The South Carolina Gamecocks take on Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. at BB&T Coastal Field with a trip to Omaha on the line in this best of three series. The Gamecocks have a 46-15 record while the Chanticleers head into the contest 55-8 on the season and as the No. 4 national seed in the 2010 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.
Let’s talk about 3 keys to a victory for USC in this Super Regional:
1. USC Offense must be ready to seize the moment — South Carolina is hitting .302 (639-for-2118) as a team on the year with the squad’s on-base percentage .395 and slugging percentage at .495 for the season. The Gamecocks have scored 450 runs with 118 doubles, 12 triples, and 89 homers.
S. Carolina must score runs early just from a confidence standpoint in my view. They can not get down to CCU. CCU’s pitching has thrown a lot in the postseason and USC needs to use that to its advantage.
Look at these stats – South Carolina is now 37-4 on the year when it out-hits the opponent and 36-8 when hitting at least one home run. The Gamecocks are also 31-6 on the year when scoring first in the game. This tells me two things: score first and get hits.
CCU’s pitching – The Chanticleers have the eighth-ranked pitching staff in the country as it stands right now with a 3.51 earned run average. The staff has combined for 518 strikeouts versus 216 walks.
2. USC Pitching has to limit CCU — Heading into the NCAA Super Regional, the Gamecock pitching staff leads the Southeastern Conference in earned run average (3.53), opposing batting average (.229), hits allowed (464), runs allowed (257) and is second in strikeouts (553).
The Chanticleers have eight legitimate .300 hitters in their starting lineup as opposed to Carolina’s six. Coastal also outranks USC in both home runs (107) and Runs Batted In (537). On paper, they can score a lot of runs.
Cooper and Dyson have to be at their best in these first two games. CCU can hurt you if you let them. USC must not let them.
3. I look to Bradley, Jr to be a USC spark — Jackie Bradley Jr. leads the Gamecocks with a .367 batting average (76-for-207) with 49 runs scored, 10 doubles, a triple, 11 HR and 49 RBI. He also has a .468 on-base percentage and .585 slugging percentage. He must be ‘hot’ in this series as I feel the team responds well when he plays well.
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Not much has changed in the formula for success for the ‘Cocks. It is about timely hitting and good pitching (just as the video says).
Who is my “Ace in the pocket” for Carolina?
The USC Bullpen.
The Gamecocks also have some solid relievers and a bullpen that knows how to hold a lead given. USC is lead by Michael Roth, Jose Mata, Matt Price, Steven Neff and John Taylor (just to name a few). Roth has appeared in 31 games and has a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings. Mata has appeared in 29 games and has a 2.01 ERA in 40 1/3 innings. Taylor has appeared in 23 games and has a 3.75 ERA in 24 innings, and Neff has appeared in 15 games and has a 4.30 ERA in just 14 2/3 innings. Freshman right-hander Matt Price is among the top relievers in the country. Price owns a 3-1 record with a 2.72 ERA in 25 appearances and is among SEC leaders with eight saves. He has hurled 43 innings and has 64 strikeouts to 17 walks. Opponents are batting just .187 against him. I am a big fan of Price and I think him and the USC bullpen’s performance is what will win this series for USC. Just sayn’.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR BOTH TEAMS:
—South Carolina: OF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.367, 11, 49), RHP Blake Cooper (11-1, 2.75), RHP Sam Dyson (5-5, 4.00), OF Whit Merrifield (.332, 12, 38), DH Brady Thomas (.322, 8, 28), 1B Christian Walker (.310, 6, 41).
—Coastal Carolina: RHP Austin Fleet (6-1, 2.53, 8 saves), C Jose Iglesias (.344, 16, 78), 2B Tommy La Stella (.375, 14, 63), RHP Anthony Meo (13-2, 2.63), OF Rico Noel (.348, 11, 62, 56 SBs), LHP Cody Wheeler (12-0, 3.59).
LOHD Prediction
I see USC winning the first two. Call me a “homer” but I just do not see USC losing this series. Tanner will have the boys ready. It will not be easy but it will be a hard fought series with rowdy fans, close calls, many runs and some of the best pitching around. I see Carolina winning both games in the neighborhood of a 8-5 kind of scoring.
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