USC's dominance 'surprising'

COLUMBIA — The dominance is downright perplexing. Even those on the winning end of it seem to feel that way.

The South Carolina baseball team's winning ways against Clemson just keep on rolling, defying a lot of logic along the way.

"It is surprising," Gamecocks coach Ray Tanner conceded after USC's come-from-behind victory against the Tigers on April 7. "You'd never expect something like that. The teams are about even to me, but we've had guys come through with big hits or big pitches when we've needed them."

The Tigers (27-14) can at least make a dent into that at 7 p.m. today. With a win at Carolina Stadium, they would rally for a split of the season series.

South Carolina won the 2007 and 2008 series.

Before an April 8 victory in Clemson, the Tigers had dropped six straight against the Gamecocks.

Starters weren't officially announced, since both teams played Tuesday evening. But freshman left-hander Adam Westmoreland was a likely option for the Gamecocks, who are 27-14 after defeating USC Upstate, 14-6, on Tuesday.

This season, DeAngelo Mack's ninth-inning homer helped South Carolina to a 3-1 victory on Feb. 28 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The teams were scheduled to play the following day, but rain pushed that game to April 7.

Mack's two-run single capped a ninth-inning rally for a 7-6 victory in the makeup game.

Clemson came right back the next day with a 7-5 victory at home to keep from dropping the season series. Kyle Parker, while fighting for the quarterback job in spring ball, had two doubles and an RBI in that game.

No Mike behind mike

Tuesday's game was USC's first without play-by-play guy Mike Morgan in the booth. Wednesday will be the first home game without Morgan, who'd called the team's games since 2000.

Morgan, 35, had called USC's basketball games since 2003.

Morgan was fired Monday by ISP, South Carolina's contracted radio partner. Morgan was also relieved of his responsibilities as an afternoon host on WNKT-FM, USC's flagship station.

No single incident led to the decisions, but rather a pattern of relational differences.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the South Carolina blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks.