The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 02, 2003, Page 10, Image 10
10 GAME SCHEDULE
MEN’S TENNIS at Georgia Tech, 1 p.m. Wednesday
SOFTBALL vs. Tennessee, 4 p.m. Wednesday
G ONTACT U S , 7 pm-Wednesday
MEN S TENNIS vs. Georgia, 2 p.m. Friday
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? WOMEN’S TENNIS at. Georgia, 2 p.m. Friday
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USC, Tigers set to clash
No. 20 Clemson
at South Carolina
7 p.m. Wednesday
Sarge Frye Reid
BY MATT ROTHENBERG
THE GAMECOCK
Just when things are finally
startin g to look up again for the
Gamec ock baseball team, another
important game looks it straight
in the face. Fresh off a sweep
against the Vanderbilt
Commodores, Carolina (19-9,4-5
SEC) will try to gain the upper
hand in its four-game season se
ries against hated rival .Clemson.
Tonight’s game is a prelude to a
three-game series against LSU,
which will be critical to USC’s
chances of making the SEC
Tournament. But USC head
coach Ray Tanner looks first to
Clemson before assessing the rest
of the season.
. “Regardless if you’re unblem
ished at this point, you’re going
to have to win this game. No
doub t about it, we are; that’s the
attitude we’re going to take,”
Tanner said. “Now, we won 19
games in the first half. If we win
19 games in the second half, we’re
38-18. You’re in, no doubt about
it. We certainly have to play in
the siecond half; it’s a tough sched
ule.”
The Gamecocks and the Tigers
(19-G, 1-2 ACC) met for the first
two games of their series about a
month ago, with USC on the los
ing end of an 8-0 decision in
Clemson. Carolina starting pitch
er Matt Campbell lasted only 3 2/3
innings before getting the hook.
USC could manage only four base
hits in the game. The next day, at
Sarge Frye Field, was all for the
Gamecocks, as they rode the arm
of Aaron Rawl to a 6-4 win over
the Tigers.
Tanner thinks this game will
mean a great deal to his team, as
any other game against Clemson
might.
“I don’t think it could be more
important than it is,” Tanner
said. “They’re always big. It
doesn’t matter what’s going on in
conference play or anything like
that. This is Clemson, the rival;
it’s huge, and that’s the way it
should be.”
For Carolina, Brian Buscher
remains the top hitter on the
team; he leads the team in batting
with a .409 average. Buscher had
his 14-game hitting streak
snapped in Friday’s 2-0 win over
Vanderbilt, but he has started
that run again, earning base hits
in the other two victories against
the Commodores.
The Gamecocks have a variety
of other hitters who are capable
of sparking rallies, including Jon
Coutlangus, whose grand slam in
the 10th inning defeated
Vanderbilt on Saturday, and
Landon Powell, who appears to
have completely emerged from an
early-season slump.
Campbell, also known as
“Soup” to his Carolina team
mates, will receive the start
tonight. Despite having struggled
in the first game at Clemson, he
is ready to take the mound once
again. Campbell has a 1-1 record
in six starts, with a 5.52 ERA.
FILE PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK
Jon Coutfangus, right, scored the game-winning run in USC’s 6-4 win when Clemson was in
town last month. Tonight, Carolina will try to beat the Tigers for the second time this season.
“I’m up to the challenge,”
Campbell said. “I didn’t have as
well an outing as I would have
liked to have the last time, but I’m
going|to step it up a notch this
time and get the job done.
“I was kind of hoping to get the
ball. They put me in the bullpen
against Tennessee, but I’m just
looking to go out there and get the
job done.”
In choosing his starting pitch
er, Tanner, it was important to
get someone who could deliver
when called upon, and this time,
it’s Campbell.
“I look at the Clemson game
where you have four conference
games in the week. You just try
to come up with four good guys to
start,” Tanner said. “Matt
Campbell has been a weekend
starter for us and he hadn’t
pitched very well, but he happens
to be pitching tomorrow.”
Clemson comes into tonight’s
game having played Western
Carolina last night. The Tigers
managed to ^alvage one of the
three games in their conference
play opening series against North
Carolina State.
Clemson’s lineup features a
variety of explosive hitters, in
cluding Russell Triplett, who
hails from West Columbia. In 92
at-bats, Triplett is batting .391
with a team-leading 36 hits.
Infielder Brad McCann is prov
ing to be one of Clemson’s most
reliable power hitters, leading
the team with 12 doubles while
having three home runs and a
.337 batting average.
Tyler Lumsden is the Tigers’
best starting pitcher, and he
shut the Gamecocks down a
month ago in Clemson. The
sophomore from Roanoke, Va.,
has a 5-0 record and 1.55 ERA
this season, tops among
Clemson’s starters.
First pitch tonight between the
Gamecocks and Tigers at Sarge
Frye Field will be at 7.
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Carolina, Vols split
a doubleheader
BY BRAD SENKIW
THE GAMECOCK
The 15th-ranked USC softball
team (25-9,9-4 SEC) experienced
both' sides of the spectrum
Tuesday when it faced the
Tennessee Lady Volunteers (32
13, 5-6) in a doubleheader.
Carolina took the first game 9-1
but was shut out and hitless in a
2:-0 loss in the second game.
(Game 1: USC 9 -
Tennessee 1
The Gamecocks used an early
•offensive start and strong pitch
ing from ace Stacey Johnson (12
4) to knock off the Lady Vols 9-1.
Johnson pitched a complete
game, allowing only three hits
and one run — and that came in
the fifth inning, when the game
was out of reach. Amber Curtis
and Debralee Troesh both went
2-for-3 with two RBIs apiece, and
Ashley Smith chipped in a pair of
RBIs.
Carolina started the bottom
half of the first inning with a
leadoff single by Curtis and an
other by Jodi Fittro that led to
Troesh’s bringing Curtis home
with a single. Danielle Quinones
then hit a double that scored both
Fittro and Troesh.
Carolina added six more runs
in the fourth inning to make a
comeback very difficult for
* Tennessee. Curtis picked up both
of her RBIs when she knocked a
bases-loaded double off the right
centerfield wall with one out, scor
ing Smith and Nancy Crane.
Kim Evans was picked off on
the play, but Fittro brought
Cutis home the next at-bat.
Troesh doubled to score Fittro,
and Smith, who batted for the
second time in the inning, sin
gled to bring Troesh and
Quinones home. Kristin Hall
grounded out with the bases
loaded, ending the inning with
the Gamecocks up 9-0.
The Lady Vols scored their
only run when Kristi Durant hit
an RBI single with two runners on
base. Johnson then retired three
straight batters to end
Tennessee’s seven-game winning
streak. It was
the largest
deficit of the
year for
Tennessee and
the seventh
consecutive
win for USC
over the Lady
Vols.
Game 2:
Tenn. 2 -
USCO
Stephanie
Humphrey (12
2) silenced the
Gamecock hit
ters, pitching
an eight-inning
no-hitter in
Tennessee’s 2-0
victory.
Humphrey
went all eight
innings and al
lowed only one
walk. She had
four strikeouts
through 25 bat
ters faced.
“Humphrey
stuck with it
and threw a
good game
against us,”
PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK
SEC Pitcher of the Week Stacey Johnson
pitched the Gamecocks to a 9-1 victory in the
first game of their doubleheader on Tuesday.
USC head coach Joyce Compton
said. “Whatever she was doing
was definitely working.”
Aleca Johnson (2-3) recorded
the loss in relief for Carolina as
both sides went seven innings
without a run scored.
The Lady Vols came up big in
the top of the eighth inning,
when Johnson gave up a double
to Durant that led to pinch-run
ner Kim Anders’ scoring on a
Lauren Mattox double. Stacey
Jennings then hit the next pitch
to left field to score Amber
Rhinehart.
The Gamecocks’ only base run
ner came in the fourth inning
when Curtis drew a walk and
Fittro laid down a sacrifice bunt
to move Curtis to second base.
After a wild pitch that put Curtis
on thjrd base with two outs,
Quincfnes grounded out to third to
end the inning.
Melanie Henkes started the
game going five innings and al
lowing seven hits. Johnson gave
up the two game-winning runs on
four hits.
“I don’t think we were selective
early on,” Compton said. “I think
that kind of set the tone for the
game.
"Sometimes the pitcher has
the upper hand, and she had the
upper hand on us this game. I
thought there were some pretty
nice pitches to hit, and we’re not
swinging at them,” Compton
said.
Carolina finishes the three
game series with the Lady Vols to
day. The first pitch is scheduled
for 4 p.m.
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Spring drills
continue for
USC football
BY NICK YOUNG
THE GAMECOCK
Nearly half a year is left un
til the opening kickoff of
Carolina’s 2003 football season,
but football is already in the
air. USC is in the midst of its
annual spring practices and
just recently had a scrimmage
before having Monday and
Tuesday off.
Before spring practice even
began, the Gamecocks were
saddled with two key losses.
Wide receiver/defensive back
Matthew Thomas was sus
pended from the football team
for a violation of team rules.
Thomas was charged with
simple assault as a result of an
on-campus incident Feb. 20.
The other player lost was
running back Thez Robinson.
He was dismissed for a viola
tion of team policy. He is still
enrolled in school, but it is not
yet known whether he will be
able to return to the football
team.
me learn nas live new ju
nior-college transfers that
signed a national letter of in
tent with Carolina and en
rolled for the spring 2003
semester. Mike Rathe, Darrell
Shropshire, Marcus Lawrence,
Fred Bennett and D’Von Hill
are the five new faces.
Shropshire, Lawrence and
Bennett are currently listed in
the starting lineup or second
string.
One of the Gamecocks’ main
focuses this off-season is to add
offensive stability to a unit that
struggled during 2002.
“Finding a running back
and wide receivers is critical,”
USC head coach Lou Holtz
said. “We are moving Taqiy
Muhammad to wide receiver,
and Troy Williamson gives us
big-play possibilities there. We
are looking at Aryhel Freeman
and Andrea Gause at receiver
also.
“On the offensive line,
Travelle Wharto’n had a
tremendous off-season pro
gram. He is a great captain. He
will graduate on time and has
been working very hard. At
tight end, Hart Turner and
Andy Boyd have come on.”
The coaching staff is also
looking to improve the defense
in many areas. Expectations
are especially high for the new
defensive players; they are
coming into a unit that will re
place five departed starters.
Holtz said he wants his team
to work on “improving our
pass rush, our third down de
fense, our coverage and our
run defense.”
“Last year, we could not
stop the run when we needed
to. Ricardo Hurley and Lance
Laury have had great winter
sessions, both academically
and with workouts. Darrell
Shropshire has been a pleasant
surprise this off-season. As
safety, Rodriques Wilson had
a great winter in an areas ana
has spent considerable time
studying film,” Holtz said.
The last unit the team is
looking to improve is the spe
cial teams. The only bright
spots last year were punter
Tyeler Dean and kickoff spe
cialist Joey Bowers.
“We must find good return
men who can handle the ball
and get yardage. Finding a
punter will be critical also,”
Holtz said. “We are still look
ing at candidates for that posi
tion. We need to gain more con
sistency with field-goal at
tempts, as well.”
On Saturday, the team par
ticipated in the spring’s first
scrimmage. All three units
looked impressive, and the ar
eas that were being worked on
showed significant improve
ment.
The offense did not commit
a single turnover, and
Dondrial Pinkins had one of
his best showings by throwing
for more than 125 yards, iri*
♦ FOOTBALL, SEE PAGE 11
Which
one is the
actual
fantasy?
MATT ROTHENBERG
GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM
My team, Braves are
both alike and different.
With the 2003 baseball season
under way, Americans around the
world have the opportunity to
take their minds away from the
reality of war in the Middle East
and into the great national pas
time. A sizable portion of those
Americans will gather all their
abilities and spare time into a
“sport” known as fantasy base
ball. I’ve got my team set up al
ready.
But seeing the team I created in
an online draft with nine other
guys leads me to think it sort of
resembles a decent major-league
team, namely the Atlanta Braves.
Of course, there are differences
for every similarity. I didn’t con
fer with Braves General Manager
John Schuerholz during the draft,
and I’m sure that had I done so, I
wouldn’t have ended up with the
squad I have.
Let s start with some ot the
ways my fantasy team is like the
Braves. First off, my team is in <
a Yahoo fantasy league, and the
Braves conduct their spring
training near Fantasyland at the
Disney Sports Complex in
Florida. OK, maybe that’s a bit
of a stretch. The Braves play
their home games at Turner
Field, but are susceptible to the
heat, humidity, rain and wind.
My fantasy team doesn’t have to
worry about any of those things
playing in cyberspace. There is
one similarity in that regard;
however, and that is that neither
team has people watching it in
the stands.
My team and the Braves have
pretty similar pitching staffs, too.
Probably the biggest aspect we
share is that John Smoltz is our
top closer. After that, you’ve got
to go out on a limb
for a little bit.
Atlanta is relying
on an aging, bat
tle-worn starting
pitcher to win it
more than a dozen
games in 2003,
and that is, of
course, Greg Maddux
Maddux.
I am in the
same boat, except my pitcher is
David Wells, and I’ve already re
signed myself to letting him write
whatever he wants about my fan
tasy team, just like he did with
the Yankees. The Braves’ rota
tion is a mix of young starters to
complement Maddux, with Jason
Marquis and Russ Ortiz. Sure
enough, I have that ,too, with A. J.
Burnett, Brandon Duckworth
and Tony Armas Jr. We both be
gin the season with two pitchers
on the disabled list — Paul Byrd
and Mike Hampton for. the
Braves and Burnett and
Duckworth for me.
Aside from Smoltz, our
bullpens are fairly different. The
Braves will somehow try to find
someone who can get the ball from
a starter to Smoltz without blow
ing the game. I sit pretty with the
Mariners’ Kaz Sasaki and the
Twins’ Johan Santana.
ouiii iay team
and the Braves
have a solid out
field, with some
good power hit
ters, but I think
my infield is
much better than
Atlanta’s. Carlos
Eckstein Delgado, Bret
Boone, David
Eckstein and
Scott Rolen are a much more
feared foursome than the scrubs
the Braves have.
I’m willing to concede that
we’re fairly even at catcher. Javy
A
♦ ROTHENBERG, SEE PAGE 11