The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 21, 2000, Page B1, Image 9
Inside: Schedule
USC volleyball signs four for2000 season, a Men’s golf at Mercedes-Benz
. Intercollegiate, today-Tues.
swimming teams compete at SEC Champi- _ ... , t
a r r ■ Women s tennis vs. UNC, Tues.
onships, women's tennis begins m Baseball vs. Campbell, Tues.
■ Men’s basketball vs. LSU, Wed.
USC sweeps
Delaware State
in weekend series
by Jeff Romig
Special Correspondent
USC 9, Delaware State 1
Friday he made his first appearance.
Saturday he got his first hit.
Sunday he received his first start in
USC’s 9-1 win over Delaware State, be
coming only the second freshman to start
for Ray Tanner’s Gamecocks in 2000.
The thing is, USC calcher/designat
ed hitter Bo Mobley was told he might
not be able to play baseball again.
“I had a stress fracture of the tibia,
which is of the knee joint itself,” Mob
ley said.
Mobley found out about his injury at
die beginning of his senior year at Colum
bus High School in Columbus, Ga., but
played through the pain.
When Mobley arrived at USC, he
went ahead and had suigery so he would
n’t play hurt for the rest of die year.
“The doctors here said they didn’t
think I’d ever play again,” Mobley said.
Mobley then went back to Colum
bus for a second opinion.
“My doctor said, ‘Well, you have a
good chance of IliUing again, but you prob
ably won’t ever get to catch,’” Mobley
said.
His first plate appearance wasn’t how
he’d envisioned it would be.
“It was funny,” Mobley said. “The
guy was throwing real slow and I was
waiting for a hanging breaking ball and he
threw it. It was right there, perfectly on
line and it just never broke, so I just took
it.”
Mobley look first after being hit by
the pilch and wailed for liis next chance.
It would come Saturday in the bot
tom of die eighth with two men on and
one out.
“I just went in there looking for a
good pitch,” Mobley said. “It was there
and I hit it hard.”
Mobley’s frozen rope to left was good
for a 2-run single. He wouldn’t have the
same luck Sunday, as he went 0-for-3 in
his first start at designated hitter, but Tan
ner is excited about Mobley’s potential.
“He’s a guy that we think has a
tremendous upside as far as swinging
the bat is concerned,” Tanner said. “His
opportunities in college baseball are go
ing to be swinging the bat. He does have
a chance to be a tremendous hitter in col
lege baseball.”
Sunday’s Notes: Fust baseman Tripp Kel
ly extended liis liitling streak to eight games
with a solo home run in the bottom of the
eighth inning. It was liis sixth home run
in eight games... Brennan Dees went 3
for-4 with an RBI double... Clint Collins
made his first appearance on the mound
since 1998, pitching two innings and strik
ing out four.
USC 16, Delaware State 1
When USC opened its 2000 base
ball season on Feb. 4 against Charleston
Southern, Surge Frye Field was buzzing
with the arrival of freshman shortstop
Drew Meyer.
After turning down the Los Angeles
Dodgers six-figure offer to play profes
sional baseball, Meyer went 1-for-17 to
start his Gamecock career.
Now, Meyer seems comfortable at
the plate and is finding his groove.
That comfort led his team Saturday
as they defeated Delaware Stale 16-1 on
the heels of a 4-for-5, 3 RBI game from
Meyer.
“I’ve been seeing the ball real well,”
Meyer said. “I got robbed a lot in the be
ginning of the year, so now I’m getting
some of the hits back with infield singles.
I'll take what I can get, and hopefully I’ll
get some more of those.”
USC head coach Ray Tanner laid no
doubt that Meyer’s offense would come
around.
“You’ve heard me say it from day
one,” Tanner said. “I’m not worried about
him. He’s going to get his hits. He’s been
playing hard. He’s been playing with en
thusiasm and I’m happy for him that he
Baseball see page m
Chastain kicks off marathon
by Elizabeth Rod
Assistant Sports Editor
She’s just like you and me, but she’s world-fa
mous - famous for kicking the game-winning goal
against China in the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
She’s famous for speaking for the creation of
“a place for women in sports.”
She’s famous for baring her black sports bra on
an international television broadcast, yet she stands
for sometliing as simple as gender equality in sports.
Soccer star Brandi Chastain visited USC Thurs
day to endorse the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Feb.
26 in Columbia. With soccer as a backdrop, Chas
tain is a spokesperson for participation and lead
ership in female sports.
' Chastain insists the attention gained by taking
off her shirt at the conclusion of the World Cup
final is positive publicity for her cause.
“For me it’s really nice that they remember
that because that means they’ll identify that with
women’s soccer and that’s ultimately what I’m af
ter,” Chastain said. “To know that women’s sports
is stuck somewhere in their mind is good.”
Mainstream exposure in the World Cup tour
nament inspired the U.S. Women’s Sbccer team to
expand its influence. Chastain sees a bright future
for women’s soccer as an international sport.
“To know that forty million people watched
the final is overwhelming and is something that
we never actually dreamed would happen or could
happen,” Chastain said. “Now it’s really just bro
ken ground for what the future has to offer and
we’re thrilled at the opportunity to build a pro
fessional women’s soccer league.”
Chastain has enjoyed many honors since the
World Cup game last summer - she’s starred in TV
commercials with other world-class athletes, thrown
out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and appeared
on ESPN’s prestigious ESPY awards show, where
slie took the stage with sports greats such as Michael
Jordan and 'Vayne Gretzky.
“These re the people you grow up admiring
and looking ,.o and aspiring to be like and that they
turn out to be such nice people on top of it real
ly makes you feel good about what you’re doing
as an athlete,” Chastain said.
Chastain stresses the importance of positive role
models in the everyday lives of young athletes.
She hopes by winning the World Cup, more atten
tion will be given to the value of adult examples.
“With the kick of the ball they look to you for
guidance and then the responsibility is quite awe
some,” Chastain said. “But it’s actually a respon
sibility we all share whether we’re a student, an
athlete or whatever walk of life we’re in. We all
have the ability to influence somebody.
“I want you all to know that we’re all role
models. Not because I play soccer but because I’m
a human being in the human race and I want to
make a difference in the community.”
The Carolina Marathon Association will play
host to the marathon this weekend in Columbia.
Jacquelyn Poston Gamecock Sports
Brandi Chastain signs an autograph at the Russell House on Feb. 17. Chastain was In Columbia to
promote the U.S. Olympic Team Trials marathon Saturday.
USC men's basketball rolls over Crimson Tide
by Jeff Romig
Special Correspondent
Forty minutes of solid basketball.
That’s what every college basket
ball team strives for on a given night.
Saturday, the USC basketball team
was three-fourths of tlie way there as they
crushed Alabama 82-61.
“The last 30 minutes, I thought we
played pretty darn good basketball,”
said Eddie Fogler. USC head coach.
The most telling statistic in USC’s
victory was its turnover ratio - 22 as
sists to live turnovers.
“That’s incredible for a team," Lucas
said. “When you’re playing at that level
#11 you have games like that, most of the
time, you should win.”
No team under Eddie Fogler has ever
turned over the ball less than his team did
on Saturday.
“I think, overall, we played extremely
well tonight,” Lucas said. “We took care
of the ball against a team that’s very ath
letic. You have to be very careful out there
with the passes that you m;ike and the de
cisions that you make.”
Fogler was extremely happy with his
teiim’s play on Saturday.
“Show me a le;im that hits 22 assists
and five turnovers and I’ll show you a
team that is in pretty good shape oll'en
sively,” Fogler said.
One wouldn’t have thought so if
watching the first 10 minutes of basket
ball.
“I thought in the first 10 minutes, we
took a number of bad shots,” Fogler
said. “Quick, ill-advised threes that I did
n’t like.”
As USC settled down, the tlirees start
ed to fall. For the game, they hit 21-of
31 from 3-point range, 7-of-17 in the sec
ond half.
Six different Gamecocks hit 3-point
shots. Herbert Lee Davis and David Ross
had three, Travis Kraft and Ivan Howell
had two arch and Lucas and Jamel Bradley
each hit one. “David Ross gave us a
great lift,” Fogler said. “Travis Kraft -
they both shot the ball well from three.”
Chuck Edson had an all-around sol
id game, despite going 0-for-7 from the
Geld.
“Eidson’s line is incredible,” Fogler
said.
The freshman finished with nine re
bounds, eight assists, three steals and no
turnovers.
“You can’t say enough about Chuck,”
Ross said. “He’s just agreat talent -agreat
find for us. Hopefully, he’s going to do
that for four years here.”
Davis led the team in scoring with 15
points. Tony Kitchings pulled in 11 re
bounds to go with his eight points.
The Gamecocks face No. 23 LSU at
Frank McGuire Arena Wednesday. Fogler
knows it will take more than Saturday’s
effort to defeat a tough Tiger team.
“Wednesday, we’ll need 40 (minutes),”
Fogler said.
Alabama 11-13, 4-8 SEC
TOT-FC 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. . FG FGA FG FCA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO B S MIN
35 Erwin Dudley, f 3 10 0 0 0 1 3 10 13 4 6 2 3 1 1 35
05 Tank London, g 3 40 11 201 137 6 000 40
14 Terrance Meade, g 3 12 2 82 205 53 10 2200 32
20 Dor Martin, g 4 51 23 300 03 12 2200 32
21 Rod Crizzard,g 6 12 3 70 015 63 15 0211 27
04 Schea Cotton 1 70 16 702 2381300 19
11 DJ Towns 0 00 00 000 0000000 1
13 Solomon Davis 0 10 10 000 0000000 1
43 Sam Haginas 0 10 00 O 'OO 0100000 4
25 Jim Bakken 1 11 10 001 1032000 9
Team 2 0 2
Totals 21 53 7 21 12 15 6 24 30 20 61 15 2 2 200
South Carolina 11-14, 3-9 SEC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO B S MIN
14 Herbert Lee Davis, f 4 93 74 401 10 15 1001 25
50 Tony Kitchings, f 4 12 0 00 047 11 281210 25
12 Marius Petravicius. c 3 70 04 4 12 35 10 0100 19
10 Jamel Brad el y. g 1S1 70 000 0033000 1S
31 Chuck Eidson.g 0 70 52 218 9328013 33
00 David Ross 3 53 50 011 22 9 0000 16
04 Ivan Howell 2 22 20 000 0060000 1
05 Aaron Lucas 3 41 23 400 00 10 3000 16
15 Travis Kraft 3 32 20 020 2182000 10
20 Jo Jo Cadray 0 00 00 000 0101000 1
32 Calvin Clemmons 0 00 01 200 0010100 3
33 Damien Kinloch 2 30 00 023 5141000 16
35 Antonio Crant 3 60 10 120 2161100 16
24 Brian ScotL 0 10 00 010 1001000 1
Team 1 5 6
Totals 28 67 12 31 14 17 15 27 42 16 82 22 5 2 4 200
Women tame 'Cats on senior day
by Kyle Almond
Staff Writer
The South Carolina Lady Game
cocks took revenge on Sunday wlien they
defeated Kentucky 64-51 at Frank
McGuire Arena.
USCU3-13.3-10SEC) lost to Ken
tucky in Lexington earlier this season by
two but they came out on lire at home,
grabbed an early lead, and never
looked back.
It was Senior Day for Carolina, willt
^ee Lady Gamecock seniors, Annie
Lester, Shanla Jeffcoat and Casie Key,
being honored before game-time.
Jeffcoat sparked the early lead for
DSC, drilling two 3-pointers early in
the game to give Carolina an 8-2 ad
vantage. She added another 3-poinler in
the lirst half, and USC shot 6-12 as a
team from beyond the arc before half
time, going in with a 30-27 lead.
“[Jeflcoat] is a very calming factor
for us offensively," said USC head coach
Susan Walvius. “Defensively, she got the
job done."
Early in the second half, Lester took
over where Jeflcoat left off, getting the
tough inside points and extending the
Carolina lead to seven. Lester, a two
time All-SEC honoree, scored in double
figures for the 72nd lime in her career,
and she will graduate this season as on
ly the eighth Lady Gamecock to score
1,000 points and pull down more than
700 rebounds.
In each of the hist two games, Lester
hits scored an SEC season-high 32 points.
“Obviously, I have a great deal of re
spect for Annie Lester," added coach
Walvius. “She’s been a go-io player for
us for three years and she’s carried our
basketball team in many situations.”
Lester and younger sister Jocelyn
Penn put the dagger through the Lady
Wildcats’ collective hearts late in the
second half, leading a 11-0 run that put
the game out of Kentucky’s reach. Penn
ended up as the game’s high scorer, scor
ing 16 points while grabbing seven re
bounds.
Walvius was pleased with the way
the team followed the game plan.
“We were poised offensively, and
defensively, our game plan was to con
tain their penetration,” said Walvius. “We
were able to do a better job at keeping
them away from the basket, and that’s
what we were looking to defend.”
’’Women's see page B2
by Paul Mashack
Staff Writer
The USC softball team accomplished
a rare feat Saturday at Beckham Field.
In a doubleheader against Geoigia State,
the Gamecocks threw consecutive no hit
ters en route to a 6-0, 8-0 sweep.
It marked the 33rd time in USC’s
27 years of softball that the team has reg
istered a no-hitter.
“1 felt strong out there,” sophomore
pitcher Megan Matthews said. “I fell good
after coming back from an injured ankle.”
The win improved her record to 2-3 on
the year.
The Gamecocks were led offensive
ly by cenlerfielder Megan Donohoo, ju
nior shortstop Kendra McCutheon and
second baseman Kim Schultze.
McCutcheon went a perfect 2-for-2
at the plate with a pair of runs batted in.
Seniors Schultze and Donohoo com
bined to go 4-for-6 with three RBIs and a
run scored.
In the second game of the twin bill, ju
nior Joyce McMillin continued the USC
pitching dominance with her second no
hitter as a Gamecock. Last year, the junior
threw a no-hilter against Iona.
Saturday, she pitched five innir^s while
striking out seven and walking two batters
to complete 12 hitless innings.
“We threw a great game,“said McMil
lan, who evened her record to 1-1 for the
season. “The catchers caught a great game
and the defense did a great job behind me.”
“We were able to keep our focus and
play great in the second game,” Comp
ton said.
Offensively, McMillin and freshmen
Jodi Fittrio were key contributors to the
Gamecocks 8-0 route. Fittrio went 2-for
2 with an RBI and scored once.
McMillin contributed with her sec
ond home run of the year in the fourth
inning. She finished the game with two
runs batted in and two runs.