March 6, 2012
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (9-1) returns to action on Wednesday night hosting UNC Asheville (7-6) at Carolina Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game can be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network from IMG College including flagship station 107.5 FM “The Game.” Derek Scott and Tommy Moody will have the call. Live video broadcast is also available at GamecocksOnline.com.
LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: Gamecock IMG Network affiliates/Flagship WNKT FM 107.5 “The Game” in Columbia. Tommy Moody and Derek Scott will call the action.
Television: None
Internet: Live Gametracker at GamecocksOnline.com; Saturday – Live Streaming also available. Additional coverage on Twitter @GamecockBasebll and Facebook/Gamecocksonline
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Wednesday
South Carolina – Joel Seddon (Fr. RHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.1 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
UNC Asheville – Dean Roland (So. RHP) 2-1, 6.75 ERA, 14.2 IP, 6 BB, 8 SO
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: SC leads 7-0Columbia: SC leads 6-0Away: SC leads 1-0Neutral: N/A
Date Winner Score Site3-14-2000 SC 3-1 Columbia4-26-00 SC 7-3 Asheville3-5-02 SC 10-4 Columbia4-22-03 SC 5-1 Columbia3-20-07 SC 9-2 Columbia2-27-08 SC 12-0 Columbia5-17-11 SC 9-5 Columbia
DID YOU KNOW??
South Carolina has allowed the lowest amount of stolen bases among all 12 SEC schools with just three bases stolen against seven attempts in the first 10 games.
QUICK RECAP
South Carolina continued the 2012 season with a win over Presbyterian and two out of three wins in a weekend series with Clemson. Sunday’s loss snapped a 19-game winning streak for the Gamecocks that dated back to the 2011 season. South Carolina is 9-1 on the year. South Carolina has defeated Clemson in 16 of the last 23 contests between the two schools dating back to the 2007 season.
MATTHEWS EARNS TOM PRICE AWARD
South Carolina senior outfielder Adam Matthews earned the Tom Price Award as MVP of the series for South Carolina vs. Clemson. Matthews hit .417 (5-for-12) in the three games vs. the Tigers with four runs and four RBI. Matthews had two hits including a three-run homer in the 9-6 victory over Clemson on Saturday.
A CALL TO ARMS
South Carolina’s pitching staff continues to post some of the best numbers in the nation. Through 10 games, the Gamecocks have a 1.77 ERA with opposing hitters batting just .153 against him. Both those marks are best among the 12 SEC schools. The Gamecocks have 100 strikeouts to just 26 walks in 91.1 innings pitched and have allowed just 22 runs on 49 hits also. The Gamecocks lead the country in fewest hits allowed averaging just 4.83 hits allowed per game. Eight different pitchers have accounted for the nine Gamecock wins. Colby Holmes leads the way with a 2-0 record and a 1.26 ERA.
In the Elon series, the staff allowed just three runs, one earned, on seven hits in 27 innings of work with 32 strikeouts vs. the Phoenix.
BELCHER FACTORS IN
Junior left-hander Nolan Belcher had a productive week with a win and two saves in all three victories this past week. Belcher earned his first win since May 11, 2010 with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief in the 2-1 win over Presbyterian. He allowed just one hit and struck out three batters. He followed that up with saves in both the 3-2 and 9-6 wins over Clemson. Belcher is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in four appearances.
FROM THE LEFT – AND FROM THE RIGHT
Two other Gamecock juniors are also contributing out of the bullpen. Junior right-hander Ethan Carter and junior left-hander Tyler Webb have both posted 0.00 ERAs in a combined 19.0 innings pitched. Both also own 1-0 records. Webb has hurled nine innings in six appearances and has 11 strikeouts to two walks. Carter has pitched 10 innings in five appearances and has 10 strikeouts to two walks. Opponents are hitting just .088 against Carter while opponents are hitting only .091 against Webb.
DYNAMIC DUO BEHIND THE DISH
Freshman catcher Grayson Greiner became the first Gamecock to hit two home runs in a game this season when he belted a pair in the 6-5 loss at Clemson. Greiner had a three-run homer and a solo shot. He is now hitting .290 (9-for-31) with six RBI. The last Gamecock player to hit two homers in a game was Steven Neff on May 11 in a 7-1 win over Arkansas. The last freshman to accomplish the feat was Adam Matthews in 2009 against East Carolina in the NCAA Regional, a 12-2 win over the Pirates.
Not to be outdone is junior catcher Dante Rosenberg, who 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.
Greiner and Rosenberg along with the pitching staff have kept the opponent’s running game in check as well as South Carolina has allowed the lowest amount of stolen bases among all 12 SEC schools with just three bases stolen against seven attempts in the first 10 games.
ROTH PUTTING TOGETHER SOLID NUMBERS
South Carolina senior left-hander Michael Roth is the SEC leader in innings pitched with 20.1 in three starts. He is 1-0 with a 0.89 ERA and has 20 strikeouts to just five walks allowed. Opponents are hitting just .116 against him. Despite a no-decision on Friday, senior left-hander Michael Roth had a quality start in Friday’s 3-2 win over Clemson. Roth went 7.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Roth was honored by the Southeastern Conference with Bobby Wahl of Ole Miss as Co-Pitchers of the Week, during week two of play. Roth hurled seven innings of no-hit ball and limited Elon to just three walks while striking out seven batters in the 8-1 win over the Phoenix in the series opener on February 24.
CHECK IT OUT!
The eight-run total allowed by the Gamecock pitching staff through the first seven games was the lowest run total to start a season since 1977, when the Gamecocks allowed just seven runs in their first seven games.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Junior right-hander Matt Price has been effective in three starts. Price is 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA in 14.1 innings and has allowed just six runs on six hits while striking out 21 batters and walking six on the year. Opponents are hitting only .120 against him.
HOLMES WITH THE ANSWER
Junior right-hander Colby Holmes sports a 2-0 record and a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 innings pitched. He has 16 strikeouts to just six walks. Opponents are hitting .216 against him.
IF YOU BUILD IT – THEY WILL COME
South Carolina is among the nation leaders in attendance after three weekends. South Carolina has totaled 59,544 in attendance for seven home games for an average of 7,443.
Opening Day was sold out with a crowd of 8,242 in attendance. The three-game series vs. VMI totaled 23,253 for an average of 7,751 per contest. Carolina’s second sellout came on March 3 vs. Clemson. South Carolina has sold out Carolina Stadium with capacity crowds 13 times in school history.
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 100-19 (.840) record since opening the facility on Feb. 21, 2009.
WALKER PROVIDES A PUNCH
The 8-1 win over Elon featured junior first baseman Christian Walker, who reached base all four times at the plate including two hits, a homer and five RBI in the victory. The five RBI tied a career-high. Walker hit safely in all three games of the series.
Walker leads the team in hitting with a .294 average (10-for-34) with a homer and 10 RBI. His slugging percentage is .412 and on-base percentage is .415.
ENGLISH HAS A KNACK
Another key offensive contributor early in the season has been freshman outfielder Tanner English. He scored a run in all three games of the Elon series and hit safely in all three games as well. English drove in three runs for the weekend with a key two-run triple to left-center in 6-0 win over Elon in the second inning. English is hitting .270 (10-for-37) with six runs scored and six RBI.
English also factored in all three victories of the VMI series. 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.
PANKAKE SHOWCASE
Freshman shortstop Joey Pankake tallied his first career homer and RBI in the 2-1 win on Tuesday vs. Presbyterian. The game-winning hit came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Pankake was productive in the Elon series. He was 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored in the 8-1 win in the opener. He had two walks in game two and a hit and a run scored in the Sunday series finale. Pankake is hitting .265 (9-for-34) with nine runs scored.
LB LIGHTS IT UP
Junior third baseman LB Dantzler had a solo home run in the 9-6 win over Clemson last week. Dantzler leads the team with three homers and is tied with Walker with 10 RBI.
The week before, Dantzler launched a three-run homer in the first inning of the 6-0 win over Elon. Dantzler was solid in his debut vs. VMI 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.
MARZILLI LEADS IT OFF
Junior outfielder Evan Marzilli is the only Gamecock that has reached base safely in all 10 games. He is hitting .268 (11-for-41) for the year with six runs scored. He also has a team-high four stolen bases and has driven in four runs as well.
Marzilli’s defense was essential for the Gamecocks in the 3-2 win over Clemson in 11 innings. Marzilli had his first assist of the year with a throw to home plate to nab a Tiger runner trying to score and his diving catch with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning sealed the Gamecock victory.
Marzilli was effective in the first weekend vs. VMI as he hit .500 (6-for-12) with a .538 on-base percentage. Marzilli had a 3-for-4 day at the plate on Opening Day. He scored the game-winning run in the opener and also was key in the 13-1 victory as he went 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and two RBI.
AT THE PLATE & ON THE FIELD
Through the first 10 games, South Carolina is hitting .267 (88-for-329) as a team with 54 runs scored, a .340 on-base percentage and a .404 slugging percentage. The team is fielding .968.
A BRIGHT SPOT
Freshman infielder Connor Bright returned to the Lowcountry and played a pivotal role in the 3-2 win vs. Clemson at Joe Riley Park. Bright, a Mt. Pleasant native, tallied a RBI single in the 11th inning of the victory.
Bright has played four games with three starts and is hitting .300 (3-for-10) with two runs scored.
SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE RANKINGS
South Carolina sits at No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30. The Gamecocks are also No. 3 in Baseball America’s Top 25 and the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll.
K-MART
Freshman first baseman Kyle Martin is hitting .412 (7-for-17) in six games with four starts. Martin was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a double in the 9-6 win vs. Clemson. He added a pinch-hit single as well.
TJ SHOWS SOME POWER
Freshman infielder/outfielder TJ Costen has a phenomenal .909 slugging percentage in 13 plate appearances this year. Costen is hitting .364 (4-for-11) with a double, triple and home run as well as two RBI.
BEAL BRINGS IT
Freshman right-hander Evan Beal earned his first career win in the 9-6 victory vs. Clemson. Beal entered the game in the bottom of the fifth and retired nine in a row and lasted four innings allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out five and walking one. Beal is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and eight strikeouts in six innings pitched.
CAROLINA BASEBALLCATEGORY LEADERS
HITTINGBatting Average Christian Walker.294Games Played Six Players 10At Bats Evan Marzilli 41Runs Joey Pankake 9Hits Evan Marzilli 11Doubles Three Players 3Triples Four Players 1Home Runs LB Dantzler 3Runs Batted In LB Dantzler/Christian Walker 10Slugging Percentage Christian Walker.412Walks Joey Pankake 5Hit By Pitch Christian Walker3On Base Percentage Christian Walker.415Stolen Bases Evan Marzilli 3
PITCHINGEarned Run Average Six Players 0.00Wins Colby Holmes 2Losses Forrest Koumas 1Appearances Tyler Webb 6Games Started Three Players 3Saves Nolan Belcher/Forrest Koumas 2Innings Pitched Michael Roth 20.1Walks Colby Holmes/Matt Price 6Strikeouts Matt Price 21Opposing Batting Average Two Players .000
