April 3, 2013
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina (23-6) is back in action Wednesday night against Furman (16-11) at Fluor Field in Greenville. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET and is available on the Gamecock Radio Network from IMG College including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.” It can also be heard at GamecocksOnline.com on the All Access Channel.
LIVE COVERAGE
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network affiliates/Flagship WNKT FM 107.5 “The Game” in Columbia. Andy Demetra & Tommy Moody have the call.
Television: None
Internet: Additional coverage on Twitter @GamecockBasebll and Facebook/Gamecocksonline
Live Stats
QUICK RECAP
South Carolina tallied 12 hits including a pair of homers from TJ Costen and LB Dantzler as the Gamecocks defeated Charleston Southern 9-5 on Tuesday night in non-conference action at Carolina Stadium.
Senior right-hander Colby Holmes earned the win in a predetermined split and improves to 3-2 on the season. He pitched 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with no walks and struck out two batters. Three other Gamecock pitchers combined for the remaining 5.2 innings including Vince Fiori who worked 3.2 innings allowing just one run and striking out four.
LAST TIME VS. FURMAN
Freshman left-hander Jack Wynkoop hurled 5.1 scoreless innings in his first career start and seventh ranked South Carolina scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie as the Gamecocks defeated Furman 5-2 on Feb. 26, 2013, in non-conference baseball action at Carolina Stadium.
Wynkoop was dynamic as he scattered five hits with no walks while striking out a pair of batters. He earned his first career win. Sophomore right-hander Evan Beal was also effective out of the pen with 2.2 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Senior left-hander Tyler Webb pitched one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts to pick up the save. Furman reliever Elliott Warford suffered the loss. He allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits in 2.1 innings with a walk.
Scoreless entering the bottom of the fifth, the Gamecocks made their move. Max Schrock doubled with one out, Graham Saiko walked and LB Dantzler singled to load the bases. Erik Payne would drive in Max Schrock on a RBI fielder’s choice. On the play, Saiko’s grounder was fielded cleanly by Furman third baseman Chris Ohmstede. He would get one out by tagging third base but a throwing error trying to nab Payne at first for the double play allowed both Schrock and Dantzler to score and give the Gamecocks a two-run lead. Grayson Greiner followed and made it 3-0 on a RBI single.
Carolina added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, the Gamecocks loaded the bases with no outs on a double by Chase Vergason, TJ Costen was hit by a pitch and Tanner English walked. With one out, Graham Saiko drove in Costen with a RBI sacrifice fly to right field. In the seventh, DC Arendas reached base with a one-out double, his first career hit as a Gamecock and scored on Costen’s two-out RBI triple to right field.
Furman threatened and scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning. Three consecutive singles by Hunter Burton, Taylor Johnson and Paul Nitto scored a run. A fourth straight hit by pinch hitter Griffin Davis scored Johnson but on the play, Davis would stumble trying to stretch his hit into a double and the Gamecocks would throw him out for the first out of the inning. Webb promptly struck out the next two batters to preserve the Carolina win.
Carolina finished the game with 10 hits while Furman tallied nine for the contest. Schrock and Vergason had two hits apiece to lead the Gamecocks. Will Muzika, Burton and Jordan Simpson had two hits apiece to lead Furman.
GAMECOCKS IN THE RANKINGS
South Carolina is ranked for the eighth consecutive week. The Gamecocks are No. 11 in the USA Today coaches’ poll, No. 14 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 15 by Baseball America.
DANTZLER AT THE BAT
Senior first baseman LB Dantzler is the only Gamecock player to have started all 29 games this year. He hit his team-leading 10th home run in the 9-5 win over Charleston Southern.
Dantzler was the Gamecocks’ leading hitter in the series vs. Texas A&M with a .455 average (5-for-11) with a pair of homers, three runs scored and five RBI. Dantzler had his second two-homer game of the season in the 6-3 win vs. the Aggies. He had a key two-run double that helped spark a rally in the 3-2 win in the series opener vs. Texas A&M. In the 3-1 win at College of Charleston he had a pair of doubles and a RBI.
For the season, Dantzler leads Carolina with a .353 average (36-for-102) with 10 homers and 33 RBI as well as a .452 on-base percentage and .735 slugging percentage. Dantzler ranks second in the SEC in homers as well as third in slugging percentage and sixth in runs batted in. He leads the Gamecocks with eight multi-hit games as well as seven multi-RBI games.
Dantzler was named SEC Player of the Week after the Albany series when he went 9-for-13 (.692) at the plate with two doubles, two homers, six runs scored and 10 RBI. He had 17 total bases for the weekend with a .733 on-base percentage as well as a 1.308 slugging percentage. In an 8-3 win, Dantzler tallied a career-high four hits and career-high five RBI with a home run. He followed that up with a 2-for-4 game with three runs and four RBI in the 14-1 win and closed out the weekend 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the 6-4 victory.
PANKAKE SIZZLING
Sophomore infielder Joey Pankake is the team’s second best hitter with a .306 average (30-for-98) with 20 runs scored, three doubles, five homers and 21 RBI.
Pankake was named “Louisville Slugger’s” National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball and was also named SEC Player of the Week on March 11. Pankake belted four homers, scored seven runs and knocked in nine runs for the Gamecocks the week of March 4-10 and he hit .438 (7-for-16).
Pankake was the second Gamecock player this year to earn SEC Player of the Week honors. LB Dantzler was an honoree by the conference on Feb. 25.
A BRIGHT SPOT
Sophomore outfielder Connor Bright hit .364 (4-for-11) with a homer, four runs scored and a pair of RBI in the Texas A&M series. Bright hit his second home run of the season, doubled and scored two runs in the 6-3 win over the Aggies.
Bright has reached base safely in 11 straight games. His average has raised to .288 (21-for-73) with 14 runs scored.
ON BASE WITH CHASE
Senior infielder Chase Vergason went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the 6-4 win over Texas A&M. He was also hit twice and scored a pair of runs in the 6-3 win over the Aggies. Vergason is hitting .261 (24-for-92) with a .407 on-base percentage. Vergason has driven in 13 runs with 19 runs scored as well.
SAIKO RETURNS
Junior outfielder Graham Saiko returned to the lineup in the Texas A&M series. The Gamecocks are 20-2 with Saiko starting. He had the game-winning RBI in the 3-2 win. He is hitting .284 (21-for-74) with 15 runs scored.
AT THE PLATE & ON THE FIELD
South Carolina is hitting .270 (251-for-931) as a team with a .374 on-base percentage. Carolina ranks second in the SEC with 24 home runs. The Gamecocks have a .978 fielding percentage with just 24 errors.
ON THE MOUND
The Gamecock pitching staff boasts a 2.70 ERA in 260.0 innings with 265 strikeouts to 74 walks. Opponents batting average is .232 against the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks lead the league with 15 saves. The 265 strikeouts is second best in the SEC. In nine SEC games, the Gamecocks have 90 strikeouts, that is best among the 14 SEC schools.
SOME SUPERLATIVES
South Carolina is 21-0 this season when leading after six innings and 15-0 on the year when out-hitting the opponent. Carolina has allowed five runs or less in 26 of 29 games played this season. The Gamecocks are 22-4 when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 12-4 in games decided by three runs or less.
GREINER NAMED TO JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
South Carolina sophomore catcher Grayson Greiner is one of 48 catchers to be named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List as announced by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission and presented by BaseballSavings.com.
Greiner did not allow a stolen base in a pair of starts vs. Texas A&M this weekend, despite the Aggies coming into the weekend with 46 team stolen bases. Greiner has been phenomenal behind the plate with just six stolen bases allowed on 11 attempts in 20 starts behind the plate.
The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 16, 2013. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 4, 2013. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 15th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 27, 2013.
DANTE ADDS TO PLATE DEPTH
Senior catcher Dante Rosenberg tallied a sac fly in the 3-1 win over College of Charleston and had a double with two RBI in the 6-3 victory over Texas A&M. In nine starts, Rosenberg has hit .294 (10-for-34) with seven runs scored and seven RBI
