FIRST BASE // It Begins with a Bang

Well, that went well.

South Carolina demolished Duquesne over the weekend, sweeping the three-game series by a combined 27-4 margin. This might still be a rebuilding year, but at least it's not looking to be a loooong rebuilding year.

Any doubts aboud DeAngelo Mack? Gone. And he's got backup. Wondering how the rotation would do? Just fine.

It wasn't always easy, and Duquesne isn't exactly SEC-caliber competition. In fact, the Gamecocks have won all 19 games between the two teams -- a sign that the playing field was uneven, to say the least. So, again, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. A nice opening weekend -- but now it's time for the Weekend of Hate, so there's no time for basking in glory.

In other news, at least eight games are going to make cable TV, in this case SportsSouth. The closest, though, is March 22.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DeANGELO MACK, who was 3-for-8 during the series, including a pair of three-run home runs. His OPS for the weekend? 1.768.

STAT OF THE WEEK
1.33
South Carolina's staff ERA for Opening Weekend, tied with Georgia for best in the SEC.

THE SLATE
Saturday: at Clemson, 2 p.m.
Sunday: vs. Clemson, 1:30 p.m.