Garnet And Black Attack - 2016 South Carolina Gamecock Baseball Season Preview#SpursUphttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50351/gaba-fav.png2016-02-18T18:53:39-05:00http://www.garnetandblackattack.com/rss/stream/107660372016-02-18T18:53:39-05:002016-02-18T18:53:39-05:002016 Baseball Preview: Pitching
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<figcaption><a href='http://thebigspur.smugmug.com/Gamecock-Baseball/Gamecock-Baseball-vs-Auburn/i-G5mxTNv/0/M/_ML70242-M.jpg'>TheBigSpur</a></figcaption>
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<p>The pitching staff heads into 2016 with optimism, despite uncertainty in various roles</p> <p>Much like the offense and the defense, South Carolina's pitching staff is going to look noticeably different in 2016. Two of the biggest names that will be missing are Wil Crowe, who missed part of last season and will likely miss all of this season after having Tommy John surgery last spring, and Jack Wynkoop, who stepped up in a big way after Crowe's injury last year, and was drafted by the Rockies in June. Outside of Crowe, South Carolina will also be without left-handed reliever John Parke this year, after an MRI showed an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament of his left elbow.</p>
<p>This gives the rest of the staff the chance to step up and make a name for themselves, particularly the trio of rightys who will get the nod as weekend starters: Clarke Schmidt, Braden Webb, and Taylor Widener. Schmidt made 10 starts and pitched in 18 games last season, putting together a 2-2 record with an ERA of 4.81. Widener worked almost exclusively as a reliever in 2015 and had an ERA of 4.78. Webb, a freshman, was impressive in preseason scrimmages and could help bolster a pitching core that was shaky at times last season. With Widener taking a starting role, it remains to be seen who will replace him as an anchor of the bullpen and the team's closer.</p>
<p>Other returning names to watch for include senior lefty Vince Fiori (2015 ERA: 4.02) and juniors Reed Scott (2015 ERA: 3.20), a righthander, and Josh Reagan (2015 ERA: 4.72), a lefty. Reagan, who earned praise during the preseason, could become a midweek starter. Another potential midweek starter is freshman righthander Adam Hill, who also earned preseason praise.</p>
<p>First baseman Alex Destino could take the mound for the Gamecocks in 2016 as well. Though he made only one appearance as a pitcher in 2015, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the lefthander could get some more looks this season.</p>
<p>The South Carolina pitching staff finished 2015 with an overall ERA of 4.20, and while that's not terrible, it would be nice to see that number improve. Despite none of the roles outside of weekend starters being locked down yet, Holbrook has sounded optimistic about his pitchers in the fall and spring, which hopefully bodes well for the season ahead.</p>
https://www.garnetandblackattack.com/2016/2/18/11042700/2016-south-carolina-baseball-season-preview-pitchingKatie Dzwierzynski2016-02-17T17:47:23-05:002016-02-17T17:47:23-05:002016 Baseball Preview: The Offense
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<figcaption><a href='http://thebigspur.smugmug.com/Gamecock-Baseball/GamecocksvsNortheasterngm2kbd/i-2nh2xtN/0/M/IMG_0472-M.jpg'>TheBigSpur</a></figcaption>
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<p>South Carolina's offense will look to be much improved after a lackluster season in 2015</p> <p>Today we're taking a look at South Carolina's offense this season, which we can only hope will be more productive and less putrid than last season's. The Gamecocks had an overall batting average of .257 last year, which was down from their .281 average the year before, and was the lowest team average in more than 40 years. Much like the 2015 defense, the 2015 offense was inconsistent and disappointing in way too many games. Let's hope the team learned that having one guy get a hit and the next three striking/flying/popping out is not a great strategy.</p>
<p>The one guy who could be counted on last year to generally at least make <i>something</i> happen was Kyle Martin, and someone is going to have to step up to fill the major hole left in the lineup. Two other big names that won't be in the lineup this season are Max Schrock, who came through in the clutch more than once last season, despite also missing a lot of time with injuries and ailments, and Elliott Caldwell, who put together a really great senior season last year and proved to be a key part of the offense for South Carolina. Martin ended 2015 with a batting average of .350, while Schrock and Caldwell both had an average of .328.</p>
<p>The list of returning players who will be looked at to drive the offense this season is led by Alex Destino, who burst onto the scene last year in a big way as a freshman. His batting average was just below the overall team average, at .251, but he'll come into the 2016 season with a lot more experience, which should benefit him. There were definitely times, especially in SEC play, where it was clear that Destino still had some room for improvement, but the talent is there. Perfect Game also named him to the 2016 preseason All-SEC team.</p>
<p>Other returning players who could have an impact offensively include seniors DC Arendas (2015 batting average: .215) and Marcus Mooney (2015 batting average: .213) and junior Gene Cone (2015 batting average: .257).</p>
<p>Among the newcomers to watch is freshman Brandon McIlwain, who was already delighting fans during the preseason scrimmagew, cranking homers and looking like he could help spark the Gamecocks offense to get it back on the right track this season. Another new name to watch is freshman LT Tolbert, who tallied two RBI in Saturday's preseason scrimmage. He's also versatile on defense, so it seems likely he'll make the starting lineup for Chad Holbrook. Dom Thompson-Williams, a junior who transferred to Carolina from Iowa Western Community College, could also help fill the role vacated by Martin. He batted better than .400 in both his seasons at Iowa Western and should be able to add power to a Gamecocks lineup that's been rather lacking in that department.</p>
<p>Overall, the South Carolina offense is going to have a find a way to reverse two troubling trends: strings of hitless innings and a lack of clutch hits. Those issues have plagued the Gamecocks for the past couple of seasons, and the inexplicably MIA offense was often the difference in games last year, with almost half of Carolina's losses in 2015 being by just one or two runs. The inability to make adjustments at the plate was also glaringly obvious with last year's team, so hopefully the players and coaches will have that sorted out for the 2016 campaign.</p>
https://www.garnetandblackattack.com/south-carolina-baseball/2016/2/17/11028196/2016-south-carolina-baseball-season-preview-the-gamecocks-offenseKatie Dzwierzynski2016-02-16T18:41:25-05:002016-02-16T18:41:25-05:002016 Baseball Preview: The Defense
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<figcaption><a href='http://southcarolina.247sports.com/'>TheBigSpur</a></figcaption>
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<p>The defense will look a lot different, but it could be a strength for the 2016 team</p> <p>The first part of the team that we're taking a look at this week is the defense. Though last season was defined by disappointment and maddening inconsistency, the defense wasn't actually terrible. The Gamecocks ended last season with a .972 fielding percentage, which was just barely in the bottom half of the SEC. The problem was that the defense was only average, and in a program that expects to be elite year in and year out, that's not good enough.</p>
<p>South Carolina has the opportunity to improve this season, as the defense will look almost completely different. The Gamecocks bid farewell to several players that were staples of the team and will definitely be missed. But last year there were few positions that really had consistent starters, whether due to injury, defensive struggles, or lineups being shuffled to try to solve Carolina's issues at the plate. This year we can hope that Holbrook finds a lineup that meshes well both from an offensive and defensive standpoint and allows the team to settle into their roles a little better.</p>
<p>The Gamecocks have three options at catcher this season. Logan Koch, who started a few more games than Hunter Taylor behind the plate last year, left the Gamecock baseball program after the season ended. That leaves the Gamecocks with one returning catcher in sophomore Hunter Taylor. The two other players now vying for that position are sophomore junior college transfer John Jones and freshman Chris Cullen. Holbrook said a few weeks ago that each of these three players brings something different to the table, but that all three are really good and that he feels comfortable about the catcher position. He said it may even be one of the strengths of the team. Holbrook also mentioned that he may get two of the catchers into the lineup at once by playing one behind the plate and DHing the other.</p>
<p>The infield will look very different for the Gamecocks this season. Reliable senior first baseman Kyle Martin is gone and Max Schrock, who battled injury but still started at second in the majority of Carolina's games, signed with the Nationals. In addition, Jordan Gore decided to transfer rather than return to the team after starting at shortstop for much of the 2015 season.</p>
<p>All of those departures mean that the only returning infielder who started the majority of last season's games at his position is senior third baseman DC Arendas. Sophomore Madison Stokes saw playing time at third base last year and was battling for a starting job, but is out for several weeks to start the season after suffering a foot injury in a scrimmage. Senior Marcus Mooney, who started 32 games last year but split his time between second base and shortstop, is also returning for the Gamecocks. Mooney struggled some last year and missed time due to an injury, but he is ready to go for this season and is likely to be the regular starter at shortstop to begin the year.</p>
<p>Holbrook has said that he intends to put sophomore Alex Destino, who was the DH in most of last year's games, at first base. Other newcomers to the Gamecocks infield could include sophomore junior college transfer Jonah Bride and freshman LT Tolbert. Tolbert in particular has impressed Holbrook, who has said that he wants to find a way to get the freshman into the starting lineup. Other players on the roster that may see time in the infield include junior Weber Pike and sophomore Matt Williams, both of whom had little playing time last season.</p>
<p>The Carolina outfield will also have some big changes this season. Elliott Caldwell graduated after starting more games than anyone else in both left field and right field and Connor Bright, the only other player that started in right last season, also graduated.</p>
<p>Centerfielder Gene Cone, now a junior, was the only player for the Gamecocks that started every game at the same position last season. He missed fall practice with an injury, but was one of the best defenders on the team last year and should play a key role for the Gamecocks this season. The only other returning player with any starts in the outfield is sophomore Clark Scolamiero, who started in left field 13 times last season. Holbrook said that he has been steady, but did scuffle some in preseason scrimmages.</p>
<p>Holbrook said recently that the outfielders have been a little inconsistent and that there may be some rotation in the outfield until some of the guys separate themselves as the consistent starters. The new players in the mix for playing time in the outfield are freshmen Danny Blair, TJ Hopkins and Brandon McIlwain. Junior college transfer Dom Thompson-Williams is another newcomer that is expected to be in the mix and make an immediate impact for the Gamecocks. Holbrook has said that he expects Dom to be on the field opening day because he's physically mature and can be a difference-maker for the team.</p>
<p>Overall, Holbrook has been very positive about the defense following the team's spring scrimmages and said that the players he thinks will be the regular starters have played great defense. As the season begins and the starters emerge and cement their roles on the field, the Gamecocks should be able to put together a defense that helps the team improve and leave last year's misfortunes in the past.</p>
<p></p>
https://www.garnetandblackattack.com/south-carolina-baseball/2016/2/16/11026508/2016-south-carolina-baseball-season-preview-the-gamecocks-defenseKaci B2016-02-15T18:33:31-05:002016-02-15T18:33:31-05:002016 Baseball Preseason Rankings and Expectations
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<p>Let's take a look at where the Gamecocks are to start off the season</p> <p>Opening Day for South Carolina is this Friday and it's time to preview the 2016 season and get excited about Gamecock baseball! We're starting out with a look at the preseason rankings and expectations for the Gamecocks. Below are the top 25 rankings for each of the five biggest college baseball polls. South Carolina's opponents are italicized.</p>
<table height="592" border="0" width="521">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>D1 Baseball</td>
<td>Baseball America</td>
<td>USA Today Coaches Poll</td>
<td>Perfect Game</td>
<td>Collegiate Baseball</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td><i>Florida</i></td>
<td><i>Florida</i></td>
<td><i>Florida</i></td>
<td><i>Florida</i></td>
<td><i>Florida </i></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Louisville</td>
<td>Louisville</td>
<td>Louisville</td>
<td>Louisville</td>
<td>Louisville</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><i>Vanderbilt</i></td>
<td><i>Texas A&M</i></td>
<td><i>Vanderbilt</i></td>
<td><i>Texas A&M</i></td>
<td><i>Vanderbilt</i></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td><i>Texas A&M</i></td>
<td>Virginia</td>
<td><i>Texas A&M</i></td>
<td><i>Vanderbilt</i></td>
<td>Miami</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Oregon State</td>
<td>Oregon State</td>
<td>LSU</td>
<td>LSU</td>
<td><i>Texas A&M</i></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Miami</td>
<td>Miami</td>
<td>Miami</td>
<td>Oregon State</td>
<td>Louisiana-Lafayette</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>LSU</td>
<td><i>Vanderbilt</i></td>
<td>Virginia</td>
<td>Oklahoma State</td>
<td>LSU</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Oklahoma State</td>
<td>California</td>
<td>Oregon State</td>
<td>California</td>
<td>Oregon State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>California</td>
<td>Oklahoma State</td>
<td>UCLA</td>
<td>Virginia</td>
<td>Virginia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>NC State</td>
<td>UCLA</td>
<td>Oklahoma State</td>
<td>Louisiana-Lafayette</td>
<td>UCLA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>UCLA</td>
<td>LSU</td>
<td>TCU</td>
<td>Miami</td>
<td>Mississippi State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Southern California</td>
<td>Houston</td>
<td>California</td>
<td>Oregon</td>
<td>Cal State Fullerton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>Virginia</td>
<td>Louisiana-Lafayette</td>
<td>Louisiana-Lafayette</td>
<td>NC State</td>
<td>California</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Oregon</td>
<td>Oregon</td>
<td>Florida State</td>
<td>UCLA</td>
<td>Oregon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td>Mississippi State</td>
<td>Michigan</td>
<td>Oregon</td>
<td><i>Missouri</i></td>
<td>TCU</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td><i>North Carolina</i></td>
<td>Southern California</td>
<td>Cal State Fullerton</td>
<td>Houston</td>
<td>Florida State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td><b>South Carolina</b></td>
<td>Florida State</td>
<td>Mississippi State</td>
<td>Mississippi State</td>
<td>Missouri State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td>Louisiana-Lafayette</td>
<td>TCU</td>
<td>Houston</td>
<td>TCU</td>
<td>Houston</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td>TCU</td>
<td>NC State</td>
<td>NC State</td>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td>Tulane</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td>Florida State</td>
<td>Mississippi State</td>
<td>Southern California</td>
<td>Florida State</td>
<td>Rice</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>21</td>
<td>Cal State Fullerton</td>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td><i>North Carolina</i></td>
<td><i>Coastal Carolina</i></td>
<td>Georgia Tech</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>22</td>
<td>Houston</td>
<td>Cal State Fullerton</td>
<td><i>Arkansas</i></td>
<td><i>North Carolina</i></td>
<td><i>North Carolina</i></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>23</td>
<td>Texas</td>
<td><i>Coastal Carolina</i></td>
<td><b>South Carolina</b></td>
<td>Michigan</td>
<td>Michigan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>24</td>
<td><i>Coastal Carolina</i></td>
<td><i>Ole Miss</i></td>
<td>Rice</td>
<td>Notre Dame</td>
<td><i>Arkansas</i></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td><i>Arkansas</i></td>
<td><i>Kentucky</i></td>
<td>Missouri State</td>
<td>Texas Tech</td>
<td>Oklahoma State</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>It's no surprise that after last year's massive letdown, nobody is very high on the Gamecocks heading into the 2016 season. South Carolina only appears in the top 25 in two polls, though they are ranked 35th by Collegiate Baseball.</p>
<p>The national expectations for the Gamecocks obviously range a good bit from poll to poll, but with the exception of D1 Baseball everyone believes they're somewhere outside of the top 20. The 2016 team shouldn't be as bad as the 2015 team was (although in fairness, the 2015 team shouldn't have been as bad as it was), but until they demonstrate that there are massive improvements, it's hard to argue against the national perception of where the South Carolina program is.</p>
<p>It is possible for Carolina to turn things around quickly this season with the new, talented players and with improved play from returning players. If Carolina baseball can get back to the level that it should be at, there will be plenty of opportunities for the team to prove itself against tough competition and move up in the rankings. Preseason rankings are, by their very nature, based on guesswork and therefore susceptible to being dramatically wrong. However, it is noteworthy that the Gamecocks have at least five preseason top 25 opponents no matter which poll is used and that nine different Carolina opponents are ranked in at least one poll. Three of South Carolina's conference opponents are consensus top 5 teams and Florida is at the top across the board.</p>
<p>Stay tuned throughout the rest of the week for a breakdown of the different parts of the 2016 Gamecock baseball team as we count down to Opening Day!</p>
https://www.garnetandblackattack.com/south-carolina-baseball/2016/2/15/10993248/2016-south-carolina-gamecocks-baseball-season-preview-preseason-rankings-expectationsKaci B2015-11-04T18:40:22-05:002015-11-04T18:40:22-05:002016 Baseball Schedule
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<p>The Gamecocks will play 35 home games</p> <p>The 2016 baseball schedule has been released and the Gamecocks will open the season on February 19th as they host Albany. The Gamecocks will play at Founders Park for the remainder of February before going to The Citadel on March 1st for the first game of a home-and-home series. The Gamecocks will also play USC Upstate and Furman both at home and on the road.</p>
<p>The annual series with Clemson will take place March 4-6, with the Gamecocks hosting the opening game of the series. The second game will be played at Fluor Field in Greenville and the series finale will be in Clemson.</p>
<p>The Gamecocks will open their conference schedule with Arkansas at home on March 18th. The SEC schedule sets up reasonably well for the Gamecocks, though it's far from easy. The Gamecocks get three of last year's strongest SEC teams at home and they only go on the road two weekends in a row once. But three of Carolina's opponents (Florida, Arkansas and Vandy) made it to Omaha last year and a fourth (Texas A&M) fell just short of the CWS.</p>
<p>A more detailed look at each team the Gamecocks face can be found <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/110415aae.html">here</a> and the full schedule is below. The TV schedule will be released at a later date, but thanks to the SEC Network the Gamecocks should once again have nearly all of their games available at least online.</p>
<p><b>Update:</b> The Gamecocks will have nine games televised this season and all home games that aren't televised will be available online. The televised games will be:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Saturday, March 26 at Ole Miss (SEC Network)<br> Thursday, March 31 at Vanderbilt (ESPNU) <br> Saturday, April 2 at Vanderbilt (SEC Network) <br> <b> </b>Tuesday, April 5 vs. Coastal Carolina (SEC Network) <br> Tuesday, April 12 vs. North Carolina (SEC Network) <br> Wednesday, May 4 vs. USC Upstate (SEC Network) <br> Sunday, May 8 at Kentucky (ESPNU) <br> Saturday, May 14 vs.Texas A&M (SEC Network) <br> Sunday, May 15 vs. Texas A&M (SEC Network)</p>
<p> </p>
<table border="0" height="499" width="454">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>Date</b></td>
<td><b>Opponent</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February 19-21</td>
<td>Albany</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February 23</td>
<td>Appalachian State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February 24</td>
<td>Winthrop</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February 26-28</td>
<td>Penn State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 1</td>
<td>at The Citadel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 4-6</td>
<td>Clemson (Columbia, Greenville, Clemson)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 8</td>
<td>Wofford</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 9</td>
<td>Furman</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 11-13</td>
<td>Charleston Southern</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 15</td>
<td>at USC Upstate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 16</td>
<td>Davidson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 18-20</td>
<td>Arkansas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 24-26</td>
<td>at Ole Miss</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 29</td>
<td>College of Charleston</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March 31-April 2</td>
<td>at Vanderbilt</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April 5</td>
<td>Coastal Carolina</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April 8-10</td>
<td>Tennessee</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April 12</td>
<td>vs. North Carolina (Charlotte)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April 15-17</td>
<td>at Georgia<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April 20</td>
<td>at Furman</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April 22-24</td>
<td>Missouri</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April 29-May 1</td>
<td>Florida</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May 4</td>
<td>USC Upstate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May 6-7</td>
<td>at Kentucky</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May 10</td>
<td>Presbyterian</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May 13-15</td>
<td>Texas A&M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May 17</td>
<td>The Citadel</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May 19-21</td>
<td>at Alabama</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May 24-29</td>
<td>SEC Tournament</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 3-6</td>
<td>NCAA Regionals</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 10-13</td>
<td>NCAA Super Regionals</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 18-29</td>
<td>College World Series</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
https://www.garnetandblackattack.com/south-carolina-baseball/2015/11/4/9669728/2016-south-carolina-gamecocks-baseball-schedule-releasedKaci B