Coastal Carolina (48-11) hosts the

NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional

June 1-4

Coastal Federal Field - Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Coastal Starting Pitchers (Rotation TBA)

RHP Bobby Gagg (11-2, 2.75 ERA)

RHP John Mariotti (8-0, 4.03 ERA)

LHP Andy DeLaGarza (9-2, 3.34 ERA)

RHP David Anderson (5-3, 3.25 ERA)

National Rankings

Coastal -10th (NCBWA Poll), 10th (Baseball America), 12th (ESPN/USA Today), 12th (Collegiate Baseball)

Clemson - 13th (Collegiate Baseball), 16th (NCBWA Poll), 17th (ESPN/USA Today), 18th (Baseball America)

St. John’s - RV (ESPN/USA Today), RV (NCBWA Poll)

The 10th-ranked Coastal Carolina baseball team (48-11), fresh off winning the Big South Conference regular-season and tournament titles, hosts the 2007 NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional June 1-4 at Coastal Federal Field, home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Coastal is the top seed in the regional and faces fourth-seeded VCU (37-21) at 4 p.m., on Friday. The first game of the day will be second-seeded Clemson (38-21) against third-seeded St. John’s (40-17) at noon. All the games of the Myrtle Beach Regional will be broadcast on ESPNU with Clay Matvick and Kyle Peterson on the call.

NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY: Coastal is making its seventh appearance in the NCAA regionals and its first as a host. Coastal last made the NCAA regional in 2005, advancing to the championship game with two wins over UNLV. Coastal fell in the title game against Arizona State 9-5. Coastal made it to the championship game of the regional in 2001, defeating Georgia Tech 5-3 and Georgia Southern University 12-3. The Chants fell to Georgia 9-3 in the first championship game before dropping a heartbreaker to the Bulldogs 8-7 on a home run in the ninth. Coastal was 49-24 all-time in the NAIA postseason from 1976-85, advancing to the NAIA World Series five times in the process.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: Clemson went 2-1 in the ACC Tournament, but fell to Wake Forest on a tiebreaker and did not advance to the championship game. The Tigers won a 5-4 thriller over Miami in 13 innings and defeated top-seed Florida State 5-1. Doug Hogan leads the Tigers with a .327 batting average, while Andy D’Alessio has 14 home runs on the season. Ryan Hinson is 5-2 with a 2.67 earned-run average in 14 starts this year.

St. John’s went 1-2 in the BIG EAST Tournament, defeating Connecticut 2-1 in the opener, but falling to South Florida 2-0 and Connecticut 8-7 the next two games. The Red Storm went 20-7 in the BIG EAST Conference and were 21-4 at home. Gil Zayas has a team-leading .363 batting average, while Ryan Mahoney leads SJU with 13 home runs. In 13 starts, George Brown has a 6-2 record and a 2.93 ERA.
VCU defeated Delaware 10-4 in 13 innings to win the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament in Wilmington, N.C. The Rams were 18-11 in the CAA this season, finishing in a four-way tie for first place. Jared Bolden has a .393 batting average to lead the team, while Luke Pisker is 9-1 with a 1.87 ERA and 10 saves.

SERIES VS. OPPONENTS: Clemson leads the overall series with Coastal 34-6. The Tigers defeated the Chanticleers 4-0 March 7, holding CCU to five hits on the day. Sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) struck out five in six innings of work. The last time the two teams played was in 2005 as Clemson won 2-of-3 games against Coastal. The Chants defeated the Tigers 3-2 in the Baseball at the Beach Tournament in Coastal Federal Field on a walk-off single from D.J. Burns. Clemson hosted the Chants for two games in March and won by scores of 14-5 and 8-1.

Coastal has a 3-2 lead on St. John’s, with all five games being played in the 2002 and 2003 seasons. St. John’s played Coastal in two games at Coastal Federal Field during the 2003 season, with the Chanticleers winning 7-4 March 4 and 14-3 March 5.

Coastal has a 2-0 lead on VCU. Both games were played at Coastal Federal Field. The Chanticleers defeated the Rams 4-3 in 10 innings last season on a walk-off single by Aaron Verrett in the 10th inning. Senior Travis Risser (Palmyra, Pa./James Madison) earned the win by pitching two innings of scoreless relief.

COASTAL WINS EIGHTH BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT TITLE: Coastal went unbeaten in the Big South Tournament, winning its eighth tournament title in school history. The Chanticleers won the title game 6-5 over Liberty as senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) hit the game-winning home run in the seventh inning. Coastal opened the tournament with a 6-3 win over UNC Asheville. The Chants defeated VMI 4-2 and Winthrop 13-4. Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) was the tournament Most Valuable Player and he joined junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell), sophomore Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor), senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.), senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan), freshman Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) and sophomore Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) on the All-Tournament Team.

ALL-BIG SOUTH TEAMS FILLED WITH CHANTS: Coastal Carolina earned the Big South Player, Pitcher and Coach of the Year and had eight players on the All-Big South First and Second Teams, the conference office announced May 23. Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) and classmate Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) were named the Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Head Coach Gary Gilmore earned Big South Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time in his career. Sappelt and Gagg were joined by Matt Rademacher (catcher), Chris Raber (first base), Tommy Baldridge (outfielder) and David Anderson (relief pitcher) on the first team, while Anderson (designated hitter) and Andy DeLaGarza (starting pitcher) earned second team honors.

COASTAL IN COASTAL FEDERAL: Coastal is 3-1 at Coastal Federal Field this season, defeating Texas Christian, Notre Dame and the College of Charleston while falling to North Carolina State. Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) led Coastal with a .400 batting average in those four games, while senior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) struck out 12 in 14.2 innings and two starts at the Fed. Coastal hit only .240 in those four games, but walked 20 times and committed just two errors.

COASTAL WINS 10TH REGULAR-SEASON TITLE: For the 10th time in school history, Coastal Carolina won the Big South Conference regular-season title. The Chanticleers wrapped up the crown with its 7-2 win over Winthrop May 20. Coastal last won the title in 2005 and have won four of the last nine years. Coastal won all seven Big South series this season, a feat the Chants also accomplished in 2005.

COASTAL LISTED IN ALL NATIONAL POLLS: Coastal Carolina is now ranked in all six national polls as of May 28. Coastal set a program and Big South record by being ranked 10th in the Baseball America and NCBWA polls. Coastal also is ranked 12th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and the Collegiate Baseball poll. The Chants are 10th in the Rivals.com poll and 17th in the Perfect Game Crosschecker rankings.

GILMORE GRABS CAREER WIN #700 IN WIN OVER UNCA: Coastal head coach Gary Gilmore earned his 700th career win in a 10-2 victory over UNC Asheville May 12. Gilmore has a 708-364 record in his 18th season as a head coach. He also has a 455-261 record in his 12th season at Coastal. He earned his 400th win at Coastal May 12, 2006 at Radford and has helped Coastal to 40-win seasons seven of the last eight years and five NCAA regionals. Gilmore is one of only 39 active coaches in Division I baseball who have 700 wins.

COASTAL GETS 40th WIN vs. UNCA: For the sixth time in the last seven seasons, Coastal Carolina has won 40 games. The Chanticleers earned that victory May 12 in a 10-2 win over UNC Asheville. Coastal has averaged 42.9 wins in the last seven seasons and had a high-water mark of 50 wins in 2005.

COASTAL EARNS DAILY DOUBLE: Coastal won both the Big South regular-season and tournament titles for the first time since 2002 and the fourth time in school history. Coastal also did the trick in 1991 and 1992.

TOP SEED TWICE IN SCHOOL HISTORY: Coastal is the top seed in the NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional. It is the second time in Coastal history the Chanticleers have been a number-one seed. Coastal was a top seed in the 2005 NCAA Tempe Regional. Coastal is the only Big South team ever to receive a top seed in the NCAA Regionals.

CHANTS KNOW HOW TO WIN: Coastal carries a .814 winning percentage into the NCAA Regional. That is second in the country behind Vanderbilt’s .823 winning percentage. Coastal’s 48 wins are tied for fourth with North Carolina and are behind only Vanderbilt (51), Wichita State (49) and Rice (49).

POWER SURGE FROM BORTNICK: Sophomore Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) gave Coastal a power surge in the last two games of the Big South Tournament. His three-run home run gave Coastal a seven-run cushion in the 13-4 win over Winthrop and he tied the game at four that Coastal won 6-5 over Liberty. Bortnick went on to be named to the Big South All-Tournament team for his performance. He has six home runs and 36 RBI on the year.

McCULLY A BULLDOG IN THE BSC TOURNEY: Freshman Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) earned a win and two saves in the Big South Tournament, not allowing a hit in 3.1 innings and struck out six, including two in a second and third, one-out situation in the 4-2 win over VMI May 24. McCully was named to the All-Tournament Team and now sports a 6-2 record and four saves with a 2.70 earned-run average.

VRABLE DOES IT WITH DEFENSE: Senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) was named to the All-Tournament Team despite having only two hits in the tournament. His two-run double against Winthrop was big in a seven-run second inning, but it was his defense throughout the week that warranted his selection. He made several run-saving plays in the win over UNC Asheville and had 21 assists on the week.

DUGGAN NAMED BIG SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Coastal Carolina senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) has been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Baseball Player of the Week, it was announced today by the League office.

Duggan hit .353 (6-17) on the week and had three home runs in the Big South regular-season title clinching series against Winthrop. He belted the game-winning home run in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against the Eagles. He then had two home runs in the series finale, a 7-2 win. Duggan started out the week by going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the 11-7 win at No. 5 Virginia. On the week, Duggan had an .882 slugging percentage, eight RBI – including back-to-back four RBI games, plus five runs scored and three sacrifice hits. All three sacrifices led to Coastal runs and increased his NCAA-leading total to 26 – tied for second-most in a season in NCAA history.

HOME RUN HIGH WATER MARK: Coastal Carolina has 72 home runs after the regular season. While they won’t break the record of 109 longballs in 1983, the Chants are one home run from moving into second all-time in CCU history.

BALDRIDGE’S RETURN HOME A SUCCESSFUL ONE: Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) was 6-for-12 with a double, a home run and four RBI in the series against Winthrop May 18-20. Baldridge, also had a home run against Winthrop in the Big South Tournament

MARIOTTI STAYS UNBEATEN: Senior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) improved to 8-0 by pitching six innings of seven-hit baseball in a 13-4 win over Winthrop May 25. Mariotti gave up only one earned run and struck out two to defeat Winthrop for the second time in less than a week.

HIT BARRAGE HIGHLIGHTS VIRGINIA WIN: Coastal had a season-high 20 hits in the 11-7 win over Virginia May 15. The Chants scored five runs and had five hits in the first inning and every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit. The 20 safties were the most by a Virginia opponent this season and the most by an opponent in Davenport Field history.

PROGRAM GETS 1,100 WIN ON TUESDAY: The Coastal Carolina University baseball program won its 1,100 games in the 11-7 win over Virginia May 15. Coastal is 1,106-631 all-time, which is good for a .637 winning percentage. Coastal won its 1,000 game April 2, 2005 in a 5-2 win over Texas-Pan American.

DUGGAN CLOSE TO NCAA RECORD: Senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) has 27 sacrifice hits on the year and 0.46 sacrifice hits per game, which is tops in the country according to the latest NCAA stats. Duggan needs just three more sacrifice hits to break the single-season NCAA record. Duggan is currently second behind Todd West of Texas, who holds the record with 29 in 2000. If the season ended today, Duggan would also be tied for the all-time lead in sacrifice hits per game with Orlaff’s 0.46.

GAGG FIRST TO 10: Sophomore Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) became the first pitcher in the Big South to 10 wins this season, pitching seven innings and allowing just one earned run in the 10-2 win over UNC Asheville May 12. Gagg is 11-2 with a 2.75 earned-run average and 82 strikeouts this season.

BIG SOUTH LEADERS: Coastal Carolina leads the Big South in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage... Senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) leads the Big South with a .485 on-base percentage... Senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) has scored 62 runs, which is a League high... Senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) has 17 home runs and 39 walks, which are both League highs... Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Southern Alamance) has 157 total bases, tops in the Big South.

DELAGARZA A CANDIDATE FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Senior Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2007 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for Baseball, it was announced May 9. The award, which recognizes the Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete in six NCAA sports, is in its first year for baseball.

DeLaGarza joins Texas Christian’s Austin Adams, Saint Mary’s Eric Cattoni, Bucknell’s Ryan Gryskevicz, Florida State’s Bryan Henry, Oklahoma’s Aaron Ivey, Arizona’s Brad Mills, Michigan’s Eric Rose, Alabama’s Emeel Salem and Oklahoma State’s Keanon Simon as finalists for the award.

These 10 finalists will be placed on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award ballot for a nationwide vote beginning May 10 and concluding June 6. Fan balloting, available on the award’s official website www.seniorclassaward.com, will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the 2007 award.

BALDRIDGE, RADEMACHER NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SECOND TEAM: Coastal Carolina University baseball players Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) and Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 3 Second Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced May 10.

ANDERSON NAMED BIG SOUTH PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Coastal Carolina reliever David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) has been named New Balance Pitcher of the Week for games played April 30-May 6, it was announced today by the League office.

Anderson went six innings of relief – his longest relief outing of the season – to earn the win in an 8-3 victory at Nebraska last Friday. He struck out two and allowed six hits and just one earned run in the ninth inning for his fourth victory of the season. The sophomore helped his cause with an RBI-single in the eighth frame. Anderson’s pitching line against the Cornhuskers: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 2 SO.

CRAZY NINTH LIFTS COASTAL OVER C OF C: Coastal Carolina had one hit through eight innings of its game against the College of Charleston May 8 and were down 7-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. The Chanticleers responded with a seven-run ninth to win 8-7. Sophomore Dock Doyle (Conway, S.C./Conway) had two hits in the inning, including the game-winning single that brought in senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll). Coastal had five hits in the inning and reached base on two walks and two hit by pitches. The rally allowed the Chanticleers to sweep the two-game series against the Cougars.

SAPPELT ON A RECORD HIT PACE: Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) is on a record pace for hits in a season. Sappelt has 96 hits in 59 games. The school record for hits in a season is 97 by Dorian Cameron in 1998. The Big South Conference record is 100 by Jacob Dempsey of Winthrop in 2006 and Dominic Pattie of UNC Greensboro in 1997.

NEBRASKA SERIES NOTES: Although the series was just two games, Coastal became the first visiting team to ever sweep a regular-season series against Nebraska in Haymarket Park... They also became the first team to sweep the Huskers in Lincoln since Baylor did the trick in 1997... Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) had one hit in Saturday’s game, but it was a big two-run home run in the teeth of a 35-mph wind to tie the game at three... Senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) gave Coastal a 5-1 lead in Friday’s game with a two-run home run. Duggan was 2-for-2 with three runs scored, two sacrifice bunts and two RBI in the 8-3 win May 4... Sophomore Dock Doyle (Conway, S.C./Conway) had three hits in Saturday’s win over the Cornhuskers. That tied his career high for hits in a game... Coastal had two great defensive plays that saved the one-run win. Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Southern Alamance) made a diving catch of Andrew Brown’s shot in the left field gap for the first out. Junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) then had a great snag on Jake Mort’s grounder to third that ended the game.

CARDIAC CHANTS: Coastal Carolina came back from deficits to win the final two games of the series against Liberty April 28-29. In Saturday’s contest against the Flames, Coastal was down 9-7 heading into the top of the ninth, but sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) tied the game with a two-run home run and senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) ended it with a walk-off three-run home run to left field, giving CCU a 12-9 win. Then on Sunday, Coastal was down as much as 11-1 in the fourth inning, but scored five runs in the fourth, with four of those coming on a grand slam from senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.). Coastal was still down 13-10 heading into the eighth when sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) belted a grand slam to give the Chants a one-run lead.

RABER, DELAGARZA NAMED TO NATIONAL WATCH LISTS: Coastal seniors Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) and Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) have both been named as candidates for the Brooks Wallace Award, while Raber is a semi-finalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.

The Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player and will be nationally televised on Fox Sports Network. The selection committee will narrow the list to 30 semifinalists toward the end of May. Following the NCAA Super Regionals, the three finalists will be announced during the College World Series in Omaha. The three finalists, their head coaches and parents will be invited to Lubbock where they will participate in a three-day celebration of college baseball on July 2-4. The Wallace Award is a dedication to the memory of the former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace.

This year will mark the 30th consecutive year that the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award has been presented to the nation’s premier amateur baseball player. The winner’s name will be announced on June 29th, 2007, during the 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Show presented by Major League Baseball.

SAPPELT, MCCULLY SWEEP BIG SOUTH WEEKLY AWARD: Coastal Carolina sophomore outfielder David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C.) has been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Baseball Player of the Week, while Chanticleers freshman Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla.) has been named New Balance Pitcher of the Week for games played April 23-29, it was announced by the League office.

Sappelt batted .500 (11-22) in four games, helping the Chanticleers to a 3-1 record last week. He had seven runs scored, two doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI, in addition to a .955 slugging percentage and .522 on-base average. His most memorable hit of the week was his last, a two-out, eighth-inning grand slam that gave the Chants a 14-13 win on Sunday over Liberty. Sappelt also had a home run in Saturday’s win over the Flames. In the middle game of the series, Sappelt was 5-for-6 with two RBI. The grand slam was his second of the season.

McCully had a hand in all three Coastal victories last week. The freshman earned the victory in Coastal’s 5-1 mid-week win over The Citadel, going five innings and allowing just four hits, one earned run and one strikeout. McCully got another win Saturday, pitching 2.1 innings of hitless relief against Liberty. He struck out three as Coastal won 12-9 in the bottom of the ninth. He then earned his first save of the year by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth in the 14-13 come-from-behind win over the Flames. McCully’s line last week: 2-0, 1.08 ERA, 1 Sv, 8.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 SO.

RADEMACHER ENJOYS STELLAR WEEK: Senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) had two hits in all four games April 24-29 and drove in 10 runs on the week. This including a walk-off three-run home run in the 12-9 win over Liberty April 28. Rademacher upped his season average to .357 and now has driven in 38 runs. He had three of Coastal’s five RBI in the 5-1 win over The Citadel April 24.

GRAND SLAM GAME: Coastal had two grand slams in 2007 going into the April 29 game against Liberty. The Chanticleers had two grand slams in the 14-13 win over the Flames. Senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) connected on his first home run of the year, a grand slam in the fourth that cut Liberty’s lead to 11-6. Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) then had his second grand slam of the season in the eighth that gave Coastal the 14-13 lead.

SENIOR DAY BIG FOR VRABLE: Coastal honored its seven seniors before the April 29 game against Liberty. Senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) made it his coming out party offensively as he went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI. The senior hit a grand slam in the fourth, his first home run of the season and came around on sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) grand slam in the eighth. Vrable tied his career high in hits and RBI and set a career high in runs.

TOP FIVE TROUBLE FOR THE CITADEL: The top five hitters in the Coastal order had two hits apiece in Coastal’s 5-1 win over The Citadel April 24. The quintet of David Sappelt, Dom Duggan, Chris Raber, Tommy Baldridge and Matt Rademacher combined for 10 of the 12 hits and all five of the runs-batted in. Rademacher drove in three runs, while Raber scored a pair.

HAUG SHUTS DOWN CITADEL RALLIES: Junior Joey Haug (Holt, Mo./Maple Woods C.C.) pitched two innings of relief in the 5-1 win over The Citadel. Haug came into the game with runners on first and second and no one out, but got a foul out, a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat. Haug gave up a double to open the eighth, but then went 1-2-3 to keep it a four-run lead. Haug has a 1-0 record and a 3.86 ERA in 18 appearances this season.

CHANTS EXPLODE FOR EIGHT IN THE SIXTH VS. VMI: After getting just one hit through five innings April 22 against VMI, the Chanticleers exploded for eight runs and eight hits in the sixth inning in the 12-3 win over the Keydets. Sophomore Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) had two hits in the inning, while Bortnick and sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) each drove in a pair in the frame. Coastal’s eight-run frame is second to the ninth-run sixth in the 16-4 win over West Virginia March 4.

VRABLE SWIPING BAGS IN VMI SERIES: Senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) stole his 13th and 14th base of the season April 22 against VMI. Vrable now has 32 career stolen bases and is third in the Big South in that category.

ROTATION SOLID IN VMI SERIES: The three weekend starters for Coastal against VMI pitched 21.1 innings and allowed only 11 hits and six earned runs while striking out 16 in the sweep of the Keydets. Senior Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell), sophomore Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) and senior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) are a combined 28-4 on the mound.

ANDERSON NAMED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST: Coastal Carolina University baseball sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Midseason Watch List for the Stopper of the Year, it was announced by the NCBWA April 19. The award is given to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball.

Anderson is 5-3 with 10 saves in 28 appearances for the Chants. He has struck out 42 batters in 61 innings and allowed only 12 extra-base hits. Anderson saved the first two games of the VMI series.

SAPPELT HITS FOR CYCLE IN HPU WIN: Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) hit for the cycle in the 6-5 win in the first game of the double dip against High Point April 14. Sappelt tripled to lead off the game, homered in the second (his sixth of the season), doubled in the fourth and singled in the sixth. Sappelt has been close a couple of times to the cycle this season. He was a home run away in both the season opener against North Florida and March 15 against Eastern Michigan. He was a triple away March 30 against Charleston Southern. It is the first cycle in the Big South since VMI’s Kelly Sweppenhiser did the trick Feb. 19, 2006.

PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKERS NAME SIX PLAYERS TO MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS: Six Coastal players were named to the Perfect Game Crosscheckers Midseason All-America Team. The website ranked 70 players in each class. Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) and Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) were on the Senior team. Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) was on the Junior team, while the trio of David Sappelt (Saxapahw, N.C./Graham), Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) and David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) made the Sophomore team.

RADEMACHER STAYS BUSY BEHIND DISH: Senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) worked 26 innings behind the plate in less than 24 hours in the High Point series April 13-14. Rademacher worked Friday night’s game and then caught the doubleheader on Saturday. He went 3-for-8 with two RBI in the series.

STARTING PITCHING EXCELS IN DOUBLEHEADER: Sophomore Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) and senior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) helped Coastal sweep High Point in a doubleheader April 14. Gagg went eight-plus innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs and striking out five in the 6-5 win. It was his seventh win of the season. Mariotti then went six-plus innings, allowing just four hits, no runs and striking out three in the 4-1 win. His record improved to 4-0 on the year

MANWARING’S JERSEY RETIRED vs. WAKE: Kirt Manwaring had his jersey retired in a pre-game ceremony in Coastal’s game against Wake Forest April 11. Manwaring appeared in 141 games for the Coastal, hitting .400 for his career, which ties him with Terry Spires in the career batting average lead. He had 37 doubles, seven triples, 37 home runs and 144 RBI in his three season at Coastal. Manwaring played with three Major League teams - the San Francisco Giants, the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies - from 1987-99. He played with the Giants when they won a National League pennant in 1989.

COASTAL’S PEN SHUTS DOWN DEACON BATS: The trio of Dan Lombardozzi (Herndon, Va./Herdon), Chad Jenkins (Newark, Del./Caravel Academy) and David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) allowed just one hit in four innings in the 4-3 loss to Wake Forest. Jenkins made his first appearance of the season and struck out one in an inning. Lombardozzi went two innings with a strikeout and a hit, while Anderson did not allow a hit in the ninth.

GILMORE NAMED MIDSEASON COACH OF THE YEAR BY BASEBALL AMERICA: Coastal head coach Gary Gilmore was named college baseball’s Midseason Coach of the Year by Baseball America writer Aaron Fitt. The story appeared on Baseball America’s website April 5. Fitt says "Coastal is just a solid, well-coached club that does all the little fundamental things right and never beats itself. More than any other team, even the other surprises, Coastal’s success is a credit to its coaching."

MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE: Coastal had four former players on Opening Day rosters in the minor leagues. Mike Costanzo started in Double-A with the Reading Phillies and hit home runs in each of the first two games, helping the R-Phils to two wins. Michael DeJesus started with the Sarasota Reds of the Florida State League, Cincinnati’s High-A affiliate. Brandon Powell is with the Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League, Washington’s High-A affiliate. Brett Grandstrand opened with the Columbus Catfish of the South Atlantic League, Tampa Bay’s Class A affiliate. Kevin Salmon is now playing with the Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League.

COASTAL USES LONGBALL VS. TROY: Coastal belted eight home runs in the three-game series with Troy April 6-8, including two each by junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) and senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall). Coastal used four home runs in the 13-6 win over the Trojans and now have 72 on the year. Unfortunately for Coastal, the team had 34 strikeouts on the weekend and had 15 in the 7-6 loss Sunday.

GAGG EARNS CAREER HIGH IN K’S: Sophomore Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) struck out a career high 11 Trojans in a 6-5 loss to Troy April 7. Gagg’s first seven outs of the game were strikeouts and he now leads the team with 82 punchouts.

RABER NAMED BIG SOUTH CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: High Point junior first baseman Randy Schwartz and Coastal Carolina senior first baseman Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) have been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Baseball Co-Player of the Week for games played March 26-April 1, it was announced today by the League office.

Raber hit .500 for the week (4-8), but walked nine times as the Chanticleers won their 15th-straight game. He had a 1.125 slugging percentage and a .737 on-base average. Raber scored eight runs in the four games (26 percent of Coastal’s total runs scored), had a triple, a home run and drove in three runs, in addition to stealing three bases. Raber’s home run in Sunday’s finale against Charleston Southern was the team- and Big South-leading 10th homer of the season, and he also was 2-4 in a midweek win over College of Charleston.

COASTAL SHOWS CONTROL AGAINST CSU: The Coastal Carolina pitching staff struck out 29 Charleston Southern hitters while walking only one Buccaneer in the three-game series March 30-April 1. Senior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) led the charge with nine strikeouts in the 10-0 win over the Bucs April 1. The three Coastal starters, Mariotti, sophomore Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) and senior Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell), combined for 22 strikeouts and no walks.

COASTAL SPREADS THE WEALTH IN HOME RUNS: Six different Chanticleers hit home runs in the Charleston Southern series March 30-April 1. Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) went deep on Friday for his third of the season. Sophomore Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) and senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) hit home runs on Saturday. Senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.), junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) and senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) hit the long ball on Sunday. For Martin and Bortnick, it was their first home runs of the season.

DUGGAN DRIVES IN WINNER: Senior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) drove in the game-winning run in Coastal’s 6-5, 10-inning win over the College of Charleston March 27. It was the second game-winning RBI for Duggan this season, as his single off Russ Tomlinson brought in senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) with two outs.

COASTAL FEATURED IN USA TODAY SPORTS WEEKLY: The Coastal Carolina University baseball team has a feature story in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Weekly, out on newsstands March 28-April 3. The article is titled "Coastal Carolina on a Roll" and features quotes from Head Coach Gary Gilmore and a couple of Chanticleer players.

CHANTS START BIG SOUTH SCHEDULE WITH SERIES WIN: Coastal opened the Big South schedule with a three-game sweep of Radford March 23-25. Coastal has won 26 out of the last 29 series against Big South foes. Coastal won all eight series during the 2005 season.

RABER HITS TWO BLASTS IN RADFORD WIN: Senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) hit two opposite field home runs in the 10-3 win over Radford March 24. It was the eighth and ninth home run this season by Raber, who also has a team-leading 33 RBI. The Chants had four home runs in that game as junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) and sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) went deep in the win.

MARTIN EXCELS ON THE WEEK: Junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) hit .538 in four games March 20-25, bashing seven hits, scoring five runs, hitting three doubles and driving in four runs. Martin’s week include a 3-for-4 performance Sunday in the 9-7 win over Radford.

CHANTS GO DEEP FOUR TIMES IN A ROW: Coastal had a power surge in the eighth inning of its 12-3 win over Eastern Michigan March 17. The Chanticleers hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs to break open a 7-3 game. Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) started it with a two-run home run, his second of the game. He was followed by sophomore Dock Doyle (Conway, S.C./Conway), classmate David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) and freshman Ricky Grice (Lexington, S.C./Lexington). The last two shots were by pinch hitters, while the Chants had eight long balls on the weekend.

ALTMAN SPELLS RELIEF: Sophomore Kent Altman (Conway, S.C./Conway) pitched 6.2 of scoreless relief in the Chants 10-7 win over Eastern Michigan March 17. The righthander gave up four hits and struck out five while not allowing a run or walk as the Chants came back from a 7-1 deficit to win. It was Altman’s first career win to go along with his first career save March 11 against Georgia Southern.

BALDRIDGE DRIVES IN SIX IN EMU WIN: Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) drove in six runs in the 12-3 win over Eastern Michigan March 17. It was a career high for the junior, who now has 56 on the season.

FROSH DEALS IN UNCW WIN: Freshman Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) looked very impressive in his second collegiate start, a 7-6 win over UNC Wilmington March 13. McCully fanned nine Seahawks and did not allow an earned run in the win. McCully is now 6-2 on the season with a 2.70 ERA.

CHANTS HANG ON FOR UNCW WIN: Coastal gave up three runs in the ninth inning and UNCW had the winning run on second with one out, but sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) struck out Mark Carver and Shane French to preserve the 7-6 win. Anderson gave up four hits and three runs in the ninth, but struck out the side to give Coastal a 16-3 overall record.

COMEBACK KIDS IN WIN OVER BETHUNE-COOKMAN: Coastal scored four runs in the ninth in a 9-8 win over Bethune-Cookman March 9. The Chants gave up six in the top of the ninth, but battled back to keep their unbeaten streak in Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field alive. Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) drew a one-out bases-loaded walk to end the game. Coastal has won two games in its last at-bat. The Chants defeated Virginia Tech 6-5 Feb. 18 on a two-run single from junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell).

BALDRIDGE KEEPS HOT BAT ALIVE: Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) hit .667 with three doubles and three RBI in the Myrtle Beach Hyundai Isuzu Classic March 9-11. Baldridge was a perfect 4-for-4 in the 5-0 win over Ball State and had two doubles in the 6-2 win over Georgia Southern. Baldridge is hitting .393 on the year.

RABER EARNS NATIONAL, CONFERNCE HONOR: Coastal Carolina senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) was named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week March 5 and was the Co-Big South Player of the Week for games Feb. 19-March 4.

Raber hit .667 (8-12) with a double, three home runs, six runs scored and 12 runs-batted-in as the Chanticleers went 3-1 on the week. Raber was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI against top-ranked North Carolina Feb. 28. He then had a hit in his only official at-bat March 2 against Rhode Island. He drove in a pair and also walked twice. In the 16-7 win over Marist March 3, Raber drove in six runs, going 3-for-4 at the plate. This included a grand slam in the fourth inning. He ended the week by scoring two runs and driving in a pair in the 16-4 win over West Virginia. Raber walked five times this week and was hit by a pitch once as he reached base in 14 of 18 plate appearances.

RABER A FAN OF CHAPEL HILL: Senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) hit his second career home run at Boshamer Stadium in the 4-3 loss to North Carolina Feb. 28. Raber had three hits on the day and now has six in three games in Chapel Hill.

MARIOTTI DOMINATE IN WIN OVER NOTRE DAME: Senior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) pitched a complete game five-hitter in Coastal’s 4-0 win over Notre Dame Feb. 25. The righthander struck out 10, did not allow a walk and retired the first eight batters in the Fighting Irish order. Mariotti earned his first win of the season and lowered his earned-run average to 0.43.

BALDRIDGE LIKES THE FED: Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) hit .417 with five runs-batted-in at the Baseball at the Beach Tournament at Coastal Federal Field. Baldridge had a career-high four RBI in an 11-6 win over TCU Feb. 23, including two two-out, run-scoring singles.

GAGG NAMED BIG SOUTH PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Coastal Carolina sophomore pitcher Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) has been named New Balance Pitcher of the Week for games played Feb. 12-18, it was announced today by the League office.

Gagg improved his record to 2-0 on the year with an eight-inning masterpiece against Old Dominion. He allowed just one hit while striking out four and not allowing a run in Coastal’s 7-0 win over the Monarchs. Gagg gave up the hit in the second inning, but the runner was erased with a double play. He has now gone 14 innings without allowing a run (earned or unearned) and has given up just five hits. Gagg’s line last week: 1-0, 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 4 SO.

CHANT BATS GET TO ALL-AMERICAN: Coastal had five hits and four runs in three innings off Jake Arrietta in the Chants 11-6 win over TCU Feb. 23. Arrietta was a Second Team All-American by both Baseball America and the NCBWA. Coastal then had five runs off reliever Donald Furrow in the win over the Horned Frogs.

COASTAL SHUTS OUT OPPOSITION: Coastal Carolina picked up its fifth shutout of the season in the 10-0 win over Charleston Southern April 1. Coastal had four shutouts all of last season.

CHANTS COME BACK IN WIN OVER HOKIES: Coastal Carolina had a 4-1 lead heading in to the top of the ninth inning Feb. 18 against Virginia Tech, but the Chants gave up four runs in the ninth to trail by one. After the Hokies retired Coastal’s first batter, Rhett Ballard walked sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) and junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill). Ballard hit senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) to load the bases and junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) brought a pair home with a single off Ballard’s leg. It was Coastal’s second comeback win this season and the second over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

MARTIN DRIVING ‘EM IN: Junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) has driven in 39 runs in 52 games this season, including the game-winner in the 6-5 win over Virginia Tech Feb. 18. Martin already has eclipsed his RBI total of last year.

SAPPELT NAMED BIG SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Coastal Carolina sophomore outfielder David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) has been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week for games played Feb. 5-11, it was announced today by the League office.

Sappelt batted .400 (6-15) in three games, helping Coastal open the season 3-0 with wins over North Florida (8-1), 2006 NCAA Tournament participant Elon (13-0) and No. 7 Virginia (3-2) in the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament. He had a hit and run scored in all three games, and opened with a 3-5 game with two RBI, a double and a triple vs. North Florida. Sunday vs. the Cavaliers, Sappelt was 2-4 at the plate, drew a walk and stole a base in the win. He finished the week with a .438 on-base percentage and a .600 slugging percentage.

COASTAL WINS FOR OPENERS: Coastal improved to 20-12 all-time in season openers with an 8-1 win over North Florida Feb. 9 in the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament. Coastal has now won its last two openers by a combined score of 17-1.

ACES ON THE MOUND: Coastal left the opening weekend with a scant 0.33 earned-run average. Coastal gave up one earned run (Feb. 11 vs. Virginia) in three games of the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament. Coastal’s three starters, Andy DeLaGarza, Bobby Gagg and John Mariotti, went a combined 19 innings, allowing only 12 hits and one earned run while striking out seven. Coastal used nine pitchers on the weekend and the staff gave up only six walks.

RABER GOES OPPO... TWICE: Senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) hit two opposite field home runs in the 3-2 win over Virginia Feb. 11. The senior gave Coastal a 2-1 lead in the fifth with a blast off Matt Packer. Then in the seventh, he went deep off Jake Rule to give the Chants the game-winning run. The two home runs were the only two the Chants hit all weekend.

DRAFT DODGERS: Coastal has four players on its roster that were taken in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Senior Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 2003 Draft. Senior John Marriotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) was a two-time selection by the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim. Sophomore Austin Fleet (Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe) was taken in the 2006 draft by the Atlanta Braves and freshman Chad Jenkins (Newark, Del./Caravel Academy) was picked by the Washington Nationals in this past summer’s draft.

DUO HEADED TO THE CAPE: Sophomores Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) and David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) will both be playing for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League this summer. The duo will be the first Chants in the Cape since Travis Risser (Palmyra, Pa./James Madison) played for Falmouth in 2005. Yarmouth-Dennis won the League last season. Gagg and Anderson are two of 15 Chanticleers that have secured a place in a summer league in 2007.

PUBLICATIONS PICK COASTAL SECOND IN BIG SOUTH: The Coastal Carolina University baseball team was picked to finish second in the Big South Conference inthe Baseball America, the SEBaseball.com and the Perfect Game Crosscheckers Big South Season Previews.

The Baseball America preview had Coastal second behind Winthrop in the Big South standings. The magazine also predicted an All-Big South team, with senior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) earning the nod for the designated hitter/utility player position.

In a separate piece, Baseball America listed Coastal Carolina as the 63rd best program in the country from 1999-2006. The magazine ranks teams based on winning percentage, regional, super-regional and College World Series appearances, first-, second- and third-team All-Americans and players selected in the Major League Baseball draft. Coastal was the only Big South team selected in the top-64.

The website SoutheasternBaseball.com also picked Coastal second behind Winthrop. Senior second baseman Adam Vrable (Bay City, MIch./Grand Rapids C.C.) and Mariotti were on their All-Big South First Team, while senior lefthanded pitcher Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) was a Second Team choice. SEBAseball.com also has freshman Eric Godsy (Edmond, Okla./North) as the League’s second-best newcomer behind Winthrop’s Kevin Nolan.

Perfect Game Crosscheckers also picked the Chants second behind Winthrop. The organization predicted sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) as the second-best player in the Big South. They also had Mariotti as the fifth best prospect in the BSC for the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft and Anderson as the second-best prospect for the 2008 draft.

Finally, CSTV.com picked a preseason projected NCAA Tournament bracket, and the website had Coastal as a four-seed in the Clemson regional. The website praised the Chants tough schedule, which is the 17th toughest in the nation according to SEBaseball.com.

CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2006 SEASON: The Coastal Carolina baseball team has announced that seniors Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan), Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) and Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) were selected as team captains for the 2006 season.