Tournament takes on new format this season

SoCon Notes

The Southern Conference has gone to a different format for this year's tournament, using two separate brackets that ensure a one-game championship on Sunday that will be televised by SportSouth.

The 10-team double elimination tournament features two five-team brackets with a play-in game in each.

"It's the only way to do it to have it on TV," said The Citadel coach Fred Jordan. "I think it's a good format. I like a normal tournament format best, but if you have to set it up for one game, it's probably the best in my opinion."

The survivors of Thursday's winners' bracket games will have a significant advantage, getting a day off on Friday while the remaining teams battle it out in the losers' bracket.

The teams coming out of the losers' bracket would then have to beat the winners twice on Saturday to advance to Sunday's championship game. Sunday will feature only one game regardless of whether either team in the championship game is unbeaten.

"I think it's going to be interesting," said Charleston coach John Pawlowski. "You're looking at a situation where you can stay in the winners' bracket and get a day off. It could really help your pitching staff. I think it will be really interesting how it shakes down as we get into it."

Giant killers

Since 1999, Elon has won 18 games against teams ranked in the nation's top 25.

Included on that list is a 2-0 victory at then No. 4-ranked North Carolina on April 8.

It marked the first time Elon has shut out a ranked opponent.

When you're hot, you're hot

From April 6 to May 5, Furman won 13 consecutive SoCon games, including series sweeps of Charleston, Wofford, Western Carolina and Davidson.

Furman was picked to finish ninth in a preseason poll of the league's coaches.

First time for everything

Appalachian State has won 30 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1985 and '86.

And for the first time in school history, ASU has two pitchers with four or more saves in junior Garrett Sherrill and senior Adam Mills.

Help from the gridiron

Furman's baseball program received a boost this spring with the addition of freshman switch-hitting first baseman/designated hitter Ryan Lee, who is a scholarship offensive tackle on Furman's football team.

The 6-3, 260-pound Lee, who redshirted last season, has been a mainstay in the Paladins' lineup, missing only three games because of spring football practice.

Topping the Terriers

Wofford senior third baseman Shane Kirkley has made his mark this season on the career record lists. He is first all-time in school history in games played, at bats, hits, runs scored, runs batted in, doubles, sacrifice flies, total bases and extra base hits.

Don't count 'em out

Wofford will enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed for the second straight season. Last year the Terriers won the SoCon title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Oh, brother

Western Carolina catcher Stephen Notaro hit a home run in the Catamounts' 5-2 victory over The Citadel in May 10. Moments before his homer, Notaro's brother Michael homered for Oral Roberts in a game against Oakland.

Bulldogs' no-walk zone

The Citadel's Wes Wrenn had a streak of 29 2/3 innings earlier this season in which he didn't allow a walk.

Wrenn had a nine-inning complete game during the streak in which he used only 100 pitches.

Number won

Earlier this season, the College of Charleston beat Georgia Southern 5-4 and 7-6 and Winthrop 5-4 in successive games, it marked the first time in school history that the Cougars have won three consecutive games by a one-run margin.

Seeing double

Davidson outfielder Chase FitzPatrick and third baseman Chris FitzPatrick are twins. It's the first time in school history Davidson has had twins on its baseball team. The Wildcats are in their 106th season of play.

Home sweet home

Georgia Southern was 9-3 at home in SoCon play this season. The Eagles dropped a pair of 5-3 decisions to Appalachian State and lost a game to The Citadel 5-4.

Making a nice run

UNC Greensboro's nine-game winning streak from March 15 to March 26 was second only to Elon's 10-game winning streak to begin the season.