* USC allowed 14 first-inning runs - the majority unearned because of errors - over its first nine postseason games. On Tuesday night, it was Virginia which faltered, committing two first-inning miscues to lead to three unearned runs for USC.
* John Taylor continues to amaze out of the bullpen. He went a career-high 4 1/3 innings for the win Tuesday. His 47 appearances this season are 10 above the previous school record set by Michael Roth last season.
* As good as Taylor and Matt Price have been, USC coach Ray Tanner hasn't had much need to use Jose Mata out of the bullpen. I still think Mata will have a big moment in Omaha.
* Jackie Bradley Jr. continues to look more comfortable at the plate in his first action in almost two months. He did his job of "protecting" Christian Walker as USC's cleanup hitter Tuesday. Moving Brady Thomas down from cleanup seemed to remove the pressure on him to produce and Thomas delivered three hits.
* One wonders if the dropped popup in the fourth inning was attributable to a little rustiness from Bradley about taking charge, a little overagressiveness from shortstop Peter Mooney in chasing the pop, a stiff wind, or some combination of all of the above. It drove up Colby Holmes' pitch count and may have kept him from having a chance to pick up the victory.
* It amazes me that Holmes has allowed 13 of the 27 home runs the Gamecocks have surrendered this this season. Adam Westmoreland has allowed five more, meaning two pitchers have accounted for two-thirds of the homers off the Gamecocks this season.
* Mooney and second baseman Scott Wingo are showing that USC once again has one of the top defensive middle infield combinations in the country. Mooney struggled a little early, but he and Wingo have been spectacular in Omaha.
* I thought it was a wise move on a couple of fronts for Tanner to use Adam Matthews as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter It prevented Brady Thomas from having another chance to re-injure his foot during an at-bat. It also allowed Matthews a chance to face game pitching as he continues his slow comeback from hamstring problems.
* Jake Williams, the Riverside High product who transferred to USC from Wofford, tied the school single-season record for triples with No. 6 Tuesday night.
* I thought a couple of lineup positions would hurt USC offensively, but the Gamecocks are hitting .310 through two games of the College World series. The staff ERA after two games? 0.50.
* The last team to score seven runs against Virginia? Coastal Carolina in an 8-7 loss April 13! -- 39 games ago.
* USC's 13 hits against Virginia's pitching staff tied for second-most all season.
* Where's Marlin Perkins and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom when you need them? We saw two grown rabbits under a downtown overpass while walking to the stadium and a baby rabbit and an adult rabbit near the fan fest area while leaving.
No comments:
Post a Comment