College World Series 2012: Dominant Pitching Will Lead Gamecocks to 3-Peat
The South Carolina Gamecocks may very well have the nastiest pitching staff in the nationโthat is why they will win their third consecutive College World Series. The Arizona Wildcats have had a nice run, but they don't have the pitching to keep pace.
With some of the arms South Carolina coach Ray Tanner has at his disposal, it's a wonder Steve Spurrier didn't borrow one to quarterback the football team last season.
Dominant pitching is still the most valuable quality a team can have, and the Gamecocks certainly have it. The Wildcats can swing the bat, not for much power, but they are a scrappy bunch.
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It's difficult for me to see a scenario where Arizona will be able to string enough base runners together to win. They don't have the pitching to keep these games low scoring. As the old adage goes, good pitching beats good hitting.ย
Led by Michael Roth and Colby Holmes, the Gamecocks have the horses in the rotation to shut teams down.
It's not just the rotationโMatt Price (13 saves) and Tyler Webb (1.58 ERA) anchor an equally nasty bullpen. Arizona will have to settle for second place, which will be a solid finish to a nice season for the Wildcats. They are 46-17, which is something to be proud of.
The USC Trojans are the only program with more than three consecutive College World Series championships. They won five in a row from 1970-1974.ย The Gamecocks will only need two games in this best two-out-of-three series. ย
The Gamecocks will move one championship closer to matching the Trojans.ย ย
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