April 15, 2013
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina won one of our games last week with a 6-5 win at The Citadel. The Gamecocks were swept on the road at Florida. The Gamecocks are 27-10 on the year with an 8-7 record in the SEC. At the midway point in league play, South Carolina is tied for second in the SEC Eastern Division and tied for fourth place overall in the conference standings.
Record: 27-10
SEC: 8-7
Home: 19-4
Away: 8-5
Neutral: 0-1
This Week: 1-3
4/9/13 – vs. The Citadel (W, 6-5)
4/11/13 – at Florida (L, 3-2)
4/12/13 – at Florida (L, 4-3)
4/13/13 – at Florida (L, 14-5)
NOTES:
Sophomore catcher Grayson Greiner was the top hitter for the Gamecocks in the weekend series at Florida with a .455 average (5-for-11). Greiner leads the team in SEC games with a .362 average (17-for-47) in 13 starts in league play. He has raised his season average to .324 (33-for-108) with 15 runs scored, five doubles, three homers and 25 RBI. Greiner collected two hits in both Thursday and Saturday’s games at Florida.
Senior left-hander Nolan Belcher had a quality start despite the loss in Thursday’s 3-2 defeat to Florida. Belcher hurled his second complete game of the season and allowed three runs, one earned, on seven hits in eight innings with a walk and two strikeouts. Belcher for the season is 5-3 with a 1.63 ERA in 66.1 innings with five walks to 55 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .218 against him. He is tied for the league lead in innings pitched, is fourth in earned run average as well as seventh in strikeouts and tied for ninth in victories.
Sophomore outfielder Connor Bright is the team’s leading hitter with a .324 average (34-for-105) with four doubles, a triple, three homers and 10 RBI. Bright went 5-for-12 in the Florida series including three hits and a homer in the 4-3 loss on Friday. Bright has a .310 average (18-for-58) in league play as well.
Senior left-hander Adam Westmoreland continues to be one of the team’s top performers out of the bullpen. Although he took the loss in the 4-3 loss to the Gators, Westmoreland was effective in five innings with three runs allowed on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts. For the season, he is 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 13 relief appearances with two saves. He has 38 strikeouts to five walks in 39.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .199 against him. Westmoreland ranks fourth in the league in opposing batting average and sixth in earned run average.
Freshman second baseman Max Schrock went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in the 14-5 loss at Florida. Schrock is hitting .264 (34-for-129) with six doubles, two triples and three homers as well as 28 RBI. He also has eight stolen bases, second highest on the team.
Sophomore left-hander Jordan Montgomery made his second start back since his stress reaction in his left arm last Friday at Florida. Montgomery went three innings and allowed one run, unearned, on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts. For the season, Montgomery is 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 26.0 innings pitched.
Sophomore shortstop Joey Pankake hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning in Carolina’s 6-5 win over The Citadel. Pankake is hitting .278 (37-for-133) for the year with 23 runs scored, five doubles, six homers and 25 RBI.
Freshman right-hander Curt Britt earned the win in relief in the 6-5 victory over the Citadel. He then pitched three innings and allowed three runs on five hits in the loss on Saturday. Britt is 2-0 with a save in 10 games with a 4.96 ERA.
Junior designated hitter Brison Celek continues to find his way on base. Celek had three hits and four walks with a .500 on-base percentage at Florida. He also had a pinch-hit RBI single in the 6-5 win vs. The Citadel. In 15 games with 10 starts, Celek has a .343 average (12-for-35) with eight runs scored and nine RBI. His on-base percentage for the season is .511.
Freshman left-hander Vince Fiori was key in the Gamecocks’ 6-5 win vs. The Citadel. Fiori came out of the pen and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with just two hits and two walks allowed and struck out two batters in the victory. The 4.1 innings was a career-high. Fiori has a 3.97 ERA in eight relief appearances with 11 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.
Senior first baseman LB Dantzler is among the league leaders in several categories. Dantzler has a .318 batting average (42-for-132) with 28 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 36 RBI. Dantzler is third in the league in home runs (10), fourth in slugging percentage (.621), fifth in walks (26), tied for seventh in runs batted in (36) and 11th in on-base percentage (.436).
South Carolina is 23-1 this season when leading after six innings and 19-3 on the year when out-hitting the opponent. Carolina has allowed five runs or less in 31 of 37 games played this season. The Gamecocks are 25-6 when allowing five runs or less. South Carolina is 14-7 in games decided by three runs or less.
The Gamecock pitching staff currently owns a 3.16 ERA in 328.0 innings pitched. Carolina has allowed 140 runs, 115 earned, on 303 hits with 95 walks to 305 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .243 against the squad.
South Carolina is hitting .284 (347-for-1223) as a team. The Gamecocks lead the SEC with 32 homers. Carolina is fielding .974 with 36 errors for the season. South Carolina’s slugging percentage of .420 is third best in the SEC with on-base percentage of .384 fourth best in the conference also.
Next Week:
4/16/13 – College of Charleston (7 p.m.) (SportSouth)
4/19/13 – Kentucky (7 p.m.)
4/20/13 – Kentucky (3 p.m.) (FS Carolinas/FS South)
4/21/13 – Kentucky (1:30 p.m.)
All times are Eastern
