The three-day bonanza/snoozefest known as the NFL Draft concluded today, and three more Gamecocks found out where they’ll be playing in the pros.

Rokevious Watkins was selected in the fifth round and No. 150 overall by the St. Louis Rams, where he’ll join former USC player Darian Stweart. Antonio Allen was taken in the seventh round and No. 242 overall by the New York Jets, and Travian Robertson was also drafted in the seventh round and No. 249 overall by the Atlanta Falcons, who also have former Cocks John Abraham, Cliff Matthews, and Dunta Robinson on their roster.

Twitter was a hotbed of info about players not chosen in the draft. Marty Markett will also join the Falcons, according to Shaq Wilson. Jason Barnes will join Melvin Ingram with the San Diego Chargers. C.C. Whitlock will join former Gamecock star Jasper Brinkley on the Vikings and Terrence Campbell will join the Redskins. Kyle Nunn tweeted that he’s hoping for a free agent opportunity of his own. No word on whether or not Stephen Garcia will continue trying to pursue football.

Six Gamecocks were selected this year, and the SEC is the only conference that had at least one player from each school taken in the draft.

Congrats to all the guys from the garnet and black drafted this year – make us proud in the NFL!

Reptar: proud pet.

Tide, consider yourselves rolled. Oh, and Fear The Fish.

The Yardcocks routed Alabama 9-1 today in front of a sellout crowd at Carolina Stadium, earning their third straight SEC sweep. This was also their 11th conference victory in a row, marking their longest streak since 2000, when they won 17 games in a row. USC has also won their last five series.

South Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Bama threatened in the second inning with the bases loaded, but starter Patrick Sullivan pitched his way out of the jam and allowed the Crimson Tide only one run, also their only score of the game.

USC tacked on a run in their half of the second, and then another in the third when LB Dantzler went yard. He and Christian Walker lead the team with eight homers each. The Cocks got on the board one more itme in the fifth inning, adding their final two runs of the game.

Grayson Greiner and Joey Pankake led the Yardoccks at the plate, with Greiner going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI and Pankake 2-for-4 with two RBI. South Carolina outhit Alabama 9-5.

Sullivan threw four innings where he allowed only one run on four hits. He walked four batters and recorded no K’s. Nolan Belcher came on in relief and earned the win, improving his record to 4-2 on the season. He pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up no runs and only one hit. He struck out four batters and walked two. Hunter Privette shut the door, throwing 1 2/3 of an inning in which he was perfect, even striking out two batters.

» Continue reading ““Fear The Fish” Not A Fluke – South Carolina Sweeps Alabama”

It was a good day to be South Carolina.

After the NCAA released its ruling and the university found out they’ll face no further sanctions, the baseball team got down to business, resuming their game from yesterday which was postponed due to weather.

LB and Reptar took questions following Game 2. Seriously.

The Cocks were hitless when the game resumed in the eighth inning, but Adam Matthews changed all that with a solo homer to lead off the inning. That one run was all the scoring either team would do, and USC hung on for a 1-0 victory over the Tide.

Michael Roth pitched all seven innings on Thursday, surrendering no runs on four hits. He walked four batters and struck out five. Tyler Webb, who pitched a perfect eighth inning, got the win and is now 4-0 on the season. Matt Price hurled a flawless ninth inning to earn his fifth save of the year. Bama’s Jon Keller took the loss and fell to 1-3.

Game 2 had all the hits and runs the first game was lacking. South Carolina defeated Alabama 12-11 thanks to a bottom-of-the-ninth rally, and the teams combined for 27 hits.

The Crimson Tide got on the board early, taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Christian Walker smacked a ball out of the park to make it 4-2 in the bottom of the inning, but Bama responded with a two-run shot of their own. Matthews hit another solo bomb in the second inning and Grayson Greiner went yard to bring in three runs in the fourth. The Gamecocks led 9-7 after the fourth inning, but the Tide weren’t done.

Bama held an 11-9 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, when Sean Sullivan stepped up to save the day. After Evan Marzilli struck out, Greiner brought in Walker from second with a single, and TJ Costen doubled to put runners at second and third. LB Dantzler was intentionally walked, which loaded the bases for Sullivan. He hit a blooper into left-center, and a fielding flub allowed Costen to make it across home plate.

» Continue reading “Yardcocks Take Series Over Bama, Jeffery Drafted By Bears”

The NCAA announced the ruling for South Carolina’s infractions today, and the university will receive no sanctions other than the ones they already self-imposed.

USC was cited for failure to monitor, and as a result will gets 3 years probation, scholarship reductions, recruiting restrictions, and have to pay an$18,500 fine. The official ruling gives the four reasons behind the NCAA’s decision:

“The committee decided not to impose more stringent sanctions in this case, including a postseason ban because:  i) the cooperation exhibited by the institution went beyond its obligations under [NCAA Bylaws]; ii) the violations were limited in scope; iii) the institution self-imposed significant penalties and; iv) there was no unethical conduct in this case.”

Athletic Director Eric Hyman released a statement following th committee’s announcement:

“The University regrets the past actions and decisions by individuals that resulted in violations of NCAA legislation. We are pleased, however, that the Committee on Infractions found the corrective actions we have taken and the penalties we have self-imposed reflect the University’s commitment to full compliance with NCAA rules.”

University president Harris Pastides released a statement of his own:

“We appreciate the Committee on Infractions’ thoughtful consideration of our case. This experience has strengthened our compliance office and our resolve to ensure that our athletics program operates in full compliance with NCAA legislation.”

This is all good news for the Gamecocks. There had been some concern that wins from 2009 might be vacated, but thankfully, those victories will stay in the books. While our situation was nowhere near the level of Ohio State, Miami, or the other USC’s, South Carolina could have been found to be a repeat offender because of violations committed under Lou Holtz. Luckily, the NCAA committee appreciated the university’s thorough self-evaluation and self-imposition of penalties.

Now let’s just stay out of trouble, okay?

Congrats to Stephon Gilmore and Melvin Ingram, who were taken in the first round (and the Top 20) of the NFL Draft tonight!

This is the second time in school history that the Gamecocks have had two first-round picks. The only other time was in 1981, when George Rogers went first overall and Willie Scott was pick No. 14.

Gilmore was the No. 10 overall pick this year, and was selected by the Buffalo Bills. After being drafted, he had this to say:

“It’s a great feeling. It’s a blessing. I worked hard for it, and I’m not going to stop working.”

Ingram was the No. 18 overall pick, and was chosen by the San Diego Chargers. He and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell shared a fancy handshake (watch it here) as Melvin crossed the stage. So whose idea was it? Ingram set the record straight:

“Me and him came up with that (Wednesday). It was about 99.9 percent mine and .1 percent his.”

Chargers fans (and some analysts) seemed to view San Diego getting Ingram at No. 18 as a steal, especially after the Jets fans in the house made it clear they wanted him with their No. 16 pick (the team took DE Quinton Coples from UNC instead).

As many people expected, Alshon Jeffery did not go tonight, nor was he even on the list of the Top 10 best available players. He’ll likely be selected in the second round tomorrow night.

Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft will take place tomorrow night starting at 7 ET, and rounds 4-7 will take place on Saturday, beginning at noon ET.

After too many days without Gamecock baseball, the boys will be back on the diamond tomorrow night to begin a series against Alabama.

We’ve now passed the midway point of SEC play, so it’s crucial that the Cocks keep up the success they’ve had against conference teams recently. They’ll have to do it without pitcher Colby Holmes, though, after Ray Tanner confirmed that Holmes strained a muscle during practice today.

That means that Michael Roth and Jordan Montgomery will start Thursday and Friday as planned, but the Saturday starter is still unknown. It could be Matt Price, especially if he isn’t used much in the first two games. Roth has struggled a bit as of late, so hopefully can get back on track.

Freshmen were key in the sweep against the Tigers last weekend and if they’re still hot this weekend, that can only mean good things for South Carolina. After losing plenty of low scoring games, USC rolled over AU 12-5 and 11-7. Hopefully that’s an indication that things on finally coming together and the offense will no longer be MIA.

Carolina is 30-11 overall so far this season and 11-7 in SEC play. They’re tied with Florida for second in the East, with Kentucky as the top team. At 17-25 overall and 6-12 in the conference, the Tide aren’t doing so hot, and are in fact last in the West. That being said, if the Gamecocks don’t play quality baseball, they could find themselves on the wrong side of an upset, and worse yet, dropping games they really need to win.

The first pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 7:30 ET at Carolina Stadium. This is also the SEC Game of the Week on ESPNU. Friday’s game will get started at 7 ET, and Saturdy’s contests is set for 1:30 ET.

» Continue reading “Yardcocks Look To Keep Things Rolling Against Bama”

HOORAY!

Another weekend, another SEC series sweep. This is the way it should be for the Yardcocks.

The bats came alive this weekend on the plains as USC beat the Tigers in three consecutive games. On Friday night, Michael Roth improved to 4-0 as he hurled 6 2/3 innings where he allowed four runs on eight hits. He walked two batters and struck out eight. Derek Varnadore was saddled with the loss for Auburn and is now 1-6 on the year.

Freshman led the charge at the plate for South Carolina. Connor Bright went 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, Grayson Greiner was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, Tanner English scored two runs and had a RBI, and Joey Pankake tallied two RBI.

The Yardcocks had a four-run first inning, then tacked on three more runs in the fourth. They put up four more in the fifth inning, and a final one in the eighth. Auburn didn’t score until the fifth inning. Adam Matthews was the only Gamecock without a hit, but he did notch a RBI. USC barely outhit AU, 13 to 11, but managed to beat them 12-5.

Saturday afternoon’s affair was not as high scoring, but all that mattered was that the Cocks came out on top. Carolina scored four of their five runs in the sixth inning, when Christian Walker smacked a two-run triple, which was followed by a two-run homer from LB Dantzler. The Tigers, who actually got on the board first, wouldn’t go down quietly. They scored in the sixth and eighth innings to make it a one-run game, but the Gamecocks added an unearned run in the top of the ninth to secure the victory.

Freshman Jordan Montgomery had another solid outing, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up only two runs on six hits. He walked one and K’d one batter. He also earned the win and is now 4-0. Matt Price got the save, his fourth of the season. Jon Luke Jacobs took the loss for the Auburn, his first of the year, and fell to 5-1. AU outhit South Carolina nine to five, but also committed three errors, which proved to be costly.

» Continue reading “Sweep Success: Gamecocks Take Series Over Auburn”

The HBC: 67 years young and looking as good as ever.

Before we go any further, I’d like to apologize for the lack of posts this week. Grad school life got in the way a bit, but from here on out, posts should be back with regularity. On with the show.

The man, the myth, the legend, our beloved HBC, turns 67 today. In those 67 years of life, Coach Spurrier has won the Heisman Trophy, been named the coach of the year and won national titles multiple times, been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and made plenty of history.

It’s no secret that I adore Steve, so I’m especially excited about it being his birthday. I was going to write him a love letter (too creepy), so instead, I began to think about what some other people might give to him. Let’s take a look…

Scott Spurrier

Stephen Garcia

Dabo Swinney

Nick Saban

Happy Birthday, Steve! We’re glad you’re part of Gamecock Nation!

This weekend saw the return of Carolina football (hooray!), and the Black team topped the Garnet team in the Spring Game. The Yardcocks also earned their first SEC sweep (double hooray!), over Mississippi State, this weekend.

Football: On Saturday, the Black team, led by QB Connor Shaw, scored on their first possession of the game. That set the tone, as they went on to defeat the Garnet team, led by projected second-stringer Dylan Thompson, 38-24. The Black team led 35-10 at halftime, and new QBs took the reigns for the third and fourth quarters.

Tanner McEvoy and Austin Hails took Shaw’s place on the Black team, while Seth Strickland and Andrew Clifford worked with the Garnet team. Per Gamecocks Online, the six quarterbacks combined to go 39-of-54 for 511 yards. They had six touchdowns and two interceptions.

As part of the annual tradition, a variety of award winners were announced at the game. The list is as follows:

Most Improved: OL – Will Sport/Brandon Shell; DL – Chaz Sutton; CB – Jared Shaw; WR – Damiere Byrd; LB – Damario Jeffrey; TE – Drew Owens; DB – Ahmad Christian; RB – Blair Lowery; QB – Seth Strickland/Dylan Thompson K – Adam Yates; P – Michael Williamson

Everyday Attitude & Hustle Award: Bruce Ellington/Victor Hampton

Outstanding Weight Room: Kadetrix Marcus, Ace Sanders, Cody Gibson, Byron Jerideau

Outstanding Walk-Ons: Connor McLaurin, Kenny Robinson, Jessie Dukes, Landon Ard

Harold White GPA: K. J. Brent/Walker Inabinet

Dr. Harris Pastides – Scholar Athlete: Marcus Lattimore

Joe Morrison – Players of the Spring: Offense - Kenny Miles; Defense – Jadeveon Clowney; Special Teams - Ace Sanders

Ernest Brooks – MVP – Clemson Game: Offense – Connor Shaw; Defense – Melvin Ingram; Special Teams – D. J. Swearinger

MVP – Bowl Game: Alshon Jeffery/Stephon Gilmore

» Continue reading “Gamecocks Weekend Wrap Up”

Sean Sullivan is congratulated by Chad Holbrook at third base.

Finally. After numerous games where USC has had a chance to rally and not gotten the job done, they finally came through tonight, scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and defeating the Bulldogs 7-6 in Columbia.

I slept through most of the game (thanks, allergies), and the first update I saw when I woke up said the Cocks were down 6-3. I was not thrilled. I went to take some medicine and get a snack, and by the time I saw the next update, they’d won 7-6. I won’t lie, I thought it was a typo at first. I’m glad I was wrong.

South Carolina got on the board first thanks to a three-run third inning, but Mississippi State responded and scored in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to take a 6-3 lead. In what some people on twitter called a turning point for the season, Carolina, trailing by three runs and with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, put together enough offense to take a lead, and then kept MSU off the board in the ninth to secure the victory.

Grayson Greiner went yard to start the rally, Adam Matthews and Brison Celek got base hits, and Sean Sullivan, pinch-hitting, sent a fly ball into right field, getting him ti third base and bringing in two runs. Bulldogs closer Caleb Reed threw a wild pitch, and though Tanner English had struck out, he reached first base because the ball got away from the catcher. That wild pitch also brought Sullivan home to give the Yardcocks the lead.

» Continue reading “Gamecocks Rally To Take Game One Over Mississippi State”