by: Lauren Cohen
Posted 9:40AM Feb. 22, 2010
USC's baseball team is one of eight schools in the country to have reached the NCAA Regional every season in this decade.
The Gamecocks are preparing to continue with this tradition as the season kicked off on Friday.
The question that's on most minds is, how are they going to get there.
The Gamecocks spend around four hours a day practicing so they can stay on top of the competitive SEC schedule.
Junior center fielder Whit Merrifield, who ended the 2009 season with the most hits from a returning SEC player, says a successful season means a lot of competitive play and training.
He says the only time the team gets off from practice is during Christmas. Merrifield says he works with a personal trainer to stay in shape during the off-season.
"The last two Christmases I've worked out with a guy named Ricky Prowl, he played for the NFL for the past 15 years, and he's helped me with my speed and my running, and kinda kept me in shape over breaks," says Merrifield
Merrifield also played in the Cape Cod league for the past two summers.
Twelve returning players including Parker Bangs, Jackie Bradley Jr, and Curtis Murphy, also spent their summers in the Cape to improve their play.
But head coach Ray Tanner says it's not the league play that's improving his players, it's the fact they're constantly working on fundamentals.
Its tactics like strategy, repetition, and staying healthy, which truly makes his players more successful according to Tanner.
He says if you can stress the fundamentals you always stay in the position to win.
"You know we try to play the game the right way and make sure we can handle situations… then it comes down to who pitches the best, gets the most hits, or plays the best defense," the coach says.
And like with any sport, there are always hurdles that could get in the way of success.
Jackie Bradley Jr, who started sixty-one times during his first year as a Gamecock, broke his hand during scrimmage play just weeks before opening day .
The first baseman and clean up hitter Nick Ebert, is out of the starting line up due to academic ineligibility.
So how do the Gamecocks stay competitive with starters riding the bench?
Tanner says his players realize this is a chance for them to "step up to the plate," no pun intended!
"Jackie Bradly is out, but we expect him to be back in four to five weeks. In the mean time someone's gonna get some fabulous experience that could prove beneficial to us as we go into the backstretch late in the season," Tanner explained.
The Gamecocks swept the opening series verse the Duquesne Dukes.
Next week they will be on the road to face East Carolina.
The last time the teams faced off, East Carolina defeated the Gamecocks and bumped them out of the running for Super Regional's.
Ray Tanner talking to an avid fan at preseason scrimmage.
Nick Ebert warming up during a preseason practice.
The Gamecocks warming up before preseason practice.
