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GAMECOCK ATHLETICS Basketball vs. Clemson Tonight, 7 p.m. Sarge Frye Field Softball @ Coastal Carolina Today, 3 p.m. (doubleheader) CCU Field i 1 fl 1 s thT^ QUiEI (TRIKI by bryan johi nhe fear in the batter's eyes is unmistakable as she timidly steps into the box where hundreds before her have been beaten. A wry grin comes over the pitcher's face and she knows this batter will soon be shuffling back to her dugout. She selects one of her six pitches to toy with the batter before finally ending it. The batter swings in an unsuccessful, almost comical, attempt to place the bat on the ball and shakes her head in dismay. As the batter heads back to the bench, fans place 1C signs on the fence to signify another victim of pitcher Trinity Johnson. When the game is over, the number ofK signs will be in the double-digits. "I know in my heart I can strike anybody out," Johnson said. "Every once in a while, doubt creeps in, but I just have to shake my head and say 1 know I can do this.'" For some, it's a career day to strikeout 10 batters, but for Johnson it's just another day at the office. For three years now, the senior pitcher has been consistently blowing pitches past opposing batters. Each year, she has gotten closer and closer to the school record of 874 held by Darlene Lowery, considered by many to be the best pitcher to ever grace the Lady Gamecock Field pitcher's mound. But after Saturday's strikeout i of Tennessee's Carrie Swinford, it became official: Johnson is the new "Easy Sc Campi a FRI , % Wedn< BlattP Instructor: 7i Call 77^-S^6H to s for one of two ses Session one: 6:00Session two: 7:00'Participants must provide th x - W Any persons please call Camp This ad Office of Campus Recreation/Departmei SPORTS ON FRIDAY si im iston, sports edit USC Queen of Strikeouts. "It's amazing; I didn't think I would be able to do it," Johnson said. "It's definitely an honor." Simply known as "T.J." to teammates and friends, every time Trinity Joanna Johnson takes the mound, Carolina has a chance to beat anyone. Take last year, when USC had to play then-No. 1 and eventual Women'sCollege World Series Champion Arizona and then-No. 5 Cal State Northridge in the same day. Johnson calmly went to the mound and picked up two victories as USC defeated the Wildcats, 1-0 and Northridge, 2-1. "It was great. I mean me going in and throwing both those games in one dav. in California, whom T came from and at the school I transferred from was awesome," Johnson said. The two-time All-American is considered one of the most overpowering pitchers in collegiate Softball. With a fastball clocked in the mid-60s, a dropball, a curveball, a change-up, a knuckleball and a riseball that has players swinging about five inches under the pitch, it is easy to see why. "My rise is my go-to pitch to throw the batters off," Johnson said. "I don't use everything, if s just there for backup and intimidation." In 1996, the 5-10 hurler struck uba Expe ic Rorrofltnn nroc? A\J I IUVI WUIVI I I V/UV IE instructional clii on scuba diving 3sday, Ap % ?#%. ji 'lif' E Center, !m Baier, Aquatic ign-up isions: M\ || 7:00 pm wluSC 8:00 pm ieir own masks and snorkels The USC is an AA/ADA/EOE. needing special assistance for a >us Recreation at least 48 hours c is paid for by student activities ft it of Student Life/Division of Student, & Check out the highlights of ti >o out 266 batters in 188 innings, putting her just 241 strikeouts away from breaking the 10year-old record. As the 1997 campaign went along, Johnson began striking out batters at an alarming rate and approached the record a lot sooner than most expected. By April 5, Johnson was just eight way from tying the record. As the game against Tennessee went along, Johnson struggled to rack up the Ks. But as she entered the seventh, she had tied the record. With one out and no one on, UTs Swinford stepped to k the plate for what would turn out to be the record-breaker. Wk Johnson took the count to 1-2 V before blowing a pitch past the swinging Swinford. It would m help preserve the victory, but l. more importantly, break the W'? record. 1-2, "I didn't even know I had I -o1 broken the record until after the game," Johnson said. Even more impressive than fee her record itself is that she did it in under three years. "I kind of knew I'd break the record this year, but coming into South Carolina, I didn't think I would be able to do it," W Johnson said. ^ After graduating from Temecula High School in California where she was a fburp. ? year All-League and two-year ^ ' All-County selection, T.J. decided to attend Cal State Fuflertan for a year so she could stay close to home. Johnson asked Judy Garman, her coach at CSF, before the season started if she could transfer after her freshman year because she knew she didn't want to stay there. Her coach told her she would release her as long as she didn't transfer to a school in Fullerton's conference. If she had transferred to a school in the conference, she would have had to sit out a season before being able to play again. Meanwhile, Johnson's parents moved to Tennessee for her father's job and T.J. eventually followed them to the East Coast. "We came and looked at this program and Trinity fell in love with the city and the school and has been really happy," Les Johnson said. Johnson started playing fast pitch softball when she was 9-yearsold. "When (Trinity] got through with her first season, she said 1 want to be a pitcher* so she started pitching at 10," Les Johnson, Trinity's father said. "She was fortunate because she had a natural ability." Johnson's father said Trinity averaged about two lessons a week and had four coaches over her career to help her with pitching. In high school she also played volleyball, but knew her ticket to college would be in softball. rience " jnts: / nic i.4 ril 16 Poor ;s Director ^ Space is 1 limited so W sign-up soon! disability, mor to event. )es. Affairs/University of South Carolina he Gamecocks' and Tigers' "Her senior year in high schoo she stopped playing volleyba] because she didn't want to take chance with getting hurt," Le Johnson said. Johnson said she is sometime over-critical of her performance an considers herself a perfectionisi "I'm definitely a perfectionist, Johnson said. "Not so much on th /* 1 J i. J i.l__ 1- _ neia as in terms 01 neiaing uie Da or hitting. But when it comes t pitching I'm not happy unless I'r perfect." Where does this hunger fo perfection come from? "She gets it from her mom i: certain areas and with me being a airline pilot, I better be right all th time," Les Johnson said. "She' always been that way especially i this sport. She doesn't like makin mistakes. She said the weakest pai of her game has always been he head game. "As she's matured, each yea she's gotten stronger and she hasn reached her potential." Johnson's dad feels sometime his daughter is too critical an hersel "Sometimes when things get res hard, it affects her mental side an that hurts her sometimes," Le Johnson said. As a sophomore, Johnson earn? third-team All-American honor and led the nation in strikeouts wit! 367. She was second in the natioi in strikeouts per seven innings (10.2 and her ERA of 0.70 was seventh best in the country. She posted i 27-6 record and threw a perfect gam in a 4-0 victory over Georgii Southern Feb. 22,1995. Her junior year, she was select? as a second-team Ail-American b; the NSCA and was a first-team All Southeast Region selection. Sh< posted a 20-9 record with one saw and a 0.93 ERA. Johnson pitche< no-hitters Furman and Centenary This season has undoubtedly been her best statistical year. Johnson was named a third teamer as a sophomore and a second teamer as a junior, so if the trent continues, she'll be named a first team Ail-American this year. Anc with the stats she's putting up, i would be no surprise. She is currently 23-2 with ai ERA of 0.27. She has given up jus seven earned runs in 155 2/3 innings and has struck out 251 batters. Before Sunday's loss to Tennessee Johnson had won 22 consecutive games, which is tied for seventh best nationally all-time. She was named the USA Today/NPCA Playei of the Week for the weeks ending March 26 and Feb, 5. Johnson waf named the inaugural SEC Pitchei of the Week March 19 and won the award again the following week She was named the Mosl Valuable Pitcher at the Speedline/South Florida Classic She has thrown four no-hitters including a perfect game againsl North Carolina Feb. 16. Her othei no-hitters came against Florida 1 thev d< %/ E In gj They're you just | 631 Harden Street battle on the diamond rs 1, March 15, Winthrop March 27 and 11 against Kentucky March 29. a Earlier this year, Johnson threw s 95 2/3-consecutive scoreless innings, good for 3rd place all-time nationally, is Including her season at Cal State d Fullerton, T. J. has a total of 1,022 t. strikeouts for her career, 884 ol which have come at USC. e Currently, Johnson is leading 11 the SEC in strikeouts (251), ERA o (0.27), wins (23), saves (2), opponent's n hits per seven innings (2.29) and strikeouts per seven innings (11.29). r She is also leading the nation in strikeouts per seven innings, is third n in the nation in victories and fourth n nationally in ERA. e "Every time Trinity does s something, my wife and I are n amazed," Les Johnson said. "We're g so proud of her, but she doesn't even t pay attention to the honors." r That's because team success comes before individual accolades r for Johnson. 't "[Individual awards] are important, but I've never been into s that because IVe seen so many people f. get a big head and lose the reality." d d "I want to be remembered as s confident, happy and having good sportsmanship," Johnson said. Tm a Christian and I'm someone who d ? < f *t ^ " *4 * > t ...... >4* v |? *yf ^ ^3HH ' V^^vS-a^f I'wS* 3 ?" " *'~? /.p'i % \19 r Senior Trinity Johnson is the ne^ t also one of the top pitchers in hoi nn't have to 5 ciogs... they're not supposed to do anyth wear them when you are not wearing youi Simple shoe Now Open in Five Point Ss^uu Mon. thru Sat. 10-6pm, J NBA SCOREBOARD Miami 94 New Jersey 92 Washington 94 Toronto 100 realizes the blessings that she's been given and uses them to the best of her ability." Johnson cites her parents, Les anv> n a rw\nln I CU1U JUU1UU UV1U10V/U, she admires the most. "They have been non-stop support," Johnson said. "Whenever itfs a hard time, they're always there. They're totally unconditional love." She said the name Trinity" came as a result of her family's religious convictions and a small miracle. "My parents weren't supposed to have children and my mom prayed and prayed and prayed and here I am," Johnson said. "I'm kind of a little miracle baby." In her spare time, Johnson enjoys reading and listening to music. After graduation, Johnson said she will try out for the USA softball team and has her sights set on playing softball in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Her goals for this season include helping her USC team become the first team to win the SEC regular season and tournament championship, reach the Collegiate World Series and to win a national championship. And if she keeps pitching the way she is now, that's a distinct possibility. i j JnlK jLiKi i I .>4h >, , dP#? %*%f\ ** I %* . : ?:<-',, **-, . ( BRYAN JOHNSTON The Gamecock i* USC Queen of Strikeouts. She is th the conference and the nation. hp pool i w wv/A ing cool... r cool shoes s 1 s 9 Sun. l-5pm 254-9488 pj