Barely missing CWS fuels Gamecocks into new season
Less than 24 hours after South Carolina’s 2016 season ended on its home field two wins short of the College World Series, several Gamecocks were back in the weight room working to ensure the heartache felt to end that season does not repeat in 2017.
USC players were driven by the Super Regional loss to Oklahoma State all offseason and enter this year determined to make amends and reach Omaha.
“I never really got over it, and I don’t think any of our players did,” Gamecocks closer Tyler Johnson said. “We were so close and we didn’t get anything for it. We were close but nobody wants that. Nobody will remember that team. We’ll try to make this year a special year.”
Carolina ace Clarke Schmidt, who suffered the loss in the final game of the season, added that instead of sulking about the defeat the Gamecocks got back to work.
“We jumped right back into the fire and started working out again and getting ready to go,” he said. “When you’re young and you’ve got young bodies that can rejuvenate pretty quickly you don’t really worry too much about if you’re jumping back into it too quick you’re just ready to go out there and play again. The day after we lost I was ready to pitch again the next day. I feel like that was the attitude all around the locker room.”
On paper USC has all the tools necessary to return to the College World Series for the first time since 2012.
The Gamecocks have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the nation, led by proven starters Schmidt, Wil Crowe and Adam Hill, as well as an experienced bullpen led by Johnson.
South Carolina also returns seven position players that started at least 29 games in 2016.
Preseason prognosticators expect USC to return to Omaha as the Gamecocks are ranked in the top 5 in every preseason poll.
Carolina coach Chad Holbrook is appreciative of the respect his team has around the nation but added that once the season begins none of the preseason rankings matter.
“They don’t determine how you’re going to finish or where you’re going to be or how many games you’re going to win,” Holbrook said. “If there’s a poll to be put out there and you’re ranked pretty high that’s not a bad thing. But it’s certainly not going to help us once we throw that first pitch on February 17th.”
Alex Destino, South Carolina’s leading returning hitter, echoed his coach’s comments.
“Getting so close and then having to lose on your home field like that, we definitely came back with a vengeance this year,” the junior said. “We’re excited for what’s going to come this year, but all the preseason hype and everything, all the accolades that this team has been getting have been good, but we’ve got to play up to it. I think if we do play up to it we’ll be one of the last teams standing.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2017 at 8:09 PM with the headline "Barely missing CWS fuels Gamecocks into new season."