South Carolina Heads to Cougar Classic

Feb. 22, 2013

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2013 SC SB Notes (2/22)

South Carolina Team Notes

The Gamecocks have won all six games when they have scored eight or more runs. The team has not won a game scoring less than eight.
South Carolina’s leadoff batter has reached 60.7 percent of the time so far in 2013.
In two of the three losses, the Gamecocks drew one or no walks. South Carolina pitchers gave up five and three walks in two of the losses, two of their three highest outputs this year.
The three setbacks also hold three of the highest five strikeout totals for South Carolina batters.

Postcards from Orlando

Sophomore pitcher Katelynn Howser garnered her first career shutout in the Gamecocks’ 8-0 (5) win over Buffalo, giving up only one hit.
It was the first one-hitter for a Gamecock hurler since 2011, when Julie Sarratt did it against Coastal Carolina (4/11/11), and the 56th since 1995 for South Carolina.
Samie Garcia tripled in each of the last four games, matching her 2012 total in those four games.
Chelsea Hawkins and Kristen Struett both hit homers, leading the team with two each now.
Struett also leads the way with 14 RBI.

Opening Weekend Notes

South Carolina scored 52 runs on the opening weekend of 2013, picking up two run-rule victories while scoring double-figures in all four games.
It ranks as the first time the Gamecocks have scored double-figure runs in four-consecutive games in the NCAA era (since 1982).
The only other time in the NCAA era that the Gamecocks scored double figures in three-straight games was 1995 (10 at Virginia, 11 vs. George Mason and 11 vs. USF). T
wice have the Gamecocks scored more than 52 runs in four-straight games: 1988 (55 vs. North Carolina, Georgia Southern twice and McNeese State) and 1996 (62 vs. Coppin State and Virginia twice each).
The 15 runs in the lidlifter against Stetson is the most in a season opener in the program’s NCAA era.
The two run-rule wins to start the year matches the 1993, 1996 and 2004 squads.
On three occasions, Gamecock student-athletes tied the school record in runs scored. Twice, Samie Garcia accomplished the feat on Feb. 9, while Alaynie Page did it as well in the second game (vs. Stetson, Feb. 9).
Samie Garcia reached base in each of her first 10 plate appearances.

Tracking Garcia

Samie Garcia enters 2013 on many top 15 career lists at South Carolina, and her performance so far in 2013 has helped her leap up the charts.
She’s third in batting average (.367), second in on-base percentage (.436) and fourth in slugging percentage (.546).
After triples in each of the last four games in the UCF Holiday Inn Select Tournament, Garcia is tied for seventh in that career category with 10.
Garcia also stands fourth in hit-by-pitches (14), tied for 18th in homers (10) and 20th in runs.
In the per-game categories, she’s third in runs (0.74), second in hits (1.19), 12th in doubles (0.17) and sixth in home runs (0.08).
She stole four bases in the Stetson Lead-Off Classic to move into the top 10 in that category. Two more at UCF has her tied for eighth with 32 career stolen bases.

Schedule Notes

South Carolina opens the 2013 season with 22 scheduled road games (five weekends) due to ongoing construction at the new Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field.
The 1997 team spent 23 of its first 26 games away from home in the most similar stretch in the Gamecocks’ SEC-era history.
The 1988 squad played its first 31 games away from Columbia (six weeks on the road), while the 1987 team spent its first 20 games traveling (10 days).
The Gamecocks have 31 of their 53 scheduled games against teams who made the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
All 24 SEC games are against NCAA tourney participants.
Four of South Carolina’s SEC games will be on television, including one on national outlet ESPNU.

Roster 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.
Eighty-two percent of the team’s sacrifice hits departed, the highest of any offensive category. The next highest percentage is stolen bases (71%).
Despite losing doubles leader Kaitlin Westfall and single-season home run record-tying holder Evan Childs, the Gamecocks have 51 percent of its doubles and 52 percent of its homers back in 2013.
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.

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).
While not a Gamecock tie, Samie Garcia is cousins with Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Scouting Wagner

The Seahawks open their 2013 season in Charleston after going 18-34 last year, including a 5-15 Northeast Conference mark.
Brittany Huss leads the group of seven returning position starters, while three pitchers also are back for Wagner.
Huss hit .340 and reached base at a .434 clip during her junior year.
Kristen Matteoni (./306/.399/.500) and Kelsey Parker (.297/.370/.509) both hit seven homers a piece last season and led the team in stolen bases (five and six, respectively).
Judy Betz had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio (49 K/19 BB) in 81.1 innings of work as a junior, posting a 5.09 ERA.
Samantha Bedker tossed the majority of innings in 2012 as a freshman, posting a 5.30 ERA in 132 innings of work. She struck out 75 and walked 70.

Scouting Charleston Southern

Seven starters return from last year’s 33-26 team for the Buccaneers that went 12-9 in the Big South.
All three of the team’s main pitchers return from last year on a team that tallied a 2.46 ERA.
Morgan Dowdy, who fronted the staff with 165 strikeouts against 84 walks in 241.1 innings of work in 2012, will miss the season.
Jennifer Giles (90.1 innings, 61 K/27 BB) and Linzy Rother (43.2 innings, 37 K/10 BB) return, while Hayes Holdsworth is an addition to the staff.
Rother led the team in slugging (.486) and on-base percentage (.435) last year in 109 ABs.
Jana Matthews earned All-Big South honors last year, leading the team with 33 RBI, but she’s 5-for-24 this year.
Stephanie Sbardella tops the team through eight games with a slash line of .455/.552/.727.
Longwood transfer Marci Christian ranks second in all categories at .400/.483/.520.
Giles has tossed the bulk of innings so far, going 0-4 in five starts, tossing 38.1 innings and fanning 26 while walking 19 with a 2.56 ERA. She’s already hit 10 batters.

Scouting Radford

The Highlanders are searching to replace six position starters from last year’s 34-21 team that won the Big South regular season at 16-5.
Radford is 0-2 entering the weekend.
Back though is senior ace Jackie Jenkins, who posted a 2.16 ERA in 162 innings of work last season.
Jenkins, the Big South Pitcher of the Year, struck out just 39 while walking only 30 in those innings, posting a 17-9 record.
Stephanie Dameron also returns after going 6-0 with a 2.86 ERA in 51.1 innings of work.
Radford lost All-American Nichole Beall to graduation after hitting 13 homers last year.
All-Big South infielder Jessie Hutchins returns, hitting five homers and driving in 23 runs as a sophomore.
Also back are Morgan Eye and Ryndee Ruch. The latter went 3-for-6 with two RBI in the season-opening doubleheader against North Carolina.

Scouting College of Charleston

The Cougars lost one starter and only 13.2 innings from last year’s 37-23 team that went 14-9 in the Southern Conference. They are 4-3 entering the weekend.
Stephanie Saylors and Hope Klicker led the team in the circle, posting a 1.84 and 2.16 ERA, respectively.
Saylors fanned 170 and walked 40 in 186.2 innings of work, posting 10 shutouts, while Klicker struck out 141 and walked only 22 in 161.2 innings.
The top four hitters are back for the Cougars, including the team’s top two speed threats, Ashton Jarrett and Carly Corthell.
Corthell (.302/.343/.414) stole 21 bases in 24 tries, while Jarrett, the team leader with a .342 batting average in 2012, stole 13 in 16 chances. Jarrett already has four stolen bases in seven games.
Kelsey Hodgson hit 11 homers and posted a .299/.377/.549 line for C of C.
Mackenzie Maples led the team in on-base percentage (.399) last year.