**USC vs. Rider GAME #3 Thread**

[blpanther77]

Originally Posted by ConwayGamecock

Shon was 1 for 3 today. In 7 games (3 starts), Shon is 3 for 11 (.273) with an RBI and 4 runs. He has gotten all 3 of his hits in the last 2 games (3 for 7, .429). He has 1 steal in 3 attempts.

Both Shon and Tanner are arguably our fastest players on the baseball team. Combined they are 3 for 8 in base steal attempts (.375). The rest of the team has 18 steals in 21 attempts (.857)...

Proof that base stealing is not just about speed. It's about reading the pitcher, knowing which pitch to go on, getting a good lead, a good jump, and just plain old fashioned baseball instinct!
What I saw today was Shon didn't have a big enough lead and he was a little late on his jump. Saiko, Schrock and Greiner have something in common, they are all full-time baseball players with the experience and instincts. The one that is surprising to me is English. I would expect him to have a better stolen base percentage.

[sc455]

english doesnt creep out far enough when the pitcher starts into his delivery. he needs to trust that he can get back if the pitcher throws over. that etra half step is crucial.

[GamecockInHell]

Instead of all these straight steals we need to go back to bunt sacrifices. We used to be the king of scratching out a run. We've had a lot of opportunities this year that have been wiped out by thrown out attempting to steal.
Either way, we have a pretty darn good team.

[GamecockMomSC]

I'm glad we won yesterday, but I hate to see ump calls drastically influence the outcome. That player from Rider was cheated out of a double. Yeah, we had some crappy strikes called and a player tagged out stealing who I think was safe, but calling a fair ball foul is just unbelievable.

While offensively we struggled yesterday, our defense was WOW. Chase has been the man at third, the combo play that Shrock and Pankake did was awesome, and LB looks as good at first as Walker ever did. Our outfield is top notch and our pitching staff is deep. Greiner and Rosenberg are two of the best at catcher. Way to go, Gamecocks!

I know that Chad said before the season started that he wanted to be more aggressive on stealing bases and it has worked out a good many times. Hopefully, he will become a little more conservative once SEC play starts and runs are more of a premium. I don't think that getting tagged out stealing was a factor in either of our two losses so it is a non issue for me at this point.