Thursday March 04, 2010

Big Weekend; Future of the Rivalry

Big Weekend
This weekend starts a part of the year where all three major sports teams at Clemson are active with games or practice. Friday, Saturday and Sunday the baseball team has the three–game series with South Carolina that features three games in three different stadiums. Sunday afternoon Clemson will begin its second spring football practice until Dabo Swinney. And late Sunday afternoon Oliver Purnell’s basketball team travels to Wake Forest with ACC and NCAA tournament seeds on the line.

Basketball
The most important of the weekend’s events will be the Tigers trip to Winston-Salem. I know Clemson is still a football school but let’s face it, it’s still just spring practice. I also understand the Clemson-USC baseball rivalry and would never diminish the importance of the series but it is still just the third weekend of the college baseball season.

Clemson has a lot riding on Sunday’s game against the Demon Deacons. A win would give the Tigers the third or fourth seed in the ACC tournament which insures a first round bye in next week’s ACC tournament. It would also improve the Tigers RPI which currently stands at 25. Another road win in the conference would improve the Tigers’ resume in terms of NCAA seedings as well. A win would mean 10 regular season conference wins which would tie a school record.

However, Wake Forest may have more on the line. The Deacs are on a four-game losing streak and may need a win to get into the NCAA tournament. A Wake win would also insure a first round ACC tournament bye for the Deacs. Because Wake Forest may be playing for their NCAA tournament lives and because they want to break a four-game losing streak on senior day, I think Clemson will face a Wake team that has a sense of urgency Sunday. I think the Tigers will get Wake Forest’s best effort.

We will see if recent trends hold Sunday because Clemson has won five of its last six while Wake has dropped four in a row. But the Tigers face one more uphill battle Sunday, a battle with history. Clemson has not defeated Wake Forest in Winston-Salem since 1990.

Baseball
The Tigers won the last two games of the rivalry last year which ended a six-game winning streak for South Carolina. If the Tigers want to continue their two-game winning streak against USC they will have to do it against two veteran pitchers in the first two games of the three-game set.

My guess is that Clemson will face senior right-hander Blake Cooper Friday and junior right-hander Sam Dyson Saturday.

Cooper beat East Carolina last Friday in Greenville, NC. He is now 2-0 on the year with a 3.00 ERA and has 12 innings pitched with 11 strikeouts and four walks allowed. Cooper now has 23 career wins which ties him for the second highest total of current pitchers in the nation with wins.

Dyson is a hard thrower who worked four innings and allowed two runs on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk in a no-decision vs. East Carolina. On the season Dyson has pitched 7.2 innings with 11 strikeouts to two walks and just two hits allowed. Last season Dyson retired the first 13 batters he faced against Clemson in a 3-1 win.

My guess is that Clemson may see freshman left-hander Tyler Webb in Columbia on Sunday.

After the first two weekends, the Gamecock pitching staff is 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 52.2 innings. The staff has 61 strikeouts to 17 walks with opponents only hitting .238 on the year.

The Gamecocks have not as explosive on offense so far this season but they recently got back their two best hitters in first baseman Nick Ebert and outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. Junior Whit Merrifield is off to another terrific start and is another run producer for the Gamecocks.

The Future of the Rivalry
I like the idea of Clemson and South Carolina taking its rivalry to Greenville this year but I don’t like limiting the season series to three games. In my formative years, I remember the Tigers and Gamecocks playing six times every year with each team hosting a three-game series. Recently the two rivals reduced the number of games in the season series to four with each school hosting one weekend and one weekday game.

This year the teams play Friday in Clemson at 6:30, in Greenville on Saturday at 2:00 and at South Carolina Sunday at 2:00.

I wish we would incorporate the old number of games with the new idea of taking the rivalry across the state. Let’s play six times each year with each school hosting one game then take the other four games to venues across the state. Charleston has Joseph P. Riley Park, the 6,000-seat home of the Charleston River Dogs, the single A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The park was built in 1996 and would be packed with low country Tigers and Gamecocks if the two schools played there once a year.

Myrtle Beach has Coastal Federal Field which is the home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, an Atlanta Braves affiliate. The stadium was built in 1999 and also holds 6,000. I would think the Grandstand and Pee Dee could fill up the stadium with 6,000 Tigers and Gamecocks.

Knight’s Castle is a 10,000-seat stadium and home of Charlotte Knights but is located in Fort Mill, SC. It is home of the AAA team in the Chicago White Sox’s organization. Charlotte, Lancaster, Chester and Rock Hill area fans might like a shot at hosting the rivalry.

So why not have Clemson and South Carolina host one game each then take the other four games to Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Fort Mill? This would give fans across the state more access to these two baseball powers and would give the coaches a chance to showcase their programs.

Here is the part of the idea that might get the two universities attention….why not have a corporate sponsor for the series that could pay the schools and create more revenue?

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, Chalmers Carr, Drayton Melton, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs, Mike Kingsmore,Perrin Seigler, Carole White Begley, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, Steve Cato, the Nicolopulos family, Cason Palmer, Candace Fallaw, Scott Jackson, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle familty, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee.