morgan n' 7
12-22-2007, 04:07 AM
USC excels classroom
Published: Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 2:00 am By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
COLUMBIA -- As pleased as he was in being ranked No. 2 in the nation in one preseason poll, University of South Carolina baseball coach Ray Tanner was even more happy learning his team finished with at least a 3.0 grade point average during the fall semester.
A few grades still aren’t in, but Tanner said the team’s academic counselor, Steven Bondurant, said the overall GPA would be at least a B average.
After being asked about being No. 2 in the nation in the nation in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll released Friday, Tanner told a reporter “you didn’t ask me the really important question.”
“How you feel about your team getting better than a 3.0?” Tanner said Friday. “You have to give credit where credit’s due. It starts with the players. But the next person you look at is who’s in charge of academics, and that is Bondurant.
“It’s his first full-time semester handling the baseball team. There’s no doubt that he did a super job. But he can’t get a 3.0 by himself. I’m tickled about that. That always makes you feel that the guys got it figured out a little bit.”
It was the third time in the last seven semesters the team has had at least a 3.0, according to school records.
On the field, the Gamecocks are again expected to be among the best teams in the nation after making it to the NCAA super regionals and finishing 46-20 last year.
So it was no surprise that the Gamecocks were No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll behind Arizona. USC was one of three Southeastern Conference teams in the top 20. Mississippi was No. 4, Vanderbilt No. 11 and Kentucky No. 20.
Clemson University was ranked No. 13.
“I’m always grateful, and I know the team is, that you get that kind of respect,” Tanner said. “I’m not sure we’re the No. 2 team at this point but I hope the pollsters are right.”
Such high rankings are nothing new for Tanner or the Gamecocks, who are one of only two teams to reach the NCAA super regionals seven of the last eight years. USC is also 388-155 over that span.
“I don’t think it’s ever taken for granted, but I think it is an expectation that we want to be a program that’s consistent and gets in a position to play at the end of the year,” he said.
“There’s expectations in this program, and I think the players year after year inherit that and try to keep us in that position.”
The Gamecocks start the 2008 season with a three-game series against East Carolina, which begins Feb. 22 at Sarge Frye Field.
http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071222/SPORTS0102/71222003/1026
Published: Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 2:00 am By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
COLUMBIA -- As pleased as he was in being ranked No. 2 in the nation in one preseason poll, University of South Carolina baseball coach Ray Tanner was even more happy learning his team finished with at least a 3.0 grade point average during the fall semester.
A few grades still aren’t in, but Tanner said the team’s academic counselor, Steven Bondurant, said the overall GPA would be at least a B average.
After being asked about being No. 2 in the nation in the nation in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll released Friday, Tanner told a reporter “you didn’t ask me the really important question.”
“How you feel about your team getting better than a 3.0?” Tanner said Friday. “You have to give credit where credit’s due. It starts with the players. But the next person you look at is who’s in charge of academics, and that is Bondurant.
“It’s his first full-time semester handling the baseball team. There’s no doubt that he did a super job. But he can’t get a 3.0 by himself. I’m tickled about that. That always makes you feel that the guys got it figured out a little bit.”
It was the third time in the last seven semesters the team has had at least a 3.0, according to school records.
On the field, the Gamecocks are again expected to be among the best teams in the nation after making it to the NCAA super regionals and finishing 46-20 last year.
So it was no surprise that the Gamecocks were No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll behind Arizona. USC was one of three Southeastern Conference teams in the top 20. Mississippi was No. 4, Vanderbilt No. 11 and Kentucky No. 20.
Clemson University was ranked No. 13.
“I’m always grateful, and I know the team is, that you get that kind of respect,” Tanner said. “I’m not sure we’re the No. 2 team at this point but I hope the pollsters are right.”
Such high rankings are nothing new for Tanner or the Gamecocks, who are one of only two teams to reach the NCAA super regionals seven of the last eight years. USC is also 388-155 over that span.
“I don’t think it’s ever taken for granted, but I think it is an expectation that we want to be a program that’s consistent and gets in a position to play at the end of the year,” he said.
“There’s expectations in this program, and I think the players year after year inherit that and try to keep us in that position.”
The Gamecocks start the 2008 season with a three-game series against East Carolina, which begins Feb. 22 at Sarge Frye Field.
http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071222/SPORTS0102/71222003/1026