Entries by John Whittle

Vandy has really come out and played well today in all phases and doing all the little things that a winning ball club should do. They have taken extra bases, hit the ball the other way and fouled off good pitches until they get something they like. Case and point, in the bottom of the third inning, Flaherty fouled of a couple of good pitches from Cooper before getting something out over the plate he could hit hard. With a 3-2 count and some aggressive base running, Flaherty's infield single scored two. A great play by Havens kept the ball on the infield but after a pump throw to first, the runner from second booked it around third and scored.... on the Carolina offensive side, they have done a good job of hitting the ball hard but, at least to this point, it's just not falling. Most of the guys are putting good swings on the ball and hitting the ball hard. Unfortunately, more often than not, the breaks aren't going the way of the good guys. We're now going to the top of the sixth inning... let's have some good things go our way. GO COCKS!

When South Carolina and Vanderbilt take the field today, there are four potential first rounders in the upcoming June draft. Justin Smoak, Reese Havens, and James Darnell for Carolina all have a chance to go in the opening round while third baseman Pedro Alvarez for Vanderbilt could be the number one selection overall. Commodore LHP Mike Minor is a sure-fire early selection in next year's draft. He will not see action today but the 6'4" 210lb southpaw has all the tools to be a quality major leaguer... Before the season began, the SEC Coaches selected Vandy to win the East and Carolina to finish second. Both schools received votes to win the overall SEC crown. But after 30 games, the 4th and 5th seed are where these clubs finished. Instead of a matchup in the championship game, we battle in the losers bracket. Instead of battling for a Super Regional host site, we battle for a two-seed in a Regional. Both clubs have had their fair share of disappointment this season but a W today still keep a conference championship alive with a potential two-game set against Mississippi... another one of those clubs who are disappointed in their season to this point.

For 17.5 of 19 innings played thus far in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, South Carolina (38-20) has played some of their best baseball of the season. Unfortunately, thanks to a poor inning and a half, the Gamecocks sit at just 1-1 and in the loser's bracket of the tournament. I am still optimistic that this team can make a run in this tournament. The bottom of the order seems to be sorting itself out with the insertion of Bangs and Mack into the lineup. Lail and Wingo also contributed RBI base hits which proved critical... Another day, another solid pitching performance from a Carolina starter. Nick Godwin was incredible again delivering another strong performance against quality competition... Mike Cisco is truly just a winner. There will be a lot more about him in the premium Analysis and Notes feature to come very shortly.