South Carolina baseball all-decade team: The 2010-12 run dominates
South Carolina baseball had a memorable start to the decade, winning national titles in 2010 and 2011 and coming close in 2012. Here are our picks for the best Gamecocks players of the 2010s.
Starting lineup
Catcher — Grayson Greiner (2012-14)
Greiner stepped right into the starting lineup for South Carolina as a freshman and never looked back, steadily improving over three seasons and finishing with a 2014 in which he hit .311 with eight home runs, 50 RBIs and a .486 slugging percentage.
He was also outstanding behind the plate, posting a school record for catchers with a .994 fielding percentage — just seven errors on 1,272 chances. He was selected in the fourth round of the MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers and made his big league debut in 2018.
First base — Christian Walker (2010-12)
Walker leads all Gamecock batters this decade in career hits (248), RBIs (168), doubles (45), home runs (30) and total bases (393), ranking in the top 10 in program history in all of those categories except home runs. He was a two-time All-American and All-SEC selection, and three-time College World Series All-Tournament honoree. He hit above .320 every season of his career.
Through South Carolina’s historic 22-game NCAA tournament win streak from 2010 to 2012, Walker was at the heart of it all, even playing in 2011 despite a broken hamate bone in his hand and scoring the winning run in Game 1 of the final series
Second base — Scott Wingo (2008-11)
Wingo truly blossomed as a hitter in his 2011 senior season, batting .338 while driving in 31 runs and scoring 47 more. That was enough to earn him a first-team All-SEC nod. In the College World Series, he hit .333 with four RBIs, taking home Most Outstanding Player honors to lead one of the most dominant postseason runs in college baseball history.
Wingo played 254 games in his career, second most in USC history. He holds the program record for most times hit by a pitch, while also fourth in walks. He was also an outstanding defensive player, twice being named to the SEC All-Defensive team.
Shortstop — Marcus Mooney (2014-16)
A steady force in the infield, Mooney transferred to USC from junior college and stepped right into the lineup for a solid sophomore campaign in which he hit .274 with a .380 on-base percentage. After a down junior year kept him from being drafted, he came back as a senior and put together a standout campaign, batting .314 with an on-base percentage of .413 and 29 RBIs.
Mooney excelled on defense, with a career fielding percentage of .954 at a tough position, and he also had a knack for getting on base the hard way — he was hit by pitches 26 times in his career.
Third base — Adrian Morales (2010-11)
Morales only played two seasons at South Carolina, but they just so happened to be the two most successful seasons in program history, and his leadership was a big reason why. One of the key emotional leaders for those championship squads, he was named to the NCAA regional all-tournament team both years and later rejoined the staff as a student assistant coach.
Statistically, Morales racked up a .277 career batting average, driving in 96 runs and scoring 94 more off 137 hits. His defense in the hot corner was solid as well.
Outfield — Jackie Bradley Jr. (2009-11)
One of the best athletes to ever suit up for the Gamecocks, JBJ provided South Carolina fans with electrifying defense and a clutch bat long before he became famous doing the same thing for the Boston Red Sox. Injuries seemed to nag him throughout his three seasons, but he still built an impressive list of honors — Freshman All-American, All-SEC, SEC All-Defensive team and, of course, Most Outstanding Player in the 2010 College World Series.
With a career batting average of .338, 218 hits, 30 home runs and 133 RBIs, Bradley had one of the most statistically impressive careers of any South Carolina player, but he shone brightest on the biggest stages, hitting .345 in the 2010 CWS and then gutting his way back from a hand injury in 2011 to record four hits, three runs and an RBI as the Gamecocks defended their title.
Outfield — Gene Cone (2014-16)
A local kid from Spring Valley High School, Cone had a quiet freshman year and started as a sophomore, but put up pedestrian numbers.
In his junior year, however, he exploded, breaking the program record with a 31-game hit streak and hitting .363, the second highest batting average of any Gamecock this decade. His on-base percentage of .474 led the SEC, and he picked up first-team All-SEC honors.
Outfield — Whit Merrifield (2008-10)
He only played one year this decade, but Merrifield is responsible for the most iconic hit of the past 10 years, with his walk-off single in the 11th inning of the 2010 College World Series finals giving South Carolina its first ever national championship and closing out Rosenblatt Stadium in memorable fashion.
Of course, Merrifield was also phenomenal throughout that entire 2010 season, playing all 70 games for the Gamecocks and hitting .321, leading the team in hits (95) and stolen bases (12) and tying for the team lead in home runs (13). That hit total is the second highest single-season mark of any USC player in the decade, and Merrifield is one of only two Gamecocks to surpass both 10 homers and 10 stolen bases in a season over the past 10 years.
Designated hitter — Kyle Martin (2012-15)
Christian Walker’s backup in 2012, Martin had a low-key sophomore season in 2013 before exploding onto the scene as a junior. Leading the Gamecocks with a .336 batting average while also homering five times and driving in 38 runs for a .443 slugging percentage, Martin set himself up nicely for the MLB draft, getting taken in the 20th round by the Los Angeles Angels.
But then he decided to come back, despite the risk of injury and the loss of leverage that juniors have. It worked out well — he hit .350 to once again lead the team, and boosted his power numbers with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs and a .635 slugging percentage. That led to a fourth-round selection in the next year’s draft.
Utility — Joey Pankake (2012-14)
One of 26 players in program history with 200 career hits, Pankake ranks second among players this decade in that category. An incredibly consistent player across three seasons, he batted above .300 as both a sophomore and junior and finished his time in Columbia with 100 RBIs and 57 extra base hits.
Pankake spent his first two seasons at shortstop before switching to third base as a senior, where he picked up an SEC All-Defensive team nod. He did commit 34 errors over two years at shortstop, but he was a consistent contributor nonetheless, playing in 186 of 204 possible games throughout his career.
Pitching staff
Starting pitcher — Michael Roth (2009-12)
Roth came to South Carolina as a relief pitcher, a situational left-hander without much in the way of velocity, but one game was enough to turn him into a legend — making his first career start in the 2010 College World Series against Clemson, he tossed a two-hit, complete game shutout to save USC from elimination.
That performance alone would have made his name immortal to most Gamecock fans. Then he came back in 2011 and went 14-3 with a 1.06 ERA, both program bests for the decade, allowing just one earned run in 29 2/3 postseason innings and picking up All-American honors.
And then he came back for his senior season and once again dominated, with a 9-1 record and 2.43 ERA. Yet another stellar postseason landed him on the College World Series All-Tournament team, and he still holds the CWS record for most innings pitched, with 60 1/3, and is tied for second in wins, with four.
Starting pitcher — Clarke Schmidt (2015-17)
Tommy John surgery curtailed his final season, but Schmidt still put together an outstanding career, highlighted by a 2014 season in which he went 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA, striking out 10.4 batters per nine innings and posting a 4.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That earned him a third-team All-American spot from Baseball America, as well as a second-team All-SEC nod, and his 129 strikeouts in a single season rank seventh in team history and the most by any player this decade.
In nine starts his junior season, before injury knocked him out for the year, he was just as good, with a 1.34 ERA, a .194 batting average against and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. With 60 1/3 innings pitched, it was enough to qualify him for the seventh-lowest season ERA in program history. He went on to be a first-round draft pick despite the injury and is a top prospect in the Yankees organization.
Starting pitcher — Jordan Montgomery (2012-14)
Fourth among South Carolina pitchers this decade in wins with a 20-7 record, Montgomery never pitched fewer than 70 innings and never posted an ERA above 3.75 in his three seasons. Opponents batted just .239 against him, and he twice earned NCAA regional All-Tournament team nods, as well as Freshman All-American recognition after he went 6-1 with a 3.62 ERA in his rookie season.
As a sophomore, Montgomery went 6-1 again, with a 1.48 ERA, striking out 60 batters over 79 innings compared to just 18 walks. As a junior, he set career highs in wins (8), innings (100) and strikeouts (95), setting himself up for a fourth-round MLB draft selection by the New York Yankees.
Starting pitcher — Blake Cooper (2007-2010)
Another guy who only has one season that counts for these rankings, Cooper put together a historic 2010 season, with a 13-2 record, 2.76 ERA and 137 innings, which led the SEC and is tied for third-most in program history. He also recorded a team-high 126 strikeouts, just behind Schmidt for the most by any Gamecock this decade. His 13 wins is also second this decade, behind Roth.
All of that added up to first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American honors, as well as an NCAA regional All-Tournament nod. And in the final start of his career in the College World Series, he threw eight-plus innings, giving up only one run on three hits to pick up the victory and set South Carolina up to win its first national title.
Relief pitcher — Matt Price (2009-12)
The record holder for most career wins in the College World Series, Price picked up five victories in Omaha. He also holds the SEC and South Carolina record for career saves, with 43. With a 2.76 career ERA, Price earned three All-SEC nods and one All-American honor over his three full seasons with the Gamecocks.
He was particularly dominant in 2011, striking out 75 batters in 59 innings while giving up just 12 runs.
Relief pitcher — Tyler Johnson (2015-17)
A right-hander who was buried on the bench as a freshman, Johnson worked his way to become a flamethrower as a sophomore, reaching the upper-90s with his fastball. The results speak for themselves — 2.42 ERA, .187 batting average against, 0.81 WHIP and nine saves. He came on in the NCAA regional to make his first and only start of the year and pitched a five-hit complete game, helping him win regional MVP honors.
Arm soreness held him back as a junior, but he still notched 10 saves to go with a 2.39 ERA and .204 batting average against. His 19 career saves ranks eighth in program history, and he did that in just 55 appearances
Relief pitcher — Tyler Webb (2010-13)
No pitcher has made more appearances in South Carolina history than Webb, who compiled a 2.34 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 173 career innings and 110 appearances. Over his first two seasons, he made 12 starts and 39 appearances, eating innings and generally performing capably.
For his final two seasons, however, Webb stayed full-time in the bullpen and emerged as a shut-down reliever. As a junior and senior, he recorded a 1.52 ERA, striking out 118 batters over 100 2/3 innings and surrendering just 77 hits and 32 walks. As a senior, he also collected 17 saves, second most by any player this decade, en route to third-team All-American and second-team All-SEC honors.
Relief pitcher — John Taylor (2010-11)
The program’s single-season record holder for appearances, Taylor took the mound 50 times for the Gamecocks in 2011, coming away with a 1.14 ERA and .185 batting average against. He never recorded a save, but he did rack up an 8-1 record and qualified for the fourth lowest single-season ERA in USC history (minimum 45 innings).
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
