tptgamecock
02-17-2008, 08:44 PM
COLUMBIA — A few outs doesn't seem like much of anything in the scheme of a long college baseball season.
But they take on extreme importance — and an expected level of frustration — for South Carolina as it reviews its most recent history.
After all, that's all that kept it from Omaha and the College World Series the past two years.
One more win at Georgia in 2006, or one more win last season at North Carolina, and the Gamecocks wouldn't have their constant postseason bugaboo hanging over them.
"You never imagine it," said Justin Smoak, USC's preseason All-American at first base. "We want to go to Omaha every year. Having that chance, being so close, it's not a pretty feeling, not a good feeling."
Smoak, the Goose Creek native, is the offensive and defensive anchor of what might be the nation's best infield, a group, once healthy, that's laden with experience.
The junior, who hit .315 with 22 homers and 72 RBIs last year, is joined by what potentially could be All-SEC infield.
James Darnell is back at third, shortstop Reese Havens of Sullivan's Island will get a look hitting leadoff and Andrew Crisp will be a welcome addition at second when he's fully recovered from minor back surgery.
In the meantime, talented freshman Scott Wingo will get a look there. By coach Ray Tanner's assessing, Wingo is a defensive whiz in the making.
Add in catcher-designated hitter Phil Disher, and the majority of South Carolina's offense could come from inside the outfield grass. But the Gamecocks could have emerging stars in the outfield, also.
Freshmen Justin Hopper and Whit Merrifield will immediately get their shots in left and center. Senior Harley Lail will look to improve upon a terrific showing in the North Carolina super regional.
Tanner has been saying since the summer that pitching will dictate how far the 2008 Gamecocks advance.
The reason, particularly, is that there's a lack of known arms in the rotation and the bullpen.
Wando grad Mike Cisco is, without question, the staff's No. 1. And he likes it that way.
"Every year, the expectations for myself grow," Cisco said. "I expect more out of myself the more experience I get. I'm just going to put the team in a position to win as much as I can. I want to take it into my hands to make it happen."
But he can't do it alone.
Curtis Johnson and Alex Farrotto are the closest things USC has to experienced relievers, and they were far from lynchpins a year ago.
Beyond that, there's a pool of relative unknowns and newcomers that Tanner and pitching coach Mark Calvi will employ early in the year, with the hopes that a few pitchers will emerge.
"We've been hearing the pitching staff's going to be the weak point," said Cisco, 6-2 with a 3.84 ERA a season ago. "We disagree. There's
not much we can do about it before the season. We're just real anxious to get out there and show everybody that that's wrong and show them what we have. The hitting, the years I've been here, has been great."
Redshirt freshman Parker Bangs, junior college transfer Tyler Musselwhite, senior Nick Godwin and junior Jordan Costner (coming back from shoulder surgery) and freshman Sam Dyson (also returning from an injury) are among the names that might eventually surface.
"Yeah, this could kind of be the no-name staff at the start of the year," Calvi said. "I think it's a case of there being some pitchers that nobody really knows about. Hopefully, we share the load and we're all strengths. But you go as far as your pitching goes, for sure."
Along the lines of team objectives, Cisco started to launch into a cliche. But he caught himself. The memories of the past two Junes will do that.
"You like to take one game at a time, but ultimately your goal is the College World Series," Cisco said. "Having come one game away two years in a row, it kind of puts a pit feeling in the bottom of your stomach. You want to get back there and win that one last game."
Added Smoak: "I'm not going to shy away from it. That's our goal. That's always been our goal."
Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com (thaney@postandcourier.com)
But they take on extreme importance — and an expected level of frustration — for South Carolina as it reviews its most recent history.
After all, that's all that kept it from Omaha and the College World Series the past two years.
One more win at Georgia in 2006, or one more win last season at North Carolina, and the Gamecocks wouldn't have their constant postseason bugaboo hanging over them.
"You never imagine it," said Justin Smoak, USC's preseason All-American at first base. "We want to go to Omaha every year. Having that chance, being so close, it's not a pretty feeling, not a good feeling."
Smoak, the Goose Creek native, is the offensive and defensive anchor of what might be the nation's best infield, a group, once healthy, that's laden with experience.
The junior, who hit .315 with 22 homers and 72 RBIs last year, is joined by what potentially could be All-SEC infield.
James Darnell is back at third, shortstop Reese Havens of Sullivan's Island will get a look hitting leadoff and Andrew Crisp will be a welcome addition at second when he's fully recovered from minor back surgery.
In the meantime, talented freshman Scott Wingo will get a look there. By coach Ray Tanner's assessing, Wingo is a defensive whiz in the making.
Add in catcher-designated hitter Phil Disher, and the majority of South Carolina's offense could come from inside the outfield grass. But the Gamecocks could have emerging stars in the outfield, also.
Freshmen Justin Hopper and Whit Merrifield will immediately get their shots in left and center. Senior Harley Lail will look to improve upon a terrific showing in the North Carolina super regional.
Tanner has been saying since the summer that pitching will dictate how far the 2008 Gamecocks advance.
The reason, particularly, is that there's a lack of known arms in the rotation and the bullpen.
Wando grad Mike Cisco is, without question, the staff's No. 1. And he likes it that way.
"Every year, the expectations for myself grow," Cisco said. "I expect more out of myself the more experience I get. I'm just going to put the team in a position to win as much as I can. I want to take it into my hands to make it happen."
But he can't do it alone.
Curtis Johnson and Alex Farrotto are the closest things USC has to experienced relievers, and they were far from lynchpins a year ago.
Beyond that, there's a pool of relative unknowns and newcomers that Tanner and pitching coach Mark Calvi will employ early in the year, with the hopes that a few pitchers will emerge.
"We've been hearing the pitching staff's going to be the weak point," said Cisco, 6-2 with a 3.84 ERA a season ago. "We disagree. There's
not much we can do about it before the season. We're just real anxious to get out there and show everybody that that's wrong and show them what we have. The hitting, the years I've been here, has been great."
Redshirt freshman Parker Bangs, junior college transfer Tyler Musselwhite, senior Nick Godwin and junior Jordan Costner (coming back from shoulder surgery) and freshman Sam Dyson (also returning from an injury) are among the names that might eventually surface.
"Yeah, this could kind of be the no-name staff at the start of the year," Calvi said. "I think it's a case of there being some pitchers that nobody really knows about. Hopefully, we share the load and we're all strengths. But you go as far as your pitching goes, for sure."
Along the lines of team objectives, Cisco started to launch into a cliche. But he caught himself. The memories of the past two Junes will do that.
"You like to take one game at a time, but ultimately your goal is the College World Series," Cisco said. "Having come one game away two years in a row, it kind of puts a pit feeling in the bottom of your stomach. You want to get back there and win that one last game."
Added Smoak: "I'm not going to shy away from it. That's our goal. That's always been our goal."
Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com (thaney@postandcourier.com)