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« ^ THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, March 29, 2004 9 Game.Schedule p MEN’S GOLF at Atlanta Intercollegiate in Atlanta, Ga. LOntaCt. SOFTBALL at Tennessee, 4 p.m. Tuesday Story ideas? Questions? Comments? BASEBALL vs. North Carolina, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday E-mail us at gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu MEN’S TENNIS at Clemson, 2 p.m. Wednesday Baseball .drops 2, slams 1 BY JOEL WALLACE THE GAMECOCK The USC baseball team lost a pair of close games to Arkansas over the weekend but avenged the losses with a 10-2 bludgeoning of the Razorbacks Sunday. • The three-game series against the Razorbacks (17-9, 3-3 SEC) leaves the Gamecocks (21-4, 2-4) with their second SEC series loss in as many attempts. Arkansas 5, USC 3 Under the lights at Baum Stadium Friday night, the Gamecocks seemed to be cruising to their second conference victory. Playing shortstop for USC for the injured Steven Tolleson, Bryan Triplett reached on an error in the first inning and scored on a home run by outfielder Michael Campbell, his ninth on the year. Arkansas put up a run in the bottom of the first when outfielder Jake Dugger crushed a Billy Buckner pitch over the left-field • wall. Buckner settled down after that, giving up only one more earned run, a homer by Scott Hode in the fifth inning. Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, USC was up 3-2 with Buckner still on the mound. With two outs, Kern Watts walked. Buckner issued another free pass to Danny Hamblin, and Watts advanced to second. Haas Pratt reached on an error by USC’s Tommy King and Hamblin advanced to third while Watts scored to tie the game. Freshman Arik Hempy came in to relieve Buckner, recording outs against the first three batters he faced. With two outs in the eighth inning, Hempy allowed a hit to Devin Day. Day advanced to sec ond on a wild pitch, and Hempy followed by intentionally walking Hode. With runners on first and second, Dugger tripled to right field to bring in the winning runs. Arkansas 5, USC 4 Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, game two of the series was a lot like game one. Once again, Arkansas took the lead late in the game after a two-run sev enth inning. After starter Aaron Rawl gave up the go-ahead run on a double by Hode, he was yanked ♦ BASEBALL, SEE PAGE 10 PHOTO BY MARK SCHILLING/THE GAMECOCK Steve Tolleson hits the ball in action for USC. Tolleson, injured, did not play against Arkansas. LeBron joins the league’s royalty Heading into the 2003-2004 NBA season, I was one of the many skeptics of the hype surrounding LeBron James. All season long, I sat back and watched the story of the most phenomenal rookie sea son in NBA history unfold, all the • time waiting for the hype to be de flated. Today’s article is to inform readers of the obvious: I was wrong, and LeBron is the “King” of the NBA. There were plenty of rea sons to believe LeBron James BEN SINCLAIR would flop in Graduate his first NBA student in season. LeBron college of had no finan- education cial motivation iu auacvc sui/tcoo m me nun. Long before putting on a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey for an exhibition basketball game, he had already earned over $100 mil lion. After all, how many 18-year old kids could handle having that much money and still have the de termination to work hard enough to be successful in the NBA? In addition, LeBron was given more media hype than Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaq, Tim Duncan or any other player heading into the NBA. It was con sidered ridiculous when his high school games were televised on ESPN and he posed for the cover ♦ SINCLAIR, SEE PAGE 10 Tigers trample Carolina in 3-game series sweep BY TERENCE WASHINGTON THE GAMECOCK In a three-game home series against the Auburn Tigers this weekend, the No. 15 USC softball team (17-8,6-6 SEC) showed some vulnerability after starting a three-game win streak against Arkansas. The Gamecocks dropped all three games to Auburn (26-4,8-1), which has won 10 of its last 11 games. AU1, USCO In game one of Saturday’s dou bleheader, senior Stacey Johnson pitched a good game, allowing only two hits and striking out six. Unfortunately, Johnson (9-3) walked Auburn’s Lolani Alvarez in the third inning. After stealing second and then taking third on a ground-out, Alvarez scored on a ■ passed ball by Gamecock junior Tia Rogers. Auburn’s Kristen Keyes (13-4) pitched a no-hitter and struck out ten USC batters, hold ing the Gamecocks to two base run ners. Keyes would have earned a perfect game, but she walked left fielder Margaret Person. The game ended USC’s home win streak for the season, which had stood at seven wins. Ironically, the Tigers also broke Carolina’s winning streak against Auburn at home, which stood at seven games. AU 5, USC 1 Game two of the doubleheader was not much better for the Gamecocks as they struggled to find offense against Auburn’s hot pitching. USC dropped its first se ries of the season, and Auburn won its first series here in Columbia. Auburn’s Holly Currie improved her record to 7-0, while Carolina sophomore Melanie Henkes (5-4) took the loss. After Auburn had a three-run third in ning, Carolina switched in the fourth and brought out junior Aleca Johnson. Johnson got the first put of the inning but still gave up two runs, making the score 5 0. The Gamecocks’ only run came in the fifth, when SEC Player of the Week Nancy Crane’s single brought right fielder Melissa Sandel home. AU 6, USC 5 Despite having already lost the series, USC fought until the very end. Auburn had a huge first in ning, scoring four runs. USC scored three runs in a rally but ♦ SOFTBALL, SEE PAGE 10 PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK Melissa Sandel slides in safely to home plate In USC’s game Sunday against Auburn. Sandel was l-for-2 In the contests and scored two runs in the losing effort for the Gamecocks. Gamecocks try to end losing culture during preseason practice BY WES WOLFE THE GAMECOCK The USC football team, in addi tion to getting in shape for the fall, is trying to shake off a culture of losing at Carolina. “Without elaborating, I just think it’s important that we do that,” head coach Lou Holtz said Saturday. “It has to do with the way you act, the way you com onship here at South Carolina. I made a commitment after last season to do everything I possi bly could to help change that cul ture.” Carolina’s only championship win was 35 years ago, when the Gamecocks were the top team in the ACC. Since that time, USC has had 17 losing seasons and hasn’t won an SEC title in 11 years in the conference. Also, Carolina has an overalWosing record of 494-502-44 for'the histo “For so long, many people stereotyped the Gamecocks being a program that was going to lose, no matter what. We’re determined to change that stereotype. It involves a lot of little things, but when you put them all together it can make a difference.” JONATHAN ALSTON use OFFENSIVE LINEMAN ry of the program. “For so long, many people stereotyped the Gamecocks as be ing a program that was going to lose, no matter what,” offensive lineman Jonathan Alston said. “We’re determined to change that stereotype. It involves a lot of little (things, but when you put them all together, it can make a difference.” One of those little things is fos tering a close-knit feeling among the players and the coaches, which Holtz is attempting to do through the creation of a unity council. The council, made up of player representatives from different parts of the team, will meet reg ularly to discuss issues. Holtz will also meet with the players on Mondays to discuss various is sues, not necessarily limited to the football field. The steps are all part of an effort by Holtz to have a closer relationship with his players. “In the past, I’d meet with the media after practice and the players would have already left the locker room,” Holtz said. “I felt that going by the locker room after practice and visiting with the players was the right thing to do. I’ve made it a point to do ♦ F00TBAI1, SEE PAGE 10 ■» J'27SfW* <? - ®J . . PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK The football team hut'dles up before a game last season. L'SC Is looking to get back to a winning record this year throi gh a more unified feeling among players and coaches.