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Baseball has successful summer, falls at CWS BY JONATHAN HILLYARD AND BRAD SENKIW THE GAMECOCK The USC baseball team en joyed its third consecutive post season run but found disappoint ment as the team came up one win short of the championship se ries. The Gamecocks lost to Cal State Fullerton twice but beat them once along with LSU and Miami. After returning home from Omaha and the College World Series, the USC baseball team will look back at an extremely suc cessful season and prepare for what should be another memo rable campaign in 2005. The 2004 Gamecocks saw a roller coaster of events mold into one of the best seasons in school history. After starting off in an impressive fashion with an undefeated 18-0 streak, the team quickly cooled with a puz zling 2-4 start in conference play. Toward the end of the regular season, the Gamecock faithful be gan to stir as the team won four of its last five SEC series. PHOTO BY JOEY BORDEL/THE REVEILLE USC’s Kevin Melillo runs into LSU catcher Matt Liuzza during a game at the College World Series. GET FIT. GET PAID. For Part-time Package Handlers at FedEx Ground, it's like a paid workout. The work’s demanding, - ' - •’ ' •; r-'rt.: I get a weekly paycheck, tuition assistance and break a sweat with the nation’s package delivery leader. I Part-time Package Handlers Two Part-time shifts available, (evening and early morning) Up to $8.50/hr. to start, scheduled raises. Qualifications: 18 years or older Must be able to work Monday thru Friday Must be able to lift 50 lbs. Ability to lead, unload, sort packages Fedex.com/us/careers Womin and minorities are encouraged to join the team. Probably the greatest turning point in the season came when the team trailed Ole Miss 6-2 in the top of the ninth inning of the opening game of the SEC Tournament. Following a come from-behind win in that game, the team would win nine games in a row prior to losing in the first round of the College World Series. The win streak included the first SEC Tournament champi onship in school history and sweeps in both Regional and Super Regional competition in the NCAAs. USC’s third consecutive trip to the College World Series drew ironic comparisons to the first in the trilogy as the team lost the opener, only to reach the semi-fi nals of college baseball’s national championship. As the Cal State Fullerton Titans celebrated their national championship, USC ar rived back in Columbia having come up just short for the third straight year. Several Gamecocks had dreams come true over the sum mer at the Major League Baseball draft. Senior catcher Landon Powell, the 24th selec tion by the Oakland Athletics, and Matt Campbell, the 27th se lection by the Kansas City Royals, were both chosen in the first round, marking the first time in school history two Gamecocks were chosen that high in the draft. Closer Chad Blackwell will join Campbell as a member of the Royals’ minor league staff as a sixth-round pick. The Royals also selected another USC pitcher in junior college transfer Billy Buckner in the fifth round. Bryan Triplett signed with the Houston Astros after being draft ed in the 12th round, and second baseman Kevin Melillo was a fifth-round pick of Oakland. Steve Pearce was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round as well. The Gamecock coaching staff lost a member as well when pitching coach Jerry Meyers left USC July 19 to become the head coach at Old Dominion, where he was an assistant in 1996. Meyers had been by head coach Ray Tanner’s side for eight sea sons. “We’re excited for Coacfy Meyers and the opportunity he’^ been presented at Old Dominion,” Tanner said. “He’s done a terrific job for us at South Carolina, as a pitching coach and developer of talent.” Tanner and his staff will pre pare for the 2005 season over the fall semester. The Gamecocks will bring back talented players including Steve Tolleson, Michael Campbell and Aaron Rawl, as Well as another strong recruiting class. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@gwm. sc. edu /Vjo/jQg (S'^lnecocf\3 foy s> { The C^oj/na 3htjff|e opeyafe-, Moty/a^ - fy/Vatj, 7^® am fo 5"T>o pm. The e/eni'og Piffle operafe-, <0phi o(nf/l phi. The ^2>fehi operafe^, tfcfTiQ3 fhe fall an4 3py/Q3 setne^fey^ onljj. 3ey//ce 15 free fo al £/3C 5fcjcfenf»>, faci^ aiW ,2>faff~ 3hMff|e/ parK'Q3 mapjs are a/a/lable af ParK'og 3er//ce»>, fhe AsKus /nformaf/on c|e^ af fhe fttiSseU -|foc|5ey an4 af Vech/c|e Managemenf V o/er^-o^*f"oj? «> on c^iTipci «> V 3er//ce fo -["he (S-reef^ //ll^ge Cowntff<Q3 sfitfenfs are enoociragec/ fo ^arK in lofs locafe^ af fte Col/'seqta, Safe.s 4rea, aM Samuel t,of f ten ri^e fte ^kff-fle. fo cenfral catn^^s. CASH F°R YOUR NOTES Visit LeConte 117 for more info, or call 777-6142 Office of Student Disability Services - a university sponsored service -