Sizing Up The 2008 Gamecock Baseball Team
posted by Scott Hood on Friday, February 22, 2008
The question most people ask on the eve of a new season is whether USC is good enough to make it to the College World Series.
That’s what logically occurs when you go to three consecutive College World Series from 2002-2004 and the success or failure of every season is judged on whether you make it to Omaha or not.
So, is this team good enough? Yes. But, then again, every Gamecock team since 2000 with the possible exception of the 2005 squad has been talented enough to compete in Omaha.
They just haven’t gotten it done in Game 3 of the Super Regionals the last two years with frustrating losses at Georgia and North Carolina. USC led in both games in the decisive game but couldn’t hold it.
Think about this for a second: had USC won the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Super Regional in 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2007, the Gamecocks would be entering this season seeking their eighth trip to the last nine College World Series. That’s how close it’s been.
What about this year’s team? USC will certainly possess one of the best lineups in the country. The middle third of the batting order with James Darnell, Justin Smoak and Phil Disher might be the best in the country.
Those three players, if they swing the bat the way I expect them to, should combine for at least 60 homers and 225 RBI.
Is there a better infield in college baseball than Smoak at first, Andrew Crisp (once he gets fully healthy) at second, Reese Havens at short and Darnell at third? I doubt it.
So, that’s two areas where USC should excel.
The top of the batting order is a bit of a question mark with Reese Havens. He batted almost entirely in the eighth and ninth spots and compiled a mediocre .337 on-base percentage last year.
But Ray Tanner seems supremely confident in Havens’ ability to get the job done, and that he possesses the characteristics of an ideal leadoff hitter. I think he’s counting on Havens’ experience to shine through.
Whit Merrifield is set to bat second. We know he’s fast and is a pretty good bunter. He’ll steal a lot of bases, no question. But Merrifield is still a true freshman, so he’s yet to play on the big stage.
USC’s lineup will likely feature speed at the top of the order with Merrifield, power in the middle, and speed at the bottom with Harley Lail and Scott Wingo.
Based on everything I’ve read, the biggest concerns surround the pitching staff. In my opinion, some of those concerns are legitimate, especially considering the quality of pitchers USC lost to the MLB Draft.
Mike Cisco is a solid college pitcher, but he’s not a ‘stud’ No. 1 guy that some teams possess. He’ll give you a quality start nearly every time he takes the mound and won’t give in to hitters. He’s a fiery competitor. But will he strike out 15 guys? No.
Blake Cooper, the No. 2 starter, is the same type of pitcher as Cisco. But he has to show he can pitch on the road. Most of his best performances last season came at Sarge Frye Field.
Until Will Atwood returns from an injury, the No. 3 starter’s job will remain a battle between Craig Thomas, Nick Godwin and Parker Bangs. As Tanner said Thursday, there’s not much separation between those three.
However, those three pitchers have combined for just 14.1 innings in their careers, so they lack the experience Tanner craves.
The bullpen, once you get past Curtis Johnson and Alex Farotto, is largely untested. But there’s plenty of good, quality arms. Names like Brandon Todd, Will Casey, Sam Dyson, Heath Hembree, Tyler Musselwhite and Keegan Linza will hopefully become more familiar to you as the season progresses.
Where does USC stack up in the SEC? Right now, I would agree with Tanner’s assessment that Vanderbilt might be a better overall club because their pitching has a little more proven depth, but that the eight positional players are relatively equal.
In other words, it’s pretty close.
Could the argument that USC is the second best team in the SEC pass the snicker test? Absolutely.
I’m really looking forward to that showdown series in Nashville between the Gamecocks and Commodores on March 14-16. It’s the first SEC series of the season, and it might be the best. It could feature a pair of Top 10 teams.
Heck, I’ll walk to the Music City to watch that series.
Another big test will come the weekend of the spring football game (April 18-20) when Ole Miss invades Columbia. The Rebels have a great pitching staff, one of the best in the country. No doubt, the Gamecock hitters will get a stern test for three days in that series. Ole Miss is favored to win the SEC West ahead of Mississippi State.
One other thing to watch this year is how the new compressed schedule (under the old schedule, USC would be entering the third weekend of regular season play) affects the way Tanner manages the team and how pitching coach Mark Calvi handles the pitching staff.
Starting with the March 4 home game against Gardner-Webb, USC will play five games per week for six straight weeks.
That’s a lot of baseball in a short period of time.
Let’s play ball.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
With Friday being the first day of the college baseball season (weather permitting, of course), this is an appropriate time to take inventory of the South Carolina baseball team.
The question most people ask on the eve of a new season is whether USC is good enough to make it to the College World Series.
That’s what logically occurs when you go to three consecutive College World Series from 2002-2004 and the success or failure of every season is judged on whether you make it to Omaha or not.
So, is this team good enough? Yes. But, then again, every Gamecock team since 2000 with the possible exception of the 2005 squad has been talented enough to compete in Omaha.
They just haven’t gotten it done in Game 3 of the Super Regionals the last two years with frustrating losses at Georgia and North Carolina. USC led in both games in the decisive game but couldn’t hold it.
Think about this for a second: had USC won the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Super Regional in 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2007, the Gamecocks would be entering this season seeking their eighth trip to the last nine College World Series. That’s how close it’s been.
What about this year’s team? USC will certainly possess one of the best lineups in the country. The middle third of the batting order with James Darnell, Justin Smoak and Phil Disher might be the best in the country.
Those three players, if they swing the bat the way I expect them to, should combine for at least 60 homers and 225 RBI.
Is there a better infield in college baseball than Smoak at first, Andrew Crisp (once he gets fully healthy) at second, Reese Havens at short and Darnell at third? I doubt it.
So, that’s two areas where USC should excel.
The top of the batting order is a bit of a question mark with Reese Havens. He batted almost entirely in the eighth and ninth spots and compiled a mediocre .337 on-base percentage last year.
But Ray Tanner seems supremely confident in Havens’ ability to get the job done, and that he possesses the characteristics of an ideal leadoff hitter. I think he’s counting on Havens’ experience to shine through.
Whit Merrifield is set to bat second. We know he’s fast and is a pretty good bunter. He’ll steal a lot of bases, no question. But Merrifield is still a true freshman, so he’s yet to play on the big stage.
USC’s lineup will likely feature speed at the top of the order with Merrifield, power in the middle, and speed at the bottom with Harley Lail and Scott Wingo.
Based on everything I’ve read, the biggest concerns surround the pitching staff. In my opinion, some of those concerns are legitimate, especially considering the quality of pitchers USC lost to the MLB Draft.
Mike Cisco is a solid college pitcher, but he’s not a ‘stud’ No. 1 guy that some teams possess. He’ll give you a quality start nearly every time he takes the mound and won’t give in to hitters. He’s a fiery competitor. But will he strike out 15 guys? No.
Blake Cooper, the No. 2 starter, is the same type of pitcher as Cisco. But he has to show he can pitch on the road. Most of his best performances last season came at Sarge Frye Field.
Until Will Atwood returns from an injury, the No. 3 starter’s job will remain a battle between Craig Thomas, Nick Godwin and Parker Bangs. As Tanner said Thursday, there’s not much separation between those three.
However, those three pitchers have combined for just 14.1 innings in their careers, so they lack the experience Tanner craves.
The bullpen, once you get past Curtis Johnson and Alex Farotto, is largely untested. But there’s plenty of good, quality arms. Names like Brandon Todd, Will Casey, Sam Dyson, Heath Hembree, Tyler Musselwhite and Keegan Linza will hopefully become more familiar to you as the season progresses.
Where does USC stack up in the SEC? Right now, I would agree with Tanner’s assessment that Vanderbilt might be a better overall club because their pitching has a little more proven depth, but that the eight positional players are relatively equal.
In other words, it’s pretty close.
Could the argument that USC is the second best team in the SEC pass the snicker test? Absolutely.
I’m really looking forward to that showdown series in Nashville between the Gamecocks and Commodores on March 14-16. It’s the first SEC series of the season, and it might be the best. It could feature a pair of Top 10 teams.
Heck, I’ll walk to the Music City to watch that series.
Another big test will come the weekend of the spring football game (April 18-20) when Ole Miss invades Columbia. The Rebels have a great pitching staff, one of the best in the country. No doubt, the Gamecock hitters will get a stern test for three days in that series. Ole Miss is favored to win the SEC West ahead of Mississippi State.
One other thing to watch this year is how the new compressed schedule (under the old schedule, USC would be entering the third weekend of regular season play) affects the way Tanner manages the team and how pitching coach Mark Calvi handles the pitching staff.
Starting with the March 4 home game against Gardner-Webb, USC will play five games per week for six straight weeks.
That’s a lot of baseball in a short period of time.
Let’s play ball.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
Previous Blog Entries
Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.