March 25, 2013
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina continued the 2013 season with a non-conference win last Tuesday at The Citadel and three losses vs. No. 17 Arkansas in a weekend series at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks are now 18-6 on the year with a 2-4 record in the SEC. South Carolina travels to College of Charleston Tuesday night and then returns back to Carolina Stadium hosting Texas A&M in a three-game SEC series beginning on Thursday night with the SEC Game of the Week on ESPNU.
Record: 18-6
SEC: 2-4
Home: 14-4
Away: 3-1
Neutral: 0-1
Last Week: 1-3
3/19/13 – at The Citadel (W, 9-5)
3/22/13 – vs. Arkansas (L, 15-3)
3/2313 – vs. Arkansas (L, 4-2)
3/24/13 – vs. Arkansas (L, 5-3, 11 inn.)
NOTES:
South Carolina continued the 2013 season with a non-conference win last Tuesday at The Citadel and three losses vs. No. 17 Arkansas in a weekend series at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks are now 18-6 on the year with a 2-4 record in the SEC. South Carolina travels to College of Charleston Tuesday night and then returns back to Carolina Stadium hosting Texas A&M in a three-game SEC series beginning on Thursday night with the SEC Game of the Week on ESPNU.
South Carolina senior left-hander Tyler Webb allowed his first runs of the season and saw a streak of 31.0 consecutive innings dating back to last year without yielding a run snapped in Sunday’s 5-3 loss in 11 innings vs. the Razorbacks. Webb was valiant in relief with 4.2 innings of work and allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. For the season, Webb is 0-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 12 relief appearances with eight saves. He leads the conference with his eight saves. He has 26 strikeouts in 18.0 innings pitched with opponents hitting only .150 against him.
Sophomore shortstop Joey Pankake has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games and has six multi-hit games, second best on the team, as well three multi-RBI contests. Pankake hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs in the 9-5 win over The Citadel on Tuesday night. He is hitting .329 (26-for-79) with five homers and 20 RBI. He has also scored 17 runs.
Senior left-hander Nolan Belcher pitched well despite a loss in Saturday’s 4-2 contest to the Razorbacks. A streak of 31.2 consecutive innings without allowing a run this year was snapped when Arkansas scored in the sixth inning against him. Belcher went 7.1 innings allowing four runs on nine hits with six strikeouts. With the loss, Belcher is now 4-2 on the year. He has a 1.45 ERA in six starts with 43.1 innings pitched on the year. Belcher leads the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio with 42 strikeouts and just one walk. Belcher has gone a span of 38.2 innings without allowing a walk. His ERA is fourth best in the SEC.
Senior first baseman LB Dantzler hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season in Tuesday’s 9-5 win over The Citadel. Dantzler leads the Gamecocks with a .337 average (28-for-83) with a team-high seven homers and 26 RBI as well. He is tied with Pankake for the team lead in runs scored with 17 this season.
Freshman left-hander Jack Wynkoop made two starts this week and earned a win and a no-decision on the mound. Wynkoop is 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 24.0 innings pitched with five walks to 17 strikeouts. He allowed two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings in the 9-5 win over The Citadel. In a no-decision vs. Arkansas, he went 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Sophomore catcher Grayson Greiner homered and drove in three runs in the 9-5 win over The Citadel. Greiner reached base four times as well in Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Razorbacks with a single and three walks. He has not made an error in 17 starts behind the plate.
Freshman right-hander Curt Britt hurled 1.2 scoreless innings of relief in the 5-3 loss to Arkansas. He yielded just one hit and one walk and struck out a pair of batters. For the season, he is 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA in 11.1 innings. Opponents are hitting .184 against him.
Senior infielder Chase Vergason is among the team leaders in on-base percentage with a .417 mark. He has 14 walks and six hit by pitches and is hitting .267 (20-for-75) as well.
Sophomore Kyle Martin continues to be a hot bat off the bench as he had a pair of quality pinch-hit base hits last week. Martin had a key pinch-hit double in the 9-5 win over The Citadel as well as a single in the 5-3 loss to Arkansas. He is batting .292 (7-for-24) for the season.
Senior left-hander Adam Westmoreland worked 1.2 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts in the 4-2 loss to Arkansas on Saturday. He is 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA in seven relief appearances with a save. He has 18 strikeouts in 18.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .197 against him.
South Carolina is 17-0 this season when leading after six innings and 13-0 on the year when out-hitting the opponent. Carolina has allowed five runs or less in 21 of 24 games played this season. The Gamecocks are 17-4 when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 8-4 in games decided by three runs or less.
The Gamecock pitching staff boasts a 2.76 ERA in 215.0 innings with 214 strikeouts and 65 walks. Opponents batting average is .227 against the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks lead the league with 11 saves.
South Carolina is hitting .269 (208-for-773) as a team with a .375 on-base percentage. Carolina ranks second in the SEC with 19 home runs. The Gamecocks have a .978 fielding percentage with just 20 errors for the season.
Next Week:
3/26/13 – at College of Charleston (6 p.m.)
3/28/13 – vs. Texas A&M (7:30 p.m.) (ESPNU)
3/29/13 – vs. Texas A&M (7 p.m.)
3/30/13 – vs. Texas A&M (1:30 p.m.)
All times are Eastern
