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PING!BASEBALL SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW
Clay Whittemore
Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Last year Jacksonville State’s Clay Whittemore emerged as one of the premier hitters in college baseball, earning All Ping! and Louisville Slugger/TPX All-American status as well was being named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year after leading the OVC in hits (93), RBI (69), multiple-hit games (31), multiple-RBI games (20) and doubles (20). Whittemore flirted with the .400 mark the entire season, finishing at an OVC second best .391 and his 69 RBI tied for 19th in the nation.

Originally a Georgia Bulldog, things never quite meshed in Athens prompting a move to JSU where he settled in nicely earning Second-Team All-OVC honors after finishing second on the Gamecocks with a .319 average and 40 RBI.

A senior this season, Whittemore’s stock is expected to continue to rise and he has been named to the pre-season 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List, one of only three OVC players named to the list.

Whittemore and the Gamecocks will be looking to build upon their last season's successes in which the team finshed second in OVC during both the regular season and the conference tournament, ending the year at 33-27 (18-9). Before they hit field however, Whittemore sat down to answer some questions from Ping!.

PING!: You had a tough freshman season at Georgia, hitting .186 in 22 games as a Bulldog. What do you attribute your first year struggles to?

Whittemore: I think you can attribute that to a couple of different things but I think the thing that hurt me the most was not being in there on a regular basis. Going a week to 10 days between AB's can really keep you out of a groove, so it was a tough situation.

PING!: Why did you decide to transfer to Jacksonville State?

Whittemore: Transferring to another in-conference school would have kept me from playing right away, which is something I definetly wanted to do. Being in-state was another big issue for me. I knew a few of the players at Jacksonville State and after meeting with the coaching staff I knew it would provide the best situation for me.

PING!: Your teammate Bert Smith also had a great 2007 collegiate season batting .359 and going 31-34 in stolen bases. He followed it up with an outstanding effort over the summer, playing along side you once again for the Bethesda Big Train (team leading .301 average, 20-20 in stolen bases). How much has his success helped you in compiling your stout offensive numbers?

Whittemore: I really wished guys like Bert got more credit for setting the table like he does. I'll bet if you took a good look at some of my numbers, you'd find that he was in on at least half of them. It seems like every time I came to the plate Bert was already in scoring position, so he makes my job really easy.

PING!: With another successful season, your name will likely be called in next June's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Are there any parts of your game you're working on developing to increase your chances of being selected?

Whittemore: Arm strength is an area that I've given extra attention this fall. I've also done some extra work from a speed and agility standpoint as well.

PING!: Last year JSU suffered a tough defeat, losing a lead in Starkville against eventual CWS participant Mississippi State, hung with the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station, losing a game due to unearned runs and also lost a game by a single run against Troy who received an at large invite to the NCAA postseason. How difficult is it coming so close to earning a win over a big name program, but falling just short?

Whittemore: Losing close games is tough, but coming so close to beating some of these great teams and coming up short is especially tough. To beat those type teams, you really have to play 9 innings of your best baseball, and I think that's why we schedule these games. Some of the goals we've set for our program include success in the NCAA post-season, and that's why we schedule games with programs like Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Even though we lost those games, I think we are more prepared to play in that post-season atmosphere.

PING!: Speaking of name programs, the Gamecocks will lock up with your former school Georgia for a game in March. Considering your history in Athens, are you looking especially forward to the game?

Whittemore: Definetly, I like playing bigger schools from conferences like the SEC,
and the fact that I used to play for Georgia makes it really exciting. I guess I kind of know how professional players feel when they move to another team and play against old teammates.

PREVIOUS PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS

2010
A.J. Kirby-Jones Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
Akeem Hood North Carolina Central Eagles
Alex Pracher Stanford Cardinal
Christopher Manno Duke Blue Devils
Collin Cargill Southern Miss Golden Eagles
George Springer Connecticut Huskies

Will Gowdy *

OBU Tigers
Coach Dave Schmotzer * Coker Cobras
Blake Forsythe Tennessee Volunteers
Matt Purke TCU Horned Frogs

* - DII
2009
Matt den Dekker Florida Gators
Geoff Parker Florida State Seminoles
Chris Dominguez Louisville Cardinals
Nick McCully Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Matt Carpenter TCU Horned Frogs
Mike Roberts Columbia Lions
Bradley Logan Georiga State Panthers
Christian Bergman UC Irvine Anteaters
Matt Otteman UT Arlington Mavericks
Matt and Rich Gedman Massachusetts Minutemen
Jace Brinkerhoff and Billy Burgess Utah Valley University Wolverines
Kyle Roller East Carolina Pirates
Joey Bergman and Jesse Simpson College of Charleston Cougars

DII

Matt Cotellese West Chester Golden Rams
Mike Adams Franklin Pierce Ravens
J.D. Martinez &
Michael Fiers
Nova Southeastern Sharks
Kevin Pillar &
Phil Van Doren
Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros
Jordan Schmitt Abilene Christian University Wildcats
Tim Freshour Shippensburg Red Raiders
Ryan Kirkman UNC Pembroke Braves

 

Previous Years

2008
Tommy Medica Santa Clara Broncos
Jeremy Hamilton Wright State Raiders
Kyle Bellows San Jose State Spartans
Mike Ford and
Mario Hollands
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
Alex Buchholz Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
Will Delawter UMBC Retrievers
Brad McElroy Charlotte 49ers
Ross Humes Washington State Cougars
Gary Novakowski
and Tom Koehler
Stony Brook Seawolves
Asher Wojciechowski The Citadel Bulldogs
Mitch Harris Navy Midshipmen
Conor Gillaspie Wichita State
Xavier Scruggs UNLV
Christian Friedrich Eastern Kentucky
Adam Zornes Rice Owls
Adam Warren North Carolina
Scott Eckard, Kyle Bowley
& Andrew Runion
USC Upstate Trojans
Joe Godri Villanova Wildcats
Kyle Russell Texas Longhorns
Clay Whittemore Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Andrew Means Indiana Hoosiers
Nate Freiman Duke Blue Devils
Jason Buursma Bucknell Bison
Chris Shehan Georgia Southern Eagles
Ed Mathey Northern Illinois Huskies
K.K. Chalmers Memphis Tigers
Trey Sutton Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
Michael Rockett Texas San Antonio Roadrunners
Brett Nommensen Eastern Illinois Panthers
George Brown St. John's Red Storm
Buzzy Haydel LSU Tigers

DII

Scott Savastano Franklin Pierce Ravens
Michael Brzezinski St. Mary's Rattler's
Erik Lovett Mount Olive Trojans
Andy Kampsen Northern State

 

2007
Jordan Pacheo
& Ian Hollick
New Mexico
Scott Simon
& Matt German
Northern Illinois
Matt La Porta Florida
Bryan Rembisz
& Kyle Henry
Vermont
Michael Arensdorff
& Zach Rodeghero
Valparaiso
T.J. Baxter
& Matt McKissick
New Orleans
Craig Brookes
& Steve Gerstenberger
Michigan State
Robbie Rowen
& Marcus Wynn
Long Island
Devin Thomas
& Jeff Deitz
Brown
Ryan Langlais North Dakota State
Kellen Kulbacki James Madison Dukes
Curt Smith Maine BlackBears
Austin Krum Dallas Baptist Patriots
Matt Cusick Southern California Trojans
Pat Venditte Creighton Bluejays
James Simmons UC Riverside Highlanders
Tony Campana Cincinnati Bearcats
Clint Robinson Troy Trojans
David Wood Texas State
Kraig Binick New York Institute of Technology Bears
Brendon Hitchcock Binghamton Bearcats
Brian Rike Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Arik Hempy South Carolina Gamecocks
Tyson Brummett UCLA Bruins
Matt Hauge
& Curt Rindal
Washington Huskies
Robbie Widlansky Florida Atlantic Owls
Parker Dalton Texas A&M Aggies
Greg Sexton William and Mary Tribe
Joe Savery Rice Owls

PREVIOUS COACH SPOTLIGHTS

Scott Norwood Arkansas Little Rock Trojans
Scott Forbes North Carolina Tar Heels
Rob Childress Texas A&M Aggies
Joe Litterio Wagner Seahawks
Lelo Prado South Florida Bulls
Brian O'Connor Virginia Cavaliers

DII

Murphy Su'a Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros
Rudy Garbolosa Lynn Fighting Knights
Todd Wilkinson Barton College Bulldogs
Stan Sanchez Colorado State University - Pueblo

2008
George Horton Oregon Ducks
Nick Restaino Fordham Rams
Dan Callahan Southern Illinois Salukis
Mervyl Melendez Bethune-Cookman Wildcats
Rob Walton Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Mike McRae Canisius Golden Griffins
Frank Leoni William & Mary Tribe
Brad Hill Kansas State Wildcats
Jim Toman Liberty Flames
Vance Law Brigham Young Cougars
Buddy Bolding Longwood Lancers
Dan Heefner Dallas Baptist Patriots
Mike Gillespie UC Irvine Anteaters
Mike Batesole Fresno State Bulldogs

 

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