USC looks to stay atop division, league
Of all the similarities to the 2010 national champions, however, arguably the most important so far has been the ability to find different ways to win — a quality Carolina will look to maintain in a three-game series at Mississippi State.
Although the Bulldogs don't present a resume as impressive as other opponents in recent weeks, coach Ray Tanner believes this weekend's games will be as difficult as any the Gamecocks have faced so far this year.
"When you're playing SEC baseball, everybody's good," Tanner said. "I always tell my guys it's a top-25 team. Occasionally it's maybe a top-five or top-10 team, but everybody's good and you'd better play extremely well if you expect to win. We know there's going to be a great challenge at Mississippi State."
The series in Starkville marks the first of five straight weekend meetings with SEC West opponents, an unusual setup for the final stretch of the conference schedule. Despite the strange scheduling — and the 500-mile bus trip — Tanner doesn't expect anything out of the ordinary to have a serious effect on his players.
"It's all about mindset. It's about how you react to situations," Tanner said. "We had a 2:30 a.m. alarm in Omaha before the national championship where we had to clear the hotel. We didn't have any power in the hotel in Tennessee for about 12 hours on the first night and had a fire alarm around 1 in the morning. Those are just minor hurdles. You can't have the mindset that something is going to set you back."
Epitomizing that mindset so far this year has been preseason All-American Matt Price. One of several heroes in last year's title run, Price has stayed just as hot in 2011, entering the weekend fresh off a stellar performance against then-No. 1 Vanderbilt. Besides Price's impressive statistics — which include a 2.36 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 11 saves — Tanner thinks an intimidation factor has played an important role in the right-hander's game this season.
"When you have that mentality individually, then you have that perception from the other team that this guy's proven, he's been good, he's their closer, he's their late guy," Tanner said. "You have to think about that a little bit, and he's been successful at it."
Price's performance this season has made him a prime candidate for the 2011 MLB Draft, and Tanner believes his versatility will draw the eyes of many scouts and general managers.
"You can show me the rankings, projections and all those things, but if I'm putting a team together, I want Matt Price, regardless of the role you put him in," Tanner said. "Whether he's a starter, which he can do because he has a variety of pitches, or a setup guy or a long guy, he's going to fit somewhere in an organization. He might not be as high on the charts as other guys, but he's up there for me."
On the offensive side of the ball, Carolina will no longer be without the bat of Jake Williams. The junior outfielder was cleared to return from a five-game suspension on Wednesday and will likely be in the starting lineup with the absence of injured outfielder Adam Matthews.
"It gives us a little more security, no question about it," Tanner said. "We've been hanging on a little bit lately with our situation in the outfield and our depth in general. Everybody has issues, so I don't allow anyone to make excuses. Everybody goes through a situation, and ours has improved because Jake's been reinstated."
Although Williams' legal issues behind the suspension certainly weren't helpful to the team moving forward, Tanner said he was encouraged with the way the Greer, S.C., native dealt with it.
"When something happens, regardless of how severe it may or may not be, it's frustrating, irritating and a distraction. I wasn't very happy when that occurred a couple weeks ago," Tanner said. "Now that some time has passed, I've been able to understand the situation a little bit better. I think Jake acted in maybe a little better way than I gave him credit for initially."
Williams's return decreases the likelihood of Steven Neff playing in the outfield against the Bulldogs. The junior left-hander appears to be on pace to continue working toward a return to the starting rotation, but Tanner said it wouldn't be a surprise to see him make an appearance at the plate.
"We'll continue to try to work him in as a pitcher, but quite honestly, I got a little excited about his at-bats," Tanner said. "We'll see what happens, but I don't think there's a reason right now to shut him down. Whether he's in there or not will depend on who we're playing and the matchups, but I've got some confidence in him. When you get a guy [who] believes he can do something, he's got a chance."
Tanner believes Carolina's success in the face of adversity speaks volumes about what makes this group tick. With another challenge awaiting in Mississippi State, he doesn't expect that mindset to waiver.
"When you talk about situations on a team, regardless of the sport you're playing, a coach is limited as to what can happen," Tanner said. "You can motivate, you can speak, you can do a lot of things, but it comes back to your players. We're fortunate right now that we have some veteran guys [who] have been around a little bit. They've learned that you don't make excuses; you don't talk about things you don't have or things that don't happen. You try to find a way and do the best you can with what it is. The bottom line is you either win or you don't. That's the way you have to approach it."