Web site ranks USC, Clemson baseball

[morgan n' 7]

Web site ranks USC, Clemson baseball

Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 2:00 am


By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU


COLUMBIA -- It’s a debate without a winner: Which baseball program is the best in the Southeast -- or in the Palmetto State for that matter?

According to rivals.com, North Carolina is the top program in the Southeast, followed by Miami and then the University of South Carolina and Clemson University.

Florida State rounds out the top five.
“Once the target of criticism, North Carolina has shown unbridled consistency during the past few seasons,” rivals.com college baseball editor Kendall Rogers writes.

But the Tar Heels, Rogers writes, have reached the NCAA tournament the last five seasons and the College World Series the last two years.

On USC, Rogers writes that while coach Ray Tanner is “still searching for his first national title,” the program is close to that goal.

While “it will be interesting to see how the Gamecocks respond from the loss of (assistant) Jim Toman (who left for the head coaching job at Liberty),” Rogers writes, “the program is still in great shape with the return of a strong nucleus.”

On Clemson, Rogers writes “much like its hated rival down the road, Clemson is one of few programs that have established national consistency.”

“The Tigers have (a) rich history, but coach Jack Leggett has only helped add to an already impressive record,” Rogers adds. “Like South Carolina, Clemson needs to make a bigger splash in Omaha. However, the nation has taken notice of its consistency.”

http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20071211/sports0102/71211003/1026&GID=HrxeKg5XnU9g/7fpPPUn6/UAa6QFh9Ba7FzeHNAUpsQ%3D

[reddot8481]

Another tarheel lover..... and I thought BaseballAmerica were the only ones chasing those turds in baby blue.

[rock23aj]

understand miami ahead of us but not UNC...Since the regionals were formed us and Miami are the only 2 teams to go to all but one super

[Singaporecock]

How in the world can they put unc ahead of USC when we were making a tradition of knocking them out of the postseason there for a few years!

[hardcock2]

It looks about right to me....I know we've beat UNC several times, but they have made the finals the last two years...and isn't that the ultimate goal.

Hopefully this is our year!!:swingcoc:

[willy]

Web site ranks USC, Clemson baseball

Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 2:00 am


By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU


COLUMBIA -- It’s a debate without a winner: Which baseball program is the best in the Southeast -- or in the Palmetto State for that matter?

According to rivals.com, North Carolina is the top program in the Southeast, followed by Miami and then the University of South Carolina and Clemson University.

Florida State rounds out the top five.
“Once the target of criticism, North Carolina has shown unbridled consistency during the past few seasons,” rivals.com college baseball editor Kendall Rogers writes.

But the Tar Heels, Rogers writes, have reached the NCAA tournament the last five seasons and the College World Series the last two years.

On USC, Rogers writes that while coach Ray Tanner is “still searching for his first national title,” the program is close to that goal.

While “it will be interesting to see how the Gamecocks respond from the loss of (assistant) Jim Toman (who left for the head coaching job at Liberty),” Rogers writes, “the program is still in great shape with the return of a strong nucleus.”

On Clemson, Rogers writes “much like its hated rival down the road, Clemson is one of few programs that have established national consistency.”

“The Tigers have (a) rich history, but coach Jack Leggett has only helped add to an already impressive record,” Rogers adds. “Like South Carolina, Clemson needs to make a bigger splash in Omaha. However, the nation has taken notice of its consistency.”

http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20071211/sports0102/71211003/1026&GID=HrxeKg5XnU9g/7fpPPUn6/UAa6QFh9Ba7FzeHNAUpsQ%3D





Sorry to dis-agree but THe YARDCOCKS are far superior to the tar holes or the jack legs.

[jellafever]

It looks about right to me....I know we've beat UNC several times, but they have made the finals the last two years...and isn't that the ultimate goal.

Hopefully this is our year!!:swingcoc:

Actually i thought the ultimate goal was to make it to the finals AND WIN. It doesn't matter who finishes second.

[big cock fan]

well didnt they knock us out last year? i would give them the nod over us just bc of that. But i dont think anyone in the country will have a better offense then us, we are going to outscore everyone, hopefully pitching can keep up with the offense.

[hardcock2]

Actually i thought the ultimate goal was to make it to the finals AND WIN. It doesn't matter who finishes second.

well, they've come a helluva lot closer than we have the last few years haven't they?

[bhusc2002]

If they're talking about since 2000 or maybe the last five years, then yes i would say us. but if youre talking about just the last two years, or how the teams project for this year, i'd have to go with UNC.

[usc89]

That's nothing more or less than a media love-affair with North Carolina, and you're right---not much was made of it when we were busy knocking them OUT of the regionals and supers! We'll do it again this year!

GO COCKS!

[gacock]

The road that gets both teams to post-season play is entirely different, the challenge through the SEC is tougher than it is in the ACC. Last year's regular season winning percentages from both conferences illustrates this:

Team In-Conf. Wins Win %(overall W.P.)
ACC Atlantic Div.:
Florida State 24-6 .80 (.79)
Clemson 18-12 .60 (.64)
NCSU 16-14 .533 (.623)
WFU 14-16 .467 (.540)
Boston Col. 12-17 .414 (.471)
Maryland 7-23 .233 (.464)

ACC Coastal Div.:
UNC 21-9 .700 (.781)
Virginia 19-9 .679 (.738)
Miami 17-13 .567 (.607)
Ga. Tech 15-14 .517 (.561)
Duke 8-22 .267 (.537)
Va. Tech 7-23 .233 (.426)

SEC East:
Vandy 22-8 .733 (.806)
S. Carolina 17-13 .567 (.697)
Florida 15-15 .500 (.492)
Tenn. 13-15 .464 (.576)
Kentucky 13-16-1 .450 (.639)
Georgia 11-19 .367 (.411)

SEC West:
Arkansas 18-12 .60 (.672)
Miss. State 15-13 .536 (.633)
Ole Miss 16-14 .533 (.615)
Alabama 15-15 .500 (.544)
LSU 12-17-1 .417 (.527)
Auburn 10-20 .333 (.554)

You've got three really bad teams in the ACC, averaging less than a 30% win margin in the league. No team in the SEC averaged below .333 within SEC play.

One SEC team faired better than a 70% in-conference winning percentage (Vandy), yet two teams in the ACC are 70% or better. Virginia was one in-conference win away from having a 70% in-conference win average.

Conference parity within the ACC has not been in existence for quite some time. Click on to http://www.boydsworld.com/data/, look to the right ("Conference Standings") and compare the conferences. You will find the ACC it has always been top-heavy with a few good teams, the remainder dogs.

I watch college baseball seasons unfold, and I am constantly amazed at the length of time UNC will be a mid-50s SoS team. Their SoS usually compares to ours well into 3/4s of (our) conference play. We are usually within the mid-twenties range when we start to play SEC teams.

Once the ACC conference cupcakes are gone and they are playing the "meat" of the ACC Conference, they get their "respect" concerning their SoS. That my friends, is why our "Border Wars" series was cancelled by their coach; they don't want tough OOC competition to impede their progress in the regular season, until ACC Tournament play. Affects their end-of-season SoS.

They come in well rested and ready to play some ball. They want to play "consistent win" baseball; something which can be done in the ACC. Not so much in the SEC, especially with the current four year rise of the Arky and Vandy teams.

You know that Miss. State, Ole Miss, LSU (who this year will be a force in the SECw) and Florida will always be there. Kentucky, UGa and Tenn. always provides a surprise or two during a five year course in SEC play. The days of "sweeps" in SEC play have diminished over the past three years.

A great coach in the majors once told me, good teams are consistent winners playing equal -or better- competitors; they average 66% winning percentages. In the SEC, I'll take a Gamecock team averaging 66% over anyone. They are rare in our conference.

Go Gamecocks!!!

gacock

[cack]

i would go with UNC, USC, Miami, Clemson, FSU for mine ... Miami like us have been consistant ... but here more recently i don't think they've been as strong as we have been ... and as much as it pains me to say it ... Clemson Baseball is NOT light years away from us as some want to think ... Legit has that program at top notch

when talkin about College Sports ... in Football the state you think of dominating is Florida ... in Basketball it's North Carolina ... and in Baseball the dominating state is South Carolina

[gacock]

Miami is an interesting anomoly since Jim Morris took over in '93. Miami won its last N.C. in Omaha in '01, by beating Stanford... the team we hung with, but finally lost to in Palo Alto. They made it to Omaha in '06, and his teams have made it there in 10 of his 14 years as skipper.

Morris is a dynamic recruiter. While the HC at Georgia Tech, he built and groomed the East Cobb Baseball "Pipeline" for recruits and had a lot of success doing it. He has continued the Miami tradition of getting into post-season play which was created by Ron Frasier, whose teams always seem to compete on a high level from the '60s to the '90s.

The part that amazes me is the lesser success they've experienced in the ACC since joining. They used to schedule a ton of games at home, and have had to travel more since joining the conference to play its members, often flying b/c of distance.

Since our program's upturn in '00, we have had our way with Miami with a 3-1 post-season record. Our overall with them is 9-23 (first meeting in '74).

Morris' '02 team was considered to be the best team mix he had at Miami for a long time. Skill-wise it was the best in the nation, as many players were on that team from the '01 Miami N.C. team (a team with an unbelieveable 81% winning %). But that '02 Yardcock team had killer instinct. Probably would've taken Texas in a 2 out of 3 championship series.

I look forward to playing them again in '08, and improving our record against them.

The Cocks have done well against the ACC since the turn of the millenium. We are 35-22 (.63) against all ACC opponents since '00, with only a losing record against G.T. (2-3). Our current record against the Taters in regular season play is 15-15; include the '02 sweep in Omaha we are 17-15 against them.

Go Gamecocks!!!

gacock