South Carolina Ranks No. 2 In Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll

[PhillyCock]

http://www.baseballnews.com/polls/divI/currentpolldivI.htm

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's
NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll
(As of Dec. 21, 2007)
Rank School ('07 Final Record) Points
1. Arizona (42-17) 496
2. South Carolina (46-20) 493
3. Arizona St. (49-15) 491
4. Mississippi (40-25) 487
5. North Carolina (57-16) 486
6. Rice (56-14) 483
7. San Diego (43-18) 481
8. Texas (46-17) 478
9. Wichita St. (53-22) 476
10. Michigan (42-19) 473

11. Vanderbilt (54-13) 471
12. Florida St. (49-13) 468
13. Clemson (41-23) 466
14. Miami, Fla. (37-24) 464
15. Missouri (42-18) 461
16. Cal. St. Fullerton (38-25) 459
17. Long Beach St. (39-20) 455
18. UCLA (33-28) 452
19. Oregon St. (49-18) 451
20. Kentucky (34-19-1) 447

21. Fresno St. (38-29) 446
22. Texas A&M (48-19) 443
23. Louisville (47-24) 440
24. Virginia (45-16) 437
25. Georgia Tech. (32-25) 434
26. U.C. Irvine (47-17-1) 432
27. Mississippi St. (38-22) 430
28. Baylor (35-27) 428
29. Pepperdine (35-22) 426
30. Louisiana St. (29-26-1) 423

31. Oklahoma St. (42-21) 420
32. Louisiana-Lafayette (45-17) 419
33. Southern Illinois (34-22) 415
34. Southern Miss. (39-23) 413
35. U.C. Riverside (38-21) 411
36. Stetson (42-21) 408
37. Coastal Carolina (50-13) 406
38. Nebraska (32-27) 405
39. California (29-26) 403
40. Oral Roberts (40-17)

OTHER TEAMS RECEIVING VOTES: Georgia, Alabama, Creighton, South Florida, Notre Dame, Winthrop, Arkansas, Old Dominion, Texas-San Antonio, New Orleans, Oklahoma, East Carolina, Tulane, Kent St., Houston, Central Michigan, Texas Christian, Central Florida, Lamar, Southeastern Louisiana, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, Gonzaga, Santa Clara, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, Southern California, Stanford, Washington, Washington St., College of Charleston, Rutgers, Western Carolina, Penn. St., Minnesota, Ohio St., North Carolina St., Wake Forest, Hawaii, Virginia Commonwealth, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, LeMoyne, Troy, Kennesaw St., Richmond, St. John's, Old Dominion, Austin Peay, Southern.

[garnet4ever]

http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/122107aab.html
Gamecocks open 2008 Season on February 22 vs. East Carolina


Dec. 21, 2007

Columbia, S.C. - The South Carolina baseball team has been ranked No. 2 in the 2008 Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll released on Friday afternoon. The Gamecocks will open the season on February 22 hosting East Carolina in a three-game series at Sarge Frye Field.
Carolina returns six position starters from last year's NCAA Super Regional team including All-America junior first baseman Justin Smoak (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/smoak_justin00.html) (.315-22-72) and All-America senior catcher Phil Disher (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/disher_phil00.html) (.328-15-63). The lineup also features junior third baseman James Darnell (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/darnell_james00.html) (.331-19-63, who earned second team All-SEC accolades, junior shortstop Reese Havens (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/havens_reese00.html) (.274-5-43), who was an All-Star in the Cape Cod League this past summer as well as junior infielder Andrew Crisp (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/crisp_andrew00.html) (.283-8-28) and senior outfielder Harley Lail (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/lail_harley00.html) (.291-4-25). The Gamecock offense returns 74 home runs from last year's squad that led the nation with a total of 113 on the year.
Starting pitchers back on the mound for the Gamecocks this year are junior right-handed pitcher Mike Cisco (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/cisco_mike00.html) (6-2, 3.84 ERA) and sophomore Blake Cooper (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/cooper_blake00.html) (7-2, 4.48 ERA). Cooper was a freshman All-America selection last season by Collegiate Baseball. Junior left-handed pitchers Will Atwood (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/atwood_will00.html) (2-2, 4.91 ERA) and Alex Farotto (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/farotto_alex00.html) (1-0, 4.06 ERA, 45 K, 31.0IP) are also back on the hill for the Gamecocks as well as senior right-handed pitcher Curtis Johnson (http://gamecocksonline.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/johnson_curtis00.html) (1-3, 3.38 ERA, 54 K, 42.2 IP), a NCAA All-Regional Team selection.


http://graphics.fansonly.com/graphics/spacer.gif
Carolina is one of six SEC teams to be ranked by Collegiate Baseball. Ole Miss ranks fourth, Vanderbilt is 11th, Kentucky ranks 20th, Mississippi State comes in at 27th with LSU tabbed at No. 30. The 2008 schedule features 56 games including 23 against teams that advanced to the NCAA Regionals last year as well as 35 home games. South Carolina is one of only two schools in the nation to reach the NCAA Super Regionals in seven of the last eight years (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007). Since the 2000 season, the Gamecocks are the only SEC squad to reach the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament each year and have compiled eight consecutive 40-plus win seasons. The Gamecocks have also put together a 388-155 record in that span, the fourth highest win total in Division I baseball as well as an SEC-best 147-92 in conference match-ups. That list also includes three trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004), two SEC Championships (2000, 2002) and one SEC Tournament title (2004).

[usc1]

Thats surprising but sounds good to me.

[spartcock77]

Good news and if the pitching staff shapes up like it is supposed this may finally be the year

[hardcock2]

let me guess.....UNC is #1 even though they got that ass beat by Oregon St. again.

[PhillyCock]

nope arizona is number 1..the whole poll is in this thread..
http://www.cockytalk.com/showthread.php?t=56476

[FinchMcCrunkNasty]

Good lord. Even still, last year was a letdown...pretty much like every gamecock sport

[Kendalls Daddy]

Whats the projected pitching rotation?

Thanks

[garnetgolfr]

This is the kind of information I always pull up when fans from other SEC schools say we contribute nothing to the conference. This could finally be the year we go all the way if the pitching holds up. If the offensive power is there and we have solid pitching to back it up, Omaha, here we come.

[hardcock2]

nope arizona is number 1..the whole poll is in this thread..
http://www.cockytalk.com/showthread.php?t=56476

wow!!:-o...thanks.

[KCSuge]

Well something to feel good about finally. I love Tanner.

[Palmetto_Son]

Nice

[Dr. Cock]

I was expecting a Top 3 pre-season ranking to be honest. Now, it's time to live up to it!

[spartcock77]

I know Cisco, Cooper, Jay Brown, and possibly Atwood for the weekend rotation and a freshman or jc transfer to step up as well, oh yeah Parker Bangs (sp?) is also supposed to have done well in the fall and may make a push to be a weekend starter

[CaptainCrunch]

oh yeah Parker Bangs (sp?) is also supposed to have done well in the fall and may make a push to be a weekend starter

yeah Parker Bangs, had a very good fall. He came to USC with mono and the coaches were thinking about redshirting him but it doesn't look like will happen. He also might DH every once in a while. He went to the same high school as Travian Robertson, Scotland County in NC.

[usc1]

Arizona has a baseball team? I never remembered them last year.

[Snake]

Arizona has a baseball team? I never remembered them last year.I think I just found out why they are preseason #1:



TUCSON, Ariz. – For the first time in school history the Arizona baseball program has been named the preseason No. 1 team in the nation. Collegiate Baseball released its preseason rankings on Friday and the Wildcats were named to the top spot.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” head coach Andy Lopez said. “I am really happy for the program and our players. Obviously the expectations for us this season are very high, but we feel really good about the group of players we have returning and we are excited about a number of the newcomers.”

The Wildcats (42-17 in 2007) lost only two starters off of last season’s team NCAA regional team, senior outfielder Bill Rhinehart and pitcher Brad Mills, and return a strong core of juniors and seniors, including five players that were selected in last June’s Major League Draft.

Arizona’s previous high ranking in a preseason poll came in 1989 when the Wildcats were No. 2 in the Baseball America poll.

The Wildcats return nearly their entire pitching staff that posted the lowest ERA in 30 years in Tucson, finished second in the nation in strikeouts per game and posted the second-most strikeouts in school history.

Headlining the staff will be 2007 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and 2008 preseason All-American Preston Guilmet, who finished last year 12-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 146 strikeouts. Joining the junior right-hander in the starting mix are returnees David Coulon (Sr. LHP), Mike Colla (Jr., RHP), Ryan Perry (Jr., RHP), as well as transfer Grayson Adams.

The bullpen is stocked with the right-left closing threat of Jason Stoffel and preseason All-American Daniel Schlereth, as well as reliever Cory Burns. The Wildcats also welcome back left-hander Eric Berger who missed the 2007 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Offensively the Cats return nine full-time players from last season. Preseason All-American C.J. Ziegler comes back as the team’s top returning hitter. The senior batted .355 with 59 runs scored, 23 doubles, 13 home runs and 63 RBI in his first season at UA last year.

Classmate Colt Sedbrook returns for his third season in Tucson after hitting .335 with 52 runs scored and 13 doubles.

Outfielders T.J. Steele (.323, 41 R, 7HR), Jon Gaston (.319, 40 R, 6 HR) and Brad Glenn (.333, 10 HR, 60 RBI) highlight a potent junior class, while sophomore teammates Robert Abel, Diallo Fon and Dwight Childs are all back for their second season.

The Wildcats will open practice Feb. 1 in preparation for their season-opener on Feb. 22 at Georgia in Athens, Ga.

http://www.arizonaathletics.com/baseball/article.aspx?id=47922
They are loaded with Pitching!

[usc1]

I think I just found out why they are preseason #1:

They are loaded with Pitching!

O wow...thats scary

[Gamecockfanatic4]

I figured we'd be top 5 pre-season but as others have said its time to live up to the hype

[Adiossuck]

http://www.baseballnews.com/polls/divI/currentpolldivI.htm

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's
NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll
(As of Dec. 21, 2007)
Rank School ('07 Final Record) Points
1. Arizona (42-17) 496
2. South Carolina (46-20) 493
3. Arizona St. (49-15) 491
4. Mississippi (40-25) 487
5. North Carolina (57-16) 486
6. Rice (56-14) 483
7. San Diego (43-18) 481
8. Texas (46-17) 478
9. Wichita St. (53-22) 476
10. Michigan (42-19) 473

11. Vanderbilt (54-13) 471
12. Florida St. (49-13) 468
13. Clemson (41-23) 466
14. Miami, Fla. (37-24) 464
15. Missouri (42-18) 461
16. Cal. St. Fullerton (38-25) 459
17. Long Beach St. (39-20) 455
18. UCLA (33-28) 452
19. Oregon St. (49-18) 451
20. Kentucky (34-19-1) 447

21. Fresno St. (38-29) 446
22. Texas A&M (48-19) 443
23. Louisville (47-24) 440
24. Virginia (45-16) 437
25. Georgia Tech. (32-25) 434





All of those bolded either surprised me with the highness of their ranking.. or them being ranked at all.

[CockyChrisCox]

wow. didn't see that coming. hopefully we can live up to it.

[CaptainCrunch]

where is clemson?

[Snake]

where is clemson?#13

[TheGuitarCock]

#13



Repeat:

OVER & RATED!:wink:

[Dietz]

c'mon yardcocks, give us somethin' to cheer about

[jstrom]

Congratulations to the YardCocks! #2 preseason (no doubt they'll play to it) AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, to the teams 3.0 GPA!!! Something to CROW about.

[U-Dub Gamecock]

Arizona has a good history in baseball.. Some of yall might wanna do some research before hammering those guys..

As for our chances.. it all comes down to our pitching staff.. If we can get 3 consistant starters.. we have a great chance of getting back to Omaha for the first time in 4 years

[usc1]

It will all come down to pitching this year...we know we have the hitting.

[U-Dub Gamecock]

Yep.. its alot like the last 2 years.. pitching (lack of) has cost us a chance at getting to Omaha..

We gotta get some consistancy..

[Cocklover]

This top ranking in baseball is something i'm getting used to, its nice to finally be used to being top ranked in a sport, LOL.

[cack]

Repeat:

OVER & RATED!:wink:

how do you figure ... hate to say it ... but Clemson has and always does ... a VERY good Baseball team



as for our boys ... i can't wait for the season to start ... Arizona is going to be TOUGH for anybody ... but the only reason their stats are so impressive is because they don't face the Gamecock bats :swingcoc: