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Car Accident, Sure Killian Off Base ~ ?i t- ? -J ?U. _i_: 1 ? J_:? i\cuu rviiuaii dpi luicu iuwdiu Liit; -Miming nut: ui lve, stretched out his glove and snatched the baseball at ankle level, holding it up for the inspection of the cheering crowd. Killian's glove, however, was on his throwing hand and his "fans" were athletes of various sports shagging flies in the outfield more than an hour after the day's game had ended. But for Killian, a former standout at Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce, the pleasure of playing baseball wasn't taken lightly. On July 31^ 1980, Killian fell asleep while driving his car and crashed. He broke five ribs, two of which punctured his right lung. He tore enough skin off his legs to necessitate skin grafts and tore the tissue around his left eye so badly he will require plastic surgery. "I was hurt pretty bad," Killian understated. JIM CORBETT " I . j?? Sports Columnist wihihiimi ?,?? tmmm sun Killian hart to rpfrain from anv strenuous aetivitv for more j than four months following his accident. He received an extra year of eligibility under NCAA hardship rules and began working his way back into shape. I "I didn't impare any facilities or anything like that," | Killian explained, "but I've been away from the game so long s I've got to get used to playing again." Killian had appeared in 16 games and was hitting over .300 at last week's end. Though his injuries were severe, he never thought about not returning to baseball. "I was just thinking about how long it would take to get back." Brookland-Cayce teammate Harvey Heise (now with the Gamecocks) was the player most coaches were after during Killian's senior year, and Killian was set on attending Winthrop College. ~ut a phone call from USC Head Baseball Coach June Raines the summer after his senior season changed Killian's : thinking. He decided to attend Carolina. "The hardest thing was getting my confidence back. A lot of people didn't think I could play," Killian said. Killian said he has overcome his fears and feels he has I | I COLUMBIA'S ONLY I j I BEACH HEADQUARTERS I Ray Bans | ni(f \^ K *} 11 vy i c B 1J||r su'JSEK :|??J[fich I Rl4ftZtf3fii v^</r^ Deck Shoes 1 mt [. Surf Shorts 1 OT A O.P. Cords ? SURFSHIRTS I ^^^^DUCKHEAD ? . *" *? ? ' . < ? / ?' r ' ? # f " - jery Can't Keep uan I_^idlliuniia made a contribution, though minor, to the club. Killian weighs almost 25 pounds more than he did before the accident, feels he is stronger, and almost back to where he was before his mishap. He has been used mainly as a late inning replacement with some spot pinch hitting this year, but Killian hopes to make a bigger contribution to the team next season. Killian is candid when he speaks of his accident and injuries, and he hasn't lost his sense of humor because of them. He said his doctors feared some possible brain damage after the accident, but pointed out a brain scan was negative. "So," Killian said, grinning broadly, "supposedly I don't have any brain damage." Killian's attitude toward the last year and a half's events has been philosophical. He said he always tries to look at the gooa in everyining. "I got in a wreck, and got messed up pretty bad, and had to lay out of school and miss my first year of baseball," Killian said. "But I can say," he continued, "that I got a year to work on my studies, a year to lift weights and work on my speed and improve my strength. "I think I've turned it into something good." Playing baseball again is a return to normalcy for Keith Killian, but to those who have watched him come back, it's been a good experience. I Calendar (Wednesday, April 28 Baseball vs. The Citadel, 7:30 p.m. Golf at Southern Intercollegiate at Athens, Ga. Thursday, April 29 Golf at Southern Intercollegiate at Athens, Ga. Friday, April 30 Baseball vs. Baptist, 7:30 p.m. Golf at Southern Intercollegiate at A 4-1? n ~ I/nuiein>, vjra. Saturday, May 1 ? Day of the Gamecock WHY PAY MORE?iSM^ :ALVIN KLEIN JEANS || I st QUALITY fl ONLY $22.00 WP ! i imit i _ HW m CORNER Oh MAIN AND BLOSSOM HMflP^ fTTnrjrFsntZ j The USC varsity soccer team is* J interviewing candidates for the* j position of manager for the* J 1982 season. There is a small* * stipend for this position. Call J J 7 77-3829 for information. t * 1982 Gamecock Tennis Clinic * * Ef*5? May-June * ) - (for Mnn Wompn Rnv<; & r<lrls) * 14 Different Sessions * ^ Mornings 9.00-11 30 XEvenings 6:00-8:30 )f * Clinic Director: Ron Smarr (USC Tennis Coach) * 1 Staff: Bill Kreml, Dru Kefalos J J Plus Guest instructors J J Limited to 24,players per session J ,4. * 10% Discount for Faculty, Staff, Students J * For Applications: Tennis Office * * university of SC jf * coiumbia.sc 29208 * * Telephone. 777-5829 ? ,? V 4 * ' f f ^ f ' ? r # - I Spring Football game, 10 a.m. [ 1 Tennis exhibition matches |..j Baseball vs. Furman, 7:30p.m. [ I South Carolina vs. North Carolina ! All-Stars Golf at Southern Intercollegiate at Athens, Ga. Softball vs. Miberton .nada) Twins at Orlando, 3 p.m. Softball vs. Saint Cathryn (Canada) Darts at Orlando, . p.m. Sunday, May 2 Women's Tennis vs. Michigan. 1 p.m. I Baseball at Georgia Southern, 3 p.m. Softball vs. Orlando Southern, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8 I Softball vs. Orlando j (doubleheader) 5:00p.m. ~ *- r-1 t? t Jiiativ at ouuui ^aruima in tercollegiate at Clemson j j Sunday, May 9 j Softball vs. Orlando i; (doubleheader) 11 p.m. I May 14-16 r! Softball College World Series at I Norman, Okla. I Saturday. Mav 15 I Baseball vs. Georgia State, 2 p.m. 15-23 NCAA Tennis Team and Individual Championships at Athens, Ga. Sunday, May 16 Baseball vs. Clemson, 2 p.m. j Monday, May 17 ; T"* 1 11 tfaseaan vs. uiemson, 7:30 p.m. M I Vlltll 1WIMI ? restaurant & lounge ? ; 1928 Rosewood Drive j! Tonite | 95<t PITCHERS OF BUD 254 BUD DRAFT Thursday BUD LIGH f 65<t ? r . # . . * . t . r ' . , -