Fisch Tank: Baseball Preview

Thanks for diving into the Fisch Tank!

Back from vacation and ready to roll, I view this week’s baseball schedule for the big three as a walk in the park. Watching some spring training action in Florida was fun, but I am ready to hear the ping of the college bats.
Clemson
I am leading off with my favorite team to pick on so far this season, Clemson. The Tigers did a great job of picking up wins while I was away. Therefore it leaves me little room to pick on them. I do like the Tigers batting lineup, but it’s their fielding and pitching that have been destined to give Jack Leggett a heart attack. Except for a suspect bullpen performance against Coastal Carolina, the pitching staff allowed an average of two runs a game in their following four outings.
This Week:
Hope for the same pitching performance but don’t hold your breath as the Phoenix will walk into Kingsmore Stadium. Elon will throw a junior lefthander Cory Harrilchak, who is 2-0. While the Tigers will counter with freshmen Trent Rothlin who’s making his first collegiate start with a miserable ERA of 18.90. So I will take the Formica Phoenix (See Brian for details). In game two of the series Clemson will go with yet another freshman, Craig Gullickson who has been mostly lights out. At 2-0 and carrying a 1.56 ERA it will be tough for the Tigers to get swept. Clemson’s series with Elon will see a split. Clemson 1-1

South Carolina
Ray Tanner’s tenth ranked Gamecocks ran the table last week despite a postponed game with Upstate. USC had some convincing wins against a down Mississippi St. team. Still their solid pitching and timely hitting proved they will be making a serious run at Omaha. That is if they get bullpen support.
This Week
USC will attempt to remain the bully of the Palmetto State as Furman and the College of Charleston head into the Sarge. The Gamecocks lead their lifetime series with the Paladins 100-51-2. I say they get to 101 with a strong Nick Godwin pitching performance. His counterpart on the mound for Furman will be unproven sophomore Kevin Gaid, which is like throwing chum to the sharks. Wednesday USC will play the second of two against College of Charleston. In the last one they blew them out 13-1 on the road. Now at home and as a tune up for Kentucky I say it’s at least a seven run affair. USC: 2-0.

Coastal Carolina
While I was on my way to Florida I was listening to the game on the radio between CCU and Clemson. And what I have been waiting for all season finally came to fruition at the most inopportune time, when the wheels finally fell off the Dave Anderson pitching bus. Tiger’s catcher Doug Hogan teed off Anderson’s slow moving cutters like Tiger at Pebble Beach. I talked to the players the day before the game and they kept telling me this was going to be a revenge game for last season’s regional. It looked like Clemson was the one with beef.
This Week:
Coastal finished up the back end of last week strong against Albany with 40 runs in three games. Now they will hope to continue to keep swinging the club against the Citadel. Cody Wheeler will be tossing the yarn and hide for the Chants, with Matt Talley going for the Bulldogs. I like the way Cody pitched last time out, so if he is on I am going with the Chants. The following day Dave Anderson once again will be throwing in a revenge game. UNC Wilmington will be headed into Conway, last week they punked CCU 5-2. I say D.A. brings his “A” game and chalks one up for Coastal. CCU: 2-0

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