Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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w New olav< . _ - - J- J M wh >//7 <> #4 /t am aBi^fl^^^H J^Pg*:/ 5 ||F *>* &&* : $: ^Jr "Brett tyodie "D&uc& I ;rs have b o we've Mate (ZcCVUf JLjk ^ x :X 7^afrUc& Sexto# Addei NCAA, hopes lonj The maximum diameter reduced in order to limit ball, reducing the estima speed, by about 15 mph> A maximum weight stiff between length of the ba ? t_ 1. I je 4L. mram iw iw These combined changi of the "sweet spot,** or tl to hit* 0amecock Sports ?xtra ig shoes t< loszz ill Swiett I Loss: t to limit the rfh all of the bat lias been the exit velocity of the ted bad! travel, or bail erence of three ounces ft and the weight has also 91999 season. ?s have decreased the size lie ideal area for the ball campitotffcy CWi Voder was his leadership over a ve six returning pitchers who reo were freshmen then. "(Bordenick is] somebody I missing until you don't have h we can do what we can to get Looking down the lineup to replace offensively. The Gamecocks lose their their top five home-run hitters top three stolen base leaders. Those five position players tine avprapp was .311) with 8 349 of the squad's 520 runs s< USC could also be missinj The Gamecocks stole 109 parted hitters had 96 of them all 62 games for USC in '98, a f Gamecock coach Ray Tani up is the "biggest challenge" 1 "We have to prove that \ bers from last year... I think \ don't know that well be able but we've certainly got to pro1 y fill this I hu TnHH Mnnav "J J Sports Copy Editor After a 44-win season anc year, expectations for 1999's are understandably high. The Gamecocks are rankt preseason polls of several pub team, and to live up to that 1 seven regular players lost to The pitching staff loses tw reliever Patrick Sexton. Jodie while posting a 6.54 ERA. He was inarguably the wc team in innings pitched (106 in strikeouts (113), with 27 re er. Sexton, another vital force pearances (29) and also weni Freshman All-America lasl Bouknight doesn't seem too v "Those are going to be big young guys I think that can c Kocoman _Ta\/ I umKor set. aOur pitching staff is unl The chief losses for Carol department. USC will have to iast year, including outfielder: shortstop Adam Everett, thirc er Ryan Bordenick. Curry, a 1998 All-America categories, including battinj (.485), slugging percentage (.1 He also blasted 16 home r ed in the sixth round of the m; Royals. The team's regular lefl with team-high totals in both also hit for a .672 slugging pi running threat, going 18-for-2: was a 16th-round pick by Mo Everett, the Gamecocks'o lineup with a .375 average, most doubles on the team (21 in most offensive categories, h Red Sox made Everett their f With Stanton, another reg June, USC fans will see a n Stanton added extra punch to with 16 home runs and 54 RBI burgh Pirates in round No. 43 denick, the Milwaukee Brewe .342 last year with 19 home r He also led the team in i hasp avprapp C 4-71V Pprhans Friday, February 5,1999 > season 1 a trip to the NCAARegionals last version of the USC baseball team ?d among the nation's top 25 in the lications. But they are also a young rind of promise, USC must replace graduation and/or pro baseball, o members: starter Brett Jodie and > finished with a 6-6 record last year irkhorse of the '98 staff, leading the ) and starts (17), and was also tops tore than any other Carolina pitch; of last year's staff, led USC in ap13-2 with a team-low 2.65 ERA. A t year, right-handed pitcher Kip vorried about the state of the staff, losses," he said, "but we have some :ome in and help us out early." And t calls pitching this team's best as >elievable," he said, ina, though, come in the offensive replace five everyday starters from 3 Mike Curry and Derick Urquhart, 1 baseman Eric Stanton, and catchn, led the team in several offensive % average (.400), on-base average 581), steals (60) and runs (102). uns and 46 RBIs. Curry was draftyor league draft by the Kansas City t fielder last year, Urquhart hit .356 home runs (20) and RBIs (77). He ercentage and provided a valuable 2 in stolen base attempts. Urquhart ntreal in the draft, ther All-American, powered USC's 13 home runs, 63 RBIs and the ). Among the top three on the team e also swiped 15 steals. The Boston irst pick of the 1998 draft, ular starter, also being drafted last tew left side of the infield in '99. the Gamecock offense, hitting .246 [s. Stanton was drafted by the Pitts. Finally, Carolina lost catcher Borrs' ninth-round pick. Bordenick hit uns and 76 RBIs. 17Q lire (onrl \iroc coenn rl i r? nn. his biggest contribution, however, ry young pitching staff. Of USC's orded a decision in '98, four of those that... von never know what vnti're im," Bouknight said. "We just hope the wins." , then, Carolina clearly has much top four leaders in batting average, ;, their top three RBI men and their ! hit a combined .345 (the team bat4 of the team's 122 home runs and ored. g a considerable element of speed, i bases last year, but those five de. And each of those players started eai no returning memoer can claim. ier said the loss of pop in the linear his team. ve can replace the [hitting] numve have capable people," he said, "I to match all those guys [who left), ye we can score enough runs."