41. SOUTH CAROLINA

2008 RECORD. Overall: 40-23 (Advanced to NCAA regionals). Conference: 15-15 / 5^th in SEC (East).

Coach: Ray Tanner (540-243, 13^th season at South Carolina ; 935-416 overall in 21 seasons).

First Game, 2009: Feb. 21 vs. Duquesne.

 

OVERVIEW: The Gamecocks were hit as hard as almost any college team by the 2008 draft, losing four players who combined for 79 home runs a year ago: 1B Justin Smoak (.383-23-72), SS Reese Havens (.359-18-57) and 3B James Darnell (.306-19-81) in the first two rounds, and C-OF Phil Disher (.297-19-57). Junior-college transfers will fill most of the voids. In what will mark a big change from previous years, the Gamecocks will rely more on their pitching staff to get the job done this year, with red-shirt sophomore RHP Sam Dyson installed as the Friday starter.

 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

C: Justin Dalles, Jr. (.387-13-70 at St. Petersburg, Fla. , JC; Blue Jays/26^th round).

1B: Jeffery Jones, Jr. (.323-2-31 at Navarro, Texas , JC).

2B: Scott Wingo, So. (.230-6-17).

3B: Andrew Crisp, Sr. (.296-2-23).

SS: Bobby Haney, Jr. (.383-13-48 at Manatee, Fla. , CC).

LF: DeAngelo Mack (3), Jr. (.283-7-21).

CF: Whit Merrifield (1), So. (.326-3-26, *11 SB).

RF: Jackie Bradley Jr, Fr. (HS—Prince George, Va.).

DH: Parker Bangs (4), So. (.277-2-6).

1/Starter: Sam Dyson, So. (*8-0, 4.09, 51 IP/44 SO).

2/Starter: Blake Cooper, Jr. (5-6, 3.94, *94 IP/59 SO).

3/Starter: Nolan Belcher, Fr. (HS—Augusta, Ga.).

Closer: Curtis Johson, Sr. (1-0, 1.83, 1 SV, 20 IP/17 SO).

 

BEST TOOLS

Best Athlete: Adam Matthews.

Best Overall Hitter: Jeffery Jones.

Best Power Hitter: Parker Bangs.

Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Brady Thomas.

Fastest Base Runner (60 time): Adam Matthews.

Best Base Runner: Whit Merrifield.

Best Defender: Bobby Haney.

Best Infield Arm: Bobby Haney.

Best Outfield Arm: Jackie Bradley.

Best Fastball (velocity): Sam Dyson (97 mph).

Best Breaking Ball: Parker Bangs.

Best Changeup: Blake Cooper.

Best Command: Nolan Belcher.

 

TOP FRESHMAN PROSPECT: Adam Westmoreland, lhp. At 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Westmoreland embodies the true meaning of an imposing presence on the mound. Drafted in the 35^th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008, Westmoreland features a fastball in the 88-92 mph range with a very tight breaking ball. He figures to start the 2009 season as the Gamecocks primary mid-week starter.

TOP SOPHOMORE PROSPECT: Sam Dyson, rhp. Highly-recruited out of a Florida high school and a 19^th-round pick of the Washington Nationals in the 2006 draft, Dyson missed his true freshman season with a torn labrum. He was brought back slowly last year, leading the team in wins but working only 51 innings. With a fastball that sits in the 93-97 mph range, the highly-athletic Dyson will be ready to turn it loose this spring and will undoubtedly be one of the hardest throwers in the country. He also shows the makings of a solid curveball. If he can command his stuff better than a year ago, when he walked 28, he could work his way into the back end of the first round in this year’s draft.

TOP JUNIOR PROSPECT: DeAngelo Mack, of. Mack played just a part-time role for the Gamecocks in 2008 as a red-shirt sophomore, but will have some big shoes to fill this year as he’ll be one of the primary options to replace the huge power drain in the South Carolina lineup. He’s an athletic outfielder with the ability to hit for both power and average.

TOP SENIOR PROSPECT: Andrew Crisp, 3b. With 169 career games under his belt, Crisp will be asked to provide leadership to a revamped South Carolina team that lost numerous upperclassmen from last year. But Crisp, a 36^th-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006, will go solo as his twin brother Adam is no longer in the program. He doesn’t have the power that James Darnell provided from the hot corner a year ago, but he’s a solid, unspectacular player who will hit near the top of the Gamecocks batting order.

--JEFF SIMPSON