South Carolina Gamecocks

Feb. 15, 2011

Columbia, S.C. - South Carolina was selected to finish in third place in the Eastern Division in the 2011 SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released on Tuesday, Feb. 15. Carolina has finished in the upper half of the SEC Eastern Division 14 of 19 seasons since joining the league including 11 of 14 years under head coach Ray Tanner. The 2011 season begins on Friday, February 18 as the Gamecocks host a three-game series with Santa Clara at Carolina Stadium. Tickets are still available for all three games this weekend.

Florida is the choice to win the 2011 SEC championship with LSU the choice to win the West. In addition to picking a preseason champion, the head coaches voted a predicted order of finish in the SEC Eastern and Western Divisions. Points were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

2011 SEC COACHES PRESEASON POLL RESULTS

Eastern Division
Team Points
1. Florida 66
2. Vanderbilt 55
3. South Carolina 48
4. Kentucky 33
5. Georgia 26
6. Tennessee 17

Western Division
Team Points
1. LSU 63
2. Arkansas 49
3. Auburn 46
4. Ole Miss 40
5. Alabama 33
6. Mississippi State 17

SOUTH CAROLINA'S SEC HISTORY
YEAR	        RECORD	DIV. FINISH
1992		13-11	2nd
1993		15-10-1	2nd
1994		11-15	4th
1995		12-14	3rd
1996		13-17	5th
UNDER COACH Ray Tanner
1997		13-17	4th
1998		19-10	2nd
1999		15-15	1st
2000		25-5	1st
2001		17-13	3rd
2002		21-8	1st
2003		19-11	1st
2004		17-13	2nd
2005		16-14	2nd
2006		15-15	4th
2007		17-13	2nd
2008		15-15	5th
2009		17-13	2nd
2010	        21-9	2nd
Overall Record:	311-238-1 (.566)
Under Tanner:	247-171 (.591)

SEC EAST TITLES (4)
1999, 2000, 2002, 2003

SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS (2)
2000, 2002

SEC TOURNAMENT TITLE (1)
2004

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South Carolina is the defending national champion in college baseball after winning the title at the 2010 College World Series. South Carolina has nine College World Series appearances including four in the last nine years under head coach Ray Tanner. Under Tanner's leadership South Carolina owns the fourth highest win total in the last 11 years in the nation with a 522-217 record. South Carolina is one of eight schools to appear in the NCAA Regional every season in the last 11 years including eight NCAA Super Regional appearances in that span, one of only six schools to accomplish the feat. Carolina owns more overall wins than any SEC team in the last 11 years and more conference wins than any SEC team in the last 11 years with a 200-129 conference record. South Carolina is the only SEC school to record 40 or more wins each season from 2000-present and the only SEC school to reach the NCAA Regional every season in the last 11 years. The Gamecocks also have the most NCAA Super Regional appearances of the 12 SEC schools in the last 11 years.

Head coach Ray Tanner is the second winningest coach in Southeastern Conference history with a .692 winning percentage in 14 seasons at the helm of the Garnet & Black.