Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Gamecock Sports Della Volpe from page B1 the network could pre-interview a few of these guys so we don’t have to ac tually think about how this kid was “overlooked” by his professors.' Then at least we don’t have to suf fer through Stuart Scott’s ad-libs in an attempt to keep the interview going smoothly. There were some good things about the draft, however. I would like you to focus on two sets of numbers: 2-0 and 38-23. If you are a sports fanatic and hate the ACC as well (like all true USC.fans should) than you already might know what I am going to say. The numbers 2-0 signify ... any one? Anyone at all? Two USC players were selected in this year’s draft. John Abraham went in the first round at No. 13 to the New York Jets and Arturo Freeman went as the 25th pick of the fifth round (that’s num ber 152 overall for all you perfectionists out there) to the Miami Dolphins. The zero is going to break your heart when you hear what it signi fies. Unfortunately, that other school, you know, the one where all those peo ple like to wear those neat little or ange overalls, didn’t get a single play er taken. Nobody from that “school” got drafted. I know that hurts you as much as it does me. Well, I am organizing a movement so that a sympathy card will be mailed over there so their seniors don’t flip out and do something rash like, say, get a job. The second pair of numbers rep resents how many players from the SEC and how many players from the ACC were drafted. Once again, the SEC proves its domination over the ACC. The SEC produced 17 first and sec ond-rounders to the ACC’s seven. If you take away Florida State (who ac counted for seven of those 23 select ed), the ACC is one of the weakest conferences in Division 1-A football. And now we can all understand why Clemson belongs there. Unfortunately, those were the on ly positive things about this year’s draft. South Carolina had two players drafted. Now, if only our recruiting was a little better, we could have had a lot more. Like, I don’t know ... say, Courtnev Brown? Being that he is from nearby Alvin, S.C., and all. But, then again, why would someone from South Carolina actually want to go to his state uni versity? Just go ahead and talk to Joe Hamil ton. Maybe he will tell you. Battle from page B1 but I think there is enough fire there anyway.” Although Clemson had not an nounced a starting pitcher at press time, Bauer will be the candidate for USC. The 6-7 junior cruised to a 14-5 win over Vanderbilt Friday, winning his seventh decision of the season. Bauer has a 2.51 ERA with 59 strikeouts. For Clemson, starter Ryan Mottl was cheated out of a start tonight in the Tigers’ series with Wake Forest last weekend. Mottl, scheduled to pitch Friday against the Demon Deacons, was rained out and had'to pitch the first game of a doubleheader Saturday. Scott Berney and Jarrod Schmidt, the other two Clemson weekend starters, also will probably be un available tonight. Ryan Childs, the Tigers’ usual mid week starter, pitched against Elon Tues day, so the Tigers could go with Paul Harrelson or Steve Reba. Harrelson is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA, while Reba is 1-0-with a 0.55 ERA. Men's golf prepares for SEC Championships Men’s Golf Ro.undup Gamecock Sports The No. 22 USC men’s golf team heads to Killen, Ala., to participate in the 61st annual SEC Men’s Golf Championships, Friday-Sunday, at Turtle Point Yacht & Country Club. The Gamecocks will be looking for their first SEC title in golf on the par 72, 7,035-yard course. USC comes into the tournament as one of four ranked teams in the league, be hind No. 4 Geoigia and No. 13 Florida, and just ahead of No. 23 Auburn, accord ing to tire latest MasterCard College Golf Foundation rankings. SEC History This is the Gamecocks’ ninth ap pearance in the SEC Championships. Car olina is coming off a third-place finish lust year in Lexington, Ky., a year after fin ishing second by one stroke to Geoigia. Carolina finished seventh in its first SEC tourney (1992), and had finished eighth twice (1993,1996)and ninth twice(1994, 1995). U5C has finished in tne top lour oi each of the last three tournaments. Since joining the SEC in 1992, Car olina has produced seven individuals who have garnered 12 All-SEC Awards. Heading the list are Carl Paulson - a two-time member and 1993 SEC Player i >f the Year - and David Seawell, a three lime first team member for just the 11th time in SEC history. In each of the past two years, Kyle Thompson and Eric Ecker have earned (irsi-team honors. National Rankings Carolina enters the 2000 SEC Cham pionships 22nd in the latest MasterCard College Golf Foundation ranking and 20th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Computer Rank ing Top 25 poll. The Gamecocks have been in the Top 25 all season and saw time in the Top 10 earlier this season. Carolina has made it as high as eighth this season in the Sagarin ratings. Individually, Thompson is 36th, Ecker 43rd and John Bloomfield 46th in the Sagarin rankings, while Thompson is 61st, Ecker 81st and Bloomfield 88th in the MasterCard poll. Puggy Blackmon Now in his fifth year with the Game cocks, but certainly no stranger to cham pionship college golf, is Puggy Blackmon. Blackmon led Carolina to great im provement in his first two seasons with all four of Iris teams at USC to date making it to the NCAA Championships. Blackmon coached Geoigia Tech to five Atlantic Coast Conference champi onships, 11 consecutive NCAA Champi onship appearances and 34 team tourna ment titles in 12 years at Geoigia Tech before being named the USC head man June 5,1995. His 11 straight NCAA showings at Tech were matched by only six other schools in the history of college golf, while Tech fin ished in the top seven in five different NCAA Tournaments. Blackmon, a four-time ACC Coach of the Year (1984, 1985,1992,1993), coached 20 All-Americans at Tech and two national players of the year in the 1990s. David Duval, a four-time All-American and current superstar on the PGA Tour, was the 1993 National Player of the Year, while Stewart Cink was named the 1995 National Player of the Year. Blackmon now has taken 15 consec utive teams to the NCAA Championships (11 at Geoigia Tech, four at South Car olina) entering this postseason. Head to bead This season, South Carolina has faced off against nine other teams in the SEC (USC did not see Kentucky or Arkansas) and has a combined record of 14-11 head to-head against those squads. Carolina is 2-1 against Auburn, 1-0 vs. Alabama, 1-4 vs. Florida, 0-5 vs. Geoigia, 3-0 vs. Louisiana State, 1-0 vs. Ole Miss, 2-0 vs. Mississip pi State, 3-1 vs. Tennessee and 1 -0 vs. Vrn derbilt. V J ll|l II L-< If you take a peek at Carolina’s results from a year ago, one might think that the Gamecocks are not improved. Much to the contrary, however, as USC’s individual stroke averages are low er than a year ago. The reason? The Gamecocks’ sched ule, which is composed of mainly invita tional tournaments, including the presti gious NCAA Preview, Carpet Capital Classic, GolfWforld, Golf Digest and Chris Schenkel toumeys. Thompson, a two-time first-team All SEC player, is looking to become the first ever four-time first teamer. Thompson, among the SEC leaders in stroke average at 72.81, is a likely selection to the 2000 first team, which would be the third time in as many years for the junior. Senior Ecker looks to make it three for three as well. Ecker has been a first team All-SEC performer the past two years. He is second on the team with a 73.22 stroke average thus far. Men's tennis team wins last match Men’^s Tennis Roundup ‘Gamecock Sports In the last regular-season match for the USC men’s tennis team, se niors Jerome Jourdon and Olof Akesson both defeated their Ken tucky opponents to end their regu lar-season careers as Gamecocks. The Carolina netters went down quickly in the doubles round only to come charging back against their singles opponents. The match came down to the competition at the No. 6 position where sophomore David Nelson defeated Jorge Escallon in three sets with a tie breaker in the third set. Also helping the Gamecock cause was freshman standout Seth Rose. Rose lifted his match winning streak to eight. The Gamecocks ended the reg ular season with a two-match win ning streak. Their final overall record is 9-11 with an impressive 6-2 in Region II competition. They will travel to Starkville, Miss., for the SEC Championships on April 20-23. Results Singles Matches 1. Robert Steckley vs. No. 25 Car los Drada UK 6-3, 6-2 2. Jerome Jourdon vs.Johan Hes oun USC 6-3,6-2 3. No. 49 Guillaume Legat vs. Gus tav Pousette UK 7-5,6-2 4. Seth Rose vs Johan Grunditz USC 6-2, 6-3 5. Olof Akesson vs. Dalibor Miha jlovic USC. 7-6,6-1 6. David Nelson vs. Jorge Escal lon USC 6-3,1-6,7-6 Doubles 1. Legat/Rose vs. Grunditz/Pousette UK 8-0 2. Jourdon/Nelson vs. Hesoun/Mi hajlovic UK 8-6 3. Akesson/Steckley vs. Drada/Reven Stephens susp. 6-6 2000 SEC Men’s Tennis Tournament : ■> April20 April21 April22 April23 All times CENTRAL « Flnrirfa AJ. Pitts Tennis Center -- Mississippi State University _ Starkville, Miss. 7 Kentucky Match 5 8 a.m._ Match 1 8 a.m. _!_I 10 Arkansas 3 Mississippi Match 9 11 a m ACM- • 1 6 Mississippi State Match 6 12 p.m. _ Match 2 12 p.m. _| 11 Alabama _ Match 11 1 p.m. - 1 Tennessee CHAMPION 8 Aubum_ Match 7 4 p.m. Match 3 4 p.m. 9 South Carolina ' w , - 4 Louisiana State Match 10 3Pm- - 5 Georgia Match 8 8 p.m. - - Match 4 8 p.m. 12 Vanderbilt David Cloninger The Gamecock 2000 SEC Women’s Tennis Tournament April 20 April 21 April22 April23 All times CENTRAL 3 Vanderbilt Pahner/Salloum Tennis Center -1 University of Mississippi 6 South Carolina Match 5 8:30 am._ Oxford, Miss. Match 1 8:30 a.m. _,_I 11 Auburn _ 2 Florida Match9 10 am- - 7 Arkansas Match 6 10:30 am._ Match2 10:30am. _| 10 Louisiana State Match ll l p.m. 4 Mississippi CHAMPION 5 Tennessee Match 7 l p.m. Match 3 1 p.m. 12 Alabama ... , . - - 1 Georgia Match 10 2pm‘ - 8 Kentucky Match 8 3:30 p.m. Match 4 3:30 p.m. 9 Mississippi State] _David cioninger the gamecock Tennis teams earn Honor Rolls Tennis Roundup Gamecock Sports A total of 94 student athletes were named to the 2000 SEC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Academic Honor Roll Tuesday by SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer. Louisiana State University topped the men’s list with seven student ath letes on the academic roster. Auburn University, the University of Kentucky and the University of South Carolina were all close behind with five each. On the women’s side, Auburn Uni versity and Mississippi State Univer sity lead the conference with seven stu dent athletes each. The University of Mississippi and Vanderbilt University were close behind with six honorees each. To be eligible for the award, a stu dent athlete must: (1.) have a 3.0 grade point average for either the past year (two semesters or three quarters) or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for their career; (2.) be a sophomore or higher in terms of academic classifi cation; and (3.) have 24 semester or 36 quarter hours toward a degree. USC Men’s tennis honorees Olof Akesson Senior 3.36 Jeff Bergman Senior 3.304 Jerome Jourdon Senior 3.858 Guillaume Legat Junior 3.423 Rodrigo Pacheco Soph. 3.95 USC Women’s tennis honorees Leigh Eichelberger Junior 3.06 Jennifer Radman Soph. 3.55 Celine Regnier Senior 3.048 Lynn Yin-Tan Soph. 3.661 Trammell wins Athlete of the Meet Track & Field Roundup Gamecock Sports Winning the 110m hurdles and leading three Gamecock relays to vic tory, Gamecock junior Terrence Tram mell was tabbed with the Tony Scott Memorial Award i--1 at tne ^ea Kay Ke lays in Knoxville on Sunday. The award goes to the top male performer of the meet. Irammell au- Trammell tomatically quali fied for the 110m hurdles with his vic tory, vaulting him to the No. 1 spot nationally. He also ran legs of the winning 4x100m, 4x200m (56.28) and shuttle hurdle (1:21.53) relays in the two-day event. The 4x100m relay posted a time of 39.04, an NCAA automatic time, breaking the Sea Ray Relays record. Gamecock Sports Only (or the strong-hearted. BEAT CLEMSON i Check out GamecockCentral.com for message boards, chat rooms, football, baseball, basketball, and more!! 1-77 & 8105 Two Notch Road • Columbia, SC 29223 (803) 736-5600 • (803) 736-1241 Fax www.imichotels.com Graduation 7/?ELEBRATION $69 Stay at the newly remodeled Ramada Plaza Hotel. You'll have easy access to the University of South Carolina and enjoy these amenities: Deluxe guestrooms with coffeemaker, iron/ironing board, hair dryer, two-line phone with voice mail, computer dataports, 25" TV with cable, on-demand movies and games • Mallards Restaurant featuring Friday Night Seafood Buffet and lavish Sunday Brunch • Mallards Lounge-where you can dance the night away • A ]: Outdoor pool and exercise room with whirlpool and sauna • Whirlpool Suites (at a slightly higher rate) ' based on availability and double oicupancy