Thousands pack arena for Gamecock celebration, parade scheduled

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - About 14,000 people gathered at the Colonial Life Arena in downtown Columbia Wednesday afternoon to welcome the national champion USC Gamecock baseball team home from the College World Series in Omaha.

This was the first time a men's athletic team has won a national title and Gamecock fans were ready to party. Many tailgated in parking lots outside Colonial Life Arena and most dressed in South Carolina shirts and hats. An arena scoreboard replayed the baseball clincher from the night before.

Gates opened at the Colonial Life Arena at 3:30p.m., and fans began pouring in to watch a replay of Tuesday night's title game. The team walked in just before 5:30pm to raucous "Game-Cocks" cheers, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Queen's "We Are the Champions."

The first 5,000 fans in attendance received a commemorative print. Due to the venue change and expected large crowd, there was not an autograph session to conclude the event as was previously planned.

Coach Ray Tanner thanked the fans for their support during the season. Instead of referring to the championship as belonging to the team, Tanner said it was fans' championship title.

Tanner also thanked three people who couldn't be at the celebration: Sarge Frye, Tom Price, and Bayler Teal.

Teal was the 7-year-old cancer-stricken child who died last weeks just as the Gamecocks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners. The boy was a fan of the team and the team quickly adopted him as one of their own.

"Last I'd like to recognize Bayler Teal," said Tanner to a standing crowd chanting the boy's name. "There was once a time in Bayler's life that many of our guys were his heroes, but soon, he became our hero. He inspired us, and he was watching over us. He was the angel on our wing. Thank you, Bayler."

The celebration doesn't end for at least until the end of the week. The City of Columbia says they'll be holding a parade on Friday at noon on Main Street to commemorate the team's historic title. The parade will begin at the corner of Main and Laurel streets, travel down Main Street and end at the corner of Main and Gervais streets.

Immediately after the parade, a brief ceremony will be held to honor Coach Ray Tanner and the Gamecocks. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Governor Mark Sanford announced Wednesday afternoon that the USC baseball flag will fly over the State House on Thursday to honor the Gamecocks, much like after Clemson's 1981 football championship. Sanford is also designating Thursday, July 1 as Gamecocks Baseball National Champions Day.

"Given last night's classic come-from-behind victory by the South Carolina Gamecocks in Omaha, I'd congratulate Coach Tanner and the entire baseball team for their relentless spirit, superior skill, and ongoing success both on and off the field in representing South Carolina," said Sanford.

In addition, Sanford will award Coach Tanner with the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian award. "For his years of success on the ball field, his work with the Ray Tanner Foundation, and his dedicated service to the university and community at large, Coach Tanner is deserving of this recognition and I'd wish him and the Gamecocks all the best as they take a well-deserved victory lap," said Sanford.

Copyright 2010 WIS. All rights reserved.

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History-making: Gamecocks win national title

Merrifield's single in 11th gives USC first CWS crown
NEIL WHITE
nwhite@thestate.com

OMAHA, Neb. – Whit Merrifield knew he had to make simple contact.

The junior outfielder stood at the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning of a tie game with the biggest potential run in the history of South Carolina baseball standing on third base.

And on a 2-0 pitch, Merrifield brought that run home with a sharp single to right-field, a hit that delivered a 2-1 win over UCLA and the program’s first NCAA championship Tuesday night in the final College World Series game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

“It was just elation when I saw it go through. I knew I got the barrel on it,” Merrifield said. “I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was jumping up and down and screaming and just waiting for my teammates to come tackle me. Gosh, this is unbelievable.”

The Gamecocks (54-16) swept the Bruins (51-17) in the best-of-three championship series. Their six straight wins after an opening loss set a CWS record and wrote a perfect ending in the final chapter of the historic old ballpark, home to 61 College World Series since 1950.

“You want to play among the best and try to be one of the best one day. Many times it’s just a dream but sometimes it becomes reality. Here in 2010 in the final chapter of Rosenblatt, it all worked out for the Gamecocks,” USC coach Ray Tanner said. “We’re going to be in the history books for a long, long time. I know the new stadium is going to be tremendous but this is history, and we’ll be a part of that for many years to come.”

In their fourth appearance in a CWS title game, the Gamecocks finally are bringing the hardware back to Columbia after 35 years of baseball excellence through three head coaches.

Scott Wingo drew the leadoff walk in the 11th off UCLA closer Dan Klein (6-1), who was in his fourth inning of work, and advanced to second on a passed ball. He moved to third on Evan Marzilli’s sacrifice bunt before Merrifield came through with his line drive. USC closer Matt Price (5-1) picked up the win with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

The team erupted out of the dugout with Merrifield’s hit, which capped a season that got better and better as it went along. The Gamecocks went 11-1 in the NCAA tournament and seemed to have a new hero every day. For senior ace Blake Cooper, who threw 300 pitches in three games in the CWS, which included the win over UCLA in Game 1 of the title series, the season could only have had one conclusion.

“No other way,” Cooper said. “Like I said before, our team has been battled-tested all year and I knew that’s what it was going to come down to tonight. It’s a perfect storybook ending for me.”

Senior catcher Kyle Enders, who caught every inning in all seven CWS games, felt the exact same way.

“It still really has sunk in yet, but I couldn’t ask for anything more to end my career and win the last game here. I’m thankful for all of my teammates and all the hard work we put in,” Enders said. “I want to say I’m tired but I’m not. I feel good that we won and now we’re national champs.”

Sophomore outfielder Jackie Bradley, who won the CWS MVP award, went hitless Tuesday, but he carried much of the load for most of the tournament with two homers and nine RBIs.

“As a team, we’re just as proud as we can ever be,” Bradley said. “First national championship for baseball and for men’s (athletics) at our whole university. It’s a great feeling.”

Wingo was ecstatic about scoring the final run at Rosenblatt, the one that gave USC its first title.

“I had to get on (base) any way,” he said. “I can’t even describe the words. Unbelievable. We closed this thing out, and we’ll try to open it up next season at the new stadium.”

USC tied the game at 1-1 in the eighth when pinch-hitter Brady Thomas led with a sharp single off reliever Erik Goeddel, who was then replaced by Klein, the right-hander with a team-high 10 saves and 1.85 ERA. Enders got pinch-runner Robert Beary to second on a groundout to third. On the seventh pitch of his at-bat, Bobby Haney hit a hard grounder that first baseman Dean Espy couldn’t handle, and when it bounced off his glove into right-field, Beary steamed around third with the tying run.

Along the way, starter Michael Roth, who allowed just one run in five innings, and relievers Jose Mata, Tyler Webb, John Taylor and Price held the Bruins in check. But even as the Gamecocks struggled to score as well, Tanner never lost faith in his team.

“We did play uphill a lot. I told the guys in the middle of the game that this is who we are. This is the kind of game we win,” he said. “We just kept battling and finally found a way. Whit Merrifield came up with the biggest hit of his career.”

The Bruins took their first lead of the series in the fifth inning. Trevor Brown beat out an infield hit to deep short and moved to second on a sacrifice by Steve Rodriguez. Roth gave up an RBI single to left-center by Niko Gallego to give UCLA a 1-0 lead. Roth, who threw a complete-game gem in a 5-1 win over Clemson, came out after the fifth. He gave the Gamecocks a solid effort by allowing just one run on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

But that was all the Bruins would get. And when it counted the most, Merrifield came through.

“It’s been unreal, this whole journey,” Merrifield said. “I’ll be so sad to see these guys go, especially the seniors. I’m just so blessed to be a part of something this special.”

Tanner, who credited the commitment of the USC administration and the athletic department, couldn’t agree more.

“It takes a total team effort to get in this position. I’m not just using words right now,” Tanner said. “Lo and behold, we got here and lost the first game and battled back to become the national champions. I’m so happy for the great state of South Carolina.”

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Roth to start for Gamecocks vs. UCLA tonight

Omaha, Neb. -- South Carolina sophomore left-hander Michael Roth will start for South Carolina tonight vs. UCLA at the 2010 College World Series.

Roth leads the team with 36 appearances on the year and owns a 2-1 record with a 1.27 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts to just eight walks. Opponents are batting just .174 against him.