B
Brian Shoemaker
Guest
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Good morning from Gamecock Central.
It's Day 3 of the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
We're 85 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
Up to 30% off of Pawleys Island and Litchfield Beach rentals!
It's not too late to make a beach reservation for this weekend, next week or late June.
Call James W. Smith Real Estate today, mention the Gamecocks special and get up to 30% off of a rental.
- Visit pawleysvacationrentals.com
- Call 800-476-5651 to ask about the special
Michael Almond/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. 8️⃣5️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 85 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 85 days. Today’s featured player is redshirt senior kicker/punter Michael Almond.
A reserve for most of his time at South Carolina, Almond walked on during the 2015 season, redshirting that year. He came to Columbia by way of Westminster High School in North Augusta, S.C.
Last year, Almond served as the team’s primary onside kick specialist, appearing in contests against Texas A&M and Clemson.
– Will Helms
2. ⚾ Five questions with Kip Bouknight
GC: What would you say your most memorable moment was in a South Carolina uniform?
KB: Oh, wow, that’s a tough one. There were a lot of great memories for me at South Carolina. I know one in particular was my senior year. I came in to pitch against Clemson in relief and it was bases loaded, no outs and a 2-0 count, and I had to face Khalil Greene, Jeff Baker, and Michael Johnson. I ended up striking out the side and getting out of it and we went on to win the game. I finished out that game. I think I threw three or four innings or something and that was at Sarge Frye so that was a really awesome moment for me and our team. Anytime you can beat Clemson, which is obviously a great program and our arch rival, somebody we obviously want to beat each and every year that we can, and that was definitely a memorable moment.
GC: During your 2000 season, when you won the Golden Spikes Award for college baseball’s best player, was there a change in your preparation or approach going into your starts from previous years?
KB: Good question. I don't think there was a change. I was always a guy that was very meticulous in what I did prior to the games. I had it down to the minute as far as what time I was starting my pregame routine and warming up and stretching. Making sure I ate the same thing before games. There really wasn’t a change there. I think the biggest thing my junior year, I have to give to my teammates. In games that I pitched, we never lost 3-2, we always won 3-2. We were 50-6 in the regular season and while I certainly had a great year individually, we just won. It was just an amazing year. To win that award was obviously an amazing individual accomplishment, but there's no way it's possible without my teammates. We just seemed like we won every time we went out. It was a really special year. I can remember that year I was reading a book written by Michael Jordan called I Can't Accept Not Trying. One of the quotes was “Individual accolades come when your team is successful.” I think I’m a prime example of that. While I had a great individual year, if we did not have the year we had as a team, there’s no way that Golden Spikes Award has my name beside it. We were really good and the unfortunate part is we ended up losing to Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday of the super regionals and we didn’t get a chance to play in Omaha. I do think we were the best team in baseball that year. We just didn’t win when we had to.
GC: With the MLB Draft recently completed, what advice would you have for players nowadays who are drafted and have the option to go play professionally or come back to school as someone who opted not to go pro after you were drafted after your junior season?
KB: Good question. I think if you’ve got enough money invested in you from a team that will put you on the fast track, then I can see signing. I wanted to graduate. I wanted to really make Omaha; that’s what I wanted to have an opportunity to do. It’s a tough one. I’m ready for South Carolina to be the program that starts seeing guys turn down $1 million dollars or $2 million dollars out of high school to come play. Drew Meyer was certainly an awesome player and Tommy Lasorda drafted him out of high school. He could’ve signed but he chose to come and play for three years and then get drafted and go on to play professionally. I think the biggest thing is to follow your heart. The best years of your life are always going to be college. I played 9.5 years professionally and they were all great years and I enjoyed every bit of it, but the days I had playing college baseball and the memories I have with all my teammates and good friends I still have to this day, are priceless.
GC: From what you saw, what went wrong with this season’s Gamecock baseball team?
KB: Last year, if you look at it, halfway through the season they were struggling and they were struggling mightily. They figured it out and they ended up one game away from Omaha. LSU, if you look at it this year, they weren’t awesome all season long. They figured it out and now they’re two games away from Omaha. I think the team this year, it certainly hurt the injuries they had. I think we’re a lot closer than a lot of folks realize. I think there were a couple of position players, if they would’ve had the years that we thought they would’ve had, I think we’re five or six games better. I think there were a couple of pitchers, if they would not have been injured, I think we’re five or six games better. By no means do I think this team was a team that could’ve won the SEC but I do think this was a team that if things would’ve fallen in the right direction they could’ve made the postseason, been in at least a regional and done what they did last year. Win on the road, get to a super regional and you never know once you get into regional play. Having said that, I think this program is right where they need to be. I think Mark Kingston is the guy. I think this is a team that could easily be back in Omaha next year. They really just had a lot of things not fall their way. For me, being a Gamecock fan first, then I ended up playing for South Carolina and now I’ve been a former has-been or whatever you want to call me, I think that this team showed so much in what they did by playing their butts off and continuing to fight to the end. That shows a lot to me about not only those guys individually and their character and who they are as people, but it also shows me that Mark Kingston had this team moving in the right direction even amongst the worst adversity that this program has seen in 20 years. To me, that says a lot because anybody can be positive and anybody can play their tail off when things are going well, but when things are bad like they were this year, and they were bad, for this team to play like they did to the very end really makes me proud to be a Gamecock. As much as I was so proud when we won the national championships in 2010 and 2011 and were runner-ups in 2012, honestly as a father now, I’ve got a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old, I was so proud this year of what those young men represented and how they played baseball to the end. Even though they didn’t play their best and they didn’t win the games we wanted them to win, from an effort standpoint and how they carried themselves, for me, was second to none.
GC: What were some positives you saw that they can take into next season?
KB: I think the biggest thing is to stay hungry, I can remember when I was a freshman at South Carolina and Ray Tanner was in his second year and he said, “Guys, Florida’s coming into town, they’re top five in the country and you want respect? You wanna be good? Well, guess what, you gotta beat them.” You gotta believe you belong and I think that’s the biggest message for this team is to believe they belong. When South Carolina won national championships in 2010 and 2011, I promise you, I know I said it to friends and former teammates, I probably said it on the radio, I can guarantee you there were more talented teams in college baseball those years but our guys made plays when they had to, they believed they belonged and they made plays at the biggest moments. That’s what Ray Tanner built and that’s what Mark Kingston is trying to bring back. For whatever reason, we lost that in the last 3-4 years. It started to come back last year, there were times this year when they had it. I can assure you these guys tried it but it just didn’t work out this year. If South Carolina can continue to get back to that mindset of playing hungry in every single game they play, whether it’s in practice or a game, if they play the way they’re capable of playing and they get the right mindset, Mark Kingston will get the talent in here and we’re gonna rise back to the top and get this program back where we need it to be.
– Jackson Fields
3. This, that, and the other
Track & Field: USC qualifies for three finals at NCAA Championships - The 400m women's team took center stage at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Aliyah Abrams and Wadeline Jonathas each won individual 400m semifinal races, then the duo teamed up to help Carolina's 4x400m relay advance to the national final. (link)
Football Recruiting: Muschamp Football Camp Insider (Day 1) - More on USC offers dispensed, noteworthy names in attendance, and observations from camp. (subscription)
Men's Basketball: Teammates, Martin share impressions of Bolden, Couisnard - The two backcourt players are expected to have key roles on the court next season and have been practicing for over a year, and their teammates like what they’ve seen so far. (link)
Baseball Recruiting: Gamecocks pitching signee 'can really take any role that needs to be taken' - Brett Thomas can fill a lot of roles on next year's staff. (subscription)
Men's Soccer: Gamecocks release 2019 schedule - USC announced its 2019 schedule, and the Gamecocks will play 17 regular season matches, including 11 at home. (link)
Men's Tennis: Gamecocks to Starkville for 2020 ITA Kick-Off Weekend - The South Carolina men's tennis team is headed to Starkville, Miss., for the 2020 ITA Kick-Off Weekend hosted from January 24 to 27, 2020. (link)
Softball: Boesel named academic All-American for second-straight year - Mackenzie Boesel earned a spot on the 2019 Academic All-America Division I Softball First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. (link)
Equestrian: The Next Ride with Kirklen Petersen - The Next Ride features spotlight this past season's seniors and their time at South Carolina. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
June 7, 1975 – Earl Bass won his 16th straight game as USC opened its 1975 College World Series run with a 3-1 victory over Seton Hall.
5. Birthdays!
Ben Washington - Washington was the No. 1 recruit in Brad Scott’s first recruiting class. He selected South Carolina over Miami, Syracuse and Florida State. Washington took over the starting free safety spot midway through the 1994 season and earned freshman all-SEC honors. He made one of the big plays in Carolina’s first-ever bowl win, picking off a West Virginia pass at the Gamecock 9-yard line and returning it 42 yards to set up the winning touchdown. He moved to strong safety in 1995 and started 31 games at that position over the next three years. In 1995 he was named second-team All-SEC and was the team’s leading tackler. Washington was fourth on the team in tackles in 1996. He tied for the lead in tackles in 1997. Washington was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 1997 and played in the Blue-Gray Game that year. He went on to play for the Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League.
Jason Capers (football, 2000-04)
Nick Guido (men's soccer, 2018)
Graham Lawson (baseball, 2017-19)
Ron Parson (football, 1972)
David Pitchko (football, 1987-91)
LT Tolbert (baseball, 2016-18)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 7 – Football: One-day camp (today)
• June 8 – Football: One-day camp (1 day)
• June 13 – Football: OL/DL camps (6)
• June 13 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (6)
• June 14 – Football: OL/DL camps (7)
• June 14 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (7)
• June 15 – Football: One-day camp (8)
• June 19 – Football: One-day camp (12)
• June 20 – Football: One-day camp (13)
• June 21 – Football: One-day camp (14)
• June 22 – Football: One-day camp (15)
• June 22 – Football: Specialists camp (15)
• June 27 – Baseball: Prospect camp (20)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (34)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (38)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (39)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (40)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (41)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (41)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (43)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (71)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (85)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (159)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (194)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (243)
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecocks Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
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GAMECOCKS TODAY
Friday, June 7
Friday, June 7
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
It's Day 3 of the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
We're 85 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
Up to 30% off of Pawleys Island and Litchfield Beach rentals!
It's not too late to make a beach reservation for this weekend, next week or late June.
Call James W. Smith Real Estate today, mention the Gamecocks special and get up to 30% off of a rental.
- Visit pawleysvacationrentals.com
- Call 800-476-5651 to ask about the special
Michael Almond/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. 8️⃣5️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 85 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 85 days. Today’s featured player is redshirt senior kicker/punter Michael Almond.
A reserve for most of his time at South Carolina, Almond walked on during the 2015 season, redshirting that year. He came to Columbia by way of Westminster High School in North Augusta, S.C.
Last year, Almond served as the team’s primary onside kick specialist, appearing in contests against Texas A&M and Clemson.
– Will Helms
2. ⚾ Five questions with Kip Bouknight
GC: What would you say your most memorable moment was in a South Carolina uniform?
KB: Oh, wow, that’s a tough one. There were a lot of great memories for me at South Carolina. I know one in particular was my senior year. I came in to pitch against Clemson in relief and it was bases loaded, no outs and a 2-0 count, and I had to face Khalil Greene, Jeff Baker, and Michael Johnson. I ended up striking out the side and getting out of it and we went on to win the game. I finished out that game. I think I threw three or four innings or something and that was at Sarge Frye so that was a really awesome moment for me and our team. Anytime you can beat Clemson, which is obviously a great program and our arch rival, somebody we obviously want to beat each and every year that we can, and that was definitely a memorable moment.
GC: During your 2000 season, when you won the Golden Spikes Award for college baseball’s best player, was there a change in your preparation or approach going into your starts from previous years?
KB: Good question. I don't think there was a change. I was always a guy that was very meticulous in what I did prior to the games. I had it down to the minute as far as what time I was starting my pregame routine and warming up and stretching. Making sure I ate the same thing before games. There really wasn’t a change there. I think the biggest thing my junior year, I have to give to my teammates. In games that I pitched, we never lost 3-2, we always won 3-2. We were 50-6 in the regular season and while I certainly had a great year individually, we just won. It was just an amazing year. To win that award was obviously an amazing individual accomplishment, but there's no way it's possible without my teammates. We just seemed like we won every time we went out. It was a really special year. I can remember that year I was reading a book written by Michael Jordan called I Can't Accept Not Trying. One of the quotes was “Individual accolades come when your team is successful.” I think I’m a prime example of that. While I had a great individual year, if we did not have the year we had as a team, there’s no way that Golden Spikes Award has my name beside it. We were really good and the unfortunate part is we ended up losing to Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday of the super regionals and we didn’t get a chance to play in Omaha. I do think we were the best team in baseball that year. We just didn’t win when we had to.
GC: With the MLB Draft recently completed, what advice would you have for players nowadays who are drafted and have the option to go play professionally or come back to school as someone who opted not to go pro after you were drafted after your junior season?
KB: Good question. I think if you’ve got enough money invested in you from a team that will put you on the fast track, then I can see signing. I wanted to graduate. I wanted to really make Omaha; that’s what I wanted to have an opportunity to do. It’s a tough one. I’m ready for South Carolina to be the program that starts seeing guys turn down $1 million dollars or $2 million dollars out of high school to come play. Drew Meyer was certainly an awesome player and Tommy Lasorda drafted him out of high school. He could’ve signed but he chose to come and play for three years and then get drafted and go on to play professionally. I think the biggest thing is to follow your heart. The best years of your life are always going to be college. I played 9.5 years professionally and they were all great years and I enjoyed every bit of it, but the days I had playing college baseball and the memories I have with all my teammates and good friends I still have to this day, are priceless.
GC: From what you saw, what went wrong with this season’s Gamecock baseball team?
KB: Last year, if you look at it, halfway through the season they were struggling and they were struggling mightily. They figured it out and they ended up one game away from Omaha. LSU, if you look at it this year, they weren’t awesome all season long. They figured it out and now they’re two games away from Omaha. I think the team this year, it certainly hurt the injuries they had. I think we’re a lot closer than a lot of folks realize. I think there were a couple of position players, if they would’ve had the years that we thought they would’ve had, I think we’re five or six games better. I think there were a couple of pitchers, if they would not have been injured, I think we’re five or six games better. By no means do I think this team was a team that could’ve won the SEC but I do think this was a team that if things would’ve fallen in the right direction they could’ve made the postseason, been in at least a regional and done what they did last year. Win on the road, get to a super regional and you never know once you get into regional play. Having said that, I think this program is right where they need to be. I think Mark Kingston is the guy. I think this is a team that could easily be back in Omaha next year. They really just had a lot of things not fall their way. For me, being a Gamecock fan first, then I ended up playing for South Carolina and now I’ve been a former has-been or whatever you want to call me, I think that this team showed so much in what they did by playing their butts off and continuing to fight to the end. That shows a lot to me about not only those guys individually and their character and who they are as people, but it also shows me that Mark Kingston had this team moving in the right direction even amongst the worst adversity that this program has seen in 20 years. To me, that says a lot because anybody can be positive and anybody can play their tail off when things are going well, but when things are bad like they were this year, and they were bad, for this team to play like they did to the very end really makes me proud to be a Gamecock. As much as I was so proud when we won the national championships in 2010 and 2011 and were runner-ups in 2012, honestly as a father now, I’ve got a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old, I was so proud this year of what those young men represented and how they played baseball to the end. Even though they didn’t play their best and they didn’t win the games we wanted them to win, from an effort standpoint and how they carried themselves, for me, was second to none.
GC: What were some positives you saw that they can take into next season?
KB: I think the biggest thing is to stay hungry, I can remember when I was a freshman at South Carolina and Ray Tanner was in his second year and he said, “Guys, Florida’s coming into town, they’re top five in the country and you want respect? You wanna be good? Well, guess what, you gotta beat them.” You gotta believe you belong and I think that’s the biggest message for this team is to believe they belong. When South Carolina won national championships in 2010 and 2011, I promise you, I know I said it to friends and former teammates, I probably said it on the radio, I can guarantee you there were more talented teams in college baseball those years but our guys made plays when they had to, they believed they belonged and they made plays at the biggest moments. That’s what Ray Tanner built and that’s what Mark Kingston is trying to bring back. For whatever reason, we lost that in the last 3-4 years. It started to come back last year, there were times this year when they had it. I can assure you these guys tried it but it just didn’t work out this year. If South Carolina can continue to get back to that mindset of playing hungry in every single game they play, whether it’s in practice or a game, if they play the way they’re capable of playing and they get the right mindset, Mark Kingston will get the talent in here and we’re gonna rise back to the top and get this program back where we need it to be.
– Jackson Fields
3. This, that, and the other
Track & Field: USC qualifies for three finals at NCAA Championships - The 400m women's team took center stage at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Aliyah Abrams and Wadeline Jonathas each won individual 400m semifinal races, then the duo teamed up to help Carolina's 4x400m relay advance to the national final. (link)
Football Recruiting: Muschamp Football Camp Insider (Day 1) - More on USC offers dispensed, noteworthy names in attendance, and observations from camp. (subscription)
Men's Basketball: Teammates, Martin share impressions of Bolden, Couisnard - The two backcourt players are expected to have key roles on the court next season and have been practicing for over a year, and their teammates like what they’ve seen so far. (link)
Baseball Recruiting: Gamecocks pitching signee 'can really take any role that needs to be taken' - Brett Thomas can fill a lot of roles on next year's staff. (subscription)
Men's Soccer: Gamecocks release 2019 schedule - USC announced its 2019 schedule, and the Gamecocks will play 17 regular season matches, including 11 at home. (link)
Men's Tennis: Gamecocks to Starkville for 2020 ITA Kick-Off Weekend - The South Carolina men's tennis team is headed to Starkville, Miss., for the 2020 ITA Kick-Off Weekend hosted from January 24 to 27, 2020. (link)
Softball: Boesel named academic All-American for second-straight year - Mackenzie Boesel earned a spot on the 2019 Academic All-America Division I Softball First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. (link)
Equestrian: The Next Ride with Kirklen Petersen - The Next Ride features spotlight this past season's seniors and their time at South Carolina. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
June 7, 1975 – Earl Bass won his 16th straight game as USC opened its 1975 College World Series run with a 3-1 victory over Seton Hall.
- Carolina scored on an unearned run in the second thanks to an error, then added a run in the third on an RBI single by RF Garry Hancock.
- USC's final tally came in the seventh on an RBI single from 2B Mark Van Bever.
- Bass ran into some trouble in the eighth, but Mike Cromer came on in relief with a run in and two runners on and shut the door, pitching scoreless relief the rest of the way.
- The win was USC's 16th straight as the Gamecocks improved their record to 48-4-1 on the year.
5. Birthdays!
Ben Washington - Washington was the No. 1 recruit in Brad Scott’s first recruiting class. He selected South Carolina over Miami, Syracuse and Florida State. Washington took over the starting free safety spot midway through the 1994 season and earned freshman all-SEC honors. He made one of the big plays in Carolina’s first-ever bowl win, picking off a West Virginia pass at the Gamecock 9-yard line and returning it 42 yards to set up the winning touchdown. He moved to strong safety in 1995 and started 31 games at that position over the next three years. In 1995 he was named second-team All-SEC and was the team’s leading tackler. Washington was fourth on the team in tackles in 1996. He tied for the lead in tackles in 1997. Washington was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 1997 and played in the Blue-Gray Game that year. He went on to play for the Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League.
Jason Capers (football, 2000-04)
Nick Guido (men's soccer, 2018)
Graham Lawson (baseball, 2017-19)
Ron Parson (football, 1972)
David Pitchko (football, 1987-91)
LT Tolbert (baseball, 2016-18)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• June 7 – Football: One-day camp (today)
• June 8 – Football: One-day camp (1 day)
• June 13 – Football: OL/DL camps (6)
• June 13 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (6)
• June 14 – Football: OL/DL camps (7)
• June 14 – Football: 7-on-7 tourney (7)
• June 15 – Football: One-day camp (8)
• June 19 – Football: One-day camp (12)
• June 20 – Football: One-day camp (13)
• June 21 – Football: One-day camp (14)
• June 22 – Football: One-day camp (15)
• June 22 – Football: Specialists camp (15)
• June 27 – Baseball: Prospect camp (20)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (34)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (38)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (39)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (40)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (41)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (41)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (43)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (71)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (85)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (159)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (194)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (243)
