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So. Carolina Faces Virginia/Oklahoma Winner At CWS

Another national seed is gone.  South Carolina beat #4 national seed 10-9 Sunday in Myrtle Beach, SC to cap a 2-0

Christian Walker's 8th inning home run helped South Carolina cap its two game sweep.

series sweep and clinch a spot in the College World Series. The Gamecocks are headed to Omaha for the first time since 2004.   Click the links below for more details.

By clicking the “Myrtle Beach Super Regional” title link above, this page will expand to fully support the table below.

CLICK HERE for our Super Regional Central page where you will find links to other Super Regionals.

Best 2-of-3 Super Regional Series
(CC’s Super-Regional Home Page)

• Saturday – 12 ET (ESPNU)
South Carolina 4,  at Coastal Carolina 3
Final Stats |  SC Recap |  CC Recap (w/ quotes)
Photos (SC)  |  Quotes (SC)

• Sunday – 1 ET (ESPN)
FINAL: South Carolina 10,  Coastal Carolina 9 |  Final Stats
CAR Recap | CC Recap

* South Carolina wins series (2-1)

CB360 Podcast interview with South Carolina’s Blake Cooper (from earlier this season).
CB360 Podcast interview with Coastal Carolina’s Rico Noel (recorded after Regionals).

THE SKINNY …

COASTAL CAROLINA (#4 National Seed)
(55-8 … 25-0/1st Big South … Big South Tournament champs)
Super-Reg. Notes |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Media  Guide |  Quick Facts (preseason)
Big South Conf. info. – Homepage |  Weekly Release |  Conference Stats

Over the past four seasons, no team has won more games than Gary Gilmore and Coastal Carolina.  Including last weekend’s 4-1 Regional showing, the Chanticleers have won 202 games from 2007-present. Arizona State is right behind with 198 victories. Gilmore has taken players that were on other teams’ “B” lists and turned Coastal into a national player. The one thing missing from his resume is a trip to the College World Series.

The Chants are a rare combination of speed and power, with 107 home runs and 160 stolen bases. They are thought to be the only DI team to top 100 HRs and 150 SBs in the same season. Rico Noel (podcast link above) leads the nation with 56 swipes, while Scott Woodward has 54. Noel also has 11 home runs (including a walk-off shot to beat the College of Charleston in the Regional, with CC facing elimination) – making him one of six Chants with double-digit dingers. Catcher Jose Iglesias leads the way with 16 HR and 78 RBI.

The pitching is good, too, with jr. LHP Cody Wheeler (3.59 ERA; 12-0 record) and so. RHP Anthony Meo (2.63; 13-2) leading the rotation, backed by Ryan Connolly (2.08l 3-0), Austin Fleet (2.53; 8 saves; 6-1) and Matt Rein (2.70; 2 SV; 7-0) out of the bullpen.

Myrtle Beach Regional (CC results)
(1) Coastal Carolina 6,  (4) Stony Brook 0 | Final Stats
CC Recap | SB Recap

(2) College of Charleston 16,  (1) Coastal Carolina 6 |  Live Stats
CofC Recap |  CC Recap |  Quotes

(1) Coastal Carolina 25,  (4) Stony Brook 7 (elim. game)  | Final Stats
CC Recap | SB Recap

(1) Coastal Carolina 8,  (2) College of Charleston 7 |  Final Stats
CC Recap | CofC Recap

(1) Coastal Carolina 11,  (2) College of Charleston 10 (10 inn.) |  Final Stats
CC Recap (w/ video highlights) | CofC Recap

Awards/Honors:
• Jim Birmingham (LHP; Sr./Jr.) – 33rd-round MLB draft pick (S.F. Giants)
• Daniel Bowman (OF; So.) – Big South Tournament MVP
• Ryan Connolly (RHP; Fr.)– Freshman All-American (Collegiate Baseball) … 2nd team all-Big South
• Austin Fleet (RHP; 5th-Yr. Sr.) – 16th-round MLB draft pick (S.F. Giants)
• Chance Gilmore (OF; 5th-Yr.-Sr.) – 25th-round MLB draft pick (L.A. Dodgers) … Big South All-Tournament Team
• Gary Gilmore – Big South Coach of the Year
• Keith Hessler (LHP; Jr./So.) – 28th-round MLB draft pick (Arizona Diamondbacks)
• Jose Iglesias (C; Sr.) – Johnny Bench Award Finalist … 1st team all-Big South
• Tommy LaStella (2B; Jr./So.) – 1st team all-Big South
• Anthony  Meo (RHP; So.) – 2nd team All-American (Collegiate Baseball) … Big South Pitcher of the Year … Big South All-Tournament Team
• Taylor Motter (SS; So.) – 1st team all-Big South … NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Rico Noel (CF; Jr.) – 5th-round MLB draft pick (San Diego Padres) … 1st team all-Big South … NCAA Regional MVP
• Cody Wheeler (LHP; Jr.) – 2nd team All-American (Collegiate Baseball) … 5th-round MLB draft pick (Arizona Diamondbacks) … 1st team all-Big South … NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Rich Witten (DH; Jr./So.) – NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team … Big South All-Tournament Team
• Scott Woodward (3B; Jr.) – 15th-round MLB draft pick (Oakland A’s) … 1st team all-Big South … NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team

•  •  •

SOUTH CAROLINA
(46-15 … 21-9 SEC/#3-seed … 0-2 at SEC Tournament)
SC info. – Super-Reg. Notes •  PDF |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Media Guide
SEC info. – Home Page (w/standings)  |  Weekly Release |  Conference Stats |  Media Guide

The Gamecocks became Omaha regulars from 2002-2004, but Ray Tanner’s squad hasn’t been back to Rosenblatt since that three-year stretch.

South Carolina doesn’t have nearly the eye-popping offensive numbers that Coastal Carolina boatss, but Jackie Bradley, Jr. (.367, 11 HR, 49 RBI) is one of eight SC players who have hit at least seven home runs. Whit Merrifield has 12 HR, while Adrian Morales leads the Gamecocks with 52 RBI.

Pitching is the strength of a team that was in the conversation for a national seed before going 0-2 at the SEC Tournament. Senior RHP Blake Cooper (podcast link above) is 11-1 with a 2.75 ERA. He is one of five Gamecock hurlers who have pitched at least 23 innings and have an ERA below 3.00.  Cooper is only 5-10, but he has a bulldog mentality in the mold of former Cy Young Winner David Cone.

Columbia Regional (SC results)

(1) South Carolina 9,  (4) Bucknell 5 |  Final Stats
SC Recap |  BUCK Recap

(1) South Carolina 9,  (3) The Citadel 4 |  Final Stats
SC Recap |  CIT Recap |  Photos |  Postgame Blog

(1) South Carolina 10,  (2) Virginia Tech 2 |  Final Stats
SC Recap |  VT Recap

Awards/Honors:
• Parker Bangs (RHP/UTIL; Jr.) – 31st-round MLB draft pick (K.C. Royals)
• Jackie Bradley, Jr. (CF; So.) – 2nd team all-SEC … SEC All-Drefensive Team … NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Blake Cooper (RHP; Sr.) – 3rd team All-American (Collegiate Baseball) … 12th-round MLB draft pick (Arizona Diamondbacks) … 1st team all-SEC … NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Sam Dyson (RHP; Jr.) – 4th-round MLB draft pick (Toronto Blue Jays)
• Kyle Enders (C; Sr.) – NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Bobby Haney (SS; Sr.) –22nd-round MLB draft pick (S.F. Giants)
• Evan Marzilli (LF; Fr.) – SEC All-Freshman Team … NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Whit Merrifield (RF/IF; Jr.) – 9th-round MLB draft pick (K.C. Royals)
• Adrian Morales (3B; Jr.) – NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Steven Neff (LHP; So.) – 23rd-round MLB draft pick (K.C. Royals)
• Matt Price (RHP; Fr.) – Freshman All-American (Collegiate Baseball) … 2nd team all-SEC … SEC All-Freshman Team
• Jordan Propst (RHP; Sr.) – 49th-round MLB draft pick (K.C. Royals)
• Brady Thomas (DH; Sr.) – NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
• Christian Walker (1B; Fr. ) – SEC All-Freshman Team
• Scott Wingo (2B; Jr.) – SEC All-Drefensive Team

Myrtle Beach Super Regional

TEAM	RECORD	CONF.	BA	Runs/ Gm.	HR	Slg%	OBP	SB-Att.	Fld%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	Opp. BA
Coastal Carolina	55-8	Big South	.326	9.3	107	.555	.418	160-196	.970	3.51	2	14	518	216	.246
South Carolina	45-15	SEC	.302	7.5	89	.495	.395	45-66	.974	3.53	4	14	553	197	.229

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Big Names & Lessor Known Hurlers On The List

LUBBOCK, TX — As starting pitchers across the country continue to impact the success of their teams, the College Baseball Foundation has released the first Pitcher of the Year Watch List for 2010.  The Pitcher of the Year Award will be presented in Lubbock, Texas,on July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.

“This watch list is full of great college pitchers from around the country,” said Landon Holly, who together with Justin Knowles serves as co-chair for the Pitcher of the Year committee.  All the major conferences across the country have multiple representatives on the list, with the Pac-10 leading the way with nine.  Many of the smaller conferences also have representation on the list.

This is the second year the CBF will present the Pitcher of the Year Award.  Deck McGuire of Georgia Tech is the only 2009 finalist to appear on the 2010 watch list.  2009 Stopper of the Year Award winner Addison Reed of San Diego State (now a starter) is on the Pitcher of the Year watch list as well.

The award will be presented on July 2 in Lubbock, TX as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.

2010 College Pitcher of the Year Watch List

Jimmy Nelson-Alabama-SEC

Jake Borup-Arizona State-Pac 10

Mitchell Lambson-Arizona State-Pac 10

Josh Spence-Arizona State-Pac 10

Drew Smyly-Arkansas-SEC

Logan Verrett-Baylor-Big 12

Eric Johnson-California-Pac 10

Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel-Southern

Matt Rein-Coastal Carolina-Big South

Cody Wheeler-Coastal Carolina-Big South

Alex Panteliodis-Florida-SEC

John Gast-Florida State-ACC

Sean Gilmartin-Florida State-ACC

Deck McGuire-Georgia Tech-ACC

Drew Leininger-Indiana-Big 10

Matt Little-Kentucky-SEC

Shawn Teufel-Liberty-Big South

Anthony Ranaudo-LSU-SEC

Neil Holland-Louisville-Big East

Thomas Royse-Louisville-Big East

Matt Harvey-North Carolina-ACC

Francis Brooke-Northwestern-Big 10

Alex Wimmers-Ohio State-Big 10

Jeremy Erben-Oklahoma-Big 12

Aaron Barrett-Mississippi-SEC

Drew Pomeranz-Mississippi-SEC

Tyler Anerson-Oregon-Pac 10

Greg Peavey-Oregon State-Pac 10

Tanner Robles-Oregon State-Pac 10

Addison Reed-San Diego State-Mountain West

D.D. Hanks-South Alabama-Sun Belt

Trevor Vermeulen-South Dakota State-Summit

Josh Janway-Southeastern Louisiana-Southland

Scott Copeland-Southern Mississippi-Conference USA

Todd McInnis-Southern Mississippi-Conference USA

Cole Green-Texas-Big 12

Taylor Jungmann-Texas-Big 12

Chance Ruffin-Texas-Big 12

Barret Loux-Texas A&M-Big 12

John Stilson-Texas A&M-Big 12

Daniel Bibona-UC Irvine-Big West

Eric Pettis-UC Irvine-Big West

Mario Hollands-UC Santa Barbara-Big West

Trevor Bauer-UCLA-Pac 10

Gerrit Cole-UCLA-Pac 10

Jason Mitchell-UT Arlington-Southland

Sonny Gray-Vanderbilt-SEC

Danny Hultzen-Virginia-ACC

Jesse Hahn-Virginia Tech-ACC

Six 2009 Semifinalists On 2010 List

USA Baseball announced Thursday its preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, marking the organization’s first step toward identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented in 2010 for the 33rd time.

The Watch List features 50 of the nation’s top amateur talents, and it will be a “rolling” list to ensure that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the Golden Spikes Award, to be presented live on Tuesday, July 13, at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest in Anaheim, Calif.

Headlining the 2010 Watch List are six athletes who were among the 30 semifinalists for the 2009 Golden Spikes Award. Those players are Daniel Bibona (LHP, Sr., UC Irvine), Bryce Brentz (OF/RHP, Jr., Middle Tennessee), Deck McGuire (RHP, Jr., Georgia Tech), Addison Reed (RHP, Jr., San Diego State), Anthony Rendon (3B, So., Rice) and Alex Wimmers (RHP, Jr., Ohio State).

“We’re very pleased to announce the 50 members of the preseason Watch List for the 2010 Golden Spikes Award,” said Paul Seiler, Executive Director/CEO of USA Baseball. “The level of amateur baseball talent in our country continues to rise each year, and there is no greater evidence of this than seeing six 2009 semifinalists named to the 2010 Watch List.”

The list of 50 names also features Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada, a junior. The freshman catcher is the only junior-college player named to the list. Alex Fernandez, as a sophomore pitcher for Miami Dade Community College (now Miami Dade College) in 1990, stands as the only junior-college player to ever win the Golden Spikes Award.

LSU leads all schools with four players named to the Watch List. Texas is second with three, and Alabama, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, University of Miami, Rice and Virginia have two apiece.

The SEC tops all conferences with 15 Watch List players. Other leading conferences include the ACC with 10 athletes, the Big 12 with five, and the Big West and Conference USA with three each. Juniors dominate the list with 35 players named. Sophomores are next with nine players, there are five seniors, and Harper is the lone freshman.

On Tuesday, June 1, USA Baseball officials will cut the list of players to 30 names. The final list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of select professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches, select members of the media, former USA Baseball sports information directors, and current USA Baseball staff — about 150 voters in total.

All voters will be asked to choose five players from the list of 30 names. Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2010. June 1 will also mark the day when college baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player for the Golden Spikes Award on goldenspikesaward.com. On Tuesday, June 8, USA Baseball will announce the five finalists, and voting for a winner will commence that same day.

The 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award will be presented nationally July 13 on an award show via live telecast from Anaheim on goldenspikesaward.com, USABaseball.com and MLB.com in conjunction with All-Star FanFest.

Past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994), J.D. Drew (1997), Mark Prior (2001), Jered Weaver (2004), Tim Lincecum (2006), David Price (2007), Buster Posey (2008) and last year’s winner, Stephen Strasburg.

2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Important Dates

Thursday, Feb. 18 – 50-player Watch List released, shaped by USA Baseball officials, advisors and college SIDs
Tuesday, June 1 – 30 semifinalists announced, selected by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters select five
Friday, June 4 – Deadline to vote for finalists, 5:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 8 – Five finalists announced; finalist voting begins; voters to select one
Friday, June 18 – Deadline to vote for winner, 5:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, July 13 – Golden Spikes Award presentation live at All-Star FanFest in Anaheim

Complete 2010 preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List:

Name, School, Position, Class (in order of name)

Chad Bettis, Texas Tech, RHP, Junior
Daniel Bibona, UC Irvine, LHP, Senior
Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee, OF/RHP, Junior
Michael Choice, Texas-Arlington, OF, Junior
Gerrit Cole, UCLA, RHP, Sophomore
Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton, SS, Junior
Zack Cox, 3B/RHP, Arkansas, Sophomore
Todd Cunningham, OF, Junior
Blake Dean, LSU, Jacksonville State, 1B/OF, Senior
Sam Dyson, South Carolina, RHP, Junior
Brett Eibner, Arkansas, RHP/OF, Junior
Micah Gibbs, LSU, C, Junior
Sean Gilmartin, Florida State, LHP, Sophomore
Yasmani Grandal, University of Miami, C, Junior
Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt, RHP, Sophomore
Justin Grimm, Georgia, RHP, Junior
Jedd Gyorko, West Virginia, 2B/3B, Junior
Rick Hague, Rice, SS, Junior
Bryce Harper, College of Southern Nevada, C/3B/OF, Freshman
Cody Hawn, Tennessee, 1B, Junior
Chris Hernandez, University of Miami, LHP, Junior
Tyler Holt, Florida State, OF, Junior
Danny Hultzen, Virginia, LHP/1B, Sophomore
Kevin Jacob, Georgia Tech, RHP, Junior
Taylor Jungmann, Texas, RHP, Sophomore
Leon Landry, LSU, OF, Junior
Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech, RHP, Junior
Hunter Morris, Auburn, 1B/OF, Junior
Jarrett Parker, Virginia, OF, Junior
Drew Pomeranz, Mississippi, LHP, Junior
Anthony Ranaudo, LSU, RHP, Junior
Addison Reed, San Diego State, RHP, Junior
Anthony Rendon, Rice, 3B, Sophomore
Daniel Renken, Cal State Fullerton, RHP, Junior
Kyle Roller, East Carolina, 1B, Senior
Cameron Rupp, C, Junior, Texas
Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast, LHP, Junior
Jake Smith, Alabama, 3B/RHP, Senior
Josh Spence, Arizona State, LHP, Senior
Tony Thompson, Kansas, 3B, Junior
Preston Tucker, Florida, 1B, Sophomore
Kolbrin Vitek, Ball State, 3B/RHP, Junior
Austin Wates, Virginia Tech, OF, Junior
Cody Wheeler, Coastal Carolina, LHP, Junior
Ross Wilson, Alabama, 2B/SS, Junior
Alex Wimmers, Ohio State, RHP, Junior
Mickey Wiswall, Boston College, 3B/1B, Junior
Kolten Wong, Hawaii, 2B, Sophomore
Scott Woodward, Coastal Carolina, 3B, Junior
Brandon Workman, Texas, RHP, Junior

Can Anyone End Coastal Carolina’s Dominance?

2009 Regular Season Champion: Coastal Carolina

2009 Tournament Champion: Coastal Carolina defeated Winthrop 7-1 to win their 7^th Big South title in the past 9 yearsl

Coastal Carolina continued its dominance of this conference by once again sweeping the regular season and tournament championships, while making its 9^th straight NCAA tournament appearance.  The Chanticleers also saw 5 members of their squad garner All-American recognition, with three players named Freshman All-American.

Heading into the season all eyes are on Coastal Carolina again, as they begin this season ranked anywhere from 12^th to 17^th in the various preseason polls.  So the question is, can anyone contend with Coastal Carolina in 2010?

2010 Big South Preview

Charleston Southern

2009 Season: (16-37, 10-16)

Nickname: Buccaneers

Head Coach: Stuart Lake

Location: Charleston, SC

Vitals: .288 BA, 51 HR, .355 OBP, .961 Fld. %…7.00 ERA, 3 CG, 5 SVs, 316 K, 237 BB, .324 Opp. BA

Offensive Bounty: Charleston Southern returns 3 of their top 4 hitters from last year including top hitter Jr. 1B Nick Chinners (.339, 13 doubles, .408 OBP), So. UTL Patrick Dolan (.309, 8 HR, 35 RBI) and Sr. OF Scotty Radabaugh (.300, 51 H, 27 R).  They also welcome back their top power threat in Jr. OF Tyler Thornburg (.292, 12 HR, 49 RBI)

Double Duty: In addition to his power, Thornburg could be the top returning pitcher for CSU as well.  Last year, Thornburg went 4-4 with a 3.73 ERA and a SV in 16 appearances out of the pen.

Friendly Start: The Buccaneers play 12 of their first 13 games at home with the lone road trip coming against city rival the College of Charleston in Patriots Point, SC.

Coastal Carolina

2009 Season: (47-16, 21-5)

Nickname: Chanticleers

Head Coach: Gary Gilmore

Location: Conway, SC

Vitals: .329, 86 HR, .419 OBP, .968 Fld. %…4.04 ERA, 1 CG, 19 SVs, 456 K, 201 BB, .250 Opp. BA

These Guys are Good: Coastal Carolina earned its 9^th straight trip to the NCAA tournament and swept the

Cody Wheeler

conference regular season and tournament championships while placing 5 players on the All-conference 1^st team.  They also appear to have the upper hand in accomplishing that feat again with 7 of 9 position starters and 8 pitchers back.

Big Returns: The Chanticleers will have to replace Big South Player of the Year David Anderson (.377, 21 HR, 82 RBI), but do have a wealth of talent back with the return of Sr. Adam Rice (.368, 20 doubles, 59 RBI) and preseason Big South Player of the Year Jr. Rico Noel (.315, 8 HR, 48 SB).  The pitching staff also brings back key guys, including 2009 Big South Pitcher of the Year Jr. LHP Cody Wheeler (10-1, 3.83 ERA, 1 CG, 98 K) and So. RHP Anthony Meo (9-2, 2.93 ERA, .233 Opp. BA)

Challenges Aplenty: The Chants have several tough games on their schedule this year.  Games against Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Wake Forest, UC-Irvine, NC State, Michigan, Clemson, North Carolina, and Virginia all dot the slate.

Gardner-Webb

2009 Season: (25-25, 13-14)

Nickname: Runnin’ Bulldogs

Head Coach: Rusty Stroupe

Location: Boiling Springs, NC

Vitals: .327 BA, 65 HR, .398 OBP, .964 Fld. %…6.57 ERA, 2 CG, 9 SVs, 247 K, 173 BB

Record Setting: The 2009 GW squad was the most prolific offensive team in nearly 40 years.. they set single season school records for team batting average (.327), HRs (65), slugging percentage (.512), and on-base percentage (.398).

Leaders Gone: The Bulldogs will have plenty of holes to fill this season as all four players earning All-Big South accolades have graduated.  3B Justin Loyd (.400, 20 doubles, 9 HR, 56 RBI) and OF Brock Miller (.373, 61 R, 37 SB) both earned 1^st team honors.  OF Daniel Cooke (.353, 7 HR, 47 RBI) was a 2^nd team selection, while OF Jonathan Ahearn (.327, 29 R, 8 doubles) garnered 3^rd team honors.  Ahearn was also named Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

High Point

2009 Season: (21-32, 11-12)

Nickname: Panthers

Head Coach: Craig Cozart

Location: High Point, NC

Vitals: .317 BA, 22 HR, .401 OBP, .969 Fld. %…7.39 ERA, 8 SVs, 308 K, 226 BB, .345 Opp. BA

Prolific Pair of Panthers: High Point will miss the duo of Billy Alvino and Alfie Wheeler.  Both finished the season batting a team-leading .400.  Alvino collected 84 hits and Wheeler tallied 82 for the second and third most in a single season.  The pair also finished third and fourth, respectively, in career hits with 238 and 235.  The Panthers will also miss all-time career hit leader Jeff Cowan (.290, 60 H, 11 doubles) who finished his career with 268.

Pitching Holes: The Panthers graduate their best pitcher as well in Jeremy Berg (4-2, 1.88 ERA, 5 SVs) who was just 5 innings short of qualifying for the national ERA race.  His 1.88 ERA would have been 5^th best in the country.  This year, look for Jr. RHP Corey Swickle (2-2, 4.81, 2 SVs) and  Jr. RHP Spencer Andrews (1-0, 2.79 ERA, 7 APP) to log more time on the mound.

Home Presence: High Point could get off to a fast start.  18 of their first 21 games are at home, with their 3 road games still within North Carolina (UNC—Charlotte, North Carolina A&T, East Carolina).

Liberty

2009 Season: (33-21, 17-9)

Nickname: Flames

Head Coach: Jim Toman

Location: Lynchburg, VA

Vitals: .310 BA, 60 HR, .388 OBP, .974 Fld. %…5.27 ERA, 2 CG, 11 SVs, 390 K, 171 BB, .295 Opp. BA

Looking for More in ’10: The 33-wins last year marked the fifth straight season Liberty won 30 or more games, the

Doug Bream

first time in program history.  Also, their 17 conference wins were the most ever recorded since joining the conference in 1992.

Youth Movement: The Flames currently have 14 freshman or sophomores on their roster.  Returning to lead the team is Freshman All-American Tyler Bream (.337, 8 HR, 57 RBI) and Jr. OF Doug Bream (.355, 6 HR, 33 RBI).  Tyler is the son of former Major League Sid Bream, who was an All-American at Liberty (1979-’81).  Doug Bream is Sid’s cousin.

Pitching Prowess: Liberty deals with the loss of All-Big South first teamer Shawn Teufel (9-2, 4.33 ERA, 72 K), but still return several top pitchers including Sr. RHP Mark Swanson (4-0, 2.79 ERA, 35 K), Sr. RHP Carter Browning (2-2, 3.94 ERA, 4 SVs), and Jr. LHP Steven Evans (7-2, 3.96 ERA, 2 CG, 1 SV).

Presbyterian

2009 Season: (13-38, 7-19)

Nickname: Blue Hose

Head Coach: Elton Pollock

Location: Clinton, SC

Vitals: .294 BA, 57 HR, .355 OBP, .965 Fld. %…8.54 ERA, 2 CG, 5 SVs, 263 K, 211 BB, .338 Opp. BA

New Kid on the Block: 2009 was Presbyterian’s first season in the Big South as they continued their transition to Division I.  While only winning 13 games, they did accomplish a couple of feats that will go down in the history books.  The Blue Hose defeated 19^th ranked Coastal Carolina on April 25^th to record their first ever win over a top-20 ranked team.  They also beat The Citadel for the first time in 81 years.

Holes to Fill: Presbyterian looks to improve in 2010, but will have to do so without it top two hitters from last year in Jared Combs (.332, 16 doubles, 8 HR, 51 RBI) and Cory Lyda (.330, 10 HR, 38 RBI).  Top pitcher Mitchell Odom (5-3, 4.94 ERA, 1 CG) also is gone.

Radford

2009 Season: (26-24, 16-9)

Nickname: Highlanders

Head Coach: Joe Raccuia

Location: Radford, VA

Vitals: .319 BA, 30 HR, .400 OBP, .966 Fld. %…6.24 ERA, 10 SVs, 279 K, 180 BB, .305 Opp. BA

Banner Year: 2009 saw Radford grab their first winning season since 2000, only their fifth in school history, while their 16 conference wins were also the second-most in school history.  Radford also won 10 games away from home, just the sixth time that has ever happened.

Key Players: The Highlanders lose top hitter Alex Gregory (.407, 10 HR, 42 RBI), who became the first Big South Player ever to hit .400 or better for three straight seasons.  Radford does, however, return Big South Freshman of the Year Jeff Kemp (.337, 5 HR, 13 SB) plus pitchers Aerik Taylor (5-4, 4.90 ERA, 41 K) and Jake Quigg (5-1, 4.36 ERA, 19 APP).

UNC Asheville

2009 Season: (9-42, 5-21)

Nickname: Bulldogs

Head Coach: Tom Smith

Location: Asheville, NC

Vitals: .261 BA, 27 HR, .325 OBP, .948 Fld. %…8.27 ERA, 3 CG, 3 SVs, 281 K, 223 BB, .351 Opp. BA

In Good Hands: Head Coach Tom Smith was inducted into the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame earlier this year.  Smith coached for 28 years at T.C. Roberson High School winning three state championships before retiring in 2006.  He joined UNC-Asheville in 2008 as a volunteer assistant, before being named head coach last July.

Need More Offense: First task for Smith is to upgrade their offense.  The Bulldogs hit just .261 as a team and lose top hitter Kevin Weidenbacher (.309, 64 H, 28 R).  They do return the only other player to hit over .300 last season in So. OF Cody Buch (.302, 7 doubles, HR), and their top slugger Jr. INF Mike Vaughn (.237, 7 HR, 28 RBI).

Unfriendly Start: UNC-Asheville may be in the South, but will hit the road for most of the first month.  The Bulldogs only have 2 home games in their first 18 contests.

VMI

2009 Season: (18-35, 10-15)

Nickname: Keydets

Head Coach: Marlin Ikenberry

Location: Lexington, VA

Vitals: .295 BA, 55 HR, .366 OBP, .953 Fld. %…6.48 ERA, 2 CG, 6 SVs, 371 K, 189 BB, .316 Opp. BA

Jordan Ballard

Offense Will Be Key: VMI returns 7 of 9 position starters from last year including leading hitter Sr. 1B Jordan Ballard (.366, 11 HR, 48 RBI), Jr. INF Sam Roberts (.335, 6 HR, 34 RBI), and Sr. 3B Tanner Biagini (.317, 9 HR, 35 RBI).  They will have to step up even further with the loss of 1^st team All-Big South performer A.J. Yoder (.349, 13 doubles, 11 SB).  Yoder’s 80 hits set a single-season team record.

Pitching Returns: While VMI their top starter Travis Smink (8-4, 4.33 ERA, 1 CG) and top closer Matt Edwards (3-6, 5.72 ERA, 3 SVs), they welcome back 11 pitchers total including 3 that missed 2009 due to injury in Jr. Chris Duty (5-0, 1.95 ERA, 2 SVs, ‘08), So. Ryan Barefoot (1-1, 4.00 ERA, ’08) and So. Jason Farley (3-2, 2 SVs, ‘08).

Winthrop

2009 Season: (35-25, 18-9)

Nickname: Eagles

Head Coach: Joe Hudak

Location: Rock Hill, SC

Vitals: .323 BA, 55 HR, .394 OBP, .968 Fld. %…5.18 ERA, 1 CG, 14 SVs, 378 K, 197 BB, .291 Opp. BA

Tyler Mizenko

Eagle Soaring: Two Winthrop players have earned preseason honors was the Eagles look to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006.  So. RHP Tyler Mizenko (2-4, 3.77 ERA, 14 SVs) is a 2^nd team All-American by the NCBWA.  The 14 saves by Mizenko set a school record.  Jr. C Eddie Rohan (.348, 14 HR, 53 RBI) was named a 3^rd team preseason All-American by Louisville Slugger.  Rohan was a 1^st team All-Big South performer last year as the primary DH.

Strong Arms: Pitching should be the strength of this year’s team as the Eagles bring back all 4 starting pitchers from a year ago.  The staff will be led by Jr. RHP Matteo D’Angelo (8-3, 3.09 ERA, 60 K) and Jr. RHP Wade Newman (7-4, 5.42 ERA, 55 K).

Starting Off Well: Winthrop should have a chance to get off to a good start.  They will play 20 of their first 25 games at home.  The first road trip does feature tough contests against Wake Forest and Texas A&M.

2010 Predictions

2010 Champion: Coastal Carolina

2010 Player of the Year: Rico Noel—Coastal Carolina

2010 Pitcher of the Year: Cody Wheeler—Coastal Carolina

(By Collegebaseball360.com contributor Shawn Lewallen)

Coaches Tab Coastal Carolina As Favorite

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the third consecutive year, Coastal Carolina University‘s baseball team has been voted the Big South Conference’s preseason favorite by the League’s Head Baseball Coaches, it was announced today by the Conference office.  In addition, the coaches voted Chanticleers’ junior outfielder Rico Noel (Lawton, Okla.) the Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year and Coastal Carolina junior Cody Wheeler (Spotsylvania, Va.) the League’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Coastal received eight first-place votes and 97 out of a possible 100 points to win the Big South in 2010.  The Chanticleers are coming off their third consecutive Big South Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, and are led by 15-year head coach Gary Gilmore – the Big South’s second-winningest baseball coach with a record of 553-294 ( =.653 percent).  Coastal Carolina returns seven starters and 18 letterwinners from last year’s 47-16 team and enters the 2010 season ranked No. 16 in the Ping!Baseball preseason Top 30 rankings as well as No. 17 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Fabulous 40 preseason poll.

Coastal Carolina finished ahead of Liberty in the preseason poll, as the Flames collected one first-place vote and 88 points.  Winthrop – last year’s Tournament runner-up, was picked third with one first-place vote and 81 points, while Radford finished fourth in the voting with 68 points.  High Point received 59 points for fifth-place, while VMI placed sixth in the poll with 48 points.  Charleston Southern garnered seventh-place (40 points), followed by Gardner-Webb at No. 8 (36 points).  Presbyterian College, which is eligible for the League’s regular-season championship but not the Conference tournament, finished ninth in the poll with 18 points.  UNC Asheville rounded out the voting with 15 points for the 10^th and final spot.

Noel enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore in 2009, as he earned First-Team All-Big South honors after hitting .315 with 17 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 45 RBI in 63 games.  He led the Big South with 48 stolen bases in 51 attempts, tying Tulane’s Josh Prince for first nationally in that category.  Noel had a .500 slugging percentage, a .427 on-base percentage and stole two-or-more bases 12 times a year ago.  He also had 19 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI performances.  Among his highlights last season included a 4-for-5 game with four RBIs in the win over West Virginia on Feb. 27, four stolen bases in the Charleston Southern win on May 15, a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs scored against Wake Forest on April 29, and a 2-for-3 day with three runs scored in the win over Kansas in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.  Noel also earned Big South All-Tournament Team honors last year and was named an All-Ping! Baseball Preseason All-American earlier this month.

Noel received four first-place votes and 11 points in the voting.  Winthrop catcher/designated hitter Eddie Rohan was second in the voting with one first-place vote and five points, followed by Charleston Southern’s Tyler Thornburg (two first-place votes, four points) and Liberty’s Curran Redal and Radford’s Jeff Kemp (three points each).

Wheeler was the Big South Pitcher of the Year in 2009 after posting a 10-1 record with a 3.83 earned run average in 15 starts for the Chanticleers.  A Second-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Wheeler had 98 strikeouts in 91.2 innings pitched, and led the Big South in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts while ranking sixth in ERA.  He threw a complete-game no-hitter in a 4-0 win at Hawai’i on March 26 – earning National Player of the Week honors by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA.  Wheeler also gave up one hit in seven innings vs. VMI on May 10 and had 10 strikeouts in seven innings in defeating Radford on April 10.

Already named a preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball, the NCBWA and Ping!Baseball, Wheeler was a near unanimous choice for Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year, as he received nine first-place votes and 19 out of a possible 20 points in the voting.  Liberty’s Shawn Teufel was second with five points, with Winthrop’s Tyler Mizenko finishing third with three points.

The 2010 Big South baseball season begins Friday, February 19 with all 10 teams in action.  The first Conference meeting is set for the weekend of March 19-21, while the 2010 Royal Purple Big South Baseball Championship tournament is slated for May 25-29 and will be hosted by Winthrop University at The Winthrop Ballpark in Rock Hill, S.C.

2010 Big South Conference Preseason Baseball Poll (total points)

Rk  Team (first-place votes)     1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10    Points
1.   Coastal Carolina (8)……..80   9    8    —   —   —  —    —   —    —         97
2.   Liberty (1)………………….10 54  24    —   —   —  —    —   —    —         88
3.   Winthrop (1)………………10  18  32   21   —   —  —    —   —    —         81
4.   Radford……………………..–   9  16   28    6    5   4    —   —    —         68
5.   High Point…………………..–  —   —   14   36   5   4    —   —    —         59
6.   VMI…………………………..–  —   —     7    6  20  12    3   —    —         48
7.   Charleston Southern………–  —   —    —    6    5  20    9   —    —        40
8.   Gardner-Webb……………..–  —   —    —    6   10  —   18   2     —        36
9.   Presbyterian College……..–  —    —    —   —    5   —    —   8     5        18
10. UNC Asheville………………–  —    —    —   —    —  —    —  10    5         15

Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 10 points, followed by nine points for second-place, and so on.

LSU’s Ranaudo Tabbed Preseason National Player of the Year