A few thoughts about Friday

I was occupied with my real job Friday so I didn't get to keep up with the late afternoon/nighttime games. A few thoughts after perusing boxscores/game stories.

*I'm surprised USC hit three home runs in such cool weather during Friday's 6-3 win over Clemson. Maybe Carolina Stadium is a bandbox, new bats or not.

*I didn't get to follow Friday's game closely, but I saw Michael Roth's first two starts in person. He looks like he couldn't throw the ball hard enough to break a pane of glass, but he certainly knows HOW to pitch.

*Jake Williams, Roth's former teammate at Riverside High, is making a strong case to stay in the Gamecocks' lineup somewhere. The junior transfer from Wofford went 2-for-3 Friday to improve his batting average to .471.

*Other than bragging rights, Clemson fans shouldn't be fretting much over Friday's result. Tigers coach Jack Leggett's comments before and after the game indicate he knows its a long season and this weekend won't make or break the Tigers.

*Furman coach Ron Smith must be scratching his head. He gets back-to-back four-hitters and can only go 1-1. Unfortunately for the Paladins, Davidson's Chris Lamb pitched a three-hit shutout Friday night as the Wildcats won the Southern Conference series-opener. Furman has shaved almost 3.75 off its 2010 ERA but has just a 5-6 record. The Paladins need to win the final two games of the Davidson series because the Wildcats are likely one of the teams Furman will be fighting for one of the final two or three spots in the SoCon Tournament.

*Former Mauldin High star Joe Jackson is having quite an impact as a freshman for The Citadel. He went 2-for-3 in Friday's 4-0 win over Appalachian State to improve his batting average to .444. He has played in eight games, starting five. Bulldogs teammate Austin Pritcher struck out 13 in eight innings.

*I didn't know until it was mentioned in a Coastal Carolina release Friday that the Chanticleers' Scott Woodward is hearing-impaired. I don't know the severity of the impairment, but he should be an inspiration to aspiring athletes with any type of impairment. He came into the season with a .330 career batting average and leads Chanticleers regulars this season with a .314 average.

*Wofford's Konstantine Diamaduros went 3-for-4 in Friday's 11-5 loss to Pitt, raising his season batting average to .500 (20-for-40). The Spartanburg High product hit just .231 last season.