Gamecocks Begin 2013 Season at Stetson Lead-Off Classic

Feb. 7, 2013

South Carolina Team Notes

South Carolina returns four position starters from last year’s team, including 40 starts in right field (Chelsea Hawkins), 44 at catcher (Shelby Gonzales) and 54 at both shortstop (Samie Garcia) and second base (Dana Hathorn).
The Gamecocks’ 2012 leaders in batting average, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, slugging percentage, walks and stolen bases graduated.
With the 11 departed players, the Gamecocks also lost players who took 41 of their 65 pinch-hitting appearances and the top four pinch runners.
Back is the 2012 team leader in runs scored (Samie Garcia, 41), who also tied for the team lead in stolen bases.
The team returns over two-thirds of the innings thrown in 2012, including ERA leader Audrey Broyles and strikeout leader Katelynn Howser.
Coming back from season-long injuries last year are redshirt senior Kelley Dillon and redshirt sophomore Julie Sarratt.
Nine newcomers join the roster, including six freshmen, a sophomore transfer and two junior-college transfers.
The team is again dominated by South Carolina natives, with 40 percent of the roster hailing from the Palmetto State.

Tracking Garcia

Samie Garcia enters 2013 on many top 15 career lists at South Carolina.
She’s seventh in batting average (.346), fifth in on-base percentage (.415) and sixth in slugging percentage (.503).
Garcia also stands fifth in hit-by-pitches (12).
In the per-game categories, she’s sixth in runs (0.65), fifth in hits (1.12), 13th in triples (0.05), fifth in home runs (0.09) and 14th in walks (0.28).

Family Ties

The Masters sisters Ashlyn and Lauren are the first siblings to play on the same Gamecock team and the second set ever, after the Troesh sisters, Leanna (1997-99) and Debralee (2000-03).
Junior Chelsea Hawkins is the niece of Tia Rogers (2002-04 letter-winner).

Scouting Stetson

The Hatters return six starters from last year’s 26-22 team that finished sixth in the Atlantic Sun.
The entire pitching staff returns, the strength of last year’s Hatter team, posting a 2.28 ERA.
Two-way players Courtney Brandt and Meredith Owen lead the returners.
Brandt hit eight homers and drove in 27 runs while posting a 2.20 ERA in 130.2 innings.
Owen struck out 143 batters in 187.1 innings of work, adding a team-best .311 batting average with 10 doubles and six homers.
Two Hatter freshmen, Molly Shasteen and Morgan Hatch, hail from the same high school as Gamecock junior Dana Hathorn, Timber Creek in Orlando.

Scouting Michigan State

The Spartans return seven position starters from last year’s 11-42 team.
Michigan State did not win a Big Ten game in 2012.
Kylene Hopkins returns, the Spartans’ top hitter (.397/.472/.519). She also led the team in doubles (15) and RBI (24).
Alyssa McBride comes back, the 2012 team leader with 11 stolen bases.
Returners Stephanie Sanders and Sarah Bowling both hit four homers a year ago.
Carly Nielsen, MSU’s top pitcher in 2012, is back after posting a 5.80 ERA in 103.1 innings of work.
Cassee Layne also returns as a pitcher after throwing 133 innings with 82 strikeouts last year (6.53 ERA)
Newcomers Kelly Smith (Jr., Friendswood, Texas) and Dani Goranson (Fr., Elk Grove Village, Ill.) join the pitching staff.
Smith posted a 1.11 ERA at McLennan CC last year, throwing 170.2 innings and fanning 202 while walking 51.