March 29, 2012
March 29, 2012
| Coach Tanner |
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (18-7, 1-5 SEC) is back in conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Vanderbilt (10-15, 2-4 SEC). First pitch on Friday night is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET. Saturday’s game will start at 4 p.m. ET and will be televised live on CSS as well as Time Warner Cable channel 506 in South Carolina and North Carolina. Sunday’s game is a 2 p.m. ET start. All three games can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network from IMG College. South Carolina is ranked No. 10 in this week’s ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll, No. 11 in the Baseball America Top 25 and No. 14 in Collegiate Baseball’s Top 30.
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: Saturday – CSS/Time Warner 506 – Matt Stewart and Chip Fridrich
Internet: Live Gametracker at GamecocksOnline.com. Additional coverage on Twitter @GamecockBasebll and Facebook/Gamecocksonline
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina Michael Roth (Sr. LHP) 2-0, 1.28 ERA, 42.1 IP, 10 BB, 41 SO
Vanderbilt Kevin Ziomek (So. LHP) 2-3, 3.82 ERA, 33.0 IP, 10 BB, 34 SO
Saturday
South Carolina TBA
Vanderbilt Tyler Beede (Fr. RHP) 0-3, 6.46 ERA, 23.2 IP, 6 BB, 26 SO
Sunday
South Carolina Colby Holmes (Jr. RHP) 3-0, 2.67 ERA, 27.0 IP, 9 BB, 27 SO
Vanderbilt TBA
VANDERBILT SERIES
South Carolina leads the all-time series history vs. Vanderbilt with 47-21 record including a pair of wins last season in a three-game series in Columbia. Vanderbilt would win the fourth game of the seaosn between the two teams in Hoover, Ala. in the 2012 SEC Tournament. South Carolina is 7-4 over the last four years vs. the Commodores.
QUICK RECAP
Freshman left-hander Jordan Montgomery retired the first nine batters he faced and allowed just one run in 5.2 innings of work to earn his first career win as 10th ranked South Carolina bounced back with a 7-3 win over The Citadel on Tuesday evening in front of 4,417 fans at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston. South Carolina is now 18-7 while The Citadel drops to 9-15 for the season.
The Gamecocks raced out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed. Carolina’s nine-hit evening included two hits from Evan Marzilli, Joey Pankake and Tanner English. Marzilli and English each scored two runs as well with Pankake driving in a pair of runs. Nick Orvin was 2-for-4 to lead The Citadel.
CLOSE CALLS
South Carolina is 11-6 in games decided by three runs or less through 25 games. The Gamecocks also own a 6-5 record in one-run contests.
A CALL TO ARMS
South Carolina continues to lead the SEC in opponents batting average as opponents are hitting just .190 against the Gamecock pitching staff on the year. Carolina’s 2.75 team ERA is third best in the league with the squad at 237 strikeouts in 225.2 innings and just 78 walks.
SHOWING OFF THE GLOVE
The Gamecocks have also been playing pretty good defense with 13 errorless games on the year. South Carolina is fielding .980 with only 18 errors for the season. That is third best in the Southeastern Conference.
ROTH LEADS THE WAY
Senior left-hander Michael Roth continues to give the Gamecocks stellar starts on the mound. In a no-decision, Roth went 6.2 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in the 9-3 victory over top ranked Florida. Roth is 2-0 on the year with a 1.28 ERA in 42.1 innings with 41 strikeouts to 10 walks. Opponents are hitting only .152 against him, the second best mark for conference pitchers. He has pitched the most innings of any pitcher in the SEC and his ERA ranks third best as well.
Roth carried a shutout into the ninth inning and limited Princeton to just one run on six hits in a 2-1 victory over the Tigers. He also struck out a career-high 10 batters, the most strikeouts by a Gamecock pitcher since June 28, 2010 when Blake Cooper had 10 vs. UCLA in the CWS Championship Series. At one point in the game, he had retired 12 batters in a row.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Junior right-hander Matt Price returned to the bullpen last week and figured in two of the three games vs. the top ranked Gators. Price earned the win on Thursday night in the 9-3 victory as he shut down the Gator offense with 2.1 innings allowing one run, unearned, on no hits with three strikeouts to earn a victory. Despite a loss on Saturday, he pitched well as he allowed just two runs on one hit in 2.1 innings in the 5-4 loss to the Gators. For the season, Price is 3-2 with a 3.73 ERA. He has 37 strikeouts in 31.1 innings and opponents are batting just .165 against him.
ONE MORE APPEARANCE FROM ROTH & PRICE
Both Matt Price and Michael Roth are among career leaders in appeareances at South Carolina. Price sits at fifth with 81 appearances and Roth is sixth with 80 appearances. Rob Mosser (1990-93) holds the school record.
Appearance List88 Rob Mosser (1990-93)87 Aaron Rawl (2002-05)87 Jason Pomar (1996-99)86 Jamie Poston (1997-00)81 Matt Price (2009-present)80 Michael Roth (2009-present)
Price and Mosser are also tied for the school record for career saves with both having tallied 30 in their respective careers.
MARZILLI LEADS IT OFF
Junior outfielder Evan Marzilli has reached base in all 25 games this year. He is hitting .340 (34-for-100) with 19 runs scored and 12 RBI. He owns a .416 on-base percentage. Marzilli’s 34 hits tie him for eighth in the SEC. Marzilli had four hits including a three-run homer in the 8-5 win over Furman and was 3-for-4 win the 9-3 win over Florida.
Marzilli had a game-winning three-run double as well as a career-high four RBI in the 6-4 win over Appalachian State. He also tied a school record with three doubles in the 2-1 win over Princeton. It is the 25th time in school history that a player has tallied three doubles in one game.
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 keyt in the 13-1 victory as he went 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and two RBI.
WALKER PROVIDES A PUNCH
Junior first baseman Christian Walker is hitting .311 (28-for-90) with six doubles, three homers and a team-high 23 RBI. His RBI total is currently tied for ninth highest in the SEC. He is also among conference leaders with 15 walks that ties him for 10th highest in the SEC.
Walker is one hit shy of becoming the 25th player in school history to record 200 or more career hits. 12 out of 24 players that have reached the mark have been coached by Ray Tanner.
Walker tied a season-high in hits with a 3-for-4 day and a RBI in the 6-4 win over Appalachian State as well as three hits including two doubles in the 4-3 loss at Kentucky. He also had a season-high three hits as well as three RBI in the 8-1 win over UNC Asheville. In the 8-1 win over Elon, Walker 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.
PANKAKE SHOWCASE
Freshman infielder Joey Pankake follows Marzilli in the batting order and he has swung the hot bat as of late. Pankake is batting .354 (23-for-65) including a 5-for-6 game with a pair of RBI in the 8-5 win over Furman. The last Gamecock player with five hits in a game was Christian Walker on April 5, 2011 vs. USC Upstate.
He tallied his first career homer and RBI in the 2-1 win vs. Presbyterian. The game-winning hit came in the bottom of the fourth inning. 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.
Tyler Webb MAKES HIS MARK
Junior left-hander Tyler Webb has continued to shine in his role out of the bullpen. Webb leads the SEC with 14 relief appearances. Webb pitched 3.2 scoreless innings with jus two hits allowed and two strikeouts in the 5-4 loss to Florida. For the season, Webb is 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. Opponents are batting .141 against him.
MONTGOMERY SHOWS SOME POISE AND COMPOSURE
Freshman left-hander Jordan Montgomery struck out a season-high eight batters in the 8-5 win over Furman. He allowed just two runs on five hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Montgomery is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 20 innings pitched. He has 17 strikeouts to just one walk.
Despite a rough first inning vs Appalachian State, Carolina had a gutsy effort from Montgomery on the mound. He would last 4.2 innings and struck out three batters. He retired 10 in a row before giving way to Hunter Privette, who hurled 1.1 perfect innings with three strikeouts.
K-MART
Freshman Kyle Martin had a big pinch-hit two-run single in the 9-3 win over Florida. Martin is hitting .381 (16-for-42) with five RBI and seven runs scored.
Martin was the starting designated hitter the entire weekend of the Princeton series. He hit .556 (5-for-9) with a pair of runs scored and a RBI in the weekend sweep. Martin tied a season-high with three hits including a solo home run in the 2-1 win over Princeton on Friday night.
MILESTONES
The 8-5 win over Furman marked head coach Ray Tanner’s 1,100th career win in his 25th year as a head coach in Division I baseball. He won his 700th game as head coach at South Carolina in the 2-1 victory over Princeton.
BRING THE PAYNE
Sophomore infielder Erik Payne leads the Gamecocks in SEC games with a .364 average (8-for-22) in six conference games. Payne had a key two-run double in the 9-3 win over Florida.
He was 6-for-11 (.545) in the Kentucky series as well as 3-for-7 in midweek contests vs. CSU and ASU. Payne had two hits apiece in all three games at Kentucky as well as a solo home run in Friday’s 4-3 loss.
Payne is hitting .308 (16-for-52) for the season with two doubles, two triples, two homers, five runs scored and 10 RBI. He owns a .538 slugging percentage
HOLMES WITH THE ANSWER
Junior right-hander Colby Holmes owns a 3-0 record. Holmes hurled five scoreless innings with just four hits allowed in the 3-1 victory over Princeton He struck out six and walked one. Holmes owns a 1.88 ERA in five starts with 24.0 innings pitched. He has 25 strikeouts to nine walks.
BEAL BRINGS IT
Freshman right-hander Evan Beal struck out the side for his fourth save of the year in the 8-5 win over Furman. He is 1-2 with a 3.68 ERA. He has 23 strikeouts and just five walks in 14.2 innings.
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.
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. 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. Greiner is hitting .227 (15-for-66) with three doubles, two homers and 12 RBI
Not to be outdone is junior catcher Dante Rosenberg, who has played in 13 games with nine starts.
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 of a 3-2 win over VMI.
KOUMAS FACTORS IN
Sophomore right-hander Forrest Koumas pitched 2.1 perfect innings with four strikeouts in the 5-2 win over Charleston Southern. He is 1-2 with three saves and a 5.93 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched. He has 18 strikeouts.
ENGLISH HAS A KNACK
Another key offensive contributor has been freshman outfielder Tanner English. He tallied two hits in the 9-3 win over Florida. He was 2-for-5 with a run scored in the 8-5 win over Furman He had a season-high three hits and a run scored in the 5-2 win over Charleston Southern. English went 2-for-4 with two runs in the 8-1 win over UNC Asheville. 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 .309 (29-for-94) with 17 runs scored.
LB LIGHTS IT UP
Junior third baseman LB Dantzler hit his team-leading fourth home run, a solo shot, in the 5-4 loss to Kentucky. He was 2-for-4 with a season-high three runs scored in the 6-4 win vs. Appalachian State. He also went 2-for-4 with a RBI in the 6-3 loss at Kentucky.
Dantzler is hitting .226 (21-for-93) and has 16 RBI.
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.
