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Gamecock Sports Schedule ■ Baseball at Clemson, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday ■ Softball at Coastal Carolina, 4 p.m. Wednesday ■ Track and field at Pennsylvania (Penn Relays), rrhursday-Saturday ■ Baseball vs. Auburn, 7 p.m. Friday HThC (Bamecotk Wednesday, April 25, 2001 Aaron Hark/The Gamecock Bryon Jeffcoat and the Gamecock baseball team will try to win their third game of the season against rival Clemson on Wednesday. Dees’ return could signal turnaround for Carolina by Kyle Almond The Gamecock The USC baseball team got a huge boost this past weekend when senior co-captain Brennan Dees returned to the starting lineup after missing 14 games because of a fractured kneecap. At the plate, Dees seemed to be back where he belonged, collecting four hits and five RBIs in the three-game set at Georgia. Out in the field, it was a different story. The 5-foot-10-inch right fielder played Saturday and Sunday at first base, a position traditionally manned by big targets such as 6-foot-2-inch Tripp Kelly. It was a marked change for the Carolina infield, especially for shortstop Drew Meyer. “I was throwing to him between innings and I was thinking, geez, how am I going to throw to this guy?” Meyer said. “But he does the job over there. He’s catching ground balls and making the plays.” Dees, who wasn t projected to return until the SEC Tournament at the earliest, made a quick recovery from his injury. He was eager to get back on the field and help his struggling team—even if that meant he had to play at first, where the risk to his knee is less than at other positions. “I played a little bit (at first base) in high school and a little bit in junior college, but I played as much in those two games as I’ve ever had,” Dees said. “But it was fun. Whatever it takes to help this team win, I’ll do it.” Though team doctors cleared Dees to play, they told him he should consider sitting out and resting his knee a while longer. “I was told that I shouldn’t (come back); that I might be rushing it and it could hurt us down the road,” he said. “But I’m going to take that chance. “Even if I hurt it now, nobody will know, because I won’t tell anybody. I’ll just wait until the end of the season. This is nty last run at it, and I can’t take a chance by sitting out again. That’s how much I want to play. I’m going to be in there whether I re-injure [my knee] or not.” Dees and the Gamecocks (31 -13,10-11 SEC)face their fourth and final meeting with rival Clemson (28 15,10-5 SEC) tonight at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson. The Tigers are ranked 12th in the nation, while the sputtering Gamecocks are unranked for the first time this season after losing nine of their past 12 conference games. USC is hoping to gain some momentum for this weekend’s series with Auburn by beating the Tigers and taking the season series. The Gamecocks have won two of tliree already this season against their rival from the upstate, including a 21-8 thumping March 3 hi Clemson, and are looking to make it tliree of four. Because Carolina also swept the Tigers last season in both their meetings, a win tonight would make it five of six. “That would be big for us,” Meyer said. “[Ciemson is] agood team... They’re always ranked high. It would be a big lift for us if we could beat them two seasons in a row and let the state know that we have the upper hand right now. “If we can get a big win at Ciemson, I think we’ll be ready to roll the rest of the year.” The Tigers are determined not to let that happen —so determined that they ’re starting their ace, Steve Reba, who is 8-1 this season with a 1.88 ERA. “They really want it,” Dees said. “And we’re throwing (Chris) Spigner (6-3, 3.68 ERA). So that right there shows you that it’s a big game for us, and it’s not just a mid-week game.” Though Reba lias been nearly unliittable tliis season, the team is hoping Dees’ presence in the lineup will improve the team’s shoddy hitting. Carolina is only batting .279 as a team this year. Clemson defeated USC 7-4 at Saige Frye Field the day after the 21-8 home loss. The Gamecocks recovered in game tliree last week, winning 9-3. Game four is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmail.com ■ LOCATION; Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Ciemson ■ TIME: 7:15 p.m. Wednesday ■ RADIO; WVOC 560 AM ■ RECORDS: USC (31-13, 10-11 SEC), CU (28-15, 10-5 ACC) ■ PREVIOUS 2001 MEETINGS: March 3 in Ciemson: USC 21-8 March 4 in Columbia: CU 7-4 April 18 in Columbia: USC 9-3 ■ STARTING PITCHERS: USC - Chris Spigner (6-3, 3.68 ERA) CU - Steve Reba (8-1, 1.88 ERA) Golfer McPherson wins at SECs ■ Sophomore sets record with three-stroke SEC win From’Staff Reports USC women’s golfer Kristy McPherson shattered the SEC Championship record and captured medalist honors, and the Lady Gamecocks finished third after a final round of 302 on Sunday at the 21st annual SEC Women’s Golf Championships at the University of Florida. McPherson led the tournament from start to finish in her record-breaking performance on the 6,100-yard, par 72 course. McPherson, a sophomore from Conway who was named a first-team AU-SEC member Thursday, shot a final-round 70 and finished with an SEC Tournament record 207 to take medalist honors for the first time. Her 207 easily bested the previous school record of 210 set by Siew Ai Lim in 1995 on a par 71 course in the Carolyn Cudone Invitational in Myrtle Beach. The nine-under-par performance won McPherson her seventh lop 10 finish this season, virtually assuring her All-American honors this season. “It feels awesome,” McPherson said. “I had no clue what the (SEC Tournament) record was or that I was even close to it. It feels awesome to be able to accomplish that.” Carolina posted the liighest team score on the last day of the tournament, but its bid for its first SEC championship fell just short on the final hole Sunday, where the team shot a combined eight-over par. The Lady Gamecocks still managed to finish third — the second-highest finish ever for a USC team at the SECs. Lady Gamecocks Sarah Kidd (junior) and Marci Robinson (freshman) each had 10-over 226 totals to tie for 20th place. Rounding out Carolina’s contingent were senior Stefanie Reynolds (228, 26th place) and sophomore Kacy Thompson (244,51st place). In the team competition, No. 12 LSU had the lead through two rounds, but shot a 301 Sunday and was passed by No. 6 Geoigia, which shot a 292 on the final day to capture the team championship. The Lady Bulldogs finished with an eight-over 872, five strokes better than LSU’s 877. The Lady Gamecocks and No. 3 Auburn tied for third place at 887, while Florida rounded out the lop five at 891. McPherson increased her lead on the final day to a 207 total that was tliree strokes better than LSU’s Katy Harris’score of 210. Geoigia’s Reilly Rankin and Summer Sirmons (214) tied for third place, while Auburn’s Celeste Troche finished fifth at 215. For her record-setting perfonnance, McPherson was named Golf Worlds Women’s Collegiate National Player of the Week on Monday. Carolina now waits to see if it is offered a bid to the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships. Bids will be announced April 30. The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmail.com Special to The Gamecock Kristy McPherson took medalist honors Sunday at the SEC Tournament. Hulko makes national team for second time ■ Diver takes fifth place at Senior Nationals by Katie Schmidt Special Correspondent USC men’s diver Brandon Hulko holds four school records al USC, has two bronze medals from the SEC Championships and has completed half of the requirements for a spot on the Olympic ie;un. Earlier this month at the U.S. Senior National Championships, he added another honor to that list when lie bcciune a member of the national team for the second time. Making the team is a dream come true lor the Florida native, who started diving to pay lor his college education. I le now admits his talents look him further than he expected. “I have met every goal I have ever made,” said Huiko, a junior at USC. “I’m very happy. I could hear the cheers underwater from the audience as I finished my last dive.” Huiko placed eighth in the country in the one-meter springboard event mid fifth in the three-meter event. But it was his performance in the three-meter that secured his spot on the national team for the second year in a row. This yem, the slmidards for making the team have chmigcd; only the lop six qualifiers make it, rather than the lop eight. The change didn't phase Huiko. Also competing for USC' were junior Bntd Brown mid freshman I lolly I l(xkres. It was the first time Brown made the meet. He had a respectable debut. finishing 19th in the country in the one meter springboard. Hodges finished 16th in the women’s version of the event. “In a close contest, you can’t afford to miss anything,” Hodges said, describing her performance. Though she was satisfied with four of her live dives, I lodges missed the cul olf for the finals. The consistent marks Hodges received for her three-meter optional dives pul her in 18th place and in the semifinals. She moved up two places in the semis to finish 16th. “I feel really good tibout it,” Hodges said. “This is the second time I’ve been to Seniors, and it’s the highest I’ve ever placed. I feel my performance at Gtrolina is moving in the right direction.” The Senior National Championship meet marked the end of the long season, a successful one for the Gamecock diving team. The s/io/ts tiesk can he readiedal gamecocksports<ii)hotmail.com ‘I have met every goal I have ever made. I’m very happy.’ Brandon Hulko USC diver Sports Commentary Florida ranked first in hate poll Kyle Almond is a second-year student in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Send responses to gamecockviewpoints ©hot mail.com. Much to t h e dismay of my loyal reader sliip, I’d like to take some time out of today’s column to congratulate the USC softball team for its big win over Florida on Sunday. It was such a fulfilling victory for me as a fan, and I think the Game cocks should be applauded for their efforts. The 3-1 ill leu bLUie uiuugiu a huge smile to my face when I heard it, and not because we clinched the SEC East; it was because we beat Florida, the SEC school I hate the most. Wfe all know everyone hates Clemson. You hate the Tigers, I hate the Tigers, it’s a given at Carolina. But lately, I’ve noticed some students who seem to actually like SEC schools, including Florida. This is not acceptable, people! The SEC is our battleground, and on this battleground, there are no allies. Everyone’s out to kill each other. I can’t comprehend how students can compromise their loyalty to USC by supporting another school from the same conference. Personally, I hate them all. I don’t discriminate. I’m an equal opportunity hater. From the dreaded Gators on down to Mississippi State, 1 would rather light myself on fire than cheer for any of those schools. They are the enemy, and they must be destroyed at all costs. Though I hate all of them, I must admit, however, there are some 1 hate just a little more than others. Florida is, without a doubt, the tc;im I hate the most. Tennessee, Kentucky ;uid Gcoigia m;tkc me want to puke as well. As I sUirlcd thinking about it, 1 found myself forming a list in my head. Hate rankings are what you could call tiicm. Here is what I came up with: Most hated team in the SEC: Florida You know why I hale Florida? liecause, year in and year out, it wins in everything. Every season, the Gators arc ’ in the national title hunt in football and basketball. They flat-out dominate volleyball and women’s soccer. And I looked everywhere, but I can’t seem to find a team anywhere in their program that has a losing record. Not even equestrian. Even dieir campus newspaper is the best in the Southeast. It makes me sick. It wouldn’t be so bad if they were humble about it. But Steve Spunier diinks he’s God’s gift to college football, and Billy Donovan is just as cocky. The Gators know they are the best at everything, and they’ve always got tc remind us. For once, I wish they could just have a down period, a plague of losing seasons during which their fans would actually have to struggle or worry. That would be sweet. But, needless to say, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. If I could take out any school in the conference and replace it with Prairie View, it would be Florida. Any win over Florida is almost as good as one over Clemson in my book. Top tier of most-hated SEC schools: Tennessee, Kentucky, Geoigia lennessee trails right behind Honda. Does any name make you cringe more than the Volunteers does? I volunteer to take those ugly orange uniforms and shove ’em up that stupid mascot Smokey’s butt. Kentucky sucks because its fans are probably the most spoiled of the bunch. If they don’t win the national championship every year in basketball, UK fans start whining and blaming it on Saul Smith. Boo hoo. They could learn a tiling or two from Gamecock fans about appreciation. The main reason I hate Georgia is the ridiculous barking Unit its fans do at games. And like Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida, it plays in the SEC East, which means I . have to hear that stupid barking at least 20 times a year. Middle tier: Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU. Auburn teams insist on calling llicmsclvcs Tigers (gross) and then confuse the world with that whole War Eagle chant. Pick a name and slick with it. I can’t remember the last time we beat' Bama in anything, but the football Hate STI PAGE 11