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USC GAMECOCKS
College World Series National Champs
a dream
come true
GERRY MELENDEZ/GMELENDEZ@THESTATE.COM
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EIGHT IS GREAT
J
OIN THE CLUB, Michael
Roth. In fact, let’s make ■ Michael Roth’s com-
you the president of plete game was his first
South Carolina’s fast-grow-
ing hero-of-the-day elite. start since 2009.
Roth stepped out of his ■ Roth shut down Clem-
role as a left-handed special-
ist in the bullpen to pitch the son’s left-handed batters,
game of his life Friday night who were a combined
at Rosenblatt Stadium, one
that extended USC’s life for 1-for-21.
another day at the College ■ Jackie Bradley Jr.’s hit
World Series.
And this is not even what streak was extended to
Roth likes to do. 20 as he improved to .438
“I love hitting,” Roth said
minutes after his complete- with nine RBIs in the
game gem in USC’s 5-1 vic- series.
tory against Clemson. “Pitch-
ing’s not really my thing.” ■ Brady Thomas had
Roth allowed Clemson a two hits and improved his
double by Richie Shaffer that
eventually led to Clemson’s CWS average to .353.
only run in the third inning,
a ground single to left by
Spencer Kieboom in the GAME 4 BOXSCORE
eighth inning and a ground USC Clemson
single to right by Brad Miller ab r h bi ab r h bi
Marzilli lf 2 2 1 0
Epps dh 2 0 0 0
in the ninth. Merrifeld rf 4 0 0 0
Nester ph 2 0 0 0
That was it. Three hits. Bradley cf 3 0 1 2
Freeman 2b 4 0 0 0
One walk, four strikeouts. Walker 1b 4 0 1 0
Schaus lf 4 0 0 0
His performance immedi-
USC head coach Ray Tanner and Clemson coach Jack Leggett shake hands after game. Thomas dh 4 2 2 0
Parker rf 2 0 0 0
Morales 3b 4 0 1 1
Miller ss 4 0 1 0
ately inducted Roth into the Enders c 4 1 2 2
Hinson 3b 4 0 0 0
Haney ss 3 0 0 0
Shaffer 1b 2 1 1 0
annals of Gamecocks history Wingo 2b 4 0 0 0
Boyd cf 3 0 0 0
and, at the same time, Roth p 0 0 0 0
Kieboom c 3 0 1 0
pushed him into a group of in a meeting late Thursday ber throwing complete us.” TV and radio interviews Pohl c 0 0 0 0
with coach Ray Tanner. games in high school, but Inning by inning, Roth before heading to the media Leone p 0 0 0 0
USC’s NCAA tournament Haselden p 0 0 0 0
heroes this season that in- “Coach Calvi was con- those were seven-inning went about a ritual on the room to face reporters. Cruz p 0 0 0 0
cludes Blake Cooper, Jackie vinced,” Tanner said. “He games. He can never recall mound before he threw his In looking over the final Totals 32 5 8 5 Totals 30 1 3 0
Bradley, Adrian Morales, was his first choice after throwing nine innings. Yet first pitch. He stood off the boxscore from the game, he USC 111 101 000 — 5
yesterday. He said, ‘I feel the left-hander was magnif- rubber, held his cap to his raised his eyebrows — but Clemson 001 000 000 — 1
Jose Mata, Matt Price, Chris-
good about what he can give icent. He never overpowered side, bowed his head and not in admiration of his E—Wingo(9) DP—S. Carolina 1, Clemson 2.
tian Walker, Sam Dyson and LOB—S. Carolina 4, Clemson 5. 2B—Marzilli (8),
Brady Thomas. us.’ and the reasons why, and Clemson’s bats, but he was talked to himself. night’s work. Rather, Roth Bradley (12), Thomas (13), Shaffer (11).
This from a kid who was I agreed with him.” effective enough to get 16 The only time Roth ap- wanted to know what “BF” HR—Enders(3).
Then, as Roth stepped off groundball outs. peared to be tiring was in the meant on the statistics sheet. Houston IP H R ER BB SO
recruited to USC out of Riv- Roth W, 2-1 9 3 1 1 1 4
erside High in Greer as a the elevator Friday afternoon “He was throwing a lot of fifth inning when his pitches Why would a near-4.0 Clemson IP H R ER BB SO
hitter. Not until he threw four at the Embassy Suites in strikes with fastballs, chan- began to sail outside. But student majoring in business Leone L, 3-2 2 ⁄3 4 3 3 1 0
2
downtown Omaha, Tanner geups and sliders away,” after a quick trip to the know anything about “bat- Haselden 31⁄3 4 2 2 1 0
scoreless innings of relief in Cruz 3 0 0 0 2 3
a 9-5 loss at Florida in 2009 greeted him. catcher Kyle Enders said. mound by Calvi, Roth quick- ters faced.” This guy wants HBP—by Roth (Parker), by Roth (Shaffer). PB—En-
did Roth become a full-time “What can you give us?” “He did a good job of keep- ly retired Spencer Kieboom to be a hitter. When asked on ders (10). T—2:22. A—22,334.
pitcher. Roth recalled Tanner asking. ing them off balance all on a fly ball to end the inning the field afterward if Friday’s
Heck, not until USC “I’ll throw until my arm night. and sat down the next seven showing assures him of
burned Cooper in its win falls off,” Roth replied. He didn’t really struggle Clemson batters. being a pitcher at USC, Roth Maybe Tanner can call on
against Oklahoma on Thurs- “What is that, about one all night. He’s not used to When he struck out John laughed. Roth to hit tonight against
day was Roth even a consid- inning?” throwing that many pitches, Hinson to end the game, “I hope not,” he said. “I Clemson, and do not be
eration as a starter on Friday. “We’ll see.” so he might have gotten a Roth was mobbed by his don’t want to be. That was surprised if his hitting prow-
Then pitching coach Mark We saw, indeed. little tired. But he stuck in teammates near the mound. fun, but it’s not where I want ess makes him USC’s hero of
Calvi made his case for Roth Roth said he could remem- there and hung in there for Then he conducted national to be. I want to hit.” the day, again.
SUPER COOPER
B
LAKE COOPER threw
the game of his life on ■ Blake Cooper allowed
college baseball’s big- 2 runs over 8 innings
gest stage Monday night at
Rosenblatt Stadium, gutting with 10 strikeouts, tying
out an eight-inning perfor-
mance that had UCLA hitters
a CWS finals record
off-balance all the way to the
last of his 136 pitches. ■ Jackie Bradley Jr. took
“What can you say abut the RBI lead in the tour-
that guy?” pitching coach
Mark Calvi said after USC’s nament with nine, im-
7-1 victory. “He was
proving his batting aver-
phenomenal.”
Calvi met with Cooper late age to .417 and extend-
Sunday evening to deter-
mine if his ace pitcher could ing his hit streak to 22.
come back for a second time
on three days rest in this ■ Christian Walker im-
College World Series. Coo-
proved to .396 with two
per never hesitated. He was
ready. hits and a run.
Then Ray Tanner sat with
Cooper on Monday morning.
“I certainly wanted to
pitch him today,” Tanner GAME 6 BOXSCORE
said. “But I encouraged him USC UCLA
to take another day, if he felt ab r h bi ab r h bi
Marzilli lf 4 0 2 1
Amaral cf 0 0 0 0
that it would be in his best Merrifild rf 5 0 1 1
Gallego ss 0 0 0 0
interests.” Bradley cf 5 1 2 0
Regis 2b 0 0 0 0
Walker 1b 5 1 2 0
Dunlap dh 0 0 0 0
Cooper looked at Tanner Thomas dh 3 1 1 1
Navarro ph 0 0 0 0
for a few minutes before he Matthews ph 1 0 1 0
Gelalich lf 0 0 0 0
responded. Morales 3b 5 2 1 0
Espy 3b 0 0 0 0
“I’ll be as good today as I’ll
USC’s Scott Wingo dives into third base with a triple against UCLA in Game 1 of the championship series. Enders c 5 0 1 0
Brown ph 0 0 0 0
Haney ss 3 0 2 3
Uribe 1b 0 0 0 0
be tomorrow,” he said. Wingo 2b 4 2 1 0
Giovinazo rf 0 0 0 0
Cooper p 0 0 0 0
Rodriguez c 0 0 0 0
Even after Cooper held Taylor p 0 0 0 0
Cole p 0 0 0 0
UCLA hitless through the Since then, he has not come and the coaching staff that he went to his sweeping with Cole, but he was certain Grace p 0 0 0 0
first three innings, the coach- out of a game earlier than he would be the best condi- curveball, his slider that runs to receive in excess of $2 Griggs p 0 0 0 0
the sixth inning. tioned pitcher, and maybe, in on left-handed hitters and million for signing instead of Totals 40 714 6 Totals 31 1 3 0
ing staff was concerned that
their bulldog might have lost Cooper credits his stamina player on the team. his changeup that looked attending college. USC 212 010 010 — 7
UCLA 000 000 001 — 1
his bite. His fastball, which to a rigorous offseason train- In addition to his weight- like a pelican swooping in on Cole, like all the others
ing program. He had bal- training sessions, every day a fish in water as it reached this season, was no match E—Wingo 2 (12), Regis (12), Cole (1). DP—South
normally tops out anywhere Carolina 1. LOB—South Carolina 9, UCLA 6.
from 89 to 92 mph, did not looned to 210 pounds, and Cooper ran the stairs at Car- home plate. for Cooper, who was a 3B—Wingo (3). SB—Matthews (7), Morales (5),
when you measure 5-foot-10 olina Stadium with a “He located his off-speed 12th-round selection of the Wingo (2), Gelalich (7). SF—Haney (3).
have its usual “giddy-up,” in USC IP H R ER BB SO
Tanner’s words. It was float- (in heeled shoes), you are 20-pound vest. The pounds stuff,” Calvi said. “He has Arizona Diamondbacks. Cooper W, 13-2 8 3 1 1 1 10
ing to the plate in the downright plump. began to drop off his body. some different ways to beat USC took Cole deep into Taylor 2 0 0 0 0 0
mid-80s. “At the end of last year, he Before he knew it, Cooper you.” counts and generally worked UCLA IP H R ER BB SO
Cole L, 11-4 7 11 6 4 1 2
So, assistant coaches Chad made up his mind he was had shed 30 pounds. That is what Cooper is all him over to the tune of six Grace 11
⁄3 3 1 1 1 0
Holbrook and Sammy Espo- going to get himself in really He was not a svelte 180 about on a pitcher’s mound. runs. Meanwhile, Cooper Griggs 02
⁄3 0 0 0 0 0
good shape,” said Billy An- pounds and he was no Ado- He finds a way to beat you. merrily rolled along all the HBP—by Cooper (Rodriguez), by Cooper (Gelalich).
sito decided it was their turn T—3:28. A—23,181.
to check in with Cooper as derson, USC’s strength and nis, according to Anderson. Over the course of this sea- way through the eighth in-
he sat by himself, arm conditioning coach. “Coop But he had won the team’s son, he has found a way to ning with a one-hitter.
wrapped in a towel, in the really wanted to drop weight. weight-room award before beat some of the nation’s He should not have gone
USC dugout in the middle of He felt like his weight was a the season began. “I’m not best pitchers. out for the ninth inning, but
the third inning. hindrance.” taking a vote,” Anderson Monday, it was UCLA Calvi said his pitcher had senblatt Stadium fans who
“I’m not coming out,” Anderson immediately said of the recognition that right-hander Gerrit Cole who deserved that honor in his were most appreciative of a
Cooper barked at the changed Cooper’s diet, elim- comes after the season. flashed the golden arm final appearance as a college sensational performance.
coaches. inating fried foods and sub- “Coop wins it.” against Cooper. Cole was pitcher. Dead tired, Cooper Cooper’s final pitch was his
That has been Cooper’s stituting fish and chicken for His weight in check, Coo- selected in the first round of gave up a couple of hits and 300th in the College World
rallying cry since his first red meat. Soft drinks and per attacked opponents with the Major League Baseball walked a batter. Series.
start of the season. He was sweet iced tea were off the four pitches this season. So, draft two years ago out of Finally, he departed to His remarkable effort has
restricted to five innings that table. Then Cooper went when his fastball was no- high school. The New York cheers not only from the USC one win from winning
night against Duquesne. about proving to Anderson where to be found Monday, Yankees never negotiated USC faithful but the Ro- the national championship.
NATIONAL CHAMPS
GERRY MELENDEZ/GMELENDEZ@THESTATE.COM
USC’a Jackie Bradley Jr. celebrates with teammates after their win over UCLA during Game 2 of the 2010 College World Series finals.
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Congratulations
University of South Carolina
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2010 NCAA National Baseball Champions
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college world series
USC fan Kevin Douglas shows off his Gamecock attire during the
Gamecocks game against the Clemson Tigers.
At right, nine-year-old
Drew Quedensley, right,
shows off his haircut to
USC's Nick Ebert during an
autograph session in Omaha.
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GERRY MELENDEZ/GMELENDEZ@THESTATE.COM
WWW.THESTATE.COM
the winning hit
●
USC’s Whit Merrifield celebrates the game-winning
hit against UCLA. He drove in Scott Wingo from
third base to give the Gamecocks the national title.
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Congratulations
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College World Series Champions
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