March 1, 2012
Highlander Classic Tournament Central
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – South Carolina heads west to southern California for four games in the Highlander Classic at UC Riverside. The Gamecocks start the weekend with a pair of games on Friday against Portland State and Maine, with first pitch against the Vikings set for 9 a.m. PST. Live audio will be available at GamecocksOnline.com, while live stats are also linked there.
Carolina in the Month of March
Since 1984, the Gamecocks are 415-210-3 (.663) in the third month of the year. Last season, the mark was 8-11 in March for South Carolina.
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).
South Carolina Offense Posts Back-to-Back 10+ Run Games
South Carolina rebounded from a two-hit effort in the first game against Charleston Southern to post consecutive 10+ run games. The Gamecocks rebounded to with a 11-2 win in five innings over the Buccaneers on the nightcap of Feb. 28 before posting a 13-7 win at Charlotte on Feb. 29. The last time South Carolina scored 10+ in consecutive games was on April 3, 2005 when the Gamecocks run-ruled Kentucky in both halves of a doubleheader in Lexington by scores of 12-2 and 10-1.
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 four four-RBI games already in 2012, doubling what the team did 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). Senior Evan Childs had four in the second game of the Charleston Southern doubleheader.
Westfall A Double Machine in Early Going . . .
Senior leftfielder Kaitlin Westfall leads the SEC with nine doubles this season, three more than her closest competition, one of which is teammate Dana Hathorn. 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. If Westfall gets to 15, she’d have one of the top 10 seasons for doubles in Gamecock Softball history.
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.
The Lake Elsinore, Calif., native has a hit in 12 straight games, the longest hitting streak of her career. She’s now leading the team with a .465 batting average.
Childs Prefers to Trot
Senior third baseman Evan Childs has tallied six homers on the year, the last two coming on consecutive nights against Charleston Southern and Charlotte. The last one was the 12th of her career, tying her for 10th on South Carolina’s all-time list. She’s tied for first in the league in long balls, and 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 15-game hitting streak entering the weekend, 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 three of the Gamecocks’ four losses: defensive errors and unearned runs. In the first three 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. The final loss came when South Carolina managed only two hits in the first game of the Charleston Southern doubleheader on Feb. 28.
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 six 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 Portland State Vikings
The Vikings enter the weekend with a 7-7 record. Offensively, Karmen Holladay leads the way with a .390/.468/.854 mark. She has already hit five homers and driven in nine runs. Brittany Hendrickson ranks second in the slash categories at .333/.364/.476. Jenna Krogh has stolen three bases in as many attempts so far.
Anna Bertrand holds a 2.10 ERA, tossing over two-thirds of the team’s innings so far. She’s struck out 65 and walked 15 in 66.2 innings. Behind her is Holladay (6.56 ERA) and Raya Johnson (5.88 ERA).
Series History Versus the Vikings
The two programs have met once long ago in the AIAW World Series, where the Vikings took a 10-7 win in 1978
Scouting the Maine Black Bears
Maine enters the weekend with a 4-6 record, winning their last three at Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State. Leading the team at the plate is Dagmar Ralphs, who has a line of .393/.433/.607 so far. She’s got four of the Black Bears’ 10 doubles. Jean Stevens has two homers to help her line of .400/.526/.867. Remarkably, no Maine player has driven in more than four runs this season.
Ashley Kelley leads the team in the circle, posting a 3.32 ERA in 31.2 innings of work. She’s struck out 15 and walked eight, the best ratio on the staff.
Series History Versus the Black Bears
The Gamecocks are 3-0 all-time against Maine, with all three games coming in the first five years of the Joyce Compton era. The previous three meetings came in Florida, one in Orlando and the final two in Tampa in 1988 and 1991.
Scouting the UC Riverside Highlanders
UC Riverside enters the the Highlander Classic with a 4-10 record, but the Highlanders went 3-1 last weekend in a home tournament, run-ruling Illinois-Chicago 9-1 in five in the first game. Kayla White is Riverside’s top hitter, driving in 11 runs and posting a .500 on-base percentage. Jessica Vasser holds a .394 batting average and a .545 slugging percentage. A speedy team, the Highlanders have stolen 18 bases on the year, led by Ariel Shore’s six and White’s four.
Amy Lwin leads UC Riverside with a 3.65 ERA, posting 16 strikeouts and six walks in 23 innings. Jordyn McDonald has tossed the most innings at 31 but has the highest ERA at 5.87.
Scouting the UC Davis Aggies
Going into Friday’s contest, UC Davis stands at 5-12 on the season, but one of those wins was a 2-1 upset of No. 8 Stanford at home. The team needs strong pitching, as they have been outscored 86-44 on the year. The duo of Justine Vela (4.41 ERA) and Jessica Thweatt (4.42 ERA) have tossed all but six innings on the year. Vela may be better, fanning 68 and walking 24 in 60.1 innings, compared to Thweatt’s 32 K’s and 34 BB’s in 44.1 innings.
Rachel Miller stands as the top Aggie hitter with her .300/.429/.550 line. She’s driven in 11 and hit three homers on the year. Megan Guzman is a threat on the basepaths, stealing five bases in five tries.
