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| A crowd of 6,307 turned out at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston Tuesday night for South Carolina's win over The Citadel. (Palmetto State Baseball photo) |
Winning brings out the fans
There's an old saying that everybody loves a winner. That's certainly the case for South Carolina right now. The Gamecocks played The Citadel in Charleston Tuesday and a majority of the more than 6,300 fans in attendance appeared to be cheering for the Gamecocks. They were rewarded with a 13-2 victory in a game called after seven innings because of the run rule. The record crowd for a college game at The Joe appears to be 6,500 for a USC-Citadel game in 2014. The victory improved South Carolina's record to 24-2, the best mark in school history after 26 games. Both the 2000 and 2016 teams started 23-2.
Columnist Gene Sapakoff of The Post and Courier Tweeted a photo of stadium namesake and former Charleston mayor Joseph P. Riley at the game.
Commentary alert: Meanwhile, I don't know if the weather was a factor in Columbia, but I was a little surprised the College of Charleston-Clemson game drew just 1,678 (according to the boxscore) at Segra Park. Two previous Charleston-Clemson games at Segra Park drew 3,815 in 2019 and 2,727 in 2022. Charleston is having a good season. Admittedly, Clemson isn't where its fans want it to be right now, but Tiger fans normally turn out for baseball. I guess a 16-10 record, a series loss to South Carolina, two series losses to open the ACC season and no national rankings have dampened baseball fever for Clemson fans right now.
Columnist Gene Sapakoff of The Post and Courier Tweeted a photo of stadium namesake and former Charleston mayor Joseph P. Riley at the game.
Commentary alert: Meanwhile, I don't know if the weather was a factor in Columbia, but I was a little surprised the College of Charleston-Clemson game drew just 1,678 (according to the boxscore) at Segra Park. Two previous Charleston-Clemson games at Segra Park drew 3,815 in 2019 and 2,727 in 2022. Charleston is having a good season. Admittedly, Clemson isn't where its fans want it to be right now, but Tiger fans normally turn out for baseball. I guess a 16-10 record, a series loss to South Carolina, two series losses to open the ACC season and no national rankings have dampened baseball fever for Clemson fans right now.
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| Paul Snyder spent more than 50 years associated with Major League Baseball. (Palmetto State Baseball photo) |
Snyder honored at display
Paul Snyder, one of the architects for the Atlanta Braves' great teams of the 1990s, is among the scouts honored at a display for the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston. I believe I'd been aware of the scouts Hall of Fame being at The Joe, but had forgotten about it. I stumbled upon Tuesday night when I made a too-late trip to a concession stand in search of a snack.
(More commentary, or at least a memory) Anyway, I first met Snyder a a pre-teen when he was player-manager for the Western Carolinas League champion Greenville Braves in 1963 and I was an autograph seeker at Meadowbrook Park Greenville. Twice, I approached Snyder to ask for an autograph as he left the field and headed to the clubhouse under the grandstand. Both times, he told me he would return to honor my request -- and both times, my parents came and told me we had to leave before Snyder returned. After I grew up (well, got older, anyway) and became a sportswriter, I covered the Braves' minor league team in Greenville in the 1980s and 1990s. Snyder came to several games as part of his front office duties in Atlanta and I speak with him several times.
Another member of the scouts' Hall of Fame is former Spartanburg Methodist coach Lon Joyce. He was a longtime scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. I got to meet him when I was a summer intern at The Greenville News and he was coach of Union's American Legion baseball team. Joyce died in 2020.
Briefly
* Freshman center field Cam Cannarella returned to the Clemson lineup after missing the Georgia Tech series with an illness and went 2-for-4 against Charleston.
* The Tigers' bullpen has struggled some this season, but the final four relievers coach Erik Bakich called on Tuesday each threw a shutout inning.
* Clemson's Caden Grice homered once in the first 16 games but has gone deep five times in the last six games.
* Coastal Carolina's 12-7 win at North Carolina on Tuesday was the Chanticleers' third over a ranked team this season. Coastal also reached double figures in wins over ranked Wake Forest and Campbell teams.
* The Tigers' bullpen has struggled some this season, but the final four relievers coach Erik Bakich called on Tuesday each threw a shutout inning.
* Clemson's Caden Grice homered once in the first 16 games but has gone deep five times in the last six games.
* Coastal Carolina's 12-7 win at North Carolina on Tuesday was the Chanticleers' third over a ranked team this season. Coastal also reached double figures in wins over ranked Wake Forest and Campbell teams.
Honors
* NCBWA Southeast Region
Player of the week: Kody Hanna, Coker
Pitcher of the week: Reece Fields, North Greenville
* South Atlantic Conference player of the week: Kody Hanna, Coker
* Conference Carolinas
Player of the week: Christian Rivera, Erskine
Pitcher of the week: Reece Fields, North Greenville
Previews
* Presbyterian (Wofford)* USC Aiken (Augusta)
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