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Women’s soccer to kick off doubleheader PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Sarah Lentz and the USC women’s soccer team start their season today at The Graveyard. BY KYLE ALMOND AND ROBIN NURRE THE GAMECOCK The USC women’s soccer team opens up the 2002 season Friday with a 4:30 p.m. match against Birmingham Southern at The Graveyard. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work these last three weeks of practice and are ready to be on the field and to face an opponent,” USC head coach Shelley Smith said. Highlighting the season open er is a reunion between siblings. Keidane McAlpine, brother of Carolina defender Kanika McAlpine, is Birmingham Southern’s head coach. Keidane McAlpine is in his second year as head coach for the Panthers, who finished with an 8-6-3 record last season. Carolina, which finished last season with an 8-7-3 record, was the third most-improved team in the nation. Friday’s game is the first of a Gamecock Soccer doubleheader. The men’s team will take on Charleston Southern at 7 p.m. The USC women won’t have much time to rest after its open er. The Gamecocks will travel to Davidson on Sunday for a 4 p.m. matchup against the Wildcats. MEN’S SOCCER The USC men’s soccer team, ranked No. 16 in the NSCAA/Adidas preseason poll, opens its 2002 season Friday at 7 p.m. when it takes on Charleston Southern at The Graveyard. The game will mark the 13th meeting between the Gamecocks and Buccaneers. USC has won all 12 previous meetings. Carolina returns seven mem bers of a team that posted a 12-5-2 record last season and was elimi nated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Its 2002 schedule features eight teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament, including North Carolina, the defending na tional champion. Friday night’s game is the first of eight home matches this sea son for the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks will also play host to a match Monday at 2 p.m. against Jacksonville. VOLLEYBALL The USC volleyball team gets the 2002 season started Fridaygt the Coca Cola/Michigan State Classic in Lansing, Mich. The Gamecocks’ first opponent will be Oakland, with the match time set at 5 p.m. USC will continue play Saturday at 8 a.m. when it takes on Georgetown, and it will con clude its first weekend of play against No. 15 Michigan State at 8 p.m. Saturday. Carolina is hoping to start the season the same way it has every year under head coach Kim Christopher. The Gamecocks are 9-0 in season openers since Christopher took the helm in 1992. “Up in Michigan, there are a lot of good teams,” USC senioi setter Megan Hosp said. “We are looking to be competitive and ex pecting to win.” After this weekend, USC will return to Columbia to hold the Carolina Classic on Sept. 6-7. CROSS COUNTRY The first USC team to open its new season will be the cross country team. The Gamecocks get an early 9 a.m. start Friday in the Charleston Southern Invitational. Last season, Carolina finished 18th in the NCAA Southeast Regionals and sevefith in the SEC ' Championships. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Rothenberg CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 you,” then let the door hit them on the way out. In Milwaukee, site of the 2002 All-Star Game, Selig perhaps made his biggest gaffe. It was decided be tween him and managers Joe > Torre and Bob Brenly that the game should be called in the 11th inning with a 7-7 score. A disgusted crowd wanted the game to go on. Selig said he couldn’t think of any alternative. I know an alternative: Instead of letting the pitchers throw two innings before moseying to the clubhouse for a shower and some- i thing to eat, force them to stay in the dugout. The same goes for the : position players. Allow them to re- i enter the game. i So as baseball lumbers toward : another work stoppage, it’s ap parent that Selig, despite knowing what was wrong with the game well ahead of time, did little to im prove it, especially after the 1994 i strike. i And most of what he has done has failed in the courts of public opinion. Before he became a hotshot i owner, Selig was a used car sales- l man in the Milwaukee area. Now he’s trying to sell his ideas and Major League Baseball as if it’s a ; :lunker driven by an old lady go ng to and from church every iunday. Selig has mastered the art >f schmoozing, however — no imount of sugar can sweeten this .our lemon. One solution is apparent hough: Selig must resign as com nissioner. He said about his position, “The me thing as commissioner is, you inderstand you’re always the ightning rod.” Well, I think this lightning rod las seen a few too many strikes >ver the years. Perhaps it’s time or a replacement. \othenberg is a fourth-year sport nanagement student. Special Teams CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 ing someone dependable field the punts, even if it isn’t who can run the fastest. “Ryan Brewer is dependable in those areas and will be back there returning kicks in some fashion,” Holtz said. “Farabee, Donnings, Adkisson and maybe even Dunta Robinson could also be used. We jire going to look at a lot of different people. All of these players look comfortable catching punts during practice.” The return specialists will likely be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against New Mexico State. Brewer’s sta tus will likely play a major role in Holtz’s decision. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com UJe're now HIRinG! 1 Ground See Classifieds for more Info... I_ SPORTS CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE: Kyle Matt Chris Mary Adam Jeremy The Gamecock’s readers and Almond Rothenberg Foy Hartney Beam Register staff test their sports knowledge sP0lts Asst. Sports Defending Editor in News Reader of with Dredictions of the Editor Editor Champion Chief Editor the Week weekend’s games. (°-°> (°-°) (0’°) (°-°> (0-0) (0-0) 11 Washington at 13 Michigan Michigan Michigan Michigan Washington Washington Washington Notre Dame vs. 21 Maryland Notre Dame Maryland Maryland Maryland Maryland Notre Dame Colorado St. vs. 7 Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado Colorado St. Colorado Colorado Navy at SMU SMU SMU SMU Navy Navy SMU Idaho at Boise St. _Boise St. Boise St. Boise St. Boise St. Idaho Boise St. * Mississippi St. at 15 Oregon Oregon OregonOregon Oregon Oregon Oregon 14 LSU at 16 Virginia TechLSULSU LSU Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Auburn at 20 So. Cal_So. Cal So. Cal So. Cal So. Cal Auburn Auburn Clemson at 8 Georgia_Georgia Georgia_Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia New Mexico St. at 22 USC USC USC USC USC USC USC 41-7 24-14 45-13 28-7 35-10 41-7 LAST WEEK’S WINNER: Not applicable WANT TO BE READER OF THE WEEK? E-mailyourselectionsnextweektogamecocksports@hotmail.com. If you have the best record, you’ll win a free Gamecock T-shirt and be able to talk all the trash you want Looking Back._ Moving Forward An Interactive facilitated discussion between panelists and audience members to reflect en the tragedy of September it 2001 What have we learned a where are we headed? Tuesday Sept. 3rd 8:00pm RNIIII Ballroom ffirWfflLeamedP So voice vour "iiflraffTintinns. Don’t miss lilfiriirlifMJVIflTiffiiiHi event Hat immunity tegether