Full fall roster
Chad Holbrook wasn't kidding.
South Carolina's first-year coach began his first fall practice on Friday by declaring that the Gamecocks would emphasize their team speed in 2013. After warm-ups, Holbrook immediately gathered his hitters around first base at Carolina Stadium and began instructions on how to take a proper lead.
"I plan this fall to see if those kids can run on their own," Holbrook said before practice. "We need to let Tanner English run this fall. We need to let T.J. Costen run. We need to make the stolen base a priority for us this fall."
After a few minutes of it and having the players, three at a time, sprint toward second, the Gamecocks broke into positional groups and took infield. The first of 18 fall sessions concluded a couple of hours later.
Holbrook spoke about what the Gamecocks are facing as they open fall practice - not only filling in some vital spots on the field, but realizing that the core group of a team that advanced to three straight College World Series finals is mostly gone. While the Gamecocks return several players who were on at least two of the trips, there is a lot that's missing.
USC didn't reload with mediocrity, though. The newcomers and some of the returnees that didn't play a lot last season are well-stocked with talent.
Now to find out what translates into the best approach for a winning team, a process that will take 18 fall practices, a handful of preseason practices and then the games.
"This team's going to have to build and develop their own identity," Holbrook said. "Coach (Ray) Tanner's one of the best to ever coach in college baseball. Coach Tanner was the leader of this program. He's an icon. There's not going to be many major changes on how we do things on a day-to-day basis."
Holbrook will keep many of the same tenets that Tanner had - many of Holbrook's philosophies were installed when he arrived before the 2009 season. The emphasis on speed is due to the Gamecocks not being a great-hitting team in 2012 - the only .300 hitter, Christian Walker, is playing pro baseball now.
Yet Holbrook, by stressing stealing bases and playing a lot of small-ball, thinks USC can swing the sticks.
"I think we're going to be a good-hitting team," he said. "Joey Pankake has been sensational in his first two or three weeks of fall ball. I think we're going to be a good offensive team."
OBSERVATIONS
* The first day was a practice and not a scrimmage, with no live pitching or hitting.
* Joey Pankake, Costen and Kyle Martin were not there due to class.
* All scrimmages during fall practice are open to the public. They will be held at 3:30 p.m. every Friday and 1:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday scrimmages (such as the Sept. 15 scrimmage) can be re-scheduled due to football (that one is at noon). The Gamecocks will practice for six straight weekends except for Oct. 18-19 (fall break).
* Everybody is relatively healthy outside of Rob DeCosmo (shoulder). There are other players who are taking it easy this fall but nobody is seriously injured.
* Platooning during infield were: Brison Celek-Ryan Ripken-Zack Smith (first base); Max Schrock-Chase Vergason (second base); D.C. Arendas-Graham Saiko (shortstop); LB Dantzler-George Iskenderian (third base); Grayson Greiner-Patrick Harrington-Dante Rosenberg-Ray Murphy (catcher); Tanner English (center field); Connor Bright-Seth Constable (left field); Sean Sullivan-Anthony Paulsen (right field).
* Harrington is fully recovered from his ailments over the past two years but his best chance to get on the field is as a third catcher. He may factor in a bit at DH or right field, which will have several candidates fighting for the role.
* Schrock, a freshman that Holbrook calls one of the best hitters he's ever recruited, was hitting in the first group.
* George Iskenderian, another freshman who will factor in this year, was a pretty consistent home-run hitter in BP.
* The next scrimmage is at noon on Saturday.
link: http://southcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1409414
Chad Holbrook wasn't kidding.
South Carolina's first-year coach began his first fall practice on Friday by declaring that the Gamecocks would emphasize their team speed in 2013. After warm-ups, Holbrook immediately gathered his hitters around first base at Carolina Stadium and began instructions on how to take a proper lead.
"I plan this fall to see if those kids can run on their own," Holbrook said before practice. "We need to let Tanner English run this fall. We need to let T.J. Costen run. We need to make the stolen base a priority for us this fall."
After a few minutes of it and having the players, three at a time, sprint toward second, the Gamecocks broke into positional groups and took infield. The first of 18 fall sessions concluded a couple of hours later.
Holbrook spoke about what the Gamecocks are facing as they open fall practice - not only filling in some vital spots on the field, but realizing that the core group of a team that advanced to three straight College World Series finals is mostly gone. While the Gamecocks return several players who were on at least two of the trips, there is a lot that's missing.
USC didn't reload with mediocrity, though. The newcomers and some of the returnees that didn't play a lot last season are well-stocked with talent.
Now to find out what translates into the best approach for a winning team, a process that will take 18 fall practices, a handful of preseason practices and then the games.
"This team's going to have to build and develop their own identity," Holbrook said. "Coach (Ray) Tanner's one of the best to ever coach in college baseball. Coach Tanner was the leader of this program. He's an icon. There's not going to be many major changes on how we do things on a day-to-day basis."
Holbrook will keep many of the same tenets that Tanner had - many of Holbrook's philosophies were installed when he arrived before the 2009 season. The emphasis on speed is due to the Gamecocks not being a great-hitting team in 2012 - the only .300 hitter, Christian Walker, is playing pro baseball now.
Yet Holbrook, by stressing stealing bases and playing a lot of small-ball, thinks USC can swing the sticks.
"I think we're going to be a good-hitting team," he said. "Joey Pankake has been sensational in his first two or three weeks of fall ball. I think we're going to be a good offensive team."
OBSERVATIONS
* The first day was a practice and not a scrimmage, with no live pitching or hitting.
* Joey Pankake, Costen and Kyle Martin were not there due to class.
* All scrimmages during fall practice are open to the public. They will be held at 3:30 p.m. every Friday and 1:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday scrimmages (such as the Sept. 15 scrimmage) can be re-scheduled due to football (that one is at noon). The Gamecocks will practice for six straight weekends except for Oct. 18-19 (fall break).
* Everybody is relatively healthy outside of Rob DeCosmo (shoulder). There are other players who are taking it easy this fall but nobody is seriously injured.
* Platooning during infield were: Brison Celek-Ryan Ripken-Zack Smith (first base); Max Schrock-Chase Vergason (second base); D.C. Arendas-Graham Saiko (shortstop); LB Dantzler-George Iskenderian (third base); Grayson Greiner-Patrick Harrington-Dante Rosenberg-Ray Murphy (catcher); Tanner English (center field); Connor Bright-Seth Constable (left field); Sean Sullivan-Anthony Paulsen (right field).
* Harrington is fully recovered from his ailments over the past two years but his best chance to get on the field is as a third catcher. He may factor in a bit at DH or right field, which will have several candidates fighting for the role.
* Schrock, a freshman that Holbrook calls one of the best hitters he's ever recruited, was hitting in the first group.
* George Iskenderian, another freshman who will factor in this year, was a pretty consistent home-run hitter in BP.
* The next scrimmage is at noon on Saturday.
link: http://southcarolina.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1409414
