South Carolina Defeats UCLA and Wins the National Championship: Gameballs Edition

It's time to party, Carolina fans! (Well, it's actually a little late on a weeknight, but we're all happy nonetheless.) We've just won our first national championship in a major sport, and there's lots to talk about. Let's start by recognizing the players that made this happen tonight. Please correct me if there's anyone in particular that I left out but that you want to recognize.

Whit Merrifield. Struggled all night but came up with the hit of his life to win the game.

Scott Wingo. Hit the ball poorly for, well, most of the last few weeks of the season, but played a key role in the victory by doing what he does best: drawing a full-count walk, which became the game's winning run.

Michael Roth. Gave up a single run, and that only after a questionable call at first. Became one of the most unlikely of heroes by putting in two quality starts after being a situational reliever all season.

The Bullpen. Jose Mata, John Taylor, and Matt Price came through for us tonight. Price looked shaky a couple of times, but he placed some key pitches for big Ks.

Heck, Give the Entire Team a Gameball. This was a team effort through and through. This was a group of Gamecocks with few stars but lots of guys that have been doing their part all season long, and in the end it equaled a championship.