We Omahans enjoy our College World Series underdogs and newcomers. A lot of people, myself included, were probably rooting for No. 4 overall seed Coastal Carolina in its Super Regional against South Carolina. We saw the Gamecocks at the ‘Blatt three straight years in the earlier part of this decade, but Coastal Carolina had never been here. It’s just a natural instinct of the casual fan. Hey, I’ve never heard of Coastal Carolina. And those are some crazy teal uniforms. I hope they make it.
But once the field of eight is set, our allegiances reset. Every team has its own story, took its own path to Omaha. So, no hard feelings, South Carolina. We’re perfectly happy you’re here.
To get us caught up on the Gamecocks, Neil White from The State kindly answered a few questions. He’s been working at The State for 23 years, 11 of them in sports, and the last two covering South Carolina baseball. He’s covered baseball at all levels including the Majors. If the Gamecocks are going to be your adopted team, you can go here to enlighten yourself even further.
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask Neil for his favorite Rosenblatt Stadium memory, which is a visit to the CWS in 1981 before he was a sports writer. ” It was my first taste of what makes the College World Series special.”
Rick Glickstein/The State
White & Blue Review: Can you give a summary of the Gamecocks’ season to this point?
Neil White: This team has played consistent baseball all season, although it hit slight roadblocks early against East Carolina and Clemson and later against Florida and in the SEC tournament. But for the most part, it played very well in compiling a 21-9 SEC record, second only to Florida, which also made it here. Two months ago, this team looked totally capable of making this kind of run.
WBR: If you were a rabid USC fan, and I came up to you and asked, “So, what is this South Carolina team about, what defines it?” what would your answer be?
NW: It’s a true team, one without a bunch of stars with gaudy statistics. It has a deep pitching staff and a deep bench that Coach Ray Tanner isn’t afraid to use. He has penciled in a lot of different lineups based on left/right matchups. He has done the same when bringing in a host of different relievers to get the pitching matchups he wants.
WBR: Who is the player we will hear the most about during the Gamecocks’ time in Omaha?
NW: Pitcher Blake Cooper, a senior right-hander with a 12-1 record, and Jackie Bradley, a sophomore centerfielder who’s the team’s leading hitter and most exciting player.
WBR: What does this team look like offensively and on the mound?
NW: Unlike previous South Carolina teams, it isn’t loaded with power. But it does have a lot of different hitters that contribute. Bradley and junior outfielder Whit Merrifield make this team go, and a variety of other players have stepped up along the way to drive in key runs. There isn’t much speed, and this group doesn’t score a lot of runs, but it does find a way to score enough runs to win.
Cooper, who has won big matchups against the SEC’s top arms all season, leads the starting staff along with junior right-hander Sam Dyson, the team’s top draft pick. They will start the first two games. A number of pitchers have drawn the other starts. The real strength is in the bullpen, with a mix of righties and lefties, led by setup men Jose Mata and Michael Roth and a dominating closer in Matt Price, who saved both Super Regional wins against Coastal Carolina.
WBR: Every year ESPN finds a story or two about each team that it pretty much beats to death. What will that story be for South Carolina?
NW: It would probably be the emergence of Cooper as the No. 1 pitcher. There’s also the return of assistant coach Chad Holbrook, who was here with North Carolina from 2006-08.
WBR: What is something that everyone NEEDS to know about this team, whether it be about a specific person or a story that sums up the season to this point very nicely?
NW: This team has a bunch of unselfish gamers, who do what it takes to win. There are no egos, and they genuinely seem to enjoy playing together.
WBR: Does this trip mean anything extra for the team knowing that it will be Rosenblatt’s last Series?
NW: This is the first visit in six years for the Gamecocks so they’re just glad to be back. But this being the last year of Rosenblatt is something the players mentioned as making the trip more special to them.
WBR: This is South Carolina’s ninth trip to Omaha. Every team is different, so what makes this trip different for USC compared to, say, 2004, or any before it?
NW: Every trip is its own adventure. The last time in 2004 ended a run of three consecutive seasons so many of those players had prior experience. This team set Omaha as a goal to start the season, and it has put together a very steady effort to make it. For the players who are not going to be back next season, whether it’s the seniors or the draftees, it will be even more meaningful.
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Also: College World Series Secrets … WBR’s complete CWS coverage