Craig Kimbrel sets Rookie Record

From: Elliott

Congratulations to the Atlanta Braves rookie closer, Craig Kimbrel, who set the Major League record for first half saves by a rookie yesterday by notching his 27th against the Colorado Rockies. The previous mark was held by Jonathon Palpebon of the Boston Red Sox. Kimbrel had three saves in the Braves' four-game sweep of Colorado and is 27 of 32 on the year. He is much more effective than earlier in the year when he was struggling with control and giving up the 0-2 hit. Kimbrel is on pace for 48 saves, which would crush the full-season rookie mark set last season by Neftali Feliz (40), not to mention 127 strikeouts, which would be the third most by a rookie relief pitcher. What does the fact that Feliz was drafted by the Braves say about their scouting? For all the Braves fans who suffered through the Alejandro Pena, Jeff Reardon years and their inability to win the big one, plus the Mark Wohlers and John Rocker meltdowns, having Kimbrel man the closer spot for the next 10 years is exciting. Not bad for a guy from Wallace State Community College. Of note, the Braves selected Kimbrel's younger brother Matt in the 32 round.

Justin King Media

From: Benjamin
This guy's work is awesome! Justin King has produced more exhilarating South Carolina videos than anyone. His latest does not disappoint as he honors the back to back National Champs!

Tired of looking at the same National Championship apparel that everyone is wearing since they all went the Jewelery Warehouse? Check out thebigspurshop.com. They have some different designs and cheaper prices.

James Darnell Promoted to Triple A Tucson

From: Austin
Congratulations to former Gamecock 3rd bagger, James Darnell, who was promoted to the Triple A squad of the San Diego Padres on July 4th. In 76 games with the Double A San Antonio Missions, Darnell hit .333 (96-for-288) with 25 doubles, 17 home runs, 62 RBI and 62 runs scored. In the first half of the Texas League season, Darnell led the league in extra-base hits (43) and was second in doubles, on-base percentage (.434), slugging percentage (.604), tied for second in homers and RBI, third in average, hits, total bases (174) and walks (52) and fifth in runs. He was named the Texas League's All-Star Game MVP on June 29 after going 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in a 3-2 win.

In his first at bat with Tucson, Darnell stroked a RBI double. He finished the game going 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored. Pretty good to get the cleanup slot in your first game. Darnell will represent the USA in the upcoming Futures Game on July 10. Oh, and my brothers and I are partial to Darnell's girlfriend as well.

Back to Back National Champions

From: Matthew
Ok, we've spent the last week celebrating the Back to Back National Championships by the South Carolina baseball team. So much to discuss, but later. Now, it remains celebration time. Band of Oz brings the party today with their Johnnie Taylor cover "Wall to Wall." That's right! It's wall to wall and back to back, as in back to back National Champions!

South Carolina's sidearmer, John Taylor

From: Cole

Is there a better relief pitcher in the country for getting out of a jam than John Taylor? Yes, Matt Price is the All-American and he is fantastic. But what Taylor has accomplished in the last 2 weeks is nothing short of miraculous. Twice he entered the game with the bases loaded and the opponent threatening to claw their way back into the game. Twice he induced a 1-2-3 double play. His two pitches in the fifth broke Virgina's heart and stole any hope of a comeback from the Cavs. Vanderbilt's Navory Moore has the best fastball in the bullpen. Florida's Steven Rodriguez has the best slider. Teammate Matt Price owns the best mindset and intimidation factor, but Taylor is the guy you want to get you out of the jam. Along with Price, Taylor makes up the top 1-2 punch of any bullpen in college baseball this year. Not too bad for a guy who rarely breaks 80 on the gun.

SEC in the College World Series

From: Austin
Is there any question as to which is the most dominant conference in college baseball again this year? Yes, UVA is a good team, but the SEC goes 3-0 in the first round of the CWS. Vanderbilt showed the committee how ignorant it was in seeding UNC ahead of them. There is no doubt that 3 of the 4 best teams still standing are in the SEC East. Here is a great sign from last year's championship series against UCLA:

Beating UVA tonight will be a tall order, but the match-up and the new ballpark should work in Colby Holmes' favor. Holmes is a flyball pitcher who leaves a fat one over the middle of the plate once or twice a game. The result is reminiscent of former Gamecock pitcher Aaron Rawl and his standard bomb each game. Holmes gets hurt when he misses up, so this will be the early sign to watch for. If he is down, advantage Gamecocks. However, with the wind blowing in from center creating a paucity of home runs thus far and UVA's limited power numbers, this weakness may be neutralized. Virginia is never out of it, as they demonstrated in Game 3 of the Supers, so it will take a full effort for 27 outs to win this one.

South Carolina Texas A&M play at the plate

From: Benjamin

How does one score without touching home plate? The umpire gets shielded by the catcher. Might we suggest moving a bit to the left for a better angle? Clarys come from a long line of umpires, and one thing Buford Clary would not tolerate was being out of position. That was ingrained in us all. A blue at this level should not make that mistake. Now this was the first game behind the plate in the CWS for the ump, but the plate is the same size in every game. A correct call would have been a roaring announcement of the return of All-American Jackie Bradley Jr. But, it was not the case, and the Aggies went on to pile on the unearned runs. Good thing the defending champs rallied for the 5-4 victory. True, the blown call was not as bad as the missed home run in the Florida game. Ouch! Not a good start for the men in blue.

This team is calm, confident, and has what it takes to win. They are not caught up in the moment as the Aggie closer was in the 9th. Carolina's version, Mr. Price, was just doing his business. It was kind of like he had pitched in bigger situations before, a nice asset to possess. It starts at the top though. What was Coach Ray Tanner doing during Wingo's final at bat? Sipping a cold beverage....