Columbia, S.C. - A pair of South Carolina Gamecocks are getting ready to compete in the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs. Whit Merrifield and Parker Bangs will be on the diamond on Friday, Aug. 7 and will try to help lead theChatham A's to a CCBL championship. The A's are a wild card entry andwill face off with Orleans in a one-game playoff. With a victory, theA's would go on to a three-game series against Yarmouth-Dennis.
Merrifield, a rising junior, has had a stellar second half ofthe summer with Chatham with his batting average up to .266(38-for-143) after a tough first couple of weeks at the plate. TheGamecock center fielder has a team-high 23 runs scored for the A's andalso has tallied seven doubles, a triple, one home run and 12 RBI. Heleads the team with 16 stolen bases.
Merrifield took a few minutes to talk with GamecocksOnline.com about his experience this summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League
Q: You had a slow start at the plate but have been hitting theball as of late. Can you talk a little bit about the experience so farand adjusting to the wood bat and summer baseball?
A: "It's been kind of a roller coaster. I started really slow,first 50 at-bats I was around .100. I've been swinging well lately andI just kind of found my groove. It's a little different with the woodthan with the metal bat. I've also adjusted to the pitchers up here.The first couple weeks I also was a little unlucky and was hitting someat people. I finally started to get a few hits and found a few holesand it's been better."
Q: What have you worked on to become a better player and to prepare yourself for your next season at South Carolina?
A: "I've worked on some stuff as a leadoff hitter. I've beenworking on my two-strike approach and I'm tracking balls better andwalking more. I think I have cut down on my strikeouts as well. Ireally feel like I have made strides in my game and looking forward totaking it back to South Carolina."
