Notes and Quotes: USC-Albany Game 2
Some notes and quotes from South Carolina's 6-2 victory over Albany Saturday afternoon at Founders Park:
Entering the season, head coach Chad Holbrook new that several new players would play, but I don’t think fans were aware just how big of an impact these fresh faces would have.
• All nine Gamecock hits on Saturday were by first-year Gamecocks. Friday, junior college transfers Dom Thompson-Williams and John Jones stole the show. Saturday, several true freshmen got in on the action.
• Starting right-hander Brandon Webb allowed just one hit, a two-run homerun, in his collegiate debut. The true freshman struck out five and walked three in five innings of work, exiting with a 3-2 lead. Minus the one mistake, Webb cruised, and his offspeed pitches were practically unhittable.
• Jones and fellow newcomer Chris Cullen provided the offense for the Gamecocks. Cullen replaced Jones in the starting lineup at catcher, moving the JUCO transfer to the designated hitter spot. Cullen and Jones’ had their first and second multi-RBI games, respectively. Through two games, it seems that last year’s weakest position, statistically speaking, could be a strength for the Gamecocks in 2016. Last season, Gamecock catchers combined for just three games with three or more RBIs; Jones has two such games this season.
• True freshman T.J. Hopkins got in on the action Saturday as well, hitting two singles for the Gamecocks. He was one of five freshmen to see action on Saturday and has played well both at the plate and in the field so far.
• Not to be outdone, a few upperclassmen are settling into specialized roles. Middle infielders Marcus Mooney and D.C. Arendas are two of just three seniors on this year’s team, and though neither has been the “go-to guy” both are having a tremendous impact on the team’s play. Mooney went a modest 0-1, but drew his second walk of the season and laid down two successful sacrifice bunts, including a suicide squeeze in the third inning that resulted in the Gamecocks’ second run. Arendas, though 0-5 at the plate this year, has played superb defense, casually making difficult plays seem routine at second base.
• Two juniors impressed on Saturday. Relief pitchers Reed Scott and Josh Reagan showed that they have the potential to be dominant this season. Both are versatile players that have seen playing time as both starters and relievers. The two relievers needed only a combined 35 pitches complete for four perfect innings. Reagan struck out four of the five batters he faced, while Scott used just 16 pitches to get seven routine outs. The two could turn into a dominant pair as the season progresses.
Quotes
“It was just a really humbling experience getting to toss on the Carolina uniform and go out there and try to win a game.” — Webb on his first game as a Gamecock
“The moment was big, but I felt like it was just another day at the ballpark.” — Webb on playing in college
“Glad to get it off my chest, get out and get the first one out there today and just play … We’ve got 54 more games to worry about.” — Jones on hitting his first home run as a Gamecock
“It was an alright outing. I’m just ready to learn from it build from it and try not to make those mistakes anymore.” — Webb on his performance
“He’s got all the tools to be a special one for us.” — Holbrook on Braden Webb’s talent.
“Those guys can really flash the leather. It makes it really hard to score when the opposition knows that you aren’t gonna give them anything.” — Holbrook on Mooney and Arendas
“What I saw today is what I saw all fall … He’s kind of a stabilizer for us and we can use him in a number of different ways.” — Holbrook on Josh Reagan’s performance