The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 12, 2002, Page 10, Image 10
10 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, June 12, 2002
pontipt ns IIMarmfYDrnO THIS WEEK IN use SPORTS HISTORY
vjUA liAvii Uo I I I [I I JUNE 11, 1986: USC wins the Metro Conference All
E-mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.com _l_ Vv _l_ \_L. K_/ Sports award for the second consecutive year..
Nothing could be
finer than Omaha!
PHOTO BY ROBERT GRUEN/THE GAMECOCK
The Sarge Frye Field scoreboard tells the story of the five run ninth inning rally that propelled Carolina
to their first College World Series appearance in seventeen years. They will square off against
Georgia Tech Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. The Gamecocks are in the same bracket with in-state rival
Clemson.
BY J. KEITH ALLEN
THE GAMECOCK
The USC baseball team defeated
defending National champion
Miami (FI.) and will advance to the
College World Series for the first
time in seventeen years. They won a
slugfest Friday night, were shut
down on Saturday, and won
Sunday’s finale in stunning fashion,
scoring five runs in the ninth inning
to win. They will face Georgia Tech
on Friday afternoon at Rosenblatt
Stadium in Omaha, NE.
“You try and be the last team
standing, “ said USC head coach Ray
Tanner “This is the last tournament
and I hope we have the opportunity
to be Cinderella...Somebody has to
be,” Tanner said.
Friday: USC 10, Miami 7
The Gamecock bats came alive
early as they batted around in each
of the first two innings and plated
ten early runs against the
Hurricanes.
Brian Buscher led the way for
Carolina going 4 for 5, with two runs
scored and five RBI.
Pitcher Gary Bell got the start for
USC, but faltered in the fourth and
fifth innings. Back-to-back home
runs by Javy Rodriquez and Danny
Matienzo cut the Gamecock lead to
10-5, and after a yielding a Jim Burt
single, Bell was pulled in favor of
Aaron Rawl.
The Lexington native pitched 3
2/3 innings of strong relief. Rawl
held the potent Hurricane offense
to two runs on five hits, and struck
out four to earn the victory for USC.
After getting out to the early lead,
Tanner knew the Hurricanes would
make a late-game charge at the
Gamecocks. ‘Aaron Rawl did a great
job battling for us, “ he continued.
“I didn’t have any doubt that they
would make a run at us.”
Senior Blake Taylor pitched the
final two-thirds of the ninth inning
to pick up his Division I leading 21st
save of the year.
Saturday: Miami 5, USC 2
With the season on the line,
Miami starter Dan Touchet pitched
the game of his life to even the
Super Regionals at one game apiece.
The sophomore right-hander held
the Gamecocks to one run on five
hits with four strikeouts over 7 2/3
innings, while his teammates scored
five early runs off Carolina starter
Five Carolina players
selected in MLB draft
BY J. KEITH ALLEN
THE GAMECOCK
The College World Series-bound
USC baseball team had five players
selected in last week’s Major League
Baseball Draft. All-American short
stop Drew Meyer became the high
est draft pick in Carolina history
when the Texas Rangers took him
as the 10th pick in the first round.
Meyer’s trip to the College
World Series and draft selection
puts the finishing touches on a
record-setting season in Columbia.
The Charleston native broke the
school record for hits in a season
(111), singles (80), and at-bats (293).
In addition to his All-American hon
ors, Meyer was also named to the
All-SEC team this season. Meyer led
the Gamecocks in stolen bases (36),
runs scored (77) and started all 66
games as shortstop this year.
USC first baseman Yaron Peters
and pitcher Gary Bell were chosen
as back-to-back picks in the 10th
round. Peters was selected by the
Atlanta Braves after being named
2002 SEC Player of the Year and
breaking single-season records for
home runs (27) and RBIs (89). Peters
was also named an All-American
and his six home runs and eight
RBIs led the Gamecocks past North
Carolina in last week’s Regional
tournament.
The New York Yankees took Bell
with the next pick in the 10th round.
Bell pitched to a 10-2 record this
year and led the team with 86 strike
outs. Bell has compiled a 20-7 record
over two seasons at Carolina while
logging 201.1 innings of work. The
senior from Ponce Inlet, Fla. pitched
three dazzling consecutive post-sea
son games for the Gamecocks this
year, including a complete-game
gem against Arkansas in a 10-1 vic
tory in the opening round of the
SEC tournament.
Team Captains Garris Gonce
and Blake Taylor were selected on
the second day of the draft on
Wednesday. Gonce, the starting left
fielder for USC, was chosen in the
31st round by the St. Louis
Cardinals. Gonce played in all but
two of Carolina’s games this year
and posted a .303 batting average
with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs.
After breaking the Carolina
record for saves in a season (20),
Taylor was taken in the 39th round
by the Cleveland Indians. The
Columbus, Ga. native also made two
crucial starts in USC’s run to the
College World Series, including a
complete-game, 11 strikeout win
over North Carolina in the deciding
Regional game.
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David Marchbanks.
Matienzo capped a five run third
inning with a three run homer off
Marchbanks.
Chris Spigner relieved
Marchbanks in the fourth inning,
and held the Hurricanes scoreless
for the remainder of the game. But
the Gamecocks could not string hits
together off Touchet, and Tanner
cited his effort as the key to the
Miami victory
“He did a tremendous job for
Miami giving them the chance to
win the game,” Tanner said. “We
had a couple of opportunities with
runners on and just didn’t come
through.”
Carolina scratched two runs off
the Miami bullpen, but stranded 12
baserunners in the game.
Sunday: USC 6, Miami 4
In what he hoped would be a re
peat of the previous Sunday victo
ry over North Carolina, Tanner gave
the ball to Taylor to start Sunday’s
finale against Miami. Taylor pitched
effectively, limiting Miami to three
runs over 6 1/3 innings, but the
Carolina batters could not find an
answer for opposing starter Troy
Roberson.
After yielding a run off consec
utive doubles by Yaron Peters and
Buscher in the first inning,
Roberson settled down and abso
lutely baffled the Gamecock hitters.
Roberson only gave up two sin
gles over the next five innings while
Miami took the lead 2-1 in the third
inning on Brad Safchik single.
♦ BASEBALL, SEE PAGE 11