Feb. 23, 2012

South Carolina-Elon Pregame Notes

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (3-0) continues the 2012 baseball season this weekend with a three-game series vs. Elon (4-0) at Carolina Stadium. First pitch on Friday is 3 p.m. with both games on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Live video broadcast for all three games is available at GamecocksOnline.com with live radio on the Gamecock IMG Network with Andy Demetra and Tommy Moody on the call.

LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: Gamecock IMG Network affiliates/Flagship WNKT FM 107.5 “The Game” in Columbia Andy Demetra and Tommy Moody will call the action.

Television: None

Internet: Live Gametracker stats and Live video streaming at GamecocksOnline.com Additional coverage on Twitter @GamecockBasebll and Facebook/Gamecocksonline

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION

Friday
South Carolina – Michael Roth (Sr. LHP) 0-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 0 BB, 6 SO
Elon – Kyle Webb (Jr. RHP) 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 0 BB, 6 SO

Saturday
South Carolina – Matt Price (Jr. RHP) 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 BB, 7 SO
Elon – Dylan Clark (Jr. LHP) 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 SO

Sunday
South Carolina – Colby Holmes (Jr. RHP) 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 0 BB, 6 SO
Elon – David Whitehead (So. RHP) 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: SC leads 7-3
Columbia: SC leads 6-2
Away: Tied 1-1
Netural: 0-0

Date        Winner  Score   Site5-1-1916    Elon    6-0 Elon4-21-73     SC  6-0 Columbia3-1-78      SC  24-2    Columbia3-17-99     SC  7-5 Columbia3-29-2000   Elon    7-5 Columbia3-28-01     SC  13-2    Columbia2-10-06     SC  5-4 (11)Columbia2-11-06     Elon    2-1 Columbia2-12-06     SC  8-3 Columbia3-27-07     SC  10-6    Elon

DID YOU KNOW??
South Carolina started five true freshmen in game two of the doubleheader vs. VMI. That is the most true freshmen position starters since Ray Tanner has been at South Carolina. (Connor Bright, Tanner English, Grayson Greiner, Kyle Martin, Joey Pankake).

QUICK RECAP
South Carolina opened the 2012 season with a weekend sweep of VMI at Carolina Stadium. South Carolina earned a 2-1 win on Opening Day and followed that up with a doubleheader sweep of 3-2 and 13-1 on Saturday.

A CALL TO ARMS
The Gamecock pitching staff picked up where it left off last season with a strong effort the entire first weekend on the mound. South Carolina had 11 pitchers that saw action. They combined for 36 strikeouts and just four walks allowed in 27 innings pitched along with a 1.33 ERA. The VMI hitters batted just .121 for the weekend with only one extra base hit and 11 total hits. That .121 batting average is the lowest among the 12 SEC school pitching staffs. The 36 strikeouts also lead the league.

LET’S GET IT STARTED
All three Gamecock starting pitchers had effective starts their first time on the hill for the 2012 season. Senior left-hander Michael Roth pitched well in the opener as he allowed just one run on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings of work. Making his first start since 2009, junior right-hander Matt Price did not allow a hit in five-plus innings and struck out seven batters to three walks with two runs allowed. Junior right-hander Colby Holmes earned his first win of the year with five shutout innings allowing just one hit and striking out six batters in the 13-1 win over VMI.

ACTION FROM THE `PEN
Junior left-hander Tyler Webb won his seventh career game and his first of the season in the 2-1 win over VMI in the opener. Webb’s last win came on May 17, 2011 in a 9-5 win over UNC Asheville. In a relief outing, Webb worked 2.1 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and struck out four batters. The four strikeouts are the most that Webb has totaled in a relief outing in his Carolina career.

Sophomore right-hander Forrest Koumas picked up his first career save in the 2-1 win on Opening Day. Koumas had 0.2 perfect innings with a strikeout to end the game.

Junior right-hander Ethan Carter returned to the mound for the Garnet & Black for the first time since 2010 and picked up a victory in relief of Matt Price in the 3-2 win over VMI. Carter’s four innings are the most ever in his career with the Garnet & Black and he delivered with just two hits allowed while striking out six of the 13 batters he faced.

CAROLINA ON OPENING DAY
South Carolina is now 82-38 on Opening Day including a 15-1 record under head coach Ray Tanner. The Gamecocks have won 14 consecutive Opening Day games.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATISTICAL LEADERSIN THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE(as of Feb. 20, 2012)
HITTING
BATTING AVERAGE  SEC LEADER    T9. Evan Marzilli - .500  Matt Reynolds (Arkansas) - .800
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE    T10.  LB Dantzler - .727    Sam Bates (Arkansas) - 1.333
ON BASE PERCENTAGE    12.  Evan Marzilli - .538 Matt Reynolds (Arkansas) - .846
HITS    T2.  Evan Marzilli - 6    Matt Reynolds (Arkansas) - 8
RUNS BATTED IN    T4.  LB Dantzler - 5    Sam Bates (Arkansas) - 9
TRIPLES    T1.  Evan Marzilli - 1    10 Players - 1
PITCHING
EARNED RUN AVERAGE    T1.  Ethan Carter (0.00)   12 Players - 0.00    T1.  Colby Holmes (0.00)
OPPOSING BATTING AVERAGE    T1. Matt Price (.000)    Price & Barrett Astin (Arkansas) - .000    T3.  Colby Holmes (.067)
INNINGS PITCHED    T4.  Michael Roth (6.0)    D. Varnadore (Auburn) - 7.0
STRIKEOUTS    T7.  Matt Price (7)  D. Varnadore (Auburn) - 11
SAVES    T1.  Forrest Koumas (1)  Four Players - 1

IF YOU BUILD IT – THEY WILL COME
South Carolina is second in the nation in attendance after the first weekend of play. Opening Day was sold out with a crowd of 8,242 in attendance. The three-game series totaled 23,253 for an average of 7,751 per contest.

South Carolina set a record for season tickets sold this year with a total of 5,580 sold in the preseason, surpassing the previous record of 5,414 set last year. South Carolina’s total attendance of 297,279 for 40 games last year at Carolina Stadium was second highest in the country.

The Gamecocks own a 95-19 (.833) record since opening the facility on Feb. 21, 2009.

MARZILLI LEADS IT OFF
Junior outfielder Evan Marzilli returned to the leadoff role and was effective in the first weekend as he hit .500 (6-for-12) with a .538 on-base percentage. Marzilli hit safely in all three games including a 3-for-4 day at the plate on Opening Day. He scored the game-winning run in the opener and also was effective in the 13-1 victory as he went 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and two RBI.

NEW FACES
The Gamecocks had 14 players see action for the first time in the Garnet & Black in the weekend series vs. VMI. Evan Beal, Connor Bright, TJ Costen, LB Dantzler, Tanner English, Grayson Greiner, Kyle Martin, Jordan Montgomery, Joey Pankake, Hunter Privette, Joel Seddon, Sean Sullivan, Drake Thomason and Chase Vergason were Carolina newcomers that played on opening weekend.

LB LIGHTS IT UP
Junior third baseman LB Dantzler was solid in his debut as he tallied a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning as South Carolina defeated VMI 2-1 in the opener. Dantzler followed that up with a three-run homer, a double and four RBI in the 13-1 win over VMI that helped Carolina sweep the Keydets. Dantzler finished the weekend 4-for-11 (.364) at the plate with five RBI and a .727 slugging percentage.

DYNAMIC DUO BEHIND THE DISH
Freshman catcher Grayson Greiner had an impressive debut hitting .400 (4-for-10) in his first career games with the Garnet & Black. He had two hits in the opener and also had a key defensive play in the top of the ninth inning as he nabbed the potential tying run at second base on a stolen base attempt. He was 2-for-4 with a double and run scored in the 13-1 win as well.

Junior catcher Dante Rosenberg played a pivotal role in the 3-2 win over VMI on Saturday. Rosenberg was 2-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and a RBI including the game-winning RBI hit in the bottom of the sixth inning in the victory.

WALKER PROVIDES A PUNCH
Junior first baseman Christian Walker had a combined four hits in the doubleheader on Saturday vs. VMI. In the 13-1 victory he drove in a pair with a RBI single in a seven-run fourth inning and he also scored a run.

K-MART
Freshman first baseman Kyle Martin also saw action in two of the three games in the VMI series. His big day would come in the 13-1 win as he went 3-for-5 with a double, RBI and two runs scored.

ENGLISH HAS A KNACK
Freshman outfielder Tanner English had a knack for being on base at key times in all three victories over the weekend. He tallied two hits in the opener vs. VMI, had a RBI base hit in the 3-2 victory and capped that off with two runs scored and a RBI in the 13-1 win in the series finale.

TJ SHOWS SOME POWER
Freshman infielder/outfielder TJ Costen belted his first career homer, a two-run shot and scored two runs in the 13-1 win over VMI.

AT THE PLATE
South Carolina hitters finished the weekend with a .347 batting average (35-for-101), a .393 on-base percentage and a .485 slugging percentage.

ON THE FIELD
The Gamecock defense was good as well with a .982 fielding percentage and just two errors made in 27 innings of play.

A LITTLE MORE ON THE BATS
Carolina’s 16-hit total in the 13-1 win over VMI is the most hits by a Gamecock team since April 24, 2011 when Carolina tallied 18 hits in a 13-4 win over Mississippi State. It is also the highest hits total by a Gamecock team on Opening Weekend since Feb. 23, 2008 when the Gamecock offense rattled off 19 hits in a 22-5 win over East Carolina.

SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE RANKINGS
South Carolina sits at No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30 as well as in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll. The Gamecocks are also No. 3 in Baseball America’s Top 25.

CAROLINA BASEBALLCATEGORY LEADERS
HITTINGBatting Average    Kyle Martin/Evan Marzilli   .500Games Played    Eight Players   3At Bats    Evan Marzilli 12Runs    Evan Marzilli 3Hits    Evan Marzilli 6Doubles    Dante Rosenberg 2Triples    Evan Marzilli 1Home Runs    TJ Costen/LB Dantzler   1Runs Batted In    LB Dantzler 5Slugging Percentage    LB Dantzler.    .727Walks    Grayson Greiner 2Hit By Pitch    Grayson Greiner 1On Base Percentage    Grayson Greiner/Evan Marzilli   .538Stolen Bases    Evan Marzilli 1
PITCHINGEarned Run Average    Eight Players   0.00Wins    Three Players   1Losses    N/A N/AAppearances    11 Players  1Games Started    Three Players   1Saves    Forrest Koumas   1Innings Pitched    Michael Roth   6.0Walks    Matt Price   3Strikeouts    Matt Price   7Opposing Batting Average    Four Players    .000