Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.The seeds for South Carolina’s back-to-back national championships were planted a couple of years ago when Ray Tanner sensed a change coming to college baseball.
Tanner, admittedly an old-school coach, had fielded teams for most of his first dozen or so years at South Carolina that tended to rely heavily on offense.
He brought teams to the College World Series from 2002 to 2004 that looked a lot like those old Louisiana State clubs that won championships, teams with linebackers swinging metal sticks who could decide a game with one swing.
But Tanner, like most coaches, knew a couple of seasons ago that the NCAA would implement another round of bat restrictions starting in 2011.
“We realized it was going to change the game,’’ Tanner said Wednesday before leaving Omaha. “We decided to start recruiting a little bit differently. We stayed away from those three-run homer guys.
“We tried to go out and get some guys that could be a little more versatile on defense and build a pitching staff that could be multidimensional.”
South Carolina hit one home run in its 2011 CWS title run — in the sixth inning of its final game in Omaha. It was pitching and defense, mixed with a timely hit or two, that won titles for the Gamecocks in 2010 and 2011.
In South Carolina’s five wins in Omaha this season, Gamecock pitchers compiled a 0.88 ERA and limited opponents to just more than a base runner per inning — 34 hits and 22 walks in 51 innings.
South Carolina made four errors in 228 chances, a fielding percentage of .982. The Gamecocks turned nine double plays — seven more than Florida, which played the same number of games, and six more than North Carolina (three games) and Texas (two).
South Carolina tied Virginia with a series-high .263 batting average, with 13 of its extra-base hits being doubles.
“I’ve always admired what Coach (Skip) Bertman was able to do at LSU and how they won with guys that could hit home runs and pitch,” Tanner said. “But I think we all realized that we were heading into a situation where there was no alternative other than to get better in the other parts of the game.”
South Carolina got three superb starts in the CWS from junior left-hander Michael Roth. He pitched 22 innings and gave up 13 hits and three earned runs (1.23). He picked up the win Tuesday against Florida by grinding out 723 innings after getting no decisions in his first two starts.
Colby Holmes pitched well in his start against Virginia in the second round, allowing one run in 413 innings. Freshman Forrest Koumas limited Florida to three hits and a run in 523 innings in the first championship game.
The Gamecocks also got stellar work from their two horses in the bullpen, John Taylor and Matt Price. Each appeared in every game in Omaha and didn’t give up an earned run. Taylor threw 723 innings and picked up two wins. Price threw nine innings, going 2-0 with two saves.
Florida, a team loaded with stud hitters, got a total of 11 hits in 20 innings against South Carolina.
“They made great quality pitches,” Florida catcher Mike Zunino said. “You’ve got to tip your cap sometimes. We didn’t execute very well with runners in scoring position, but that’s part of the game.”
South Carolina’s defense also shined, especially in clutch situations. It used double plays to kill Virginia scoring threats three times in extra innings in the bracket championship. Another double play extended the first championship series game against Florida to extra innings, and the Gamecocks threw the potential winning run out at the plate in the 10th.
Another factor to the Gamecocks’ success — not as easily measurable as the on-field plays — was the team’s off-field chemistry. South Carolina returned a solid core group of players from the 2010 championship squad.
“When you talk about chemistry and makeup, that’s on the players,’’ Tanner said. “They determine that. It’s ownership. You just have to depend on your captains to set the mood of the team.
“If there is enough ownership, they answer to those guys. They don’t have to answer to me. That’s the way great teams are built, from your older guys and your leadership.”
Five of the six pitchers South Carolina used in the CWS were underclassmen, though Roth and Price, both juniors, were selected in the major league draft. If they return, the Gamecocks will have a solid group on the mound.
Four of the nine players in the starting lineup Tuesday were seniors: Scott Wingo, Brady Thomas, Robert Beary and Adrian Morales. Junior outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., a first-round pick (supplemental round), has a decision to make before next season. So does junior shortstop Peter Mooney, a 21st-round pick.
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402-679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com
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