Baseball • 2006 Universit University of South Carolina Upstate y of ...

2005 Season ReviewThe 2005 USC Upstate Spartans startedthe season with a few question marks. Howwould the Spartans build on the school-record11 conference wins in 2004 and how wouldthey react to losing 12 letterwinners includingMLB draftee Chris Nowak? Well, theSpartans responded in 2005 with a 33-21record and a school-record 14 conferencewins. The 33 wins was the most the Spartanshad recorded in a season since joining NCAADivision II and the PBC.The 2005 squad, led by eighth-yearHead Coach Matt Fincher, relied on a mixtureof seniors and newcomers to give theSpartans their most successful season in years.With timely hitting and solid relief pitching,the Spartans gave their opponents a difficulttime.The offense was led by several Spartans,including senior Eric Davis, junior MattGoyea, and freshman Kyle Bowley. Davisenjoyed a solid senior season batting .350on the season with 17 doubles, seven triples,and eight homeruns. Goyea, a junior collegetransfer, led the team and the PBC inbatting with a .425 average. Goyea’s 77hits was the fourth-most in a single-season atUSC Upstate. Bowley provided solid powerat the plate for the Spartans. Bowleyslammed nine homeruns in 2005 and drovein a team-high 59 runs.Other contributors for the Spartans offensivelywas senior Jim Kais and junior BradWingo. Kais, who for much of his career wasnone more for his defense as a catcher, explodedat the plate in 2005 batting .327 with12 doubles and 31 runs driven in. Wingo,who suffered a broken jaw with only threegames remaining in 2005, batted .340 withnine doubles and 30 RBIs. Wingo laid downa team-high 11 sacrifice bunts in 2005 whileonly striking out 24 times in 191 at-bats.The freshman pitching class was instrumentalin USC Upstate’s success in 2005.Leading the way were a pair of freshmen(James Dalton and Scott Eckard). Daltonwas very effective out of the bullpen, recordingfive saves and 72 strikeouts. Eckardturned into the Spartans ace on the weekend,going 7-3 with a 2.82 ERA. Combined,Dalton and Eckard pitched 30 percent of theteam’s innings.Also contributing to the Spartans pitchingstaff in 2005 was senior Garrett Holmesand junior Brandon Williams. Holmes wassimply masterful out of the bullpen in 2005.The lefty was 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA and fivesaves. With a solid command of hischangeup, Holmes struck out a team-high79 batters in 2005.Williams finished 2005 with a 5-2 recordwhile striking out 70 batters. Williams starteda team-high 13 games for the USC Upstatehurlers.USC Upstate kicked off the 2005 seasonwith a three-game sweep over Bloomfield atHarley Park. The Spartans pounded out 22runs and a PBC record 11 doubles in gametwo of a doubleheader. In that game, pitcherTrevor Berryhill surrendered only one hit insix innings pitched.After two mid-week games in which theSpartans went 1-1 with a loss at home againstNewberry and a win at home the followingday against Lenoir-Rhyne, they traveled toAiken for their first PBC road test in 2005.The Spartans split a doubleheader with thePacers, however, dropped the rubber gameof the series in a wild 15-14 loss in 14 innings.The Spartans set a three single-gamerecords in the 5:23 marathon game.The Spartans returned to their winningways the next week picking up home victoriesagainst Mars Hill and Anderson. SeniorAdam Whiteside provided the heroics againstthe Lions, driving in the winning run in theninth inning. Davis provided a two-runhomerun to lead USC Upstate past the Trojansthe following day.USC Upstate faced another PBC weekendroad series as they traveled to face UNCPembroke. The Spartans took both ends ofa doubleheader on Saturday. Bowley ledthe offensive charge providing a homerun ingame one. The Braves took game threeleaving the Spartans at an even 3-3 recordin the PBC.Pitcher2005 Starts By PositionGSBrandon Williams 13Scott Eckard 12George Gibson 7Trevor Berryhill 7Kyle Bowley 6Doc Godfrey 3Ryan Poss 3Jorda Young 2James Dalton 1CatcherGSJim Kais 46Josh Clark 7Ryan Lanning 1First BaseGSEric Davis 32Kyle Bowley 12Ross Vigder 10Second BaseGSMatt Goyea 37Adam Whiteside 8Andrew Maddox 6Michael Kohn 3Third BaseGSKyle Bowley 28Michael Kohn 12Andrew Maddox 9Adam Whiteside 4Andrew Runion 1ShortstopGSJohn Caddell 53Michael Kohn 1Left FieldGSBrad Wingo 43Eric Davis 11CenterfieldGSBret Hansen 48Brad Wingo 6Right FieldGSBrian Discordia 44Eric Davis 10Designated HitterGSRoss Vigder 22Josh Clark 11Kyle Bowley 9Matt Goyea 7Andrew Runion 4Eric Davis 1Senior Adam Whiteside drove in thewinning run with a single up the middleto defeat Mars Hill, 8-7 on February 15,2005.30