Feb. 27, 2012

Notes for Feb. 27

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Gamecocks, riding a five-game winning streak, host Charleston Southern in a doubleheader on Tuesday at Beckham Field before heading to Charlotte on Wednesday for a single game against the 49ers. First pitch of Tuesday’s twinbill is set for 2:30 p.m., while Wednesday’s contest at Charlotte is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start. All three games will have a live audio broadcast on GamecocksOnline.com, and Gametracker will be available for Tuesday’s double dip vs. the Buccaneers.

Carolina in the Month of February
In the 20-plus years of starting the season in the second month of the year, Carolina is 156-71-1 (.686) during February. Last year, the Gamecocks went 9-4 during the season’s opening month.

Strong Weekend Propels Quartet Onto Gamecock Invite Team
Even in a rain-shortened event, the Gamecocks stood out, running to another title and claiming four spots on the all-tournament team. Samie Garcia earned the Gamecock Invitational MVP after going 7-for-11 in the event and leading the Gamecocks in runs and stolen bases. She was joined by three seniors: Evan Childs (three runs, four RBI, double and homer), Lauren Lackey (.545 batting average, two stolen bases) and Kierstyn White (two complete game wins).

Hathorn Leads Gamecocks Past Winthrop
Sophomore second baseman Dana Hathorn has provided stellar defense and clutch offense during her time at South Carolina. In the Feb. 22 win over Winthrop, Hathorn provided two two-run doubles to help lead the team to a 9-1 win in five innings over the Eagles. The Gamecock leader in assists, the Orlando, Fla., native ranks fourth on the team with a .370 batting average.

Big RBI Games Already Surpassing Last Year
The Gamecocks have posted three four-RBI games already in 2012, one more than in the whole of 2011. Sophomores Chelsea Hawkins (2/11) and Dana Hathorn (2/22) both drove home four in wins over Winthrop, while junior Samie Garcia had a grand slam in the win over Providence (2/17).

Westfall A Double Machine in Early Going . . .
Senior leftfielder Kaitlin Westfall leads the SEC with eight doubles this season, two more than her closest competition. Five came in the Blue & Gold Feisberg Memorial, as she posted two each in wins over Illinois-Chicago and Villanova. Last season, P.J. Fulmer led the team with 10, while Georgia’s Megan Wiggins posted 23 to lead the league.

While Lackey Likes Stretching It to Three . . .
Westfall’s teammate and fellow outfielder Lauren Lackey posted two triples in two games on Feb. 19, tying for the SEC lead in that category. Lackey is looking to be the first Gamecock since Ashton Payne in 2007-08 to lead the team in triples in consecutive seasons. With two more triples, Lackey would tie for ninth in program history with nine in her career.

Childs Likes to Trot
Senior third baseman Evan Childs has tallied four homers on the year, hitting two in the two games on Feb. 19 at Florida International and another in the Presbyterian win. She’s tied for fifth in the league in long balls. Childs is vying to be the first Gamecock since McKenna Hughes (2004-07) to lead the team in homers twice in her career.

Garcia Grand at FIU
Junior shortstop Samie Garcia led the Gamecocks during the Blue & Gold Feisberg Memorial, posting nine RBI in the event, with four coming on one swing. Her grand slam versus Providence helped propel South Carolina to the 9-1 (5) win. She holds a 12-game hitting streak entering the Tuesday two-fer, the first double-digit skein since Ashton Payne’s 18-game streak in 2008.

South Carolina Defense Downfall in Losses
A common strand runs through the Gamecocks’ three losses: defensive errors and unearned runs. In the setbacks, the Gamecocks committed seven errors combined and allowed nine unearned runs. The only game that would have stay tied without those runs would be against Tennessee State; the rest would all favor the Gamecocks. Last season, South Carolina posted 60 errors in 56 games and had a respectable .964 fielding percentage. It made a difference, as South Carolina went 21-19 when making one or no errors. That record fell to 5-7 in games with two errors. When the Gamecocks made three or more errors, they went 0-4.

White Spotless for First Time vs. Illinois-Chicago
Senior pitcher Kierstyn White tossed her first career shutout on the trip to Miami. She blanked defending Horizon League champs Illinois-Chicago, coming within two outs of a no-hitter. The two-hit blanking stands out even more, as White tossed 74 pitches in the seven-inning affair. She now has five complete games on the year, the last coming in Sunday’s 4-2 win over George Washington.

Quartet Claim Palmetto Classic All-Tourney Honors
South Carolina took home the team title from the Palmetto Classic, and four Gamecocks led the way on the all-tournament team. Senior Kaitlin Westfall claimed MVP honors, leading South Carolina with five RBI on the weekend. Joining her on the team was another senior, Evan Childs, who posted a huge day in the win over Cleveland State. Sophomore Dana Hathorn captured a spot, collecting a hit in each of the four games, while redshirt junior Audrey Broyles also garnered recognition. Broyles had the complete-game win over Western Kentucky, an eight-inning affair.

Broyles Goes the Distance and More
Redshirt junior Audrey Broyles passed a personal milestone in her first start of 2012, tossing 117 pitches in the complete-game victory over Western Kentucky. That marked the first time since 2010 that Broyles had thrown that many pitches, when she threw 120 in the loss at Florida Atlantic. Broyles felt so strong that she tossed another 1.1 innings against Winthrop on Saturday.

A Much Better Showing in 2011
South Carolina posted one of the best turnarounds in the country last year, the first under Beverly Smith. The 12 1/2 game improvement tied for 12th in NCAA Division I, and the mark was the eighth best for a team that finished 2010 under .500.

Record Speed in 2011
Last season, South Carolina recorded 79 stolen bases, tying the 1992 team for the second most in program history. That trailed only the 1995 squad (87) and marked just the fourth time in recorded history (since 1982) that the Gamecocks averaged over a steal per game (1992, 1994, 1995). The 2011 team did set one speed record, attempting to steal 99 stolen bases. The team 79.8 percent success rate ranks third in the last decade.

Returning junior Hannah Milks had her name written in the single-season record books twice for her work on the basepaths last year. Her 0.32 steals per game ranked ninth in Gamecock history, while her and senior Lauren Lackey’s perfect percentage became the sixth and seventh such seasons at South Carolina. Milks stole 16 bases without being caught, one more than Lackey.

Gamecocks Among Most Experienced Teams in NCAA Division I
South Carolina has 10 seniors listed on the roster for 2012, which is believed to be the most in NCAA Division I this year. Seven position starters return from last year, losing starters at catcher and designated player. When removing two players expected to sit out this year due to injury along with the starts by last year’s seniors, the Gamecocks bring back 92.3 percent of their outfield starts and 84.8 percent of infield starts from third to first.

Offensive Improvement Easy to See from `10 to `11
In 2011, the Garnet and Black tallied a batting average that was 51 points better than 2010 (.267-.216), an on-base percentage 54 points improved (.341-.287) and a slugging percentage 94 points better (.382-.288).From 2010 to 2011, the Gamecocks posted 89 more runs, 130 more hits, 14 more doubles, 10 more triples, 16 more homers, 36 more walks and 66 more stolen bases in `11. They also had 76 less strikeouts in 253 more at bats.

Gamecocks Set Painful Record in 2011
South Carolina, as a team, took more hit by pitches than in any season previous, getting hit 37 times. The previous mark came in 2009, when the team took 32 pitches off their collective bodies. Those are the only two seasons in record of over 30 HBPs.

And the Pitching Has Picked Up, Too
The Gamecock offense was not the only thing that improved from `10 to `11. The team’s ERA finished more than a run and a half better than in `10 (3.31-4.97). South Carolina tossed four more complete games and seven more shutouts than the year before, and opponents hit 66 points lower (.253-.319) against the team. In roughly 60 more innings, the Gamecocks compiled four more strikeouts and just one more walk.

Horseshoes, Hand Grenades, Etc.
In last year’s 26-30 season, South Carolina went 7-11 in one-run games and 1-3 in extra-inning affairs. Turning half of those one-run losses into wins would move the Gamecocks a long way to their goal of NCAA Tournament eligibility. The Gamecocks matched their extra-inning win total from last season with the 5-4 victory in eight over Western Kentucky and stand at 1-1 in one-run games.

South Carolina Made Defenses Work in `11
The Gamecocks did a great job putting balls in play during 2011, posting the least number of strikeouts as a team in the SEC (230). That played a role in South Carolina’s offensive resurgence.

There’s Plenty of Depth Again
South Carolina’s softball roster this season is comprised of 22 student-athletes, one less than last year. And after a year of work for 16 of those, there is a viable backup at every position who could see time for a variety of reasons. Two players, Kelley Dillon and Julie Sarratt, are likely out for the year due to offseason surgeries.

Coaches Know a Bit about Winning
Last season was outside of the norm for the Gamecock coaching staff. Both head coach Beverly Smith and assistant coach Janelle Breneman came down from North Carolina, which was ranked in the top 25 in each of their last five seasons in Chapel Hill, while the Tar Heels made NCAA Tournament appearances eight times during Smith’s tenure. Calvin Beamon also knows a litle about winning, claiming crowns at all three of his amatuer stops. A high school state champion at Smoky Hill High School in Cherry Creek, Colo., Beamon won a JUCO title at the College of Southern Nevada and the College World Series during his year at Texas.

South Carolina Picked to Finish Fifth in SEC East
In the poll of Southeastern Conference coaches prior to the season, South Carolina finished fifth in the SEC Eastern Division. Florida was the pick to win the East, while Tennessee ranked second. Kentucky edged out Georgia for the third spot. Alabama was the coaches’ choice to win the SEC West, while Florida was crowned the favorite for the overall title this season by one vote over Tennessee.

Scouting the Charleston Southern Buccaneers
Charleston Southern enters Tuesday’s game with a 9-4 record and on a four-game winning streak, taking three of those over Hampton and another over Maryland-Baltimore County. Jana Matthews leads the Buccaneers at the plate, driving in 13 runs and hitting a team-best .364. Stephanie Sbardella has two of the team’s four homers. Megan Lombard has hit only .222, but she has drawn 10 walks on the season.

In the circle, the Bucs rely on Morgan Dowdy, who has a 1.70 ERA in 37 innings of work. She’s struck out 22 and walked nine.

Series History Versus the Buccaneers
South Carolina owns a 11-1 advantage in the all-time series against Charleston Southern. At Beckham Field, that mark runs to 6-0, including two wins last year.

Last Meeting vs. Charleston Southern – April 5, 2011
The Gamecocks took home a 12-4 victory in five innings over Charleston Southern at Beckham Field. Shortstop Samie Garcia led the Gamecocks, getting three of the club’s 10 hits in the contest, posting a double and three RBI to go with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Centerfielder Lauren Lackey went 2-for-2 with three RBI and a run, while Julie Sarratt went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. First baseman Molly Brossart also doubled, while rightfielder Laura Mendes posted a triple.

Sisters Battle on Tuesday
Charleston Southern pitcher Linzy Rother and Gamecock freshman catcher Lacey Rother are sisters and get to reunite at Beckham Field on Tuesday.

Scouting the Charlotte 49ers
Charlotte enters Wednesday’s game with an 8-5 record overall, all at home. Their most recent win was a 12-2, five-inning win over Boston College to claim the 49ers Invitational crown, getting revenge for an event-opening loss. Offense has been the stronger side for the 49ers, led by Briana Gwaltney’s .310/.348/.643 line. Her four homers and 11 RBI lead the team. Alex Rogers has set her up, scoring 11 times and getting on-base at a .490 clip. She’s also stolen four bases in four tries. Natalie Capone has also been good on the bases, stealing three in four tries.

Lexi Betancourt has led the team’s pitchers, going 5-2 with a 2.68 ERA. She’s struck out 27 and walked eight in 44.1 innings. Katie Watkins has a less impressive ERA at 3.50, but her other stats suggest she may be stronger. She has tossed 38 innings, fanning 42 and walking 14. Both have been susceptible to the long ball, giving up 10 between the two of them.

Series History Versus the 49ers
The Gamecocks are 31-5 all-time against the 49ers in a series that dates back to 1988. In Charlotte, South Carolina is 11-2, taking last year’s matchup at D.L. Phillips Complex 6-0.

Last Meeting vs. Charlotte – April 20, 2011
South Carolina used a seventh-inning Hannah Milks sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 win over Charlotte at Beckham Field. The rightfielder came up with centerfielder Lauren Lackey on third and hit the 3-0 pitch to center field just to the right of the pink “SC” logo, painted that color for StrikeOut Cancer day at the park. That was deep enough for Lackey to score from third. She reached on a leadoff infield single, moved to second on shortstop Samie Garcia’s perfect sacrifice bunt and took third on a wild pitch.