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__ \ Page 10 ? June 12, 1985 Sports e gamecock i > - * I 1 I , , . , Kirk Rogers: The man m m a A A ac m* m^. Ba m - L. wiim me yamei inumu lp|J[ PEP TALK w i I'll admit that I went to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. to take in a few ballgames before classes resumed as well as to write for the paper. But I don't feel right calling myself a USC fan, for I met what has to be one of the best. Kirk Rogers works in the oil fields near Dallas, Texas. I nici iiiiii iu iiic oiiiiparK ivso nuurs neiore nr>?. s ursi game against Arkansas. KIRK WAS WKARINC an old C arolina hat. Not the Joe Morrison style, but the version with a large Gamecock under the word "Carolina". I guessed from the hat that he was a longtime USC fan. and i wondered how he fell to be one of lew Carolina fans in the park, not to mention the state. Hut Kirk's trek to Omaha equals him to the most devout USC fan in South Carolina. See, he didn't fly with the team or drive with another fan. No, Kirk came by himself. KIRK HITCHIKED to Omaha. 1 was even more amazed ?..kAn U- r:.,i ?u. 1 i u:- -?- - TTI1V.II lit saiu lit III.M IIIU1I1UCU HJ V^UIUIIIUIU IU WUIC'll Hit Gamecocks in the East Region tournament. "It's safer and cheaper than flying," said Kirk, who rode with truck drivers most of the way. "I didn't want to take the bus. It stops everywhere you don't want to go. "I would drive, but my car axle broke in a pothole. The city of Dallas said they'd pay for it." Kirk grew up in Columbia and attended USC in 1979. He studied civil engineering but wanted to work in oil, so he left Columbia over a year ago to work on a drilling crew outside of Dallas. HE DOESN'T APPEAR likf* niic nnf nff hv a hrnLi-n I car axle. And once USC's NCAA bid coincided with a break in the drilling, Kirk made a decision true to character. He rode with truck drivers from Dallas to Atlanta to Columbia. He worked from truck stops along the way until he found a driver heading East. He arrived in Columbia in plenty of time for the East Region tournament, where the Gamecocks swept through the eight-team affair and won the regional title on May 26. With obvious confidence in his thumb, he left Columbia two days later, giving him three days to get to Omaha for the first game. UK WENT through Birmingham, Ala., Nashville, Tcnn., St. l.ouis, Mo. and Kansas City, Kan. before reaching Omaha. Mis longest wait for a ride was two hours in a Kansas City truckstop, where he took a shower and caught up on his sleep before hitting the road. Once in Omaha, he locked his bags in a truckstop locker. Two old men he met at a gas station took him across town to the park ? making it two hours before game time. Me seemed to enjoy wuiting for the game to start. "On a trip like this you build lip to a peak, and when the game starts, I'll he peaking," he said. "HITCHIKINCS MOKE FUN and you get to meet people," he said. "I spent only about $30 getting here. A lot of people could do it if they wanted to come." Kirk said he reads all the Gamecock news he can in Dallas. He gets excited talking about the past year's football team and how he hitched rides to Jacksonville, Fla. to see the game. "When I was a kid, I was a Gamecock nut," he said. "I used to go up to the Roost and eat with the players in their cafeteria. "When Hobby Richardson was the baseball coach, he used to let me be the bat hoy. Now you can't even get the field," he said. III'. MAY' gel anoihei chance to sel loot on USC's S.ir/'e 1 rye f ield. Kirk said he wants to re-enter Carolina in the t.i!!. I his lime, he'll pursue a petroleum engineering I < 11 f I iImimi'i t h#? nmuriint w* k'irL vuil! have to transfer when ncccssary. "Carolina's ilit* placc lo be," he said. "I wish they had .in oil field (here." I flew back with the team after the second loss to Oklahoma State. During our three hour layover in Dallas, I saw a happy Mike Cook get word of being a first-round pick in the pro draft. But I couldn't help wondering what mood Kirk was in, Jeff Rogers is editor-in-chief of The Gamecock. I " ^ ^ *> V* ' ?. / Jeff Churchich tags out Norm Roberts of A Razorbacks gave the Gamecocks"their first Ic lisn fallc By Jeff Rogers s Uhu\m*hM a OMAHA, Neb. ? USC baseball c coach June Raines said his team t should return to next year's College World Series, although the Gamecocks ( finished last in this year's eight-team national championship tournament. < "Wc have the nucleus for another < good ball club next year, good enough to be back here in Omaha," Raines I said after Oklahoma State eliminated the Gamecocks 16-11 June 2. "We have our entire infield and our catchers returning." Raines also said three good out- . fielders return to replace outfielders | Scott Mackie, Keith Killian and Rob Rinehart, who have used up their eligibility. I USC ALSO LOSES pitchers Glenn Jenkins, Bo Taylor and junior All- , America Mike Cook, who was chosen in int* nrsi rounu 01 me major leagues amateur draft last week by the Califor- ( nia Angels. Raines said he'll try to ( recruit six or seven pitchers to bolster next year's staff. I Carolina reached the College World Series with a combination of heavy hit- < ting and superb pitching and were never seriously challenged in any of the oampv The Gamecocks advanced by knockI ing off LaSalle II ? 1, St. John's 13?6, Western Carolina 14?3 and I.aSalle 7?2 again in the championCalifornia bi Angels pi By Grogu Lasky )ta?fU Uitl' Junior righthander Mike Cook, USC's ac< hurler this past season with a 16-2 record ant a 1.93 earned run average, capped his all america year by being chosen by the ( alitor nia Angels in the first round and the I9tl player chosen overall in the 19K5 majoi icaguc man. Cook, who was also drafted in 19K2 in th< sixth round after his senior year in hig) school, led the Gamecocks to a 47-22 rccorc and an eighth place national ranking in thi "I'm very happy with my selection by the California Angels. There a good organiza t-.- tHwt tfeat Ity their- farm 00 iHHB / I ^HHI fvr< "* V" * * Vj,- t~>mjs rkansas in second inning action of th >ss in the series with a 10 victory o in Ufnrli WW VI II hip game of the East regional playe it Sarge Frye Field, outscoring thei ipponents by an amazing 45?12 i he four games. In thp firct oarrtA nf f hp Hnnhl ilimination tournament, Cook an Jenkins combined to shut out Arkai ;as for 12 1/3 innings, but Razorbac starter Howard Hilton and relievei rim Deitz and Fred Farwell also ke| JSC from scoring. Arkansas broke the deadlock in tl bottom of the 14th when Keith Ker singled home Norm Roberts. Taylc who walked two other batters as w< ?' t>> ? ?? & "?' ? .w nuuv.u, IUV. the loss for Carolina. Ai the beginning of the scasoi Raines had said pitching would be tl team's strong point. But once Coc and Jenkins were used, IJSC had pr< bleins putting a quality pitcher on tl mound. "AFTER MIKK COOK, we ha> definite pitching problems and it sho\ L-d today (against Oklahoma Stale). Raines said. "Three or tour guys wh had good years lor us last year had b; years this season. We had a tired pi L'hing staff." Both Oklahoma Stale and US showed a lack of pitching in the game. Both teams gave up 14 wall and used five pitchers in the 3:! minute contest. USC starter Brian Currie faced nit hatters and gave up four walks ar two hits. Casey Reed relieved Currie Duna ick Cook in system, ;iihI ri^ht now they ar< chinj? so that's good lor me, from his home in C harleston. I III. MUSI now wait until he :in Amx'ls t:irm ti*:im i "I haven't been told spceil'ici r be going, hut I did talk (southeast) scout and he in possibility of me going to eitli i Calif, to play in high A League I midwestern league to play low ; said. "I'm hoping that I'll ?oniewher? fcooa??ll's kuui ai , r just sit around and wail." Cook pitched the first eigJ k? - - Sm.'i , "U - ? UPI photo e College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The ver 14 innings. d Series d ir ? n "I think tho lark nf hittinn v ?nw iMwn vi iniiiny e. was partly due to a bit of tenid sion and great pitching from ? Arkansas. We were also playing r* against better defenses than the average ballclub. It's just he terrific to be here. It says something for our program and I eii think you'll see this team back ,k again soon." fit Rob Rinehort 3- USC leftfielder the second inning and didn't fare much /e better, as the Cowboys tagged him for v- three hits and two more walks on their way to a seven-run inning. 10 Going into Omaha, Raines probably id didn't expect his team to have prol blenis with hitting. Carolina hit 144 home runs and averaged better than C nine runs per game during the season, % ir but they didn't score in the series until ks the fourth inning against Oklahoma 50 State ? a total of 17 scoreless innings. le IJSC HAD PLENTY of opporid (unities to score during the drought, in See "Gamecocks," page 11 I amateur draft ;?11 y where I'll cntioncd the V l]j icr Redwood. \ ? ? iMumtinu Ubrn J it innings of Mike C?ok * * I u?,rMT?l nifli i > )|