MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team will kick off the 2012 season, as well as the Mark Calvi era, Friday when it hosts No. 32 College of Charleston at 6:30 p.m. in the first game of a three-game series at Stanky Field.

Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, while the series finale set for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
 
USA is 29-18 all-time in season openers, and 26-5 when opening the season at home. The Jaguars have won six consecutive season openers since falling to No. 9 Arizona State to open the 2005 season. College of Charleston, who is ranked 32nd in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll, is the first ranked opponent South Alabama has opened with since the 2005 opener with Arizona State.

The Jags are 38-7 all-time against current Southern Conference opponents, but this weekend’s series with the Cougars marks the first meeting between the two programs. USA last faced a current Southern Conference opponent in 2008 when the Jaguars defeated Samford 8-7 in 10 innings at Stanky Field.

South Alabama returns 10 letterwinners and one redshirt from last season, while 23 newcomers look to help make an immediate impact.

“A lot of work has been put in,” Calvi said. “But I think this may be the most prepared team I have ever seen going into the season. And that is a credit to (assistant coaches) Jerry (Zulli), Alan (Luckie) and Bob (Keller). They have done a fantastic job taking care of their areas. Our guys are excited about it.

“College of Charleston is an outstanding program. They are a consistent (NCAA) Regional team, and (head coach) Monte (Lee) and his staff do a fantastic job there. It should be a really good series. They return a lot of experienced pitching. Their lineup is new, but they have some draft picks among their pitchers. It should be a really good series.”

USA returns four starters from last season:  Nolan Earley, Brad Hook, Logan Kirkland and Jordan Patterson. Kirkland was named a Freshman All-American in 2011 after hitting .339 with 10 doubles, two triples, a home run, 27 RBI and 43 runs scored. The Grand Bay, Ala., native led the Sun Belt Conference with 10 sacrifice flies, and tied for third nationally. Kirkland, who was also voted preseason all-SBC, recorded a 21-game hitting streak in 2011 – the longest of any Jaguar since 2003 – and hit safely in 44 of 54 contests.

Hook, one of only three returning seniors on the squad, batted .328 with 13 doubles, one triple, seven homers and 41 RBI in 55 games last season. The Franklin, Ind., native committed just one error in 473 chances last year which resulted in a .998 fielding percentage.

Earley led South Alabama, and tied for fourth in the SBC, with 20 doubles in 2011. He batted .330 with two home runs, 25 RBI and 41 runs scored in 57 games, and hit safely in 42 of 57 games.

Patterson gained valuable experience as a freshman in 57 games last year, including 50 consecutive starts to end the season. He hit .284 with 38 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple, four homers and 32 RBI. Patterson recorded 16 multiple-hit games, and drove in multiple runs on eight occasions.

South Alabama junior Jarron Cito, who joined the program after two seasons at Daytona State (Fla.) Junior College, is scheduled to start Friday’s contest. As a sophomore at DSJC last season, Cito went 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA. The right-hander struck out 95 batters while issuing just 20 walks in 97 2/3 innings pitched.

Payton Gardner, a transfer from Shelton State (Ala.) Community College is scheduled to make his first career start as a Jaguar in Saturday’s game. The right-hander ranked 11th nationally with a 1.77 ERA as a sophomore last season at SSCC, and finished 5-1 with 77 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings.

Right-handed sophomore Dillon Buhrkuhl is scheduled to start Sunday’s 1 p.m. contest. Buhrkuhl was limited as a freshman at Tyler (Texas) Junior College last season due to injury.

College of Charleston returns three position starters but all five starting pitchers from last season’s 39-22 squad that finished third in the SoCon. The Cougars were picked to win the Southern Conference in a preseason poll voted on by the league’s coaches.
 
Offensively, the Cougars are led by sophomore Daniel Aldrich, who was named a first-team Freshman All-American last season and preseason All-American this year. Aldrich led all Division-I freshmen in home runs (22), RBI (73) total bases (164) and slugging percentage (.739) last season, while also batting .347 with 17 doubles in 59 games.

Senior left-hander Josh Renfro is scheduled to start Friday’s opener for the Cougars. Renfro led CofC with nine wins last year while posting a 3.66 ERA in 96 innings. He struck out 77 batters and allowed 21 walks in 15 starts.

Right-hander Christian Powell will start Saturday’s contest for CofC. Powell went 8-1 with a 3.09 ERA and recorded 63 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings pitched last season. Sunday’s starter, right-hander Matt Pegler, went 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 29 1/3 innings pitched. Pegler appeared in 21 games in 2011, but started only one.

The South Alabama Athletic Ticket Sales Office announced that as of Thursday over 900 season tickets for Jaguar baseball have been sold heading into the opener, an increase of more than 125 season tickets from 2011.

“The increase of season-ticket sales for the 2012 campaign is a product of the excitement that coach Calvi and his staff are bringing to the program,” USA Director of Athletic Ticket Sales Greg Keel said. “Credit is also due to our administration’s dedication to provide an enhanced game-day experience with the upgrades to Stanky Field. Lastly, this would not be possible without the effort of our sales staff to proactively sell Jaguar baseball.”

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).



Game Notes