USC opening SEC play at East favorite Vandy

  • Staff reports
  • Posted: Friday, March 14, 2008 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Saturday, March 17, 2012 7:40 p.m.
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The Southeastern Conference's best baseball teams will see one another right away.

South Carolina opens the conference season at 7 tonight with a three-game series at Vanderbilt.

The Commodores (10-3) are ranked No. 6 by Baseball America and are the favorites to win the Eastern Division. The Gamecocks (10-3), picked second in the East, are ranked eighth.

"It's going to be a tough weekend," USC coach Ray Tanner said, "but that's what SEC baseball's all about."

The road is a touch easier for USC since Vandy is without All-American third baseman Pedro Alvarez, out with a hand injury.

Alvarez, a Team USA member last summer with USC first baseman Justin Smoak, hit .386 with 18 homers and 68 RBIs last season.

"You'd love to have his 20 home runs, but he's standing right next to me in the dugout right now," Vandy coach Tim Corbin said. "There's not anything you can do about that. We've just got to develop what we have on the field right now."

Tonight, USC will start right-hander Mike Cisco (3-0, 2.79 ERA) against Vanderbilt left-hander Mike Minor (2-1, 1.66).

Shortstop Reese Havens, a Sullivan's Island native, has hit safely in each of USC's 13 games.

Clemson hosting BC

Clemson returns to conference play today after two harrowing one-run victories over UNC Greensboro.

The Tigers (9-4, 1-2 ACC), who dropped out of the Baseball America poll after losing two of three at Wake Forest, almost squandered an 11-0 lead Tuesday before holding on to win 11-10. On Wednesday, Clemson scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 6-5.

The Eagles (6-7, 0-3) were swept at Miami last weekend. They have yet to play a home game.

In today's 4 p.m. game, Clemson will start junior lefty Ryan Hinson (1-2, 6.60 ERA) against right-hander Terry Doyle (1-1, 8.05). On Saturday at 2 p.m., the Tigers will start junior righty D.J. Mitchell (1-2, 4.50), and redshirt freshman Graham Stoneburner (2-1, 2.04 ) will start Sunday's 1 p.m. finale.

Former Summerville standout Matt Vaughn already has five saves this season. In 7 2/3 innings pitched, the junior has allowed eight hits (.276 opponents' batting average) with two walks and 13 strikeouts.