Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Pitchel n baSE By STEVE PARKER Asst. Sports Editor "With our expanded schedule, we have got to get good pitching," said Assistant Baseball Coach June Raines. "We need about eight, nine or ten good pitchers." "The pitching seems to be ready for the season. We have been having the pitchers work Agnew tired but leg was not hurting (Continued from Page 6) scored 29 points and yanked down a Biddie season high of 23 rebounds in the contest. The game was close for only the opening few minutes, until Cox spun a three-point play which propelled the Biddies from a 12-11 deficit to a 14-12 lead. After Cox handed the USC frosh the lead they maintained it for the remainder of the encounter, and continued to add points to the one-sided margin. The Biddies jumped ahead to a 50-32 halftime lead and eventually swelled the score into a 91-62 victory. "The game he had amazed me," said Freshman Coach Donnie Walsh of Agnew's performance, "He hasn't practiced in so long and still he ends up with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and I don't know how many blocked shots. "Agnew was obviously the difference for our team, we lost to this team by three points without him, and now with him we win by 29 points," cited Walsh. Walsh extended credit for the victory to Cox also. "Cox played one of his best games. It's funny, Tommy had the flu over the weekend and lost some 15 pounds since Friday. Maybe he should have the flu more often," Walsh joked. "George Felton did not take a shot, I don't know why, but otherwise he played a fine game. "Jimmy Walsh was 2-2 with his left hand and 0-5 with his right hand, but he had nine assists and that's what he's supposed to do," said Walsh. After the game, Agnew revealed that he felt "a little tired" but that his leg was not hurting. "It ,didn't hurt at all, I was really surprised," said Agnew. "Besides my rebounding I'm really satisfied with my game, in fact my rebounding was not tha't poor," said the returning Biddie center. The victory raised the freshman team record to 11-7, assuring them of no worse than a .500 finish as four games remain to be played. The Citadel's record dropped to 7 10. The Biddies travel to Charlotte Saturday to once again meet the Davidson freshman, a team which handed the Biddies a convincing 87-66 loss earlier In the year. "Davidson's freshman are very good, It's supposed to be their best .( eshman team since Driesell was ere," said "It will be a th4ugh game,. (t q a good thing *AgnaM-.wl-.be..Aaare,. we .woulda have no chance without him." s key hf Oba11 ov about six innings," said Raines. We're going to need nice weather to get the pitchers ready to work nine innings. "We are going to need good pitching and so far it has been looking fine," said the assistant coach. The pitching rotation ap pears to be strengthened this year, as a number of letterman pitchers are returning and what appears to be a fine crop of freshman pitchers is coming up. Pacing the mound corps is once again right-handed senior Larry Erbaugh. Erbaugh led last year's squad in victories with six, in complete games with three, in strikeouts with 60, and in innings worked with 75 2-3. According to Raines the Gamecock ace "looks ready to go." Another strikeout ace returns from last year's pit ching staff, Alan Hilliard. Hilliard whiffed 49 batters in just the 46 2-3 innings he worked. The left-handed junior managed only a 2-3 won lost record last campaign, but produced a fine 2.31 ERA. Also looking good this spring, according to Raines, is another left-handed junior hurler, George Beam. Beam proved to be a workhorse last year as he toiled through 49 innings of mound work. Wildness ap preared to be Beam's chief problem as he paced the team in walks surrendered with 37 and hit batsmen with eight. Bo Robinson is another returning junior left-handed listed in the starting rotation. Robinson last year produced the team's finest won-lost mark with a 5-1 showing. Freshman Co,whqs 23 rebounds htfr another 4 game againt The Citadel fr( actor Lilook Surprisingly a freshman will probably also crack the starting rotation. Earl Bass, a right-hander, led his Congaree team to the American Legion World Series with a 12-0 record including a world series vic tory. Ace reliever Phil Houston returns to the squad with right handed brillance. Houston finished with a 2-1 record in relief, and a 1.25 ERA in 21 2-3 innings of work. Greg Ward is presently splitting his time between baseball practice and the freshman basketball team. Ward should add strength as his American Legion record of 6-2 with a 1.80 ERA establish his abilities. According to Raines, the importance of jumping off to a good start is equal to the need of a good pitching performance on the entire season outlook. "Getting a good start is going to be the key to the whole season," said Raines. "It helps to have the first 13 games at home, you have the fans cheering for you plus the benefit of playing on your own field. "We will be playing some tough competition in the team of North Carolina State. They have a fine ball club. Their leading pitcher of last year is now in the major league chain that should give some indication of their playinq caliber," said Raines. "We have to get off to a good start. We would like to make the regional playoffs this year. "The future for this team looks bright, real bright. Coach Richardson is quite enthused," said Raines. -vesTomPrc cored 29 points and grabtisdl basket in Wednesday night's An easy two 'Tor* Carolina's Tom Riker rises up to drop in a left-handed shot against Tom Kozelko of Toledo. Riker scored 25 points in the one-sided victory. USC track team in SEC indoor Carolina's track team will compete in the SEC indoor track meet, today and tomorrow in Montgomery, Ala. The Gamecocks, who have performers entered in 14 events, will vie against approximately five teams in the independent section of the meet. The meet is the first team meet for USC since the arrival of new coach Bill McClure. In the shot put USC has Rich Sorin and Forrest Broom entered. Ron Rader and Guy Hornsby will compete in the long jump. Pole-vaulters Brian Hyder, who set a USC pole-vault record in his last meet, and Bill Br yan and triple-jumpers Bruce Stuart and Rader round out the competititors for Carolina in field events. Sprinters Milton Reid and Jim Small will run in the 60 yard dash while Bob Dempsey is entered for the Gamecocks in the quarter mile. Billy Novo and Joe McCulloch are slated to run in the 60-yard hurdles. Running for USC in the 600-yard run will be Paul McCloud and Dan Loschack. Don Brown and Mile Shely will represent Brian Hlyder the Gamecocks In the half-mile and Jim Schaper will run In the 1000-yard event. Three of the Gamecock's distance men have their work cut out from them this week-end. Jack Miller, Rod Dalton, and Wayne Thomas will run in the two-mile run today and then come right back to run the mile run tomorrow. Carolina Is entered in two relay events-the mile and two mile relays. Reid, McCloud, Dempsey, arnci.Sciaper comprise.the USC mile relay team while Jlm' N hson Layden,'Brown, and ShMY-Wiltohnete*' Nh two-mile- relay. -~ag h -A6 *hth