Baseball Opens SoCon Play This Weekend As Samford Visits Patriots Point
3/11/2010 11:30:00 PM | Baseball
Games 15-17
College of Charleston (11-3, 0-0 SoCon) vs. Samford (7-5, 0-0 SEC)
Friday, March 12 • 6:00 p.m.
RHP David Peterson (1-1, 4.70 ERA) vs. RHP Jonathan Stephens (2-0, 3.00 ERA)
Saturday, March 13 • 1:00 p.m.
RHP Christian Powell (2-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Kyle Putkonen (2-0, 9.00 ERA)
Sunday, March 14 • 1:00 p.m.
RHP Josh Salay (0-1, 7.53 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Martin (0-2, 7.79 ERA)
College of Charleston picked up a pair of mid-week wins defeating Toledo and Ball State from the Mid-American Conference. Junior CF Cole Rakar (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) and 2B Jesse Mesa (Miramar, Fla./ Central Florida JC) lead the Cougars with a .415 batting averages. Rakar adds a team-high 22 hits, 11 walks and a .529 OB%. Rakar also has a team-high seven multi-hit games and nine stolen bases. A trio of Cougars, senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC), junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) and sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton Fla./American Heritage) lead the team in home runs with three apiece. Senior RHP Tom Schiller (Rochester, N.Y./Monroe CC) has a 3-0 record out of the bullpen and a 3.86 ERA. Schiller leads the team with 18 strikeouts.
• Scouting the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a record of 7-5 after dropping a 7-4 decision to Michigan State on Tuesday. Bo Smith is Samford's leading hitter with a .412 batting average. Mason Meredeth and Stephen Ballard share the team lead in home runs with three each. Samford was picked to finish seventh in the Southern Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll and ninth in the SoCon Media Poll. David Schulze was named to the preseason first team, while Wayne Miller made the second team.
• All-Time vs. Samford
The two teams are tied 3-3 in the all-time series. In 1995, Samford took a three-game series against the Cougars by scores of 7-1, 6-0 and 3-1. Last season, in Samford's first as a memeber of the SoCon, Charleston evened the series, winning all three games by scores of 17-7, 12-3 and 9-7.
• Start It Up
FRIDAY - Sophomore David Peterson (Walnut Creek, Calif./Los Comas) had his longest outing of the season in his last outing, tossing 6.2 innings in a 6-2 loss against #28 Alabama on March 5. Peterson allowed six runs on four hits against the Bulldogs. Peterson is 1-1 on the season with a 4.70 ERA and eight strikeouts.
SATURDAY - Freshman Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood) dropped a 4-0 decision to the Crimson Tide last weekend. Powell gave up four runs, two earned, in 5.2 innings, while scattering three hits. The freshman is 2-1 this season with a team-best 2.70 ERA and 17 strikeouts.
SUNDAY - Junior Josh Salay (Rock Hill, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) tossed six innings for a no-decision in the Cougars' 7-6 come-from-behind win over Alabama last Sunday. Salay allowed four runs and seven hits with three strikeouts.
• 2009 in Review
The Cougars went 35-22 overall and 17-13 in the SoCon last year, which put them fifth in the league standings. The comforts of home staked the Cougars a 22-5 record at Patriots Point Field in 2009. Last season, the Cougars were fourth in the country in home runs (110) and scoring (9.7 runs/game), and ninth in team batting average (.345).
• All-SoCon Cougars
College of Charleston senior Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) was selected as the Southern Conference Player of the Year by the league's baseball coaches, the SoCon announced Thursday. Two other Cougars were also named to preseason all-conference teams.
Bergman led the country in both runs (88) and on base percentage (.551) in 2009 while finishing second nationally with a .452 batting average. Splitting time between shortstop and third base, Bergman also hit 15 home runs and had 57 RBIs while recording two or more hits in 35 of the 56 games. The senior is one of three returning starters to the Charleston lineup.
Senior Ryan Daniels (Victoria, Texas/Blinn College) joins Bergman on the Preseason All-Conference First Team at the designated hitter spot. Daniels hit .363 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs last year in 50 games. His .457 on base percentage was third on the team. Junior Cole Rakar (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) earned a second-team preseason all-conference spot in the outfield. He started 56 contests for the Cougars, hitting .317 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs. He tied the school record of three home runs in a single game on Mar. 28 against Furman.
College of Charleston baseball has been picked to finish third in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll by the media. The Cougars were tabbed to finish fourth in the coaches poll.
• 2010 Cougar Radio Schedule
Fans of Cougar baseball will have 14 opportunities to listen to the action on ESPN Radio 910-AM in Charleston or through the school's website at www.cofcsports.com.
Nine home games will be broadcast over the airwaves, up from just one last season. The final two games of the Cougars' fourth home series of the season, against Samford on Mar. 13-14 will be available on the radio. Both games start at 1 p.m.
2010 Radio Broadcast Schedule
Mar. 13 vs. Samford 1 p.m.
Mar. 14 vs. Samford 1 p.m.
Mar. 27 at Western Carolina 3 p.m.
Mar. 28 at Western Carolina 2 p.m.
Apr. 3 vs. Georgia Southern 1 p.m.
Apr. 4 vs. Georgia Southern 1 p.m.
Apr. 7 at South Carolina 7 p.m.
Apr. 17 vs. Wofford 1 p.m.
Apr. 18 vs. Wofford 1 p.m.
May 8 vs. The Citadel 6 p.m.
May 9 vs. The Citadel 1 p.m.
May 15 at Appalachian State 3 p.m.
May 16 at Appalachian State 1 p.m.
• Bergman Earns Second Preseason All-America Nod
Senior shortstop Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) was selected to the 2010 Louisville Preseason All-America Baseball Team by Collegiate Baseball. Bergman, who was named to the second team, received All-American status for the second time this preseason. He was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America Pro-Line Athletic Preseason All-America third team.
Elected the 2009 Southern Conference Player of the Year, Bergman had a .452 average while drilling 15 home runs last season. He became the 10th player in Southern Conference history to record 100 hits in a single season. He garnered third-team All-America status by Collegiate Baseball and the ABCA.
Season Long Promotions:
Two-for-Tuesdays - Two tickets for $5 to all Tuesday night games
Faculty/Staff Fridays - free entry to College of Charleston faculty and staff with their staff ID card
Family Fun Saturdays - free entry for two children with an adult ticket purchase
Military Appreciation Sundays - up to four free tickets with a military ID at all Sunday home games.
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