SMC Diamond: Season Wrap-Up
Spartanburg, SC - The SMC baseball team wrapped up its 2011 season last weekend with an overall record of 38-17 and 16-10 in Region X, marking the 21st consecutive season in which the Pioneers have won at least 35 games.
After getting of to a 9-2 start to kick off the season, SMC dropped three games in a row before reeling off a 16-game win streak, elevating them to No. 11 in NJCAA Division I polls to match their pre-season rank. But a combination of inconsistent play and injuries hampered the Pioneers in the second half, and they went 13-10 down the stretch to finish the regular season. Despite an up-and-down final month, the Pioneers earned the No. 2 seed for the Region X tournament, but they dropped their first two games, eliminating them from post-season play in a disappointing end to the season.
Pitching was one of the bright spots this season for SMC, as a deep and talented staff helped to keep the Pioneers in nearly every game. The team ERA was lowered from 3.78 in 2010 to 3.31 in 2011, and Pioneer pitchers held opposing batters to a .254 batting average against. SMC pitchers struck out 325 batters in 396.2 innings.
Right-handers Ben Carlson and Jake Long anchored the weekend rotation. Carlson, a sophomore, went 7-4 with a 3.41 ERA, logged a team-high 68.2 innings, and threw seven complete games. Long put together an outstanding freshman year, going 5-2 in nine starts with a sparkling 1.64 ERA. He led the staff with 48 strikeouts in 49.1 innings pitched.
In the bullpen, sophomore right-handers Josh Wilson (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 20 Ks in 20 IP) and Justin Lykins (1-0, 3.18 ERA, 15 Ks in 17 IP) combined with a pair of freshmen, righty Hunter Rice (2-1, 3.10 ERA, 5 Saves, 23 Ks in 20.1 IP) and left-hander Logan Pemberton (2-1, 3.22 ERA, 25 Ks in 22.1 IP) to highlight a strong corps of relievers.
Offensively, SMC was led by a trio of sophomores, each of whom earned Region X honors.
First baseman Tyler Jackson, a First Team All-Region selection, led the Pioneers at the plate, hitting .359 with 17 doubles, six home runs, and a team-best 51 RBI. He also led the team in on-base percentage (.469) and posted an incredible walk-to-strikeout ratio of 38 to 14.
Centerfielder Travis Burnside, also a First Team All-Region pick, hit .335 and led the team in hits (66), triples (seven), home runs (eight), runs scored (57), and slugging percentage (.569). He drove in 42 runs and was 10 for 12 in stolen base attempts.
Luke Tollison earned a spot on the Region X Second Team as the Designated Hitter, hitting .303 with a team-leading 20 doubles. He finished second on the team in home runs (seven) and RBI (48).
Other key contributors to the lineup included freshman catcher Ben Boykin, who batted .347 with 13 doubles, sophomore outfielder Reggie Weatherford (.337, eight doubles, 11 SB), and redshirt freshman infielder Seth Neely, who hit .312 with a team-high 13 stolen bases.
Long, Boykin, and Neely headline a solid group of returners for 2012. Combined with a standout recruiting class, the Pioneers will be hungry to get the program back to the NJCAA World Series for the fifth time since 2001.
4 Year College Commitments:
So far, six Pioneers have signed to play at four-year college programs beginning in the fall of 2011: Tyler Jackson, 1B – College of Charleston; Reggie Weatherford, OF – Francis Marion; Luke Tollison, IF/DH – Francis Marion; Josh Wilson, RHP – Appalachian State; Ryan Gunther, RHP – Charleston Southern; Ben Carlson, RHP – Furman.
