Injuries take toll on staff

[morgan n' 7]

Crisp’s status for opener uncertain

South Carolina second baseman Andrew Crisp is scheduled for minor back surgery this morning and might not be ready for the start of the season.

Crisp, a redshirt junior, has been bothered by the herniated disc since fall practice, according to coach Ray Tanner.

“We’re just going to have to wait and see,” Tanner said of Crisp’s availability for the Feb. 22 opener against East Carolina. “He had some issues in the fall. He really didn’t make a lot of progress. He did a lot of rehab, and he hasn’t gotten to the point where we need him to be at.

Hopefully, (the surgery) will pay off for him.”

Crisp, who played center field this past season, is penciled in as the starting second baseman. He hit .283 season with six homers and 40 RBIs.

“He’s important for our lineup because he’s easily our most versatile player, and defensively he’s as good as anybody we’ve ever had play second base. He’s that good,” Tanner said.

Freshman Scott Wingo, a left-handed hitting graduate of Mauldin High School in Greenville, would be the favorite to start in Crisp’s place.

— Seth Emerson

http://www.thestate.com/gamecocks/story/281404.html

[Gamecockfanatic4]

yikes not so good News get back soon Andrew!

[cack]

played against him while he was at Greer ... didn't like him then but def. pull for him these days ... hope all goes well and he's able to get back on the diamond without any problems

[TheJasn]

hope he gets well and helps us get to Omaha.

[willy]

Crisp’s status for opener uncertain

South Carolina second baseman Andrew Crisp is scheduled for minor back surgery this morning and might not be ready for the start of the season.

Crisp, a redshirt junior, has been bothered by the herniated disc since fall practice, according to coach Ray Tanner.

“We’re just going to have to wait and see,” Tanner said of Crisp’s availability for the Feb. 22 opener against East Carolina. “He had some issues in the fall. He really didn’t make a lot of progress. He did a lot of rehab, and he hasn’t gotten to the point where we need him to be at.

Hopefully, (the surgery) will pay off for him.”

Crisp, who played center field this past season, is penciled in as the starting second baseman. He hit .283 season with six homers and 40 RBIs.

“He’s important for our lineup because he’s easily our most versatile player, and defensively he’s as good as anybody we’ve ever had play second base. He’s that good,” Tanner said.

Freshman Scott Wingo, a left-handed hitting graduate of Mauldin High School in Greenville, would be the favorite to start in Crisp’s place.

— Seth Emerson

http://www.thestate.com/gamecocks/story/281404.html



Here we go again with the injury bugs. Get well soon Crisp, we need you.

[morgan n' 7]

Tanner hopes Crisp will be back from surgery in time for season opener
Atwood also hurting

Published: Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 2:00 am By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
rscoppe@greenvillenews.com (rscoppe@greenvillenews.com)


COLUMBIA -- Second baseman Andrew Crisp underwent back surgery Friday, and coach Ray Tanner is hopeful the former Riverside High School standout will be ready to go when the University of South Carolina opens the season next month.

"He's optimistic this procedure will give him some relief ... (from) a herniated lumbar disc," Tanner said. "There's been some pain and aggravation, limiting what he could do."

Crisp played center field last year but was expected to start at second this season after hitting .283 with eight homers and 28 RBI. Tanner said the doctors were "optimistic" Crisp will be able to go when USC opens the season Feb. 22 against East Carolina. If not, freshman Scott Wingo, who played at Mauldin High School, could replace him.




Tanner said Crisp's back had been "aggravating him for awhile," adding he got through fall drills but "it was kind of tough on him."

"We rehabbed him extensively. He didn't make a whole lot of progress," Tanner said. "So this is why the procedure was decided upon."

Tanner also said three pitchers were lost for the season because of injuries: junior Jay Brown (Tommy John surgery), freshman Steven Neff of Lancaster (labrum and Tommy John) and freshman Brandon Miller of Greenwood (Tommy John).

Tanner said junior pitcher Will Atwood, who played for Greenville High School, injured his left shoulder in a freak accident" when he slipped on an incline while loading his car to go home for the holidays.

"He banged his throwing shoulder in the fall," Tanner said. "There were some concerns. Certainly, we'll be cautious with him. We're optimistic he'll be OK."
USC begins individual conditioning and skill drills Monday, with the first practice Feb. 1.



http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080112/SPORTS0102/801120316/1026/SPORTS0102

[Regalcock]

Why not just stab me in the chest posting this news.

Not Good.:roll:

[gacock]

We will be okay.

It may slow us down a tad in the beginning of the season, but they will pick up steam as the schedule progresses. Baseball challenges an athlete's body just as much as any sport, conditioning (officially starting Monday) will be key... even for our redshirts.

The only thing I truly worry about is the condensed schedule we will play starting this year... due to the NCAA's rule providing an across-the-board later start date for all NCAA baseball teams. An injury mid-season to the wrong person(s), and it could be tough to recover.

As it is, everyone plays under the same guidelines. Injuries a few weeks before the start of Winter practices is better than mid-season, given the change in scheduling games.

Go Gamecocks!!!

gacock

[ColaCock]

played against him while he was at Greer ... didn't like him then but def. pull for him these days ... hope all goes well and he's able to get back on the diamond without any problems

he's a really cool guy Cack, we'd used to hang out a bunch in school at the bars and what not...we'd always have a good time, never really hung around his brother much though although he was always around

[spartcock77]

Hope he gets well soon

[U-Dub Gamecock]

Damn!! Jay Brown out for another year??

And I am starting to hate Tommy John!!

And why is there Clemson Tiger crap below as I post?? Boooo!!

[carolinakid104]

who else will start in tha outfield with lail?

[gacock]

Based off of Fall ball results I would say it will be Hopper at left, Whit Merrifield in center and Lail in right. At best, that is an educated guess, but based off of solid tangible evidence shown in the Fall.

Lail can cover right; reliable with the stick. Merrifield and Hopper bring excellent foot speed for offense (base running) and defense (covering outfield gaps, getting to the ball on-time). Both are Freshmen, so you know there may be an occasional Freshman mistake in the outfield.

Both hit for numbers at the diamond, and that is what we will need for offense this year. Homeruns alone cannot and will not score enough runs in the SEC with the pitching we will face. Hopper is especially tenacious at the plate.

We need some hitters that will challenge pitchers and hit for bases. Once on, steal (or threaten to steal) the next sumbitch. That is what these two are capable of providing. Get the opposing pitcher's attention and get him to drop his guard with the guy at the plate.

That is what these two Freshmen offer; at least what they were capable of showing in the Fall. As always, everyone will get a shot at a position during Winter ball. Nothing is written in stone. Mine is nothing more than an educated guess at this point. Same for the batting order, same for the pitching order.

Typically, it all works out before the first pitch of the regular season crosses the plate.

Go Gamecocks!!!

gacock

[jojaba71]

Are we still in danger of losing any players to the draft? Is 2-01 the deadline to sign? I am getting really confused right now.....

[morgan n' 7]

Injuries take toll on staff

The Gamecocks will be without three likely starting pitchers this spring

By SETH EMERSON - semerson@thestate.com (semerson@thestate.com)

The South Carolina Gamecocks have lost three pitchers who would have contended for starting spots.

The biggest name is Jay Brown, a junior who took a medical redshirt last season and will miss all of the 2008 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. Brown, a right-hander, started four games last year before getting hurt, going 2-0 with a 4.66 ERA.

If Brown had healed, he might have been one of the top contenders for a South Carolina starting rotation with several openings. But Brown only pitched a few innings in fall practice and had season-ending surgery at the end of fall practice, according to team spokesman Andrew Kitick.

A pair of instate, freshman left-handers also will miss the season. Brandon Miller (Emerald) had Tommy John surgery after participating in some fall practice; Steven Neff (Lancaster High), who also plays left field, had labrum surgery.

The injuries take away depth from the pitching staff, which lost two weekend starters (Arik Hempy and Harris Honeycutt) and two key relievers (Jeff Jeffords and Wynn Pelzer).

At the end of fall practice in November, coach Ray Tanner listed a preliminary five-man starting staff of junior Mike Cisco, sophomore Blake Cooper, junior Will Atwood, junior Craig Thomas and redshirt freshman Parker Bangs. Atwood and Thomas are left-handers.

The team also confirmed that four players have transferred.

Freshman infielder Chris Love (Richland Northeast High) who redshirted last year, has gone to USC-Sumter.

Pitcher Evan Goldberg (Hillcrest High), who also redshirted, transferred to College of Charleston.

Sophomore Jonathan Ratledge, who sat out last season after playing 10 games in 2006, has transferred to East Carolina.

Outfielder Ryan Wilkins, a junior college transfer who just enrolled at USC last fall, left after the semester for USC-Upstate.

Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.

http://www.thestate.com/gamecocks/story/285304.html

[Luke Skycocker]

geez we have so much surgery on this team

[Cocklover]

I hate to see these injuries, but i really think with who we have we can still do really really well and you know tanner will have them ready to go. I'M READY!!!!

[uscnoklahoma]

Come on.....I really needed next month to pick me up. However, if there is one team I have faith in it is our Yardcocks.

[willy]

Why not just stab me in the chest posting this news.

Not Good.:roll:



Crisp definately will not be back for the opener.

[sc455]

one more injury and i will walk on..btw i have never in my life heard of 3 pitchers getting the TJ surgery at once. What the heck are we doing to them

[GamecockLawyer]

I think the team doctor is going to be the MVP.