Gathered some write-ups on CoC from D1 and College Baseball Today/ESPN. I do remember CoC beating UF in the regional last year but had no clue they were a #4 seed when they did it.
Looks like much of last years team returns with a slew of hard throwing right handed pitchers. On paper they are a pretty weak hitting team, don't steal a ton of bases, but play good defense. This will be a very tough series for us to open the season but we've got a good collection of left handed hitters at the plate who should be able to take advantage of the CoC staff.
Weekend weather forecast calls for clear sunny skies and some strong winds out of the west on Saturday (blowing LF to RF). Hope we can get some long balls flying and put up some decent runs one game this weekend.
31- COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (44-19, 15-6) (Eric Sorenson, College Baseball Today)[/B]
Projected CAA Finish: 1st
2014 ISR: 51
Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15+inns.): 3
If not for those damn 1-0 losses. Arrrrrgh! CofC lost twice to Texas Tech by 1-0 scores in the Super Regionals denying the Cougars a trip to Omaha last year. Well, fear not, there is lots to like about this year's team too. All American candidates RHP Bailey Ober (10-3, 1.52) and RHP Taylor Clarke (10-4, 2.51) lead a great pitching corps. Sunday starter LHP Eric Bauer (6-2, 2.09) and closer RHP Hayden McCutcheon (1-0, 2.08) will be lockdown arms. Lots of returnees to the infield too with 3B Carl Wise (.295-3-54), 2B Blake Butler (.282-3-24) and 1B Nick Pappas (.270-5-26). But that sad sack .255 team batting average must improve.
PROJECTED REGIONAL TEAM (Mark Etheridge, D1Baseball)[/B]
•[/B] College of Charleston[/B] shocked everyone knocking off No. 2 national seed Florida to win the Gainesville Regional as a No. 4 seed. The Cougars return one of the top pitching staffs in the South. RHPs Taylor Clarke (10-4, 2.51) and Bailey Ober (10-3, 1.52) are back to lead the rotation, and both bring power stuff. Clarke is a bulldog who attacks hitters with three quality pitches, including a fastball that touches 94, while Ober has advanced command of a lively fastball that hits 91, a plus changeup and a good curveball. LHP Eric Bauer (6-2, 2.09) and RHP Nathan Helvey (3-4, 3.78) are competing for starting spots and have good feel for their offspeed stuff and fastball command. Hayden McCutcheon (1-0, 2.08) missed much of last year and could close or start, but his heavy sinker reaches 91 and his slider can be an out pitch. Chase Henry (2-0, 2.27) has similar stuff, with good life on his low-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss power slider, and he could also close. The lineup has some potential but suffered some sizable losses. Starting position players include 3B Carl Wise (.295/3/54), who figures to hit for more power as a junior than he did as a sophomore, 1B Nick Pappas (.269/5/26), and 2B Blake Butler (.282/3/24). Others to keep an eye on are freshman OF Ryan Brown and sophomore C Ervin Roper (.167/0/1), who led the team in batting and home runs in the fall.
Looks like much of last years team returns with a slew of hard throwing right handed pitchers. On paper they are a pretty weak hitting team, don't steal a ton of bases, but play good defense. This will be a very tough series for us to open the season but we've got a good collection of left handed hitters at the plate who should be able to take advantage of the CoC staff.
Weekend weather forecast calls for clear sunny skies and some strong winds out of the west on Saturday (blowing LF to RF). Hope we can get some long balls flying and put up some decent runs one game this weekend.
31- COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (44-19, 15-6) (Eric Sorenson, College Baseball Today)[/B]
Projected CAA Finish: 1st
2014 ISR: 51
Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15+inns.): 3
If not for those damn 1-0 losses. Arrrrrgh! CofC lost twice to Texas Tech by 1-0 scores in the Super Regionals denying the Cougars a trip to Omaha last year. Well, fear not, there is lots to like about this year's team too. All American candidates RHP Bailey Ober (10-3, 1.52) and RHP Taylor Clarke (10-4, 2.51) lead a great pitching corps. Sunday starter LHP Eric Bauer (6-2, 2.09) and closer RHP Hayden McCutcheon (1-0, 2.08) will be lockdown arms. Lots of returnees to the infield too with 3B Carl Wise (.295-3-54), 2B Blake Butler (.282-3-24) and 1B Nick Pappas (.270-5-26). But that sad sack .255 team batting average must improve.
PROJECTED REGIONAL TEAM (Mark Etheridge, D1Baseball)[/B]
•[/B] College of Charleston[/B] shocked everyone knocking off No. 2 national seed Florida to win the Gainesville Regional as a No. 4 seed. The Cougars return one of the top pitching staffs in the South. RHPs Taylor Clarke (10-4, 2.51) and Bailey Ober (10-3, 1.52) are back to lead the rotation, and both bring power stuff. Clarke is a bulldog who attacks hitters with three quality pitches, including a fastball that touches 94, while Ober has advanced command of a lively fastball that hits 91, a plus changeup and a good curveball. LHP Eric Bauer (6-2, 2.09) and RHP Nathan Helvey (3-4, 3.78) are competing for starting spots and have good feel for their offspeed stuff and fastball command. Hayden McCutcheon (1-0, 2.08) missed much of last year and could close or start, but his heavy sinker reaches 91 and his slider can be an out pitch. Chase Henry (2-0, 2.27) has similar stuff, with good life on his low-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss power slider, and he could also close. The lineup has some potential but suffered some sizable losses. Starting position players include 3B Carl Wise (.295/3/54), who figures to hit for more power as a junior than he did as a sophomore, 1B Nick Pappas (.269/5/26), and 2B Blake Butler (.282/3/24). Others to keep an eye on are freshman OF Ryan Brown and sophomore C Ervin Roper (.167/0/1), who led the team in batting and home runs in the fall.
