Team of the week, April 27-May 3: The Citadel

The Citadel (4-0 for the week)

(beat South Carolina; went 3-0 vs. Presbyterian)

Second-year Coach Russell Triplett had his Bulldogs face challenge after challenge in the nonconference portion of the schedule. Three-game series sweeps by ranked Florida State and Kentucky teams and single losses to Clemson and Georgia resulted in a eight-game hit on the overall record even though the Bulldogs battled on near-even terms in every game.

Those lumps have turned into muscles for the Bulldogs, who are three-games over .500 after winning four games this week.

One need look no further than the mound to see the foundation for this week's success. Bulldogs pitchers allowed 15 hits and 3 runs with 31 strikeouts in 32 innings. They had a 0.84 ERA and a .143 opponents' batting average.

Tuesday's shutout at South Carolina was the school's first-ever against the Gamecocks in Columbia.  Andrew Buffkin, Ben Brash and Michael Gibson combined on a one-hit shutout in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader sweep at Presbyterian.  In Game 2, the Bulldogs were held to a hit themselves, but still won.

Gibson has been one of the top two-way players in the state. This week, he struck out five in three shutout innings while picking up a pair of saves.  At the plate he was 5-for-12 with a run scored three RBI. 

For the season, Gibson has a 3-2 record, 7 saves and 54 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings in 4 starts and 11 relief appearances. His 4.76 ERA is the lowest it's been since the first week of the season. Gibson has a .365 batting average with 5 doubles, 3 homers and 20 RBI in 85 at-bats.

Up next: at home against Samford, 6 p.m. Friday.

Also considered

Anderson (1-0) - finished the season at .500

Clemson (2-1) - won series over No. 20 Boston College 
Coastal Carolina (3-1)
Florence-Darlington Tech (2-0) - reached Region 10 title game

Lander (2-1) - winning streak reached 11

North Greenville (4-1) - reached Conference Carolinas title game out of losers' bracket 

USC Upstate (3-0) - swept Gardner-Webb to snap nine-game losing streak

*-Benedict's Sunday night game not included

Previous winners
Jan. 23-Feb. 1: North Greenville
Feb. 2-8: Anderson
Feb. 9-15: Francis Marion 

Feb. 16-22: Charleston Southern
Feb. 23-March 1: Benedict
March 2-8: Clemson

March 9-15: Coastal Carolina
March 16-22: Florence-Darlington Tech

March 23-29: Winthrop

March 30-April 5: North Greenville
April 6-12: Wofford
April 13-19: Winthrop
April 20-26: Coker