USC athletics department announces 2014 baseball schedule

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The University of South Carolina Baseball Team will play 37 home games at Carolina Stadium during the regular 2014 season.

The Gamecocks open their season February 14th with a three-game series against Bucknell.

19 games are against NCAA Tournament teams.

South Carolina and Clemson will meet in a unique three-game setting for a fifth consecutive year.  The series opens in Columbia on Friday, Feb. 28.  Saturday shifts to the Reedy River Rivalry game at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.  The series finale concludes Sunday at Clemson.

Additional in-state contests for the Gamecocks include Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Furman, Presbyterian, The Citadel, USC Upstate and Wofford.

South Carolina's 30-game SEC slate begins Friday, Mar. 14, with Carolina hosting Ole Miss in the Rebels' first visit to Columbia since the 2010 regular season. 

The Gamecocks have played every program on the 2014 schedule at least once.  South Carolina will meet Bucknell for the first time since the 2010 NCAA Regional opener that was a 9-5 South Carolina victory, the first postseason win for the Gamecocks on the way to the 2010 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

Here's the schedule:

DATE        OPPONENT                SITE              TIME

FEBRUARY

14    Bucknell                      Columbia, S.C.          3 p.m.

15    Bucknell                      Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

16    Bucknell                      Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

21    Eastern Kentucky        Columbia, S.C.          3 p.m.

22    Eastern Kentucky        Columbia, S.C.          4 p.m.

23    Eastern Kentucky        Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

28    Clemson                      Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

MARCH

1     vs. Clemson             Greenville, S.C. (Fluor Field)      TBA

2     at Clemson              Clemson, S.C.           4 p.m.

4     Stetson                   Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

5     Stetson                   Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

7     Brown                    Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

8     Brown                    Columbia, S.C.          4 p.m.

9     Brown                     Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

11    Furman                   Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

14    Ole Miss*                Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

15    Ole Miss*                Columbia, S.C.          4 p.m.

16    Ole Miss*                Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

18    The Citadel             Charleston, S.C.        7 p.m.

21    at Kentucky*           Lexington, Ky.          TBA

22    at Kentucky*           Lexington, Ky.          TBA

23    at Kentucky*           Lexington, Ky.          TBA

25    College of Charleston    Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

26    Coastal Carolina             Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

28    Tennessee*              Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

29    Tennessee*              Columbia, S.C.          4 p.m.

30    Tennessee*              Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

APRIL

1     Appalachian State          Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

2     Presbyterian                  Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

4     at Arkansas*                  Fayetteville, Ark.            TBA

5     at Arkansas*                  Fayetteville, Ark.            TBA

6     at Arkansas*                  Fayetteville, Ark.            TBA

8     at Furman                     Greenville, S.C. (Fluor Field)      7 p.m.

11    Florida*                        Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

12    Florida*                         Columbia, S.C.          4 p.m.

13    Florida*                         Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

15    Charleston Southern      Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

18    at Auburn*              Auburn, Ala.            7 p.m.

19    at Auburn*              Auburn, Ala.            4 p.m.

20    at Auburn*              Auburn, Ala.            2 p.m.

22    Davidson                 Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

23    USC Upstate            Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

25    Alabama*                 Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

26    Alabama*                 Columbia, S.C.          4 p.m.

27    Alabama*                 Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

MAY

2     at Georgia*             Athens, Ga.       7 p.m.

3     at Georgia*             Athens, Ga.       1 p.m.

4     at Georgia*             Athens, Ga.       1 p.m.

7     Wofford                    Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

9     Missouri*                   Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

10    Missouri*                  Columbia, S.C.          4 p.m.

11    Missouri*                  Columbia, S.C.          1:30 p.m.

13    The Citadel              Columbia, S.C.          7 p.m.

15    at Vanderbilt*                Nashville, Tenn.        7:30 p.m.

16    at Vanderbilt*                Nashville, Tenn.        7:30 p.m.

17    at Vanderbilt*                Nashville, Tenn.        3 p.m.

20-25 at SEC Tournament        Hoover, Ala.

JUNE

May 30-2    NCAA Regionals                TBA               TBA

6-9   NCAA Super Regionals               TBA               TBA

14-25 College World Series          Omaha, Neb.       TBA

All times Eastern.  Dates and times subject to change   * denotes SEC game

The Gamecocks return seven position starters from a year ago.  Returnees include junior infielder/outfielder Joey Pankake (.311-11-42), junior catcher Grayson Greiner (.298-4-38), junior outfielder Connor Bright (.288-4-22), junior outfielder Tanner English (.283-1-25), sophomore infielder Max Schrock (.282-6-39), junior first baseman Kyle Martin (.288-2-10) and senior designated hitter Brison Celek (.307-1-18).  Also back from last year's weekend rotation is junior left-hander Jordan Montgomery (6-1, 1.48 ERA) and freshman left-hander Jack Wynkoop (7-3, 3.09 ERA).  Greiner played this past summer for Team USA and was a 2013 second-team All-SEC selection.  Schrock and Wynkoop both earned Freshman All-America honors.

South Carolina won the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 2010 and 2011 at the College World Series. South Carolina has 11 College World Series appearances, including six in the last 12 years.  South Carolina is the only school with 200 or more wins in the last four years (2010 to the present) with a 201-70 record, and the Gamecocks own the second-highest win total in the nation in the last 14 years (2000 to the present) with a 669-271 record. South Carolina is one of five schools to appear in the NCAA Regional every season in the last 14 years, including 11 NCAA Super Regional appearances in that span, one of only two schools to accomplish the feat.

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