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xuie (Bamccock - ^ . i ^ USC signees lead •Mauldin to state title by Jeff Romig Sports Editor UNION - David Marchbanks and Chris Carter shared positions this season - when one pitched, the other played right field This equation worked as they led Mauldin to the AAAA state championship with a 8-3 victory over Richland Northeast on May 19. Next year, they will share a room in the Roost. All year long, USC baseball coach Ray Tanner has credited his team's suc cess to the depth of his pitching staff. It's about to get deeper. Marchbanks, who went 134 in 2000, is a 6-3 left-hander who throws in the low 90s and Carter, who finished 8-1, is a 6 1 right-hander who is consistently clocked in the mid 80s. Marchbanks started games one and three of the championship series, Mauldin's two wins, and was untouch able in game three, throwing four per fect innings to start the game. “Dave pitched a great game,” said Carter, who was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs in the game. “He was on top of it, and every time they put it in play, our defense made the plays. It was awesome.” Marchbanks went the distance, al lowing three runs on four hits, striking out three and walking one, but he cred ited his defense with his performance. “The defense was behind me the whole time,” Marchbanks said. “You feel great when the defense is behind you like that. It's a huge confidence boost." Only one word could describe how Marchbanks felt following the win. “Awesome,” Marchbanks said. “It feels just how I had expected it to. I went through it in my mind a mil lion times.” Pitching isn't the only area March banks excels at. He went 3-for-4 at the plate in the championship game, but his coach, Ben Waddle knows that the biggest impact he and Carter had on their Mauldin team was in the leadership department. “They're great character kids,” Wad dle said. “I think that's the reason that the team was able to mold behind them.” With Marchbanks and Carter on the mound in the AAAA playoffs, Waddle thought his team would be invincible. “We felt like we were going to be very successful as long as we could keep a two-man rotation,” Whddle said. “They were the catalysts. They kept us close in the games, and the offense came through for us.” Waddle expects them to do the same for the Gamecocks. “When they get to work three hours a day just on pitching, I think they're go ing to help the Gamecocks,” Widdle said. “The Gamecocks will help them and the sky's the limit.” Carter can't wait for that opportuni ty to arrive. “It’s going to be fun stuff,” Carter said. “We’re looking forward to it. “We've been looking forward to it all. year. We just can't wait.” USC commitment granted free agency The Associated Press Landon Powell, a top high school base ball prospect, took advantage of a little known (halt rule to become a free agent. Powell, a power-hitting catcher who led Apex (N.C.) High School to the state 4-A title in June as a junior, had his gen eral equivalency diploma validated by major league baseball and can sign with any team, Baseball America magazine reported Tuesday. Powell, 18, would have been a top prospect in the 2001 draft, but he took advantage of a rule that allows players to declare themselves eligible for the draft if they have received their GED. When Powell passed his GED test, he wrote to commissioner Bud Selig de claring himself eligible for the 2000 draft. Because few knew he was available, none of the 30 major league teams chose him during the June 5-6 draft. Major league baseball prevented teams from negotiating a contract with Powell until the commissionerOs office validated the GED. “The wrongful suspension of Lan don Powell is over and teams are free to negotiate with him,” agent Scott Boras, Powell’s adviser, told Baseball Ameri ca Boras, who said the use of a GED to make a high school junior available in the draft was unprecedented, was upset with how long the validation process took. “It’s troubling because the com-, missioner’s office took away 60 days of the player’s right to negotiate,” Boras' said. Richard Levin, a spokesman for Selig, said the investigation took time because it was thorough. “We had a number of people we had to talk to in order to confirm the valid ity,” Levin said. “And ultimately, this is the conclusion we came to.” Levin said he couldn’t predict what effect Powell’s free agency would have on the draft rules. Changes were made in 1996 after players took advan tage of a contract loophole discovered by Boras. Changes were made again after outfielder J.D. Drew, a client of Boras’, failed in a bid for free agency in 1997. Boras said Powell, who led the state with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs, had no workouts scheduled with teams. But Powell’s father, Ron, said college is al so an option for his son. Boras, whose clients include Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux and Alex Ro driguez, is acting as Powell’s legal ad viser rather than his agent. The distinc tion protects Powell’s NCAA eligibility should he choose to play college base ball if he does not receive an acceptable professional offer. Powell has already to committed to South Carolina. Powell was a bat boy for the Gamecocks’ coach, Ray Tan ner, when Tanner coached at N.C. State. “He’s ready to play pro ball now, which is why we entered the draft and went through this with the GED," Ron Powell said. “But I would be happy for him to go school and play for coach Tanner.” Boras opposes the amateur draft, saying it unfairly limits the availability and bargaining power of United States players. Players outside the country can negotiate with major league teams with out facing the age and education re quirements U.S. players must meet. Meyer from page Cl. The adjustment isn’t specific to Meyer alone; a lot of the Cape Cod players go through it, in cluding Meyer’s USC and Chatham teammate, Marcus McBeth, who is hitting .189 with a ^home run and eight RBIs. “It’s amazing because there’s such a dramat ic difference between hitting the ball on the label of the wooden bat and hitting the ball on the la bel of an aluminum bat,” Schiffner said. “You can hit a ball out in most college stadiums on the label, but not with a wooden bat. You’ll either break it, or you’ll pop up to third base.” McBeth cites the combination of the wooden bats and the Cape Cod pitchers as the keys to he and Meyer’s offensive struggles. “It’s a big adjustment,” McBeth said. “We’re i - - facing a lot of great pitching up here. We’re go ing to make the adjustments, and we’ll be fine.” Using a wooden bat isn’t the only new expe rience for Meyer this summer. His team is 14-14 1 and in last place in the Cape’s Eastern Division, a position Meyer hasn’t held in quite a long time. “I must have been nine years old in a football league,” Meyer said. “I’ve never been in last place on a baseball team. I know that. This team should n’t be in last. We just haven’t had the best of luck.” But what’s winning and losing when you get to spend a relaxing summer on Cape Cod? “I wish it was like that,” Meyer said. “Most of us work from 8 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m„ and you have to be at the field at 2:30 on away days, and four on home day. That gives you about an hour and a half to eat lunch.” Meyer has been spending his mornings working for the housing authority in Chatham. “I’m just basically a helper to a maintenance guy,” Meyer said. “Whenever people call in com plaints, Igo and help them fix it. Right now, we’re rebuilding a community room.” What would Meyer’s clients say if they knew he was a freshman All-American starting short stop for a top-ranked collegiate program, not to mention a former second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers? “It’s an elderly home, but they know that I’m an A’s player,” Meyer said. “Up here, that’s huge. The town really respects the players and looks forward to going to all the games. It’s fun for the town, and it’s fun for us.” The biggest intangible difference between col lege baseball and summer ball on the Cape is the laid back atmosphere. “College is pure winning,” Meyer said. “Here they just want to see you play good. They cheer for players on the other team when they make good plays.” Meyer can’t wait to get back in front of the Gamecock fans, but he’s enjoying the relaxed New England atmosphere now. “It’s a real friendly atmosphere,” Meyer said. “It’s like a town get together. It’s really nice how they put it on. They do a good job.” One thing Meyer has on a good number of his teammates is his car. “It helps out a lot,” Meyer said. “Driving to the games, and just having the freedom to go where you want. The West Coast pys fly in and have to get rides everywhere, so it’s a privilege to have a car up here.” Getting his car there wasn’t the easiest part of Meyer’s summer. “I started on a Saturday morning at about 7:30, and I thought I would just drive until about 8 p.m. and pull over and pt a hotel,” Meyer said. The problem was, there weren’t any hotels. Not at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. or 10p.m. “There were no hotels anywhere,” Meyer said “I had to drive until almost 1 a.m. I was almost to Providence.” That was when Meyer got his first taste of the cost of living in the North as compared to the South. “I found a Best Western, and I thought, “This ought to be pretty cheap,’” Meyer said. “It was like a$ 100.00. The cost of living up here compared to down south is so big.” When Meyer was picking his girlfriend up from the Providence, R.I., airport, someone asked him if Lou Holtz was going to turn the football program around. Meyer’s girlfriend then informed the man that Drew was the starting shortstop for the baseball team. “He knew about Lafayette and all that stuff,” Meyer said. “Then he asked me my name and how I did.” ‘ The man told Meyer he’d have to look for him in the paper next year. Meyer wasn’t expecting the man’s next comment. “I’m a big Dodgers fan,” the man said. “I go to Dodger stadium all the time.” Meyer kept quiet about last summer. “I didn’t even want to bring up the whole Tom- . my Lasorda draft deal, so I just kept quiet about that,” Meyer said. Campus Recreation Fitness Programs 202 Blatt PE Center • 777-1827 • www.sa.sc.edu/pecenter/crec.htm Sessions begin Monday, August 28 A $10 fee and signed waiver are required before taking part in any group exercise sessions. Participants need to bring a valid USC Columbia ID with a Fall, 2000 sticker to each class to shoiv proof of registration. To register and pay, stop by the Campus Recreation Office, 202 Blatt PE ^—J—I Step Crazy Faculty Staff Aerobics Personal Fitness Rear Attitude Cardio Kickboxing Aqua Sports Muscle Madness Ultimate Conditioning Stepology ' Cardio Attack Hatha Yoga Muscle Madness Personal Fitness Integrated Strength Cardio Attack Liquid Assets Cardio Impact Slide Solution Cardio Attack Faculty Staff Aerobics Personal Fitness Upper Cut Cardio Kickboxing Aqua Sports Muscle Madness Ultimate Conditioning Step _Crazy Cardio Attack Hatha Yoga Muscle Madness Faculty Staff Aerobics Personal Fitness Jump & Pump Cardio Impact Liquid Assets Cardio Attack Stepology Fitness Workshop Cardio Impact Personal Fitness Step Crazy Hatha Yoga