South Carolina Gamecocks
Overall Rank: #14
Conference Rank: #4 SEC
South Carolina Team Page
The South Carolina Gamecocks were on track to reach their fourth consecutive College World Series in 2013, but came up just short against North Carolina in the NCAA Super Regionals. In a competitive SEC, they will be hoping for a similar or improved performance this year, although they will have plenty of new players after a significant number of last year’s roster graduated. However, they are still ranked highly in the preseason polls, so the Gamecocks should still present a difficult proposition for their opponents.
2013: 43-20, 17-12
2013 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Chad Holbrook
Field Players:
In the field, the Gamecocks welcome back a number of key players from last year, including offensive leaders Max Schrock and Joey Pankake in the infield. With a recruiting class ranked No. 3 in the country by Baseball America, they should have a good balance of youth and experience among their position players.
Pitchers:
Many of the Gamecocks’ leading pitchers from 2013 have been lost to graduation, so they will have a young staff this year that will need to hit form as early as possible. Jordan Montgomery and Jack Wynkoop will be relied upon to provide experience to their younger teammates.
Who to Watch:
Coming off a superb 2013, infielder Joey Pankake will be crucial for South Carolina if they are to enjoy a similar amount of success this year. The junior infielder has been consistently impressive in his time with the Gamecocks and will need to be on top form once again if they are to make progress to the postseason.
Final Projection:
The Gamecocks were disappointed not to reach their fourth-straight College World Series last year, and will be looking to go even further in 2014 to avenge that disappointment. They have some key players returning this year, but a lot will hinge on how consistent their young pitching staff can be from day one. They should be a shoe-in for the NCAA Tournament stages at a minimum, and will be hoping to do even better than that.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: Max Schrock, IF, 227
Hits: Joey Pankake, IF, 74
Home Runs: Joey Pankake, IF, 11
RBIs: Joey Pankake, IF, 42
Runs: Max Schrock, IF, 40; Joey Pankake, IF, 40
Stolen Bases: Max Schrock, IF, 14
Wins: Jack Wynkoop, P, 7
Innings Pitched: Jordan Montgomery, P, 79
Strikeouts: Jordan Montgomery, P, 60
Saves: Curt Britt, P/1B, 1
Madness 2014 MLB Draft Rankings:
#58 Joey Pankake
#67 Grayson Greiner
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