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14 Gamecoi ROBBIE MEEK Sports Editor When South Carolina's game with Louisiana State University started or Saturday, it looked as if the Gamecocks chances at a NCAA berth were fading The fans' excitement of the possiblj renewed Carolina basketball tradition had started to settle down. The Gamecocks were coming off a four-game span that included losses at Kentucky, Arkansas and Auburn. The fourth game was a bad showing against huge underdog Wofford. Saturday's game ended all that. By the time the 2 p.m. contest had concluded, the Gamecocks, now 11-1 at home this season, had turned in their largest SEC victory margin ever. With the win, the Gamecocks (13-7. 6-5 SEC) have regained their momentum and are still chasing a NCAA bid. Tonight, Carolina plays the final game of their nonconference schedule against the Georgia Southern Eagles in the Frank McGuire arena. The Eagles enter tonight's game at 3-19 coming off a 67-63 loss to the Citadel Monday night. Carolina will once again look to their back court, which consists ol Larry Davis, Melvin Watson and BJ McKie, to lead the way. Davis is fourth in the SEC in scoring with 18.2 points per game. The junior AD-SEC candidate is also hittmer on 2.2 three-Dointers per game, and is second in the SEC in free-throw percentage with a rating of 81.8 percent. Sophomore Melvin Watson, also a All-SEC candidate, is averaging 13.3 ppg and 4.6 assists per game. The point guard has averaged 7.3 apg over the last four games. Freshman Ail-American BJ McKie is averaging 14.2 ppg. McKie has averaged 20.5 ppg and is hitting 53 percent of his three-pointers over the last four games. Nate Wilbourne will get the start at the center position. The junior is averaging 12.1 ppg and 5.8 rebounds per game. Wilbourne was having a strong season before he was sidelined by a midseason injury. He was leading the team in rebounds and was second in scoring at the time of the injury. Freshman All-SEC candidate Bud Johnson will rotate with Wilbourne Letterman 1 ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK ? David Letterman, a longtime Indy-car fan, confirmed Tuesday night he has became a minor partner of Bobby Rahal's auto racing team. "Having grown up in Indianapolis and been in love with racing and its heroes for as long as I can remember, ifs literally a dream come true for me to become this much a part of a sport that has meant so much to me," he said. The television talk show host made the announcement at a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Manhattan along with Rahal, the team's majority owner and principal driver. mi The Uni uhj^^Uinnfliyfi Frequent guest & Billy ", The Laughm^er from Showtin and Comic Strip Live Appearing now thru Sunfa Wed. & 1st show Frid COMEEARtYJO ^ ' cks searc : mk^m 1 5 ^^H|H9ft|| jp H^!lu!| r'*imm * i>#Q&'', ^?M? i Point guard Melvin Watson and I soar over the Eagles tonight in th p at center. He is averaging 6.7 ppg and 1.6 blocks per game. Johnson leads the team with 6.1 rpg. The Gamecocks will be looking to shut out the Eagles early and from there use the frame as a buildin? hlock buys into In "I'm thrilled with the team," Letterman said. "They've promised me my own air wrench." Lettennan joins actor Paul Newman and former pro football stars Walter Payton and Joe Montana as celebrity part-owners of Indy-car teams. Rahal, a three-time PPG Indy Car World Series champion and the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner, reorganized his team this season after ending a four-year partnership with Carl Hogan. He also hired 25-year-old Bryan Herta as his teammate for 1996. Rahal said he and Letterman began talking about a partnership after they met in 1986. "We agreed that if the time was ent Media versity of South Caroli on ihe John Boy Big Show" ay are NON-SMOKING. ifOJSFORDINNER SPO] h for NCAi ma^m \ ROBERT WALTON The Gamecock P lis Gamecock teammates will try to e Frank McGuire Arena. ii for the rest of the season, which indudes \ three road games. The Gamecocks are 0 1-5 on the road this season. jj Tonight's game tips off at 7:30 p.m. s The Gamecocks play at Vanderbilt on 4 Saturday at 8:30 p.m. b s dy-car team ? ever right, we'd give it some serious r consideration," Rahal said. "With my starting the new team, it finally seemed 0 to make sense. And now, here we are. v "From a marketing standpoint, if s j an outstanding opportunity for the c team and our sponsors. Ifs also going to be a lot of fun. Dave is far from a casual observer of motor sports. He's i been with us at a number of races Jj already, and is an informed and | knowledgeable enthusiast We're looking forward to his active contributions." j| Rahal, 42, will field Mercedes- i powered Reynard Indy cars this season, \\ The team, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, will begin the 16-race 1996 season on March 3 at Homestead, Fla. j na Attention: Customer Service $7.00 Pei U.S. Personnel has 9 Pos Columbia's premier in This is the "get your foot i opportunity with Requirements: Available 1 pm to7 pm College and/or Custome Medical background a p comfortable w/Window: Ability to commit long 1 CALL TODAY TO APPLY CANDIDATES MUST BE U.S. Personnt Many other opportunitie office, (data entry, & industrial, or health serv: call for info All candidates will be required to sigi background check release form. Prop work in the United States is also requ RTS A bid, on mntmm Lai , . , \ 6 coo \ Nate Wilbourne \ 6-11 255 \ -4 ^-X\ Melv 6 Malik Russell / 6-7 220 / BJ 6 Gamecocks ^ (RYAN JOHNSTON Staff Writer ; The cool weather and the high score ' /ould have been perfect for a Saturday ] iternoon football game, but the reality > /as it was baseball. Behind a five3r-five hitting day from Eric Stanton, 1 JSC defeated UNC-Charlotte 17-13 \iesday at a chilly Sarge Frey Field. 1 TVio turn to q m c >>nmkinorl fnr .10 uns, 27 hits, five errors, eight pitchers, 1 even hit batsmen and 18 walks in a ame that even USC head coach June 1 taines called "ugly." "If s good to win ugly, and that was n ugly ball game on both sides," Raines aid. "You expect some ugly ball games arly in the season, and I was very leased with it, but our pitching has 0 get better." The runs came fast and furiously 1 the first three innings for both teams. JNCC took a 1-0 lead into the bottom f the second when the two teams lit t up. The Gamecocks started off by coring five runs off three hits. The 9ers retaliated in the top of the third y sending 13 batters to the plate and cored seven runs off of six hits. UNCC was already on their third titcher in the third inning when the lamecocks sent 10 batters of their wn to the plate, producing six more uns. With the bases loaded and no one ut, USC's next six batters came up rith six RBFs off only one hit Catcher lyan Bordenick reached on a fielder's hoice, driving in Stanton. Jason 1 ] . opens today with a 2 p.tr double header agamst Fu Mathematics Tutoring The Expert 256-6498 Students Representative Hour iitions Available with surance company. ; ideal n the door" advancement. Mon. thru Fri. >r Service Experience; lus s based programs [erm 9 mos. plus - DO NOT HESITATE! CHOSEN BY FEB. 19! ;1798-1700 is are available in our word processing), ices divisions. Please rmation! i a drug screen and criminal >er ID and proof of eligiblity to ired. U.S. Personnel is an EOE: e game s "G~4 F 35 'ry Davis Duane Goel 3190 6-4183 * , , L G10 G 5 in Watson Ryan Parki 2195 5-10152 I ~G3 I I G 24 I McKie Brian Walla i-2185 | 6-4199 vin ugly, imj \rbinger and Etienne Hightower then Doth reached on walks to drive in two more runs. Ryan Szwejbka then drove m Bordenick with a sacrifice fly. Hie one hit recorded in this stretch belonged to left fielder Mark Mapes. His single scored Arbinger to make he score 10-8. Designated hitter Scott Weil's sacrifice fly drove in Hightower to finish the scoring for the inning. The game then settled down for a vhile, until the fifth inning. The two teams combined for seven more runs. r T*rn n i o /? rvi UlNUU scored iour runs 01 unver Harwas (W 1-0), the fourth of five Gamecock pitchers, to tie the score at L2. In the bottom half of the inning, [JSC started off the inning with Mapes aeing hit by a Joe Lopez (L 0-1) pitch. \fter Weil walked, the Gamecocks put he game away with a Stanton threerun homerun over the left field fence. "It was a fastball, inside, and I kind )f got jammed on it," said Stanton. "I vas kind of surprised it got out of here. [ thought it was a fly ball, but luckily t got out." The Gamecocks got a great game From left fielder Mark Mapes. His bur-for-four hitting drove in three of [JSC's runs. But the player-of-the-day had to 3e Eric Stanton. In only his third collegiate game, ;he freshman first baseman from dewberry, SC, went five-for-five with hree singles, a double and the threetin homerun. The homerun was the I The Student Gi priority seating for r will be implemente will be tested for tl any questions or an Gamecock Club, Ca FREE Sprit [Cabl^Va Advertising Sale Air South naws urc Jlyiiifi Let CableVantage and Fbrest Lai JWMFfory You could be the lucky winner Miami, Florida and hotel accom Key Wfest for 7 da; Be sure fc ani Lm I on Gamecock Television Name Address SS# Date of Birth Phone # Please circle one: Glass: Freshman Sophor Must be at least 18 years old ani Drop this ballot off between F following Bum's Factory Outlet, ? Carolina's Bookstore (between S*tuffy's UI><lHM<(au CAhmow 4 A 4 AQA it a time lei /\ C~52 / Johna Seay / I 6-7 239 Vt v r i:fei , Fernando Daniel \ 6-1165 ce tr* 9-1 JL \J V WJ ^ JL first of his career. "Eric Stanton has a chance to be a fine, fine ballplayer before he leaves here," Raines said. "He's going to be big, he's strong, he's got a good eye at the plate. He's just going to be an outstanding player and I'm going to turn him loose and let him swing the bat." "It feels pretty good," Stanton said. "It's real different from high school, but so far if s been good and Fm happy to be here." For the season, Stanton is batting .538 (7-13), has one homerun, four RBFs and has a perfect fielding average. But this doesn't keep him for wanting to accomplish more. "You never want to get complacent, and I always want to do better, but I feel I've done my job so far and just want to keep doing it," Stanton said. The Gamecocks, 2-1, travel to Jacksonville, Fla this weekend to play four games in three days. They play Florida International on Friday, Jacksonville and FIU on Saturday, and Jacksonville again on Sunday. For USC to be successful, Coach Raines has no doubt as to what must happen. "Our pitching's got to do a better job. We've got to find some pitchers who'll come in there and challenge people." If the Gamecocks can find some pitching and keep the bats knocking in the runs, USC should be in good shape for the long season. imecock Club is adding member aen's basketball games. The project id during the 1996-97 season, but le rest of this season. If you have e interested in joining the Student ill Tripp Penn at 777-4276. Break! artacte wmmmmmmmm inc s/Promotions ISS^JSSSjpSi 522L, gggnyj Agency ^ ke Travel Agency and AirSouth our nun i of two tickets on AirSouth to imodations by Fairfield Inn in ys and 6 nights! o watch for more information! nore Jr. Sr. Other d have a valid USG ID to win. ebruary 13th and 25th at the locations: J700 Broad River Road !, 629 B Main Street & The Big Bird)