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House: Clemmons, Johnson, Anderson, Atkinson, Crawford, Duckworth, Fry, Hardee, Hayes, Hewitt, Ryhal
TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY BASEBALL TEAM FOR WINNING THE 2016 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES AND CAPTURING ITS FIRST NCAA BASEBALL TITLE AND TO CONGRATULATE THE PLAYERS AND COACHES ON A FABULOUS SEASON.
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased that the Coastal Carolina University baseball team, the pride of the entire Palmetto State, won the 2016 College World Series (CWS), which was played in Omaha, Nebraska, from June 18-30, 2016; and
Whereas, led by Head Coach Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina took home its first CWS trophy with a 4-3 victory over the University of Arizona in the third and deciding game of the championship series between the Chanticleers and the Wildcats on June 30, 2016; and
Whereas, the Chanticleers scored their four runs in the sixth inning, including a two-run homerun by G.K. Young. The team clinched the victory in dramatic fashion when Coastal Carolina pitcher Alex Cunningham struck out the final Wildcat batter on a full count with runners on second and third; and
Whereas, in doing so, Coastal Carolina (55-18) became the first team since Minnesota in 1956 to win the national title in its first CWS appearance; and
Whereas, pitcher Andrew Beckwith (15-1) earned his nation-best fifteenth win, and his third of the CWS, after pitching 5-2/3 innings against the Wildcats in the decisive Game 3, having pitched two complete games earlier in the series. He was selected Most Outstanding Player and, in addition, was named to the CWS All-Tournament team, along with teammates David Parrett, Zach Remillard, and Anthony Marks; and
Whereas, Gary Gilmore, head coach for the past twenty-one seasons, ushered the Chanticleers from their infancy in Division I to a national title-clinching victory at the end of the longest CWS ever: seventeen games over thirteen days, ending some seven hours before the calendar flipped to July and Coastal Carolina left the Big South for the Sun Belt Conference. In grabbing this title, the Chanticleers accomplished a once-unthinkable feat; and
Whereas, Coach Gilmore had thought all season that his team "had a chance to be good," but the Chants were more than good in Omaha, closing this CWS with a nation-high fifty-five wins; and
Whereas, on the road in post-season play, Coastal Carolina came back in the ninth inning to beat North Carolina State in the Regionals and then won two straight at powerful LSU in the Super Regionals. The Chanticleers beat Florida, Texas Tech, and then TCU twice in Omaha to reach the championship series. After losing to Arizona in the first of three games, the Chanticleers won the second by a score of 5-4, to force the winner-take-all final; and
Whereas, Coastal Carolina fans proved their support for these athletes by making a good showing at the title game to cheer them on, in spite of short notice on a delayed game date brought on by inclement weather. The Chants' admirers were part of the crowd of 18,823 who attended the title game, and they helped power their baseball team to its historic first national championship in any sport; and
Whereas, Coach Gilmore rightly has his sights on a return to Omaha this year, and the people of South Carolina salute him and his fine group of young athletes and congratulate this now-legendary team on a class act. Go, Chants! Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and celebrate the Coastal Carolina University baseball team for winning the 2016 College World Series and capturing its first NCAA baseball title and congratulate the players and coaches on a fabulous season.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the Coastal Carolina University baseball team and Head Coach Gary Gilmore.
This web page was last updated on January 18, 2017 at 3:25 PM