All-Tournament Team … Earned NCAA Elite 88 Award with highest grade point average of all student-athletes from eight schools at College World Series … SEC Academic Honor Roll … Impressive season with a 14-3 record and a 1.06 ERA in 21 games with 112 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched … Won 14th game of the season with 7.2 innings and just two runs allowed in five hits as Gamecocks clinched second straight national championship in 5-2 win over Florida at College World Series … Quality start and no-decision in 3-2 win over Virginia at College World Series (6/24); allowed just on run on four hits with three strikeouts in seven innings … Quality start in 5-4 win over Texas A&M at College World Series (6/19); did not allow an earned run in 7.1 innings and struck out eight batters … Allowed one unearned run on six hits in 8.1 innings to pick up 13th win of the season in the 5-1 win over Connecticut in the NCAA Super Regional (6/11) … NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team … Allowed one unearned run in seven innings of work and picked up 12th win of the year in 2-1 win over Georgia Southern in NCAA Regional (6/3) … Named to SEC All-Tournament Team after pitching first complete game of the season and second of his career in 7-3 win over Auburn; allowed three runs, all unearned, on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks … Posted 10th win of the season in 6-1 win at Ole Miss (5/6); allowed one run on six hits with six strikeouts and a walk … No-decision in 2-1 win vs. Auburn (4/29); allowed one run on seven hits in eight innings with six strikeouts and one walk … Two-run pinch-hit single in 9-6 win vs. Liberty (4/26) … Earned ninth win of the year with 6.1 innings allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 8-2 win at Mississippi State (4/22) … SEC Pitcher of the Week as he improved to 8-1 with win vs. Vanderbilt in 3-1 victory (4/15); allowed one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and two walks … Won seventh game of the year in 4-0 win at Tennessee (4/7); 7.2 scoreless innings with just six hits allowed and four strikeouts … Improved to 6-1 on the year with eight innings of work against Kentucky; allowed just one run on three hits with six strikeouts and one walk (4/1) … Strong start to earn win in 9-2 victory at Florida (3/25); worked season-high 8.1 innings and allowed two runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and two walks (3/25) … 1-for-2 with a double, run scored and a RBI in 24-4 win over College of Charleston (3/22) … Quality start despite a loss in 4-2 defeat to Georgia (3/18); allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in 6.1 innings of work … Earned fourth win of the season in eight innings allowing just one run, unearned, on five hits and tied career-high with nine strikeouts as Carolina defeated CSU Bakersfield 5-1 (3/11) … Pinch hit RBI groundout in 10-5 loss at Clemson (3/6) … Earned third win of the year in 6-3 victory vs. Clemson (3/4); allowed three runs, all unearned, on seven hits in seven innings with six strikeouts and three walks … Improved to 2-0 with win vs. Southern Illinois in 10-6 victory (2/25); worked 6.2 innings and struck out career-high nine batters, allowed just two runs on four hits … Starting designated hitter in 6-0 win vs. Santa Clara; recorded first hit of the season (2/20) … Opening Day starter on the mound, struck out six batters in 5.2 innings of work and earned victory in 12-5 win over Santa Clara (2/18).

2010 – Quality start in 2-1 victory over UCLA in national championship series victory (6/29); allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks … In first start of the season, pitched a complete game and limited Clemson to just one run on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5-1 victory at College World Series (6/25) … Picked up first win of the season and retired all 10 batters he faced with 3.1 perfect innings and career-high five strikeouts in 9-5 win over Bucknell in NCAA Regional (6/4) … Retired lone batter he faced in 3-1 loss to Auburn at SEC Tournament (5/27) … 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in 3-0 loss to Ole Miss at SEC Tournament (5/26) … One scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in 5-2 loss to Florida (5/21) … One perfect inning of relief with a strikeout in 3-2 loss to Florida (5/21) … Struck out lone batter he faced in 5-3 win at Arkansas (5/16) … Struck out lone batter he faced in 3-2 win at Arkansas (5/14) … One scoreless inning of relief in 13-9 win at Kentucky (5/7) … Retired lone batter he faced in 20-15 win over Alabama (5/2) … Retired lone batter he faced in 9-7 win over Alabama (4/30) … Struck out the lone batter he faced in 4-2 win over USC Upstate (4/20) … 0.2 scoreless inning of relief in 2-0 win at Vanderbilt (4/11) … 0.1 scoreless inning of relief in 3-2 win at Vanderbilt (4/9) … Picked up save with a perfect 1.2 innings of relief in 6-3 win over College of Charleston (4/7) … Made first start at designated hitter and hit a solo home run in 10-1 win over The Citadel (3/30) … 0.2 scoreless innings of relief in 2-0 win at Auburn (3/27) … 0.1 scoreless inning of relief in 8-5 win at Georgia Southern (3/23) … 0.1 inning of relief with a strikeout in 4-0 win over Tennessee (3/21) … 0.2 perfect innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts in 4-2 win over Tennessee (3/19) … Pitched one scoreless inning of relief with a pair of strikeouts in 8-3 win over Davidson (3/17) … Tallied save recording final out in 10-7 win over Brown (3/13) … Earned first career save recording final out in 7-5 win vs. Clemson (3/6) … Pitched 1.2 innings of relief allowing one run on hit in 4-3 loss at East Carolina (2/27) … 0.2 scoreless innings of relief in 6-2 win at East Carolina (2/26) … 0.1 perfect inning of relief in 5-3 win over Duquesne (2/21), also scored a run in one plate appearance. … 0.1 perfect inning of relief with a strikeout in 13-3 win over Duquesne (2/20).

2009 – Pitched two innings of relief at SEC Tournament vs. Vanderbilt; allowed one run, unearned, on two hits with a strikeout and a walk … Four scoreless innings of relief with just two hits allowed in 9-5 loss to Florida (4/26) … 0.2 scoreless innings of relief with one strikeout in 12-2 loss to Clemson (4/22) … 1.1 scoreless innings of relief in 14-6 win at USC Upstate (4/21) … 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in 6-4 loss to Auburn (4/18) … Second career start vs. College of Charleston (4/14), allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits in 4.1 innings of work … 3.0 innings of relief, allowed just one run, unearned, on one hit with three strikeouts and four walks in 7-6 win over Clemson (4/7) … 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts in 6-4 loss to Arkansas (4/3) … One scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in 10-0 win vs. Furman (4/1) … First career start vs. Georgia Southern, allowed one run on three hits in two innings with three strikeouts (3/25 ) … One perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts in 11-3 loss to LSU (3/22) … Three no-hit innings of relief to pick up first win in 6-5 victory over Presbyterian (3/9) … Pinch-hit RBI double in 15-8 win over Long Beach State (3/6) … First career appearance on the mound vs. Charleston Southern (3/4), pitched one inning and allowed one run on two hits … Pinch-hit single and a RBI in first career at-bat in 13-0 win over Duquesne (2/21).

Christian Walker BIO
2011 – Named to USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, could not participate due to broken hamate bone … Earned third-team All-America honors from Baseball America … Earned second-team All-SEC honors at first base and also named to SEC All-Defensive Team … College World Series All-Tournament Team … College World Series All-Tournament Team … Played entire CWS Championship Series with a broken hamate bone in left wrist … 2-for-4 in 5-2 win over Florida as Gamecocks clinched national championship at College World Series (6/28) … 2-for-5 and scored winning run in 2-1 win over Florida in game one of championship series at College World Series (6/27) … 2-for-5 with two RBI in 7-1 win over Virginia at College World Series (6/21) … Team’s leading hitter, started all 69 games with a .358 batting average (97-for-271), 21 doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 62 RBI; had a .554 slugging percentage … Key solo home run in eighth inning to break 2-2 tie as South Carolina defeated Connecticut 8-2 in NCAA Super Regional (6/12) … Named to NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team … 3-for4- with a run scored in 8-2 win over Stetson in NCAA Regional (6/5) … 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored in 11-5 win over Stetson in NCAA Regional (6/4) … 3-for-4 with a run scored in 7-2 loss to Vanderbilt (5/26) … 1-for-3 with run scored and RBI in 3-2 win at Alabama (5/21) … 1-for-4 with three RBI in 6-3 win at Alabama (5/20) … Two-run single in 11-1 win over Charleston Southern (5/11) … 4-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored in 9-3 win at Wofford (5/4) … 2-for-5 with a RBI in 7-3 win over Auburn (5/1) … 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in 9-6 win over Liberty (4/26) … SEC Player of the Week after going 10-for-11 (.909) with four RBI and six runs scored in series at Mississippi State … 4-for-4 with a two-run homer, four RBI and three runs scored in 13-4 win at Mississippi State (4/24) … 2-for-2 in 5-3 loss at Mississippi State (4/23) … 4-for-5 with two runs scored in 8-2 win at Mississippi State (4/22) … Game-winning RBI single in 2-1 win at Tennessee (4/9) … Game-winning two-run homer in 2-0 win at Tennessee (4/8) … Career-high five hits, was 5-for-6 with career-high four runs, five RBI and a grand slam in 18-2 win over USC Upstate (4/5) …1-for-4 with two RBI in 4-1 win over Kentucky (4/3) … 2-for-4 with a homer, double and four RBI in the 6-4 win over The Citadel (3/30) … 1-for-4 with two RBI in the 9-2 win at Florida (3/25) … 2-for-4 and tied career-high with three runs scored in 17-8 win over Rhode Island (3/23) … Game-tying RBI double in the eighth inning of the 2-1 win over Georgia (3/19) … 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in 8-3 loss to CSU Bakersfield (3/13) … Key RBI single in 5-4 win over Clemson (3/8) … 2-for-4 with a solo home run in 10-5 loss at Clemson (3/6) … 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in 6-3 win over Clemson (3/4) … 2-for-3 with a homer, three runs scored and four RBI in 14-1 win over Furman (3/1) … Continued hot start with a good series vs. Southern Illinois hitting .545 (6-for-11) with four runs scored and a pair of RBI … 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI and two doubles in 9-4 win over Southern Illinois (2/27) … 2-for-4 with two runs scored in 10-6 win over Southern Illinois (2/25) … Strong series vs. Santa Clara batting .500 (6-for-12) with a homer and a team-high six RBI … 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in 6-0 win over Santa Clara (2/20) … Homered and went 2-for-4 with three RBI in 12-5 win over Santa Clara (2/18).

2010 – Freshman All-America selection by Baseball America … Named to College World Series All-Tournament Team … Named to SEC All-Freshman Team … 2-for-4 in 2-1 win over UCLA in national championship series victory at College World Series (6/29) … 2-for-5 with a run scored in 2-1 win over UCLA in national championship series at the College World Series (6/28) … 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in 4-3 win over Clemson at the College World Series (6/26) … 3-for-5 with a RBI in 3-2 win over Oklahoma at the College World Series (6/24) … 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored in 4-3 loss to Oklahoma at the College World Series (6/20) … Game-winning three-run homer in 10-9 win over Coastal Carolina in NCAA Super Regional (6/13) … 2-for-5 with a two-run single in 4-3 win over Coastal Carolina in NCAA Super Regional (6/12) … 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored in 10-2 win over Virginia Tech in NCAA Regional (6/6) … 2-for-4 in 3-0 loss to Ole Miss at SEC Tournament (5/26) … 2-for-5 with a triple in 11-6 win over Florida (5/22) … 2-for-3 with a solo homer in 10-2 win over Charleston Southern (5/12) … 4-for-6 with three runs scored, four RBI and tied school single-game record with three doubles in 13-9 win at Kentucky (5/7) … 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and three RBI in 14-6 win over Winthrop (5/5) … 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored in 20-15 win over Alabama (5/2) … Hit a two-run homer and was 3-for-4 with two runs scored in 6-4 loss to Alabama (5/1) … 3-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored in 8-7 win over Georgia (4/25) … Hit a grand slam homer in 9-5 win over Ole Miss (4/17) … Game-winning two-run triple in the seventh inning of the 10-7 win over Tennessee (3/20) … 1-for-4 with two RBI in 15-0 win at Furman (3/16) … 2-for-2 after coming off the bench in 6-5 win over Brown (3/14) … 2-for-5 with a double, run scored and two RBI in 15-0 win over Presbyterian (3/3) …. 8-for-14 (.571) in Duquesne series with a double, two homers, five runs scored and seven RBI … 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI in 5-3 win over Duquesne (2/21) … 4-for-5 with a double, home run, three runs scored and five RBI in 13-3 win over Duquesne (2/20) … 2-for-5 with a homer in 10-3 win over Duquesne (2/19).