Garnet Report

Back in January, we matched USC’s basketball players to the songs that described their season. Now, as the Gamecocks prepare for the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, it’s time to take a look at some of Carolina’s key baseball players and how their years have progressed to this point. With over 30 players on the roster, it would be nearly impossible to musically describe the play of every Gamecock, but here are the players who have greatly impacted Carolina’s 2013 season. Each player has a specific warm-up song when they hit or pitch, but these are the tunes that should be blaring when these Gamecocks step to the plate or climb the mound.

Chase Vergason:

“We Takin’ Over” by DJ Khaled

“Started in Atlanta, then I spread out wit’ it/South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi…”

Vergason not only took a circuitous route to Columbia, coming from Florida Atlantic to Brevard CC to USC, but he has also made his way around the infield. The former second baseman took over the hot corner this year and has been fairly solid. He has also been a stalwart on an injury-plagued squad, starting 52 games on the year.

Joey Pankake:

“A Little Bit Is Better Than Nada” by Texas Tornados

“A little bit is better than nada/Sometime you want the whole enchilada…”

Pankake’s game may have one minor issue, but the sophomore is close to being the whole enchilada for USC. His only problem has been the 15 errors he committed, but his bat has been very impressive. If the fielding mistakes get corrected, Pankake could do big things for the Gamecocks.

LB Dantzler:

“Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

“Tonight is the night, we’ll fight ’til it’s over/So we throw our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us…”

Few stadiums around the SEC have been able to hold the blasts from Dantzler’s bat. The senior has hit more homers than any Gamecock since 2009. Despite moving from third base to first, Dantzler also leads the team in doubles, RBIs and slugging percentage.

Max Schrock:

“Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show

“Heading down south to the land of the pines/I’m thumbing my way into North Caroline…”

Schrock escaped from UNC-stronghold Chapel Hill and made his way south to Columbia. Schrock found his way into the starting lineup and his play has elevated throughout the season. The freshman has been strong in the field with just six errors on the year. Schrock’s bat may not send balls to New England or Roanoke, but he has done a great job of getting on base. And, yes, the link takes you to Darius Rucker’s version of the song, but you and I both know it’s the best version.

Grayson Greiner:

“Runnin’ With The Devil” by Van Halen

“I live my life like there’s no tomorrow/And all I’ve got, I had to steal…”

A deal with the devil can’t ensure baserunners will be safe with Greiner behind the plate. The sophomore has gunned down 20 runners this season. The catcher is also third on the team in stolen bases.

Graham Saiko:

“Jump Right In” by Zac Brown Band

“You can jump right in/Let the music pull you in…”

The Indiana native has jumped right in to the outfield rotation for Carolina and has provided some stability to a unit that has undergone a myriad of injuries. Saiko is the only player on the USC roster that has started in the outfield in every game he has played this season.

Connor Bright:

“Get Off Of My Back” by Bryan Adams

“Get off of my back and into my game/Get out of my way and out of my brain…”

South Carolina was searching for an everyday rightfielder before Bright exploded onto the scene and pushed all competitors out of the picture. The Mount Pleasant native has played error-free ball all season and is pushing .300 at the plate. Bright’s fearless approach in the box has paid off and USC will expect continued productivity from him in the postseason.

Tanner English:

“Bullets In The Gun” by Toby Keith

“I had a reputation for never staying very long/Just like a wild and restless drifter, like a cowboy in a song…”

English rarely stays in a single spot for very long. English is absolutely explosive coming out of the box and is always a threat to swipe a bag once he’s on the basepaths.

Nolan Belcher:

“Some Nights” by Fun

“Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck/Some nights I call it a draw…”

The fact that Nolan Belcher’s record is currently 7-5 is an absolute crime. Belcher has struck out 83 batters and walked just 13 in 99.1 innings this season, but has had nights when his teammates have given him little support at the plate or in the field.

Tyler Webb:

“Over When It’s Over” by Eric Church

“It’s a white flag, it’s a stop sign/It’s a last long drag on a Marlboro Light…”

When the senior closer strides to the mound, the game is over. Webb has made more appearances than any other pitcher in the history of South Carolina baseball and has done the impossbile by filling the shoes of Matt Price. USC’s bullpen has struggled all season, but Webb has been rock solid.

Adam Westmoreland:

“You’ve Got A Friend In Me” by Randy Newman

“You got trouble and I got ‘em too/There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you…”

Despite the struggles of Carolina’s relief pitchers throughout the year, starting pitchers can breathe easy when Westmoreland comes out of the pen. The big lefthander from Cayce has bridged the gap between USC’s starting rotation and its dominant closer and has been the only reliable reliever on the Gamecock roster.

Patrick Sullivan:

“Crash My Party” by Luke Bryan

“Don’t matter what plans I’ve got, I can break them/I can turn this thing around at the next red light…”

You never know when Sullivan is going to be called on, but he always seems to be ready. Sullivan’s numbers are not eye-popping, but the senior has been able to help USC in crucial situations.

Colby Holmes:

“I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift

“Flew me to places I’ve never been/Now I’m lying on the cold hard ground…”

Colby Holmes has been a major part of South Carolina’s success over the past few seasons, but this year has been one to forget for the former starter. Holmes has struggled mightily, getting into trouble with nearly every appearance and his issues have flummoxed both fans and coaches alike. He has improved in recent weeks and the Gamecocks could certainly use the Holmes of old in the postseason.

And finally…

A coach who has taken over for a legend and has had to deal with major obstacles in his first season, all while trying to impress a fan base whose expectations have gotten out of control. Plenty of fans have scrutinized his every move this year, despite leading his team to a top-four seed in a ridiculously competitive conference and doing so with a squad that has seen multiple key players go down with injuries.

Chad Holbrook’s song

Photo Credit: Independent Mail, Post and Courier, ESPN, The Big Spur, GoGamecocks

Any college student knows that the sigh of relief after a semester’s final classes isn’t enjoyed for long; coming next is a dreaded week of finals complete with several days of studying, a few sleepless nights, gallons upon gallons of coffee and a large helping of stress. They could testify that while a grueling semester of classes is challenging, what really solidifies the semester’s grades is their performance during finals week.

The same can be said of South Carolina baseball’s status now with the regular season over and the start of the  postseason just days away. By most standards, USC’s regular season has been a success. The Gamecocks finished 39-16 and will have a bye in the first round of the SEC Tournament after earning the four-seed with a win against Mississippi State last Friday night.

But baseball teams are not remembered for the regular season. Can anyone recall what the 2004 Boston Red Sox’s regular season record was? How did the the 2010 (or the 2011) Gamecocks do in the regular season before catching fire and winning national championships in Omaha? More importantly, why is it nearly impossible to remember these regular seasons when we can so easily recollect in vivid detail the magic of their postseason runs?

It’s simple. Just as in school, baseball’s “finals week” – the postseason – is what defines the entire season. This year, the Gamecocks have been good – not great – but they have plenty of potential for another mystical postseason run if they can buckle down and play their best baseball when it counts. With the start of the postseason just days away, here’s an evaluation of how each player’s “grades” stand at the end of the regular season, though each of them should have opportunities to build on what they’ve done already this season and leave impressions rememberable for years to come.

A’s – The stars of the ball club.

Webb was crucial to USC’s regular season success.

Tyler Webb – Very seldom does Webb enter a game and not dominate. USC’s senior door-slammer (16 saves) will be greatly utilized in the postseason – and greatly missed next season.

Adam Westmoreland – Westmoreland was one of the most reliable pitchers on the roster this season, kind of like that kid the professor can always count on for the answer when the rest of the class comes up blank.

LB Dantzler – A former JUCO transfer, Dantzler returned for his senior year at USC after not being selected in the MLB draft. In his second year with the Gamecocks, he made the switch from third to first base and became the team’s best hitter, as well as one of the best in the SEC.

A-

Jordan Montgomery – Montgomery missed a lot of time with injury, but was an “A” pitcher when on the mound this year. He’s a big-game pitcher who could make some noise this postseason.

Grayson Greiner - Greiner’s bat heated up during the second half of the season, and he’s one of the best in the game behind the plate. Just ask any number of guys who tried taking second on him this season.

Continue reading to next page…

South Carolina’s chances at a national seed likely vanished with USC’s loss to Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon. Now, the Gamecocks turn their attention to the SEC Tournament in Hoover.

Despite their recent postseason success, the Gamecocks have struggled mightily in Hoover. Of the 12 teams that made up the SEC before the additions of Missouri and Texas A&M, only Kentucky has a lower winning percentage in the SEC Tournament (.364) than South Carolina (.407). The Gamecocks are 24-35 in their 19 appearances in the SEC Tournament with one tourney title, which came in 2004. USC is 6-12 in Hoover over the last six seasons.

The Gamecocks are currently ranked 12th in the nation and are projected to be a regional host. However, South Carolina will likely need a decent showing in Hoover to ensure that they will begin their postseason play in Columbia. Under the new format, the Gamecocks could claim the conference title with four consecutive victories. One victory should be enough for USC to nail down a regional host spot and a run to the championship might allow the Gamecocks to gain a national seed.

The Gamecocks are hoping to leave Hoover smiling

The Gamecocks picked up a win during their trip to Starkville, which gives USC a bye on Tuesday. USC enters the tournament as a the conference’s #4 seed and will face the winner of Missouri/Mississippi State on Wednesday.South Carolina has already faced each of its two possible opening opponents. USC faced Missouri in its first SEC series of the season, as the Gamecocks took two of three from the Tigers on the road. Carolina dropped two games to Mississippi State in Starkville to end the regular season.

If the Gamecocks win their first game of the tournament, they will face either Vanderbilt, the tournament’s #1 seed, Florida (#8) or Texas A&M (#9). USC swept the Aggies, but were swept by Florida and by Vanderbilt in an abbreviated series. South Carolina is 2-6 this season against the conference’s top three seeds. Overall, the Gamecocks would likely face one the toughest opening round games of the top four seeds and could wind up facing the league’s top team in two consecutive days. South Carolina’s road to the championship will be difficult, but earning an opening-day bye should help USC’s chances.

Barring a major collapse in Hoover, Gamecock fans can expect to see their team at home for the regionals. Despite suffering three conference sweeps, South Carolina has put together a 39-win regular season while suffering numerous injuries to key players. The Gamecocks have been incredibly difficult to beat in Carolina Stadium in the postseason and would likely be favored to move on to a super regional. Barring an upset in the opposite regional, South Carolina will probably have to go on the road for a super regional matchup.

Unlike past years, the Gamecocks are heading to the conference tournament with their chances of hosting still in doubt. South Carolina did not perform well in Hoover under Ray Tanner and USC has a chance to start a new trend under Chad Holbrook. USC has finished the regular season with a 6-4 mark down the stretch, but all four losses came against nationally-ranked SEC opponents. The Gamecocks have shown the potential to win games against top-notch teams and will have to pull out more of those contests if they wish to make a fourth consecutive trip to the College World Series.

The road to Omaha may begin in the regionals, but the Gamecocks can determine how bumpy that road will be with their performance this week.

After dropping the first game of their final regular season series, the Gamecocks find themselves with their backs against the wall in their fight for a national seed. How important is a national seed to USC’s chances for a College World Series berth? Of the five times South Carolina has earned a national seed, the Gamecocks have advanced to Omaha in four of those seasons.

Winning the series against Mississippi State would be a huge boost to USC’s resume, but even a series victory might not be enough to clinch a top-eight spot in the postseason. The Gamecocks must take care of their own business and hope that several events play out to their advantage. Being a national seed does not guarantee a spot in Omaha, but the automatic home-field advantage that comes with the position certainly doesn’t hurt.

In order for USC to remain in Columbia throughout the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks will likely need any combination of these four scenarios to play out in the coming weeks:

Tyler Webb and the Gamecocks may need help to stay in Columbia this postseason

1. Win the next two games against the Bulldogs

USC missed a huge opportunity to take game one after blowing a 4-1 lead in the 8th inning in Starkville. The squad must now find a way to pull out two of the biggest games in Chad Holbrook’s short tenure as head coach. Obviously, any team that can go to Baton Rouge and take two games from LSU can win a series against anyone, and South Carolina has been playing some of its best baseball late in the season.

This weekend is a huge opportunity for the Gamecocks to make a strong impression on the selection committee. Mississippi State is ranked 10th in the RPI and USC desperately needs quality wins late in the year. South Carolina got a strong start from Nolan Belcher on Thursday night, but lost the lead when Adam Westmoreland and Tyler Webb, two of Carolina’s most reliable relievers, could not close the door in the late innings. The Gamecocks will need their shaky bullpen to bounce back and provide solid relief over the next two days if USC has any hope of pulling out the series.

2. Hope for a sweep in the Oregon State-Oregon series

The Beavers are sitting on the bubble for a national seed, while Oregon is making a late charge for one of the spots. A sweep for Oregon State would likely push the Ducks back out of contention and, if Oregon pulls off a sweep at home, the Beavers’ resume would take a hit. The worst possible outcome for USC would be a 2-1 series victory for Oregon, with all three games closely contested. A rivalry series between two evenly matched teams rarely results in a sweep, but it would certainly help South Carolina’s chances of sneaking in and claiming a national seed.

3. Pull for a Florida State series loss this weekend…but not a sweep

The Seminoles are projected as one of the last national seeds in the tournament, but FSU has already dropped game one of this weekend’s series against Clemson. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, Clemson is also on the bubble for a national seed, so the Tigers sweeping the ‘Noles would be almost as detrimental to Carolina’s hopes as a Florida State series win. The Gamecocks must swallow hard and hope for a Clemson victory in the series, with Florida State taking one win over the weekend. A sweep for FSU solidifies their spot and would possibly take away a seed from the Gamecocks, while three wins for Clemson might vault them over South Carolina.

4. Win the SEC Tournament

Winning the SEC is nearly as big a deal in college baseball as it is in football. Capturing the SEC championship proves that a team is a force to be reckoned and a deep run at the SEC Tournament can be a springboard for success in the following weeks. Historically, Hoover has not been kind to the Gamecocks, but USC can’t keep underperforming in the conference tournament forever. Taking home the title in a conference loaded with national championship contenders would vault South Carolina up the seeding ladder. Hoisting the trophy in Hoover won’t be easy, but it’s the simplest way for the Gamecocks to ensure that they will stay at Carolina Stadium throughout the postseason.

Ultimately, there are countless scenarios that will effect USC’s chances of gaining a national seed. The best thing South Carolina can do now is win games and hope for the best from other teams. USC will have plenty of fan support wherever it winds up playing in the NCAA Tournament, but the road to a fourth consecutive appearance in the CWS championship will be much smoother if the Gamecocks can manage to stay in Columbia.

The college baseball season is winding down and teams across the country are making a final push for a spot in the 64-team postseason field. As we near the start of the NCAA Tournament, here is a final projection of the regional matchups that will begin the road to Omaha. These predictions are not scientific and were compiled with the help of a roulette wheel, a dart board and a Monopoly set.

Bold denotes national seed

Italics denotes automatic qualifier Continue Reading…

The following game story is brought to you by the fine folks at Group Therapy Bar, located at 2107 Greene Street in Five Points.

Senior right-handed pitcher Patrick and his brother, outfielder Sean Sullivan, don’t usually play major roles for No. 14 South Carolina, but they entered Tuesday night’s game in the seventh inning and combined to spark the Gamecocks to the 4-3 victory over Presbyterian in the final regular season home game of the year. Continue Reading…

Like most coaches after a series sweep of a conference opponent, USC head coach Chad Holbrook was ecstatic with his team’s play last weekend against Georgia. After a weekend sweep of the Bulldogs by a combined score of 22-6, Holbrook’s team improved to 37-14 overall and 16-10 in the SEC. The Gamecocks now sit at fourth in the SEC and second in their division, holding tight to the last first-round bye spot in the SEC Tournament that remains theirs to lose.

“It was a very big weekend for our team,” Holbrook said after Sunday’s game. “Going into [the Georgia] series I was extremely nervous. I knew Georgia was a better team than their record indicated…I knew we were going to have some tough games, but our kids played really good baseball for three games.” Continue Reading…

The following game story is brought to you by the fine folks at Group Therapy Bar, located at 2107 Greene Street in Five Points.

After a game that had three ejections, 21 total hits and eight combined pitching changes; South Carolina was still able to complete their sweep of Georgia on Sunday, winning the game 8-3.

In a 6-2 game, arguments from Georgia’s Nelson Ward would boil over in the top of the fifth inning, as both teams engaged verbal spats that became increasingly heated. The incident escalated to the point where both teams had cleared their respective dugouts. Police had to get involved to restrain Georgia players in their own dugout from getting into profanity-ridden banter with the Gamecock fans behind them.

South Carolina third base coach Sammy Espisito, strength coach Billy Anderson and Georgia first base coach Jason Jacobs were all ejected. However both teams would shake hands at the end of the game with no further controversy.

By that time the game had already been in the control of the Gamecocks. With two outs in the third inning and down by two runs, South Carolina put on an impressive run of hits, started by Joey Pankake’s single. Grayson Greiner and Brent Celek would add single of their own to score three runs and put Carolina back on top of the game.

The fourth inning boasted even more activity than the previous for the Gamecocks. Small ball was the name of the game for South Carolina, as three singles, a walk and two wild pitched would score three more runs for the Gamecocks. Graham Saiko and Chase Vergason each drove in a run, and Pankake drove in his first run as well.

Pankake was perfect hitting on Sunday, although that almost didn’t happen, as he was right in the middle of the fifth inning skirmish.

Pankake would finish his day perfect, three for three with a walk and an RBI. Saiko and Celek would add two RBI’s each on their day as well, and Greiner hit well all series, as finished up 6-10, with three RBI’s against Georgia this weekend.

Jack Wynkoop got his third straight Sunday win with a not great, but solid performance. In five innings, he allowed five hits, two runs, both earned, struck out three and walked only one. In his past three Sunday starts, he is now 3-0, with 20 innings pitched, allowing 19 hits but only three runs, seven strikeouts and only one walk.

After scoring two quick runs on Wynkoop in the top of the third, Georgia struggled to find any more production from either side of the plate. The Bulldogs went through five different pitchers that combined to allow 12 hits and six walks. The Bulldogs didn’t score another run until the ninth inning, where the score by then was 8-2.

South Carolina improved to 37-14 overall, 16-10 in conference with their fourth sweep of the year in conference play. The Gamecocks will finish up their last home game against Presbyterian on Tuesday before traveling out to Starkville to face Mississippi State in the conference finale next weekend.

The following game story is brought to you by the fine folks at Group Therapy Bar, located at 2107 Greene Street in Five Points.

The Gamecocks got another big win today on their continuing march towards the SEC tournament and NCAA postseason play, beating Georgia 7-1 in front of a sold out Carolina Stadium.

Jordan Montgomery led the way for Carolina with a rather easy time on the mound, allowing only two hits in 7 innings of work. Montgomery carried a no-hitter into the 7th before allowing a pair of extra base hits and the only Georgia run of the game.

Continue Reading…

When LB Dantzler lost his footing rounding second base in the sixth inning of last night’s game and dropped to his knees in pain, all of Gamecock Nation held its breath, hoping that the injury wouldn’t be severe enough to keep Dantzler off the field for long.

In this afternoon’s press conference in advance of a series against SEC East bottomdweller Georgia, head coach Chad Holbrook informed the fans that they could breathe a sigh of relief.

“I’m a little bit more optimistic about LB playing this weekend than I was last night sitting up here,” said Holbrook. “He didn’t practice today, but he’s been getting treatments throughout the day and will tomorrow as well. We’ll know more about his availability for the weekend tomorrow around 2:00 or 3:00, but the door is certainly not closed. I’m more optimistic today than I was yesterday.”

“I’m going to do everything I can to be there tomorrow,” said Dantzler. “I’m going to do rehab a couple more times today and tomorrow before the game. Even if it’s painful, if they give me the ‘OK’ I’m going to play.”

The Gamecocks caught a break with Dantzler injuring his left shoulder rather than his right. Holbrook commented multiple times that if he was to pick which shoulder Dantzler had injured, it would be his left. “If I played anywhere but first base or swung righty,” said Dantzler, “they said I would definitely be out this weekend.”

As a left-hander, swinging the bat also puts more strain on the right shoulder. “Most of the time, left handed hitters extend fully with their right arm. Hopefully it won’t be as painful as if he’d injured his right shoulder. But we won’t know that until he swings the bat tomorrow. Or tries to swing the bat tomorrow,” he said with a smile.

Even if the injury keeps Dantzler off the field for all or part of the weekend, he will be counted on to help the team win. “If he can’t go,” said Holbrook, “he’s still going to be on the dress list, and we’ll have him in the dugout. He’s a great teammate and he’s one of our captains, and he can help us win even if he’s not in the game. He can DH, play first, pinch hit, or just be a good teammate.”

Should Dantzler be unable to go on Friday, Kyle Martin would likely replace him in the field and bat in the fifth, sixth, or seventh spot in the batting order. “He’s a great first baseman. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in him,” said Dantzler.

This weekend is important for South Carolina because of SEC Tournament seeding. The top 12 teams in the conference advance to the tournament in Hoover, Ala., but the top four receive first round byes and are guaranteed to play at least two games while seeds 5-12 must play a single elimination round on the tournament’s first day. South Carolina holds the fourth seed in the conference by half a game over Mississippi State, who the Gamecocks will meet in Starkville next weekend, while five other teams are bunched within three-and-a-half games of the fourth spot.

“A top four seed is probably important for hosting a Regional and earning a national seed,” said Holbrook. “And for the SEC Tournament as well. You get to have an extra day’s rest and it’s not a lose-and-go-home type of situation. But if we don’t finish in the top four, we can still do some really good things. I think we’ve shown around here that you don’t necessarily have to play well in the SEC Tournament to have a good postseason run.”

Georgia comes in to this weekend’s contest with an 18-28 record, including 5-16 in SEC play, having already been eliminated from SEC Tournament contention. The Bulldogs are led by Dave Perno, who has led the team to three College World Series appearances, including a national championship series appearance in 2008, before falling on hard times in recent years.

Rumors have been swirling for weeks around the Georgia program about the future for Perno, whose 12 years at the helm make him the longest-tenured coach in the SEC. Holbrook contends that it speaks to the strength of the conference. “Georgia’s gone through some tough times. There’s not a team in this league that’s immune to a difficult stretch.”

While this season has not been as smooth as many fans would have hoped, the Gamecocks have a chance to reposition themselves squarely in the national seed conversation with a series win this weekend.

Photo Credits: Bobby Alexander (Garnet Report), NCAA, Atlanta Journal-Constitution