The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 23, 2004, Page 11, Image 11
THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, April 23,2004 H
^ TT^ /^v m r^4 Game.Schedule
1 I I I K I I f I 1 ] BASEBALL vs. Alabama, 7 p.m.
Contact I ^1 I I—^ I MEN’S AND WOMEN'S TRACK at Penn Relays
_ ’ „ „ „ I I II ■ I 1 in Philadelphia, Penn.
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? 7*\ II 1 / I I 111 SOFTBALL vs. Ole Miss, 1 p.m. Saturday
E-mailusatgamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu TK s u V y u
Being a fan
has its own
challenges
Athletes don’t have it easy. They deal
with the pressure of performing in
front of crowds, practice for count
less hours to improve at their re
’spective sports, and they try to live normal lives
under all the scrutiny.
That said, has anyone ever wondered how hard
it is to be a fan? You have to deal with waking up
the next morning and trying to avoid all those
haters who were right about how bad your team
was. And the pressure is ridiculous.
Fans have to suffer through hours of hoping,
wishing and praying each time their teams play.
In my short life as a sports ad
dict, I’ve witnessed some pretty
astounding sights. I’ve seen
Georgia football fans getting
drunk at 10 a.m. for a 7:45 p.m.
game. I’ve watched thousands of
Tennessee fans march the streets
of Knoxville, Tenn., like an
army, each one wearing the
BRAD SENKIW same shade of orange. I’ve even
Fourth-year witnessed the ultimate fans, the
^-Z'urnalism Cameron Crazies, wreak havoc
fSZudent on opposing teams and toss witty
banter around more than they
toss Chris Duhon’s brother.
And after all that, I’m not sure I get it. Not to
say I haven’t participated in the anticipation, anx
iety, joy and even disappointment of a Saturday
at Williams-Brice Stadium. But I often walked
away from a Carolina football game asking, “Why
do I get up at the crack of dawn and sit out in the
sun all day just to see a bunch of guys run around
a field, when I have a perfectly good seat on my
couch?”
It’s pretty easy to complain if you’re a
Gamecock fan. You’ve been forced to witness sub
par football for 100 years; watch the other, more
talented teams romp over you with more NFL draft
picks than this year’s Miami Hurricanes and some
how wake up the next day and say, “What time are
we tailgating next weekend?”
Being a fan also means neglecting other aspects
of your life, just as-a pro football coach trades in
Ame with his kids to watch game film. How many
^Kmes have you found any excuse imaginable to
get out of a favor when a buddy, co-worker or even
family member asked you for help?
Or how often do you show up late for class or
work because you just can’t get out of the bed? But,
come Saturday morning, you’re up by 8 a.m. so
you can get to that prime tailgating spot by 9. It
never ends if you are a fan. You will do whatever it
. takes to be there for your team.
I guess the answer to all these questions is more
complicated than it is simple. I’m not really sure
anyone knows why fans act the way they do. I
think maybe it’s a chance to release all the frus
tration normal life brings; or maybe fans find grat
ification in being able to brag to their friends and
enemies alike. Nonetheless, losing and winning
are as tough as it gets.
Maybe dealing with heartbreak is the reason I
became a journalist. We sports writers have the lux
| ry of involving ourselves in sports just long enough
’ iO get a story out of it, and then we break free of car
ing. We tend to sit around and discuss hundreds of
sports topics instead of wondering everyday why
the Gamecocks can’t make a bowl game every year.
That’s where we get the best end of the deal.
So, as I end my involvement with USC sports
and prepare to join the real world, I thought I’d
try to figure out why you, the fan, have been a part
of the roller coaster of sports for decades. Although
this column might not be a successful attempt, I
realize once you’re a fan, you’re always a fan.
Except for people like me, who have traded in
all that gut-wrenching guilt for a professional ca
reer as a writer. Looks like I made the better call.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu
\
Briefly
Stoddart sends Carolina track
to quick start at Penn Relays
Junior Shevon Stoddart started off the Penn
Relays on a positive note for USC yesterday, as she
finished runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles. The
only runner defeating the USC star was NCAA
champion Alison Beckford from Rice University.
Stoddart ran a personal-best time of 56.40 sec
onds, over a second faster than her previous high
mark. Beckford ran a time of 56.12 in the race.
Also notching top-10 finishes for the Gamecocks
and qualifying for the NCAAs were Tawana
Watkins, who finished eighth in the race, and
Chiquita Martin, who finished in ninth place. The
runners ran times of 58.96 and 59.65 seconds, re
spectively.
*
colter uautreaux earns b to
award for community work
USC’s women’s golf team member Adrienne
Gautreaux was named to the inaugural SEC
Women’s Golf Good Works Team for her work
within the community of Columbia.
The conference now sponsors Good Works
teams for all 20 sports sponsored by the league. The
teams feature one athlete from each member school
who gives back to his community through excep
tional service efforts.
L, . u
PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK
Outfielder Nick Gardiner gets a double in the eighth inning against The Citadel.
TURNING THE CORNER
Baseball looks to leave struggles behind with wins against Alabama
BY JONATHAN HILLYARD
THK GAMECOCK
After what has been a
rough few weeks in the
SEC, the USC baseball
team will take on the
Alabama Crimson Tide at Sarge Frye
Field this weekend in hopes of climb
ing toward the top of the SEC East.
A midweek non-conference game
against The Citadel Wednesday
turned into a healing session for USC,
as middle infielders Steven Tolleson
and Kevin Melillo started in the same
game for the first time since March 15.
Both players will look to contribute
fully in this weekend’s series with the
Tide.
“I think there is definitely a comfort
there, having two veteran guys in the
lineup,” head coach Ray Tanner said.
“I know they are not a hundred per
cent and I think that was clear, but you
know what you are going to get and
they are going to make good decisions
out there as far as the mental part of
the game. I am just hoping that in the
next few days maybe they can still im
prove physically and get back to where
they were.”
As for the team they rejoined, the
Gamecocks are looking to avenge a se
ries loss to Kentucky last weekend by
defeating Alabama, another team at
the bottom of their league standings.
The Tide have had an up and down
week already, defeating No. 13 Auburn
19-0 Sunday, then losing 10-5 to
Samford at home Wednesday.
The victory over the Tigers was the
largest in the bitter rivals series his
tory, which dates back to 1896. Trying
to avoid a sweep, Alabama had a four
run lead going into the sixth inning.
The floodgates opened as the Tide
scored 15 runs in the last four innings
of the game.
Barna may have suffered a letdown
Wednesday, giving up seven runs in
two innings, turning a one-run game
into a blowout victory for the Samford
Bulldogs. The Tide used six pitchers
in the two-inning span.
“It’s very disappointing,” Alabama
head coach Jim Wells said after the
loss. “Coming off Sunday’s game, I
thought we had turned things around,
but tonight was disappointing.”
Leading the Crimson Tide at the
plate is the tandem of Allen Rice and
Rocky Scelfo, who lead the team with
batting averages of .346 and .336. Rice
and Scelfo are two of just five Alabama
players that have started more than 30
games for Alabama, with the rest of
the lineup being a work in progress.
The pitching matchups should be
good in the weekend series, as no
pitcher for either team has an ERA of
over 4.10. In tonight’s matchup,
Alabama’s Wade LeBlanc (5-3) will bat
tle USC’s Billy Buckner (4-2). LeBlanc,
entering the game with a 2.01 ERA,
leads the Tide in wins. Buckner, after a
quick start, has cooled down and hopes
to get back on track tonight.
Tomorrow afternoon’s matchup will
feature Brandon Belcher (3-4) for
Alabama versus Aaron Rawl for the
Gamecocks. The Tide’s freshman
hurler will have to pitch well to out
perform Rawl, who leads the team in
wins through early SEC play. Sunday’s
starter for the Tide is Taylor .
Tankersley (2-2), who leads the team
with a 1.64 ERA. USC has not named a
starter yet.
Entering the Series, USC is two
games behind the first-place Tennessee
Volunteers and one game behind sec
ond-place Florida. The Gamecocks will
be trying to win three games in a row
for the first time since beginning con
ference play, and Tanner is bracing
himself for the home stretch in the SEC.
“We have 15 games left, and we are
playing each other and you are going
to beat each other up," Tanner said.
“There are going to be some great bat
tles and you know that there will be
three or four teams at the end of the
year that didn’t get enough wins. We
are all feeling that situation right now.
We want to get on a roll and get into a
good position.”
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu
Furman game gives Compton 800th career win
BY WES WOLFE
THE GAMECOCK
The No. 25 USC softball team
moved a couple more wins
away from the Mendoza line
Wednesday, defeating Furman
in a doubleheader 6-0 and 8-2,
giving head coach Joyce
Compton her 800th win.
The wins also showcased two
important events for Carolina
(24-18,15-9 SEC), with pitcher
Stacey Johnson pitching a no
hitter in the first game.
The Lady Paladins (12-39,5
7 SoCon) couldn’t get anything
going in the first game. Johnson
(15-7) pitched what became one
walk away from a perfect game.
The no-hitter was Johnson’s
first solo no-hitter of her career
and placed her within three
wins of breaking her career
best victory total. The senior
also had five strikeouts in the
game.
rvaunei ntJiuey oiajcu
on through to complete the
game for Furman, giving up 10
hits and five earned runs to the
Gamecocks.
Three of those hits went to
leftfielder McKenna Hughes,
who went 3-for-4 with one run.
First baseman Meghan Cornett
only got one hit, but she made
it count by driving in three
runs.
Carolina got on the board
early, when shortstop Amber
Curtis knocked in Hughes on a
single. The Gamecocks added
4
one run each in the third and
fourth innings before laying it
on with three runs in the sixth
frame. In the sixth, a wild pitch
with bases loaded sent right
fielder Samantha Jennings
across home plate, with center
fielder Nancy Crane and second
baseman Chrissy Schoonmaker
following suit on a single by
Cornett.
Carolina and Furman played
to a draw for the first three in
nings of the second game before
the Gamecock bats came alive
and USC put across seven runs
in the fourth inning. Melanie
Henkes pitched a complete
game for Carolina, allowing five
hits and two runs in the win to
improve her record to 6-7 on the
year.
Furman s Erica Nesselroad
continued her winless season,
posting her 11th loss on the
year. Nesselroad was pulled in
the fourth inning, but not after
giving up six hits and seven
runs, walking three batters
while only striking out one.
Kristy Goodrich came on to fin
ish the game for Furman, al
lowing one more run and two
hits.
Cornett and catcher Ashley
Smith each went 2-for-4 in the
game, driving in two runs and
one run, respectively. Hughes
had only one hit, but she made
hers count by driving in three
runs, as well.
This weekend, the
Gamecocks will try and parlay
their momentum from the mid
week wins into a series win at
home against Ole Miss.
The Rebels (13-34,6-18 SEC) -
come into this weekend going a
dismal 2-13 for their last 15
games and have lost their last
seven contests. One major prob
lem as been Ole Miss’ inability
to score, and as a result the
team has to depend on excellent
pitching, which hasn't always
been readily available.
Mary Jane Callahan, a fresh
man lefty, has seen the most ac
tion for the Rebels this season
and has the 9-15 record to prove
it.
Callahan has a 2.12 ERA, giv
ing up 166 hits and 56 earned
runs on the season while strik
ing out 166 batters in 185 and
one-third innings.
The other pitcher of choice
this season for Ole Miss has
been Dana Brill. Brill has com
piled a woeful 4-16 record and a
2.75 ERA. The sophomore, along
with Callahan, has given up sev
en home runs and two triples on
the year.
USC and Ole Miss will hit
the field for a Saturday dou
bleheader at Beckham Field,
with the first game starting at
1 p.m. and the second game fol
lowing at 3 p.m. The rubber
match will take place Sunday
at noon.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksportstctgwm. sc. edu
_ _ . II
PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK
First baseman Meghan Cornett swings at a pitch
against Furman. She had three hits in the series.
IT