Cougs get another shot at Gamecocks

Tonight against the College of Charleston, 10th-ranked South Carolina will start right-hander Sam Dyson, a redshirt freshman who has pitched a grand total of 3 2/3 innings this season.

Don't expect Dyson's inexperience to give Charleston coach John Pawlowski a false sense of security.

"If he's on South Carolina's pitching staff, he's got ability," Pawlowski said. "When you're a top program, there are guys who haven't played much who are very, very good players. Numbers don't fool me and appearances don't fool me. If he's on their team, he's got ability."

Dyson (1-0, 4.91) gets a chance to show his stuff at 7 tonight at South Carolina's Sarge Frye Field when the Gamecocks (15-6 after Tuesday night's loss to Furman) take on Charleston (16-7).

It will mark Dyson's fourth appearance of the season but first career start.

Charleston will counter with junior right-hander Clay Caulfield, a junior college transfer who missed all of last season after undergoing elbow surgery.

Caulfield (2-1, 6.61 ERA) is a relative veteran in comparison to Dyson, making five appearances and three starts with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings.

The Cougars failed to get very deep into the game against the Gamecocks last week at Patriots Point Stadium, trailing 5-1 after four innings in a game that snowballed into a 13-1 South Carolina victory.

Pawlowski is hoping for better in tonight's rematch.

"They got on a roll and they played a great game against us," he said. "In order to beat a team of that caliber, you have to play well. But it all starts with pitching. If we can go out and keep the game close down to the last few innings, we have a shot."

Reach Charles Bennett at cbennett@postandcourier.com.