Defending national champions to play 2011 title favorites in three-game set
After struggling at the plate for much of the last several games, the No. 4 Gamecocks managed to find their swings earlier this week, outscoring College of Charleston and Rhode Island a combined 41-12. They'd be hard-pressed to do so at a better time, too, as their focus now turns to the gargantuan task that is a weekend series at No. 1 Florida.
"It's certainly a tremendous challenge," coach Ray Tanner said. "They've got to be the best team in the country, and they're ranked that way. I've had a chance to look at their numbers, and there aren't any weaknesses. They're just so good up and down — defensively, offensively, pitching depth. They do what they need to do, and they're very talented."
The three-game spread takes place less than a year after last season's meeting that decided the SEC Eastern Division regular season champion. Playing in front of some of the largest crowds in program history, Carolina dropped games one and two in a pair of narrow defeats, allowing Florida to escape with the series victory. Ten months later, with both teams still playing as well as anyone in the nation, the anticipation surrounding the series is of a similar caliber.
"It's big. Around the country this weekend, it's as good of a matchup [as] you'll find," Tanner said. "I made the comment [last year] to my coaches that [Florida] might not lose another game. That's how good they were at the time. I fully expect them to be a team that can win a Regional and a Super Regional, get back to Omaha and maybe win it all."
Playing in Gainesville, Fla., for this year's matchups, the Gamecocks face a challenge arguably more daunting than in 2010. If they're to overcome it, however, Tanner believes an early spark on offense could be the difference.
"If we have an opportunity early in the game, we've got to put some pressure on them," Tanner said. "We've got to try to get on the board first if we can, but we've got to stay in position. We've got to hang around. We're not going to go down there and throw knockout punches and have seven-run innings. It's just unlikely. If we get an opportunity to score early, we'll try to do that."
Taking the mound for Carolina in game one will be left-hander Michael Roth, who has quickly established himself as the ace of USC's pitching staff. With five starts under his belt so far this season, the junior is 4-1 with a 1.34 ERA and a team-high 38 strikeouts. Facing a Florida team with some of the best bats in the country, Tanner has faith that Roth will be up to the task.
"He's the right guy for the spot. There's no doubt about it," Tanner said. "Is he the most talented left-hander in the country? Probably not, but besides that, he's as good as anybody else. He'll take the approach he needs to take, he'll be competitive and hopefully we'll play well behind him. If we do what we need to do, Roth will keep us in the game and give us an opportunity to win."
Preseason All-American Jackie Bradley Jr. is one of several Gamecocks who has reignited at the plate just in time for the Gators. After more than a week without a hit, Bradley — a projected first-round pick in the 2011 MLB Draft — combined to go 4-8 against Charleston and Rhode Island while totaling two home runs and five RBIs. Going up against UF right-hander Brian Johnson (4-0, 1.53 ERA) tonight, Bradley's bat will likely play a significant role.
"He was a little frustrated. You feel like you're not doing enough for your team, and you get down on yourself a little bit," Tanner said. "He's a quality person regardless of what's going on in baseball. Before the [Charleston game], we talked a little bit about his future, and I said, 'We've probably only got three more months together. I'm going to have fun, and I want you to have fun. We'll deal with the circumstances, whatever they may be.' He said, 'I'm going to do the same thing.'"
Florida comes into the weekend fresh off a pair of one-sided wins of its own, topping Winthrop 22-5 and 10-0, respectively. Although he acknowledges the magnitude of the matchup at hand, Tanner doesn't think his team will be intimidated.
"Regardless of what happens in this series, I don't think it's a factor," Tanner said. "We've played great competition. We've been on different stages; it's not going to affect [players' mentalities]. It's just baseball. Hopefully we play well enough, but I don't expect the mindset to be a factor in the decision of the game. I think it's going to be who plays the best."