Tanner looking to swap players at DH spot
After a week of practice, South Carolina coach Ray Tanner was relieved he still had one more day to further resolve his lineup for the weekend series against Elon.
“We’re still trying to figure out what our best lineup will be,” Tanner said. “I know that it’s not where I want it to be at this point. I’m not sure you can rotate your infielders like maybe you could if it was a (designated hitter) or a corner outfielder necessarily. We want to get settled in, but it’s sort of been kind of different for us lately.”
Tanner’s main indecision is at second base, where he’s choosing among junior college transfer Chase Vergason and freshmen TJ Costen and Connor Bright. After the series sweep of Virginia Military Institute, Tanner said he wasn’t sure who should be starting at second base, but on Thursday after almost a full week of practice, Tanner said his mind still wasn’t made up as who to start and the situation may not be cleared up after the series against Elon either.
“We’ve been kind of joking this week that we’re having tryouts at second base,” Tanner said. “Chase sort of had the lead going into the season, but he had a neck injury that bothered him a little bit and didn’t play quite as comfortable when he came out. Connor Bright has made some progress. TJ brings you a lot of offensive prowess to the position, but hasn’t [been] quite as good defensively. We played three different guys last weekend, and we may do that again.”
After the VMI series, Tanner called Vergason a better quarterback in the infield because he’s had the junior college experience that freshmen Costen and Bright haven’t, but also said that he hasn’t been as productive recently as he was in the fall.
“Being on the field for two years, I kind of know a lot of what’s going on,” Vergason said. “But so do [Costen and Bright]. We’re all good players.”
Though there are still questions to be answered at second base, Tanner was pleased with LB Dantzler, who led the team with five RBIs over the weekend at third and Joey Pankake at shortstop, though he said Pankake laid off some balls that he should have gone after. Pankake said he feels comfortable with the three players that Tanner has been subbing in and out of second, and Tanner isn’t worried about how the uncertainty will affect his freshman shortstop.
“We work a lot in practice with those guys,” Tanner said. “He’s in the middle of that, but I don’t think it concerns him at all. I don’t think it would even cross his mind unless you brought it up to him. I think he’s fine with whatever way we go.”
Pankake is also starting to feel more comfortable in his at-bats, as he got his first college hit in Game 2 against VMI after struggling in the preseason.
“I was just kind of hitting it right at people,” Pankake said. “College pitching is a lot different and that’s a difficult transition, but I think I’m starting to settle in, and hopefully I’ll find more holes here soon.”
The only other place of uncertainty is the designated hitter role, where Tanner put Kyle Martin in Game 1 against VMI. If freshman Grayson isn’t behind the plate, then Tanner will likely keep him in the lineup in that role, but he will look to get others opportunities at the plate.
“I’ve got to get Sean Sullivan some at-bats,” Tanner said. “He’s an older guy that’s starting to become healthy. He’s a very mature hitter. If TJ Costen is not in the lineup (at second base), he gives you a pretty good runner and some power from the right side as well. I don’t know that we’re in a situation right now that Kyle Martin will get all the at-bats. He may eventually, but probably right now, some of those other guys are going to get a chance.”