With Tuesday night's 10-1 rout of in-state foe The Citadel at Carolina Stadium, South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner earned his 600th win as the skipper for the Gamecocks. Tanner also needs just five more wins to reach 1,000 for his career.

"I'm just grateful to be a coach here (at South Carolina)," said head coach Ray Tanner after the game. "I've never made a play, never gotten a hit, never fielded (a ground ball). I'm just grateful for the players and great coaches (I've worked with). I'm just glad to be in this position."

Now in his 23rd season as a collegiate head coach, Tanner has never finished a season below .500 and has missed the postseason only four times. Entering the 2010 campaign, Tanner's team averaged 44 wins per season. To become the winningest coach at South Carolina, Tanner needs to surpass June Raines' 763 win total as head coach of the Gamecocks.

Tanner's Milestone Wins

No. 1 - vs. College of Charleston, 9-8 (Feb. 2, 1997)
No. 50 - vs. Tennessee, 4-3 (Mar. 15, 1998)
No. 100 - vs. The Citadel, 5-4 (10) (Apr. 7, 1999)
No. 150 - vs. Clemson, 9-8 (12) (Apr. 19, 2000)
No. 200 - at Clemson, 2-1 (Apr. 25, 2001)
No. 250 - at Kentucky, 6-4 (Apr. 28, 2002)
No. 300 - vs. UNC-Asheville, 5-1 (Apr. 22, 2003)
No. 350 - vs. Ole Miss, 7-3 (Apr. 30, 2004)
No. 400 - at LSU, 7-5 (Apr. 10, 2005)
No. 450 - vs. Kentucky, 4-2 (May 24, 2006)
No. 500 - at North Carolina, 8-6 (June 10, 2007)
No. 550 - vs. Old Dominion, 3-3 (Mar. 10, 2009)

I had the chance to speak with an NFL scout after the workouts were completed about the scouting process and how teams begin to target potential players.

How many Pro Days do scouts attend in a spring?

It varies by team. Each team has about five college scouts and they each cover a region. Normally, we're going to cover a pro day a day for the month of March. I would say the least I've heard is about ten and on average about twenty. If you hit all your schools, maybe about 30-plus.

What are scouts looking for when they attend Pro Days?

Lots of it is just filling in numbers and measurables from guys that weren't invited to the combine. Height, weight, speed, stuff like that. This stuff doesn't help or hurt a player - it's really to help justify the grade you gave them in the fall. The most important stuff is what's on tape.

What can a player gain from working out at Pro Day?

Guys that go to the combine and then work out at a pro day can make those measurables better. For example, your defensive lineman did better in some of the drills and we take the best times so he was able to improve himself. It was fortunate for guys like that because they have a second chance.

For the guys that didn't get an invite to the combine, they can get something on paper and justify what we saw on tape. We see how fast they are and see if it matches our notes and if we saw them playing that way. It's just a confirmation, more or less.

How often do you guys find a diamond in the rough?

When I started fifteen years ago, there were more "diamonds in the rough." But with the Internet and information all over the place, there's really no one like that anymore. You know about everybody. The only thing that may surprise us at a pro day is if a guy tests out a lot better than he plays, then you'd probably go back and do a lot more research on him and watch some more tape on him. I think it's a misconception of guys getting drafted just based on a workout. You can have a whole bunch of fast guys that don't play fast. You can have a guy who's really strong who doesn't play strong. A pro day is confirming what you've seen on tape.

As far as an NFL scout's job goes, what's your busiest time of the year?

The fall is a grind because you're doing a lot more evaluation. It's all a process - there's not really one time that's more busy than another. It's probably more busy traveling [in the spring] because dates are set by schools within a short period of time and you have to get everything done by April. It's more traveling busy work in the spring - we're not spending as much time evaluating tape in the spring. In the fall, you have three months to hit all your schools and see them play live and do things like that. The fall and the spring are busy in their own way. It's more busy work in the fall and more busy traveling in the spring.

Take one single player. What's the process a scout goes through from when you first hear about him up until draft day?

It varies by team but we watch a player his whole career. We can't officially evaluate them and put them on paper until they are a senior or until they are a declared junior and they give up their eligibility. The process starts when they're a freshman or sophomore if they're starting and we start noticing a guy so by the time they are draft eligible and we can start writing reports on them, we know about them already. In the case of a guy like Eric Norwood, he's been a playmaker ever since he got here. So you've seen him consistently having another sack or forcing a fumble. You start noticing him at such an early stage in his career because he's a playmaker. The normal process usually is in a player's junior or senior year when they are starters. For example, the unsung guys like the offensive lineman, we usually start evaluating them when they're juniors to get a feel for them and when they go into their senior year is when we really start cracking down. We might say 'Ok, this guy started at right tackle, maybe he could be a guard, let's see senior year if he grows or if they move him inside or outside.'

Visit the South Carolina Auctions page of GamecocksOnline.com to bid on an exclusive VIP package for South Carolina home games this season.

The package include two seats in the Perch seating area located on the club level of Carolina Stadium. Perch seats include access to a buffett and cash bar. In addition, the auction winner will receive a signed Ray Tanner baseball and a pre-game tour of Carolina Stadium.

Each Friday and Sunday SEC home game for the remainder of the season will be available for bid.

Tonight's show features former Gamecock football standout Eric Norwood and South Carolina's head equestrian coach Boo Major.

You can listen live on www.1075thegame.com.

If you've got a question you'd like to ask on the show, send an e-mail to roost@ispsports.com, call locally at 404-6100 or 1-866-667-1075.

Here's what happened around the league during the second weekend of SEC Baseball:

Kentucky @ Vanderbilt (VU 7-0, VU 2-1, VU 9-8)
-Vanderbilt swept a doubleheader on Saturday to claim the series sweep against the Wildcats in Nashville.

Florida @ Ole Miss (Miss 2-0, Miss 13-5, UF 13-1)
-No. 2 Florida avoided the sweep with a win on Sunday, but the Rebels took the series and helped the Gamecocks claim first place in the East.

Georgia @ Mississippi State (MSU 9-8, UGA 7-4, MSU 11-10)
-Both team each earned their first SEC wins of the season, but Mississippi State prevailed on Sunday to take the weekend series.

Alabama @ Arkansas (Ark 9-8, Ark 4-3, Ark 10-5)
-The Razorbacks rebounded from their series loss to LSU last weekend with a sweep of the Crimson Tide in Fayetteville.

LSU @ Tennessee (LSU 6-2, LSU 10-6, LSU 8-6)
-The Tigers kept the Vols winless in SEC play with a sweep in Knoxville.

SEC Standings

EASTERN DIVISION	Conference		Overall
School	W-L	Pct.	W-L	Pct.
South Carolina	5-1	0.833	19-5	0.792
Florida	4-2	0.667	18-5	0.783
Vanderbilt	4-2	0.667	21-4	0.840
Georgia	1-5	0.167	9-15	0.375
Kentucky	1-5	0.167	16-8	0.667
Tennessee	0-6	0.000	11-13	0.458

WESTERN DIVISION	Conference		Overall
School	W-L	Pct.	W-L	Pct.
LSU	5-1	0.833	20-3	0.870
Arkansas	4-2	0.667	18-5	0.783
Auburn	4-2	0.667	17-7	0.708
Ole Miss	4-2	0.667	19-6	0.760
Alabama	2-4	0.333	16-6	0.727
Mississippi State	2-4	0.333	14-10	0.583

Monday

7 p.m.: Inside the Roost at Staybridge Suites on Huger St. in Columbia. Listen live on 107.5 FM or www.1075thegame.com. Tonight's guests are Eric Norwood and South Carolina Equestrian Head Coach Boo Major.

All Day: Men's Golf heads to Awendaw, S.C. for the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate

Tuesday

5 p.m.: Softball travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. to play North Carolina

7 p.m.: Baseball hosts The Citadel in Columbia.

All Day: Men's Golf continues in competition in Awendaw, S.C. at the Hootie and Bulls Bay Intercollegiate

Thursday

7 p.m.: Carolina Calls with Ray Tanner at Wild Wing Cafe in the Vista. Listen live on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network.

Friday

2 p.m.: Women's Tennis takes on Kentucky at home. Free shakers will be given out at the match.

4 p.m.: Men's Tennis heads to Lexington, Ky. to play Kentucky

5 p.m.: Softball hosts Tennessee at Beckham Field to open the weekend series. 

7 p.m.: Baseball competes against Mississippi State in Carolina Stadium

All Day: Track participates in the Florida Relays.

All Day: Women's Golf travels to Browns Summit, N.C. to compete in the Bryan National Collegiate

Saturday

1 p.m: Softball kicks off its Strike Out Cancer double-header against Tennessee in Columbia. Pink T-shirts available with donation and silent auction benefiting Susan G. Komen Foundation. There will also be an Easter Egg Hunt.

3:15 p.m.: Softball wraps up its Strike Out Cancer double-header against Tennessee in Columbia

4 p.m.: Baseball continues the Mississippi State series in Columbia

All Day: Track continues to compete in the Florida Relays.

All Day: Women's Golf continues to compete in Browns Summit, N.. at the Bryan National Collegiate

All Day: Men's Golf heads to Augusta, Ga. to participate in the Administaff Augusta State Invitational

Sunday

1 p.m.: Women's Tennis takes on Vanderbilt in Columbia

2 p.m.: Men's Tennis travels to Nashville, Tenn. to play Vanderbilt

2 p.m.: Baseball completes the Mississippi State series in Columbia

All Day: Women's Golf finishes competition in Browns Summit, N.C. at the Bryan National Collegiate

All Day: Men's Golf continues to participate in the Administaff Augusta State Invitational in Augusta, Ga.

Saturday vs. Auburn - 1pm & 3:15pm:
-Bring Your "A" Game Day: kids who bring a current honor roll report card will get a choose from an assortment of prizes to reward them for their good grades
 
Sunday vs. Auburn - 1pm:
-Dads & Daughters Day: first 100 dads & daughters to arrive will be able to take their picture together after the game
-$1 Hot Dog Day
-Team Autograph Day: autographs after the game

Don't you love it when a good guy does great? That is definitely the case with former Gamecock kicking standout Ryan Succop.

When he was at the University of South Carolina, Succop was one of the best-liked players on the team. He was very involved with numerous community service projects and didn't hesitate to attest to his deep Christian faith.

Also, don't you love it when someone goes forward and achieves great success but doesn't forget his roots? That, again, is definitely the case with Succop. After a record-breaking year with the Kansas City Chiefs he returned to Columbia for the off-season, and one of the things he recently did was join the Gamecock Club.

As most fans know, the Gamecock Club is the University's athletics fundraising organization that pays for the scholarships for South Carolina's student-athletes. As Succop expressed it, "I wanted to give something back, help give others the great opportunity I had."

When Laura Mendes' home run sailed over the wall at Coastal Carolina Softball Field on Wednesday night, it was more than an extra-inning win for the Gamecocks. With that win in the books, head softball coach Joyce Compton earned her 950th win at the helm of the South Carolina softball program.

Only eight other coaches in NCAA history have achieved 950 or more wins at a program. The distinguished list includes JoAnne Graf at Florida State, Margie Wright at Fresno State, Mike Candrea at Arizona, Carol Hutchins at Michigan, Elaine Sortino at Umass, Eugene Lenti at DePaul, Margo Jonker at Central Michigan and Diane Ninemire at California.

Despite achieving such a milestone, Compton was just happy to get a win for the team.

"You get good kids and eventually that sort of thing will happen. I'm not that much into numbers. To me, it was more of a positive that we were able to get a win."

Compton picked her first win as a Gamecock on March 6, 1987 in a 5-0 victory against Baylor in College Station. Over the course of 23 seasons, the Gamecocks have reached the College World Series twice (1989 and 1997), reached an NCAA Super Regional in 2007 and appeared in the NCAA Tournament fifteen times. The Gamecocks were the 2000 SEC Tournament Champions and SEC Eastern Division Champions in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2002.

In her overall career as a head softball coach, Compton has won more than 1,100 games and ranks among the top 25 winningest coaches in NCAA history.

Compton said the wins that really stand out to her were the ones that helped prolong the season for the Gamecocks. 

"I think anytime we made the World Series, won the regionals or SEC Tournament Championships or anything that the team really gained something from are really the biggest wins for us," she said.

Over the course of her career at South Carolina, Compton said she's seen the game of college softball change in a number of ways. 

"I think the game's gotten faster," she said. "I think the pitching probably isn't what it was fifteen or twenty years ago. It was more a pitching-dominated game then. The equpiment has made drastic changes that have helped hitters for sure. The athletes are probably better conditioned and probably coming to us with more experience."

Compton said she never got too involved with the numbers and always believed in the importance of competing hard.

"As a competitior, it's just a win. The most important thing is that you compete. If you compete well, the numbers will take care of themselves."



Joyce Compton's Milestone Wins

1. 3/6/1987 vs. Baylor in College Station, Texas 5-0
100. 3/28/1989 vs. Charleston Southern, 10-0
200. 3/24/1991 vs. Toledo (game 2), 4-0
300. 3/26/1993 vs. Georgia Tech in Rock Hill, S.C., 9-0
400. 3/27/1995 vs. Toledo (game 2) 9-5
500. 4/5/1997 vs. Tennessee 1-0 (10 inn.) *Note - final game of NCAA record 38-game winning streak
600. 4/23/1999 vs. Georgia, 3-1
700. 3/2/2002 vs. Missouri in Plant City, Fla., 6-0 *Note - over her first Division I employer
800. 4/21/2004 vs. Furman, 8-2
900. 2/13/2008 vs. Western Carolina, 3-0
950. 3/24/2010 at Coastal Carolina, 3-1 (10 inn.)

Former Gamecock football player and NFL veteran Terry Cousin has returned to South Carolina and will work with the department as a student-athlete development coordinator in a part-time role. A four-year letterman from 1993-1996, Cousin graduated from South Carolina with a degree in retail management.

Cousin played 12 years in the NFL, signing as a free agent with the Chicago Bears in 1997. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns.

In addition to competing in the NFL, Cousin was always very active in the community through efforts with March of Dimes, Habitat for Humanity, and the Cystic Fibrosis Association.


During the 2009 season, Cousin worked as the football sideline reporter for the Gamecock ISP Sports Network.

South Carolina Athletics Director Eric Hyman believes the addition of Cousin will be a big benefit to South Carolina's student-athletes.

"Terry has had tremendous success as a football player and he is a good role model," said Hyman. "I really feel that he can help our young people as they make the transition to college and then to the real world, whether as a pro athlete or person. I'm very excited to have someone of his stature involved in our program. Being a former Gamecock is also a big positive."

South Carolina's Director of Academic Services Raymond Harrison said Cousin's experiences as a professional athletes will provide Gamecock student-athletes with valuable insight.

"I think the fact that he's a former Carolina student-athlete and professional player is great," said Harrison. "He brings a different perspective to the students that he'll work with and I also think that he'll serve as a fantastic role model for our male and female student-athletes because of what he's been able to accomplish. He's done some things outside of football that will help him for the rest of his life."
Spurs Up Blog caught up with Cousin this week after a spring football practice:

Spurs Up: What will your primary role with the athletics department be?

Cousin: The position is a student-athlete development coordinator and I'll primarily be working with the football team, doing some mentoring and counseling, giving them some suggestions to help them progress as young men. Student-athletes often don't have someone to talk to that's been in a position to which they aspire. There's a blueprint to being a football player, graduating as a student-athlete and having a chance to go to the NFL. Most guys don't know what that looks like. I want to give them the opportunity and show them what that looks like and show them the things that they shouldn't do.  There are so many examples today, not only from football but from basketball as well. We have guys that have guns in locker rooms, the whole Pacman Jones thing, guys with nine children from seven different mothers. Guys don't understand the impact of things like drugs and alcohol.

Sometimes that doesn't resonate unless you can identify someone that you relate to.  In essence, that's what I'm doing. I get a chance to be withthe student-athletes out here on the field in a more relaxed setting where we don't have to be in an office or anything like that. They're able to share something with me that's totally confidential and we can work on that.  Coaches don't have time to do that. Some of this stuff may be on campus or on the phone - We can give them the opportunity to have someone they can develop a relationship with and trust.

Spurs Up: What inspired you to take on a role like this?

Cousin: I've always been in a role where I want to help, whether it was March of Dimes or Ronald McDonald House.  I just feel that there's such a deficiency when it comes to helping internally. It's too late when these student-athletes get to the professional level because they've already established themselves and they've got the contracts and the money. You can't get to them then. When I was here, there were things that I didn't know about that I wish I had known.  I want to help bring in former guys that have played and want to help here. Hopefully I can hold these players accountable and they can hold me accountable. I just felt there is a need and I wanted to address it.

Spurs Up: A position like this would be important at any school. How does it feel to be able to do this at your alma mater?

Cousin: You get the instant love from the community. People remember you - it means a lot. It shows me that there is some value to me and I can help. Especially when it's where you've gone to school at - the place that allowed me to go do some of the things I've done. It's always better when you come back home. When you don't come back home, you've got to establish all of that all over again and that's tough.  My family is close here and I get to make an impact in my own backyard.

Spurs Up: What do you think are some of the challenges student-athletes face today that are different from when you were in college?

Cousin: I think the challenges are the same. But the mentality of the athlete and the person is different. What I've seen is that they have more personal issues that are never addressed. I don't think the classes at school have changed - they haven't gotten harder. I just think what's so hard is the athletes are so gifted and they don't realize that the hard work that they put in is really what's going to put them over the top. They just feel like it's all about what they do on the field.

The Gamecock Club completed the first two meetings of the spring circuit this week with a meeting on Monday in Lancaster County and another one on Wednesday in Spartanburg. Coach Spurrier was the featured speaker at both events. Men's basketball assistants Mike Boynton and Neill Berry each traveled to a meeting as well. Check out the video recaps below to see how the meetings went. To find an upcoming spring meeting coming near you, visit GamecockClub.org here.

Carolina Calls with Coach Spurrier will air live on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network tonight from Wild Wing Cafe at Sandills at 7 p.m. Coach Spurrier and host Todd Ellis will discuss spring football practice.

Fans are encouraged to ask questions live in attendance or call in at 877-477-7201 (404-6100 in Columbia).

The South Carolina men's soccer team will host a free clinic for boys and girls ages 5-15 on Wednesday, March 24, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Stone Stadium on the Columbia campus.

The clinic will cover all aspects of soccer with instruction on basic skills. Campers are encouraged to come dressed to play soccer with a soccer ball and a pen or Sharpie for an autograph session with the Gamecock players after the hour-long event.

Registration will run from 5:15-5:30 p.m. at Stone Stadium.

Click here to read Andy Staples' story from SI.com:

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The first sign that something had changed at South Carolina came during last Saturday's scrimmage, when the entire offense stayed at the line of scrimmage after a play to wait for the next play to come in from the sideline. It had to be a two-minute drill. Steve Spurrier wouldn't just run no-huddle in the middle of a game, would he?

He might.

The second sign came when tailback Jarvis Giles took a handoff, scanned one side of the field for a hole, bounced outside and blazed down the field for a huge gain. The play looked less like something Fred Taylor might have run and more like something Steve Slaton might have run. Spurrier wouldn't ditch his draw-oriented run game for a zone scheme, would he?

He might.

In addition to the different blocking scheme and new running plays, Hutch Eckerson noticed something else during his first meeting with Shawn Elliott - his Southern accent.

South Carolina's first-year offensive line coach and run game coordinator grew up in Camden and attended Gamecocks games as a child when his father, a former highway patrolman, directed traffic outside Williams-Brice Stadium.

"He's a local guy and he understands what the Gamecocks are about, and what we're trying to do around here and our history. I think that's important," said Eckerson, a tackle from Lumberton, N.C.

"It's just not some guy coming in here and (he) doesn't really know the history of the team. We're trying to win an SEC championship around here, and he knows that we've been trying to do that forever."

As of March 22, Carolina Stadium ranked No. 5 nationally in average attendance with 6,083 people per game. A total of 85,161 people have seen a game at the ballpark so far this season.

The top average attendance is at LSU where the Tigers average over 10,500 fans per game to Alex Box Stadium. Four of the top five teams are SEC teams:

1) LSU 10,598
2) Arkansas 6,615
3) Texas 6,225
4) Ole Miss 6,206
5) South Carolina 6,083

For a full list of the rankings, click here.

Tonight's baseball game on the road at Georgia Southern will be televised on the CSS network at 7 p.m. In previous situations where the Gamecocks were playing on CSS, the game was also broadcast in Columbia on Time Warner channel 165. However, tonight's game will not be shown on the Time Warner station because it is not a conference game.

Saturday's game on the road at Auburn at 1 p.m. will be televised on CSS, but will be available on Time Warner channel 165 because it is a conference match-up.

You can listen to tonight's game (and every South Carolina game) on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network with Andy Demetra and Tommy Moody on GamecocksOnline.com with an All-Access package - available for just $9.95 per month. Click here to order.

While I'm sure you know the Gamecocks swept visiting Tennessee this weekend to move to 3-0 in the league, here's what happened around the rest of the SEC:

-No. 6 Florida sweeps Mississippi State
 -First Gator sweep of the Bulldogs since 2002

-No. 19 Ole Miss wins two out of three at No. 20 Kentucky
 -Rebel pitcher Drew Pomeranz named SEC Player of the Week for his performance on Friday night:  6 innings, 9 Ks, one hit and no runs allowed

-No. 3 LSU wins two against No. 13 Arkansas
 -Sixth straight series victory for LSU over Hogs; Tigers have won 14 of last 15 series against SEC opponents

-Auburn sweeps Georgia in Athens
 -First time Auburn has swept an SEC opponent since 2003

-Alabama takes series against Vanderbilt
 -Tide had won 18 straight games at home before losing Sunday's finale

Here's how the SEC Standings look after the conference's opening weekend:

EASTERN DIVISION	Conference		Overall
School	W-L	Pct.	W-L	Pct.
Florida	3-0	1.000	16-3	0.842
South Carolina	3-0	1000	16-4	0.800
Kentucky	1-2	0.333	15-5	0.750
Vanderbilt	1-2	0.333	16-4	0.800
Georgia	0-3	0.000	8-12	0.400
Tennessee	0-3	0.000	10-10	0.500

WESTERN DIVISION	Conference		Overall
School	W-L	Pct.	W-L	Pct.
Auburn	3-0	1.000	14-5	0.737
Alabama	2-1	0.667	16-2	0.889
LSU	2-1	0.667	16-3	0.842
Ole Miss	2-1	0.667	15-5	0.750
Arkansas	1-2	0.333	13-5	0.722
Mississippi State	0-3	0.000	11-9	0.550

Coach Spurrier will be the featured speaker at tonight's meeting in Lancaster and will also travel to Spartanburg on Wednesday for the second spring meeting of the year.

For a full schedule of meetings and how to purchase tickets, visit this handy guide to the 2010 Spring Meetings on GamecockClub.org.

During the course of the spring, check back to GamecockClub.org for photos and videos from each spring meeting.

Tonight's show features the head coaches for South Carolina's men's and women's golf teams - Kalen Anderson and Bill McDonald. 

You can listen live on www.1075thegame.com.

If you've got a question you'd like to ask on the show, send an e-mail to roost@ispsports.com, call locally at 404-6100 or 1-866-667-1075. You can also submit your question in the comments section of this post and we'll get it over.

Former Gamecock women's basketball player Demetress Adams will have a chance to compete for a roster spot on the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. The 2008 Second-Team All-SEC forward has spent the 2009-2010 season in Spain.

Adams has played in the Liga Femenina 2 in Spain, first for Iberconsulting Cáceres and most recently for Arranz-Jopisa Burgos. Playing for Iberconsulting Cáceres, Adams averaged 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 58.9 percent from the field over her 14 games. She quickly established herself as a prime commodity in the league with a 31-point, 15-rebound, five-block effort against Leon on Oct. 18.

Those numbers led her to Arranz-Jopisa Burgos. Through her first seven games, Adams is posting 6.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on 55.6 percent shooting. One of her first games with the new club was a solid 15-point, 12-rebound, four-block effort against Pio XII on Feb. 1. 


Adams was in Columbia last week working out at the Gamecock Basketball Practice Facility and we had a chance to briefly catch up with her:

How did the tryout with the Dream come about?

My name was still in the draft but I couldn't play last year because of my torn ACL. So my agent got me set up with a team in the second division in Spain last fall. I played there, put up some decent numbers and went to a better team in that league. Within a month or two of playing on that new team, my agent called me and said that Atlanta wanted me to come to their training camp. In a couple of weeks, I signed the contract and I'll be heading to training camp soon.

When does camp start?

April 25th in Atlanta. They are looking for a post player and a guard.

What was the European experience like?

It was great. It gave me a chance to get myself back together and back in the swing of basketball. It also gave me a chance to experience the European style of basketball which is quite different from what I was used to in the SEC. It was really good because it made me understand the game a lot better.

How does the European style of play differ?

There's a lot more shooting, a lot of finesse. As far as comparing to the U.S., it's not as physical. A lot of team-oriented, five-on-five type of stuff.

What was the experience of living in Spain like?

I had never lived overseas before so it was quite interesting. I don't speak Spanish so having to transition to understanding Spanish was big. My first day there - just going to the grocery store - everything was so different. But I got the hang of it and now I can go in and understand exactly what the cashier is telling me.

Are you fluent in Spanish now?

Enough to get by. At basketball, I can understand what's going on, but just speaking I know enough to get by.

Any other Americans on the team?

On the first team I played on, Melissa D'Amico - she's a post player from Notre Dame. She was one American on that team, but on my new team, I'm the only American.

What city in Spain is it?

Burgos.
 

What is your living situation like?

My roommate and I share an apartment - she's a teammate of mine from Latvia. She speaks English which is good. We have a lot of fun and we're both post players so we have a lot to talk about. She's very insightful - she's a little bit older. It's good to learn about her culture and what's different in her country.

What made you come back to the States this week?

We had a five-day break and I bought a ticket because I just needed to come back for a bit. It was good to see the coaches.  A lot of stuff as a player, you can't see yourself. This was my chance to come home and get some basketball knowledge.

Do you think it will help you to be in mid-season shape?

I think it will help me. I was talking to my friend Rashanda McCants who plays for Minnesota on Facebook and asked her what I need to know. The coaches have been great and just told me that I need to be in the best possible shape because training camp is going to be so demanding. Right now I'm just working on drills and getting in shape.
 
What is your preparation plan for training camp? 

I'm lifting hard, shooting, getting my footwork prepared, defensively - I'm going harder in practice. I'm just going to mentally turn myself up because that's what I'll need to do in camp.

What kind of advice have you received from South Carolina's coaching staff?

They just told me that I've got to go hard in camp. For them, it's more small things like reading the defense and they are just giving me the small technical critiques.

Would you return to play in Europe?

Europe is great. If I don't make the Dream, my team will still be in the playoffs so I'll still have the opportunity to finish out with them. I'm still going to work and still going to get better. This opportunity is something I want and if by some chance, it doesn't work out, I'm still going to get better and put myself on the market for next year.

Monday

Sophomore pitcher Kierstyn White is today's Know a Gamecock feature. During her high school career at Irmo, she compiled 1,287 strikeouts with a 0.47 ERA during her high school career and was named the region's AAAA Player of the Year in her senior season. In her freshman season at South Carolina, White was 9-4 with a 2.69 ERA and 45 strikeouts. She is planning to major in civil engineering.



What is your greatest achievement?

Probably getting a win against Alabama in the series last year.

Do you have a personal motto?

Just give 110% all the time because it will do nothing but make you better.

Who are three people you would like to meet or hang out with?

Brad Paisley, Jennie Finch, and I'll go with Patrick Dempsey.


What is your most treasured possession?

Probably my blanket. My sister made it for me when I was in high school, and I take it everywhere I go.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Outback. Definitely. [Editor: What do you get there?] I get the Outback Special every time I go. I never have anything different.

What are the last three songs you listened to?

"Tick Tock" was one of them. "Favorite Girl" by Justin Bieber, and "White Liar" by Miranda Lambert.

What is your favorite move?

The Proposal - see trailer below:

How to Watch the Series

Tickets: Reserved seat - $8; Non-reserved seat - $6; Groups of 15 or more - $4 per ticket. Click here to order tickets on GamecocksOnline.com
Radio: 107.5 FM (Gamecock ISP Sports Network)
Web: Live Stats
All-Access: Watch live video of all three games on GamecocksOnline.com with an All-Access package - available for just $9.95 per month. Click here to order.
Twitter: @GamecockBasebll

Series Numbers

-South Carolina leads the all-time series 40-33.
-The Gamecocks and the Volunteers first met in 1912.
-Last season, South Carolina won two out of three in Knoxville against the Volunteers. Tennessee won the opener 9-5 on Friday night. The Gamecocks rallied from an eight-run deficit with nine runs in the final three innings in the second game to win 15-12. In the series rubber game, the Gamecocks hit five home runs en route to a 15-6 win.
-Whit Merrifield was 7-for-11 (.636) in South Carolina's two wins against the Vols last year. In Saturday's game he was 5-for-6 with four RBI. On Sunday, he hit an inside the park home run and drove in three runs. 

Probable Starting Pitchers

Friday
South Carolina - Sr. RHP Blake Cooper: 3-0, 3.28 ERA, 24.2 IP, 9 BB, 24 SO
Tennessee - Jr. LHP Bryan Morgado: 2-1, 5.16 ERA, 22.2 IP, 11 BB, 29 SO

Saturday
South Carolina - Jr. RHP Sam Dyson: 1-0, 6.23 ERA, 17.1 IP, 4 BB, 22 SO
Tennessee - Sr. RHP Aaron Tullo: 0-0, 3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP, 5 BB, 7 SO

Sunday
South Carolina - Fr. LHP Tyler Webb: 0-1, 3.45 ERA, 15.2 IP, 6 BB, 17 SO
Tennessee - Sr. RHP Stephen McCray: 2-1, 0.73 ERA, 24.2 IP, 5 BB, 15 SO

Team Notes & Numbers

-South Carolina is hitting .310 as a team with a .971 fielding percentage and a 3.74 team ERA.

-The Gamecock pitching staff leads the SEC with 183 strikeouts. In addition, the staff leads the league in opponent batting average as teams are hitting just .214 off South Carolina pitchers.

-Whit Merrifield is among the league leaders in several offensive categories - ranking 1st in total plate appearances (86), 1st in at bat (74), 2nd in runs scored (23), 5th in hits (26) and 10th in total bases (40).  Merrifield is just six hits shy of the 200 career hit mark at Carolina. Only 22 players in school history have tallied 200 or more hits.

-Junior infielder Scott Wingo has been productive offensively with a .579 on-base percentage (second in the league) and is batting .378 with 2 HR and 11 RBI.

-Eight Gamecock pitchers have earned victories in the first 13 wins of the season. Blake Cooper leads the team with three wins. Sophomore Michael Roth leads the team and the SEC in appearances with nine.

-Newcomer Adrian Morales has been consistent at the plate, batting .319 with 11 runs scored, 14 RBI and a .424 on-base percentage.


Quotes from Coach Tanner's Thursday media session

On Tennessee's Friday starter, Bryan Morgado:

He's a power guy. He's a dominating guy. He's got a great arm...He's going to come after us. If he has great command, he's going to be very difficult.

On Tennessee's team:

I looked at their numbers. They've got good players...They've got outstanding personnel. I don't think 10-7..they've lost a couple close games. Everyone gets involved in those close games. I think they're very good. I liked what I saw. Their personnel is good and they put up good numbers.

I know everyone in our league is good. We're playing Tennessee and you look at their record and see 10-7 but you look at their personnel and it's much better than their record.

Do you want your team to increase its intensity for the start of conference play?

They say in our sport you got to remain even-keeled. You'd like the heightened awareness to be a little bit better. I don't think you can rev it up too much. You can go in the opposite direction in our sport if you rev it up too much. I think our guys have done a good job for the most part. We've been aggressive and played pretty attentive for the most part.

On the competitiveness of the SEC:

Anybody in our league is capable of being one of the top teams in the country. I'm not giving you coach speak here, it's the truth...Baseball's important resources have been provided and athletes like to play in the SEC. It's no accident that our league has had 8 or 9 teams in the postseason because it's a great league.

On the pitching staff leading the SEC in strikeouts:

That's been a little bit of a surprise. We did think we maybe had more guys to go to. We've got some pretty good arms down there. We've got guys with pretty good velocity and we've got some swing and miss guys. I'm happy to see that we have some guys to go to.

2) Spring Football Practice No. 4 at 4 p.m. at the Gamecock Proving Grounds




3) Gamecock Baseball vs. Tennessee at 7 p.m. at Carolina Stadium

Tennessee wants Cook to be an efficient and dependable route runner who can line up in all the tight end spots or split out wide to create an uber-mismatch. He will outrun linebackers and be too physical for defensive backs, they expect.

"He's got a tremendous amount of potential and that's a heavy burden on anybody," Zernhelt said. "It's up to us to find opportunities for him and to take advantage of him. With him becoming more proficient at all the things we talk about -- his defensive recognition, his blocking techniques, route running precision and stuff like that -- that's when it'll start to pay dividends for him and I don't have any question he'll be fine at it."

Crumpler's been a valuable resource and sounding board for Cook, and while he would love to be able to continue to draw on the veteran, he understands that business may mean he's not back.

In June 2009, after minimal exposure to Cook, Crumpler said: "[I told him], 'you're stronger than these guys, you're just as fast as these guys.' As he learns and gets better he should be a guy that can never be jammed out in space. You can only say that about a few tight ends."

Carolina Calls with Ray Tanner will air live on the Gamecock Radio Network on Thursday, Mar. 18 at 7 p.m. from Wild Wing Café in The Vista. Coach Tanner and host Andy Demetra will preview the upcoming weekend series between South Carolina and Tennessee, the first SEC series of the season for the two schools. Fans are encouraged to ask questions live in attendance or call in at 877-477-7201 (404-6100 in Columbia).

South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley was recently spotlighted in Jet magazine:

South Carolina's football team was back on the field for spring practice No. 2 on Tuesday night - visit Spring Practice Central for video with Coach Spurrier, Stephen Garcia, Connor Shaw and TJ Johnson.

Here's some story links from Tuesday's practice:

-USC QBs aim to avoid sacks - The State

-Tony Dungy speaks to Gamecocks - The Daily Gamecock

The Gamecock softball team is in action Wednesday night in a doubleheader against Arkansas at Beckham Field. First game starts at 4 p.m. with the second game scheduled to begin around 6:15 PM.

It's also Garnet, Black & Green Night at Beckham Field as fans who bring in a recyclable item (plastic, aluminum, paper, not glass though) will receive a free reusable grocery bag in exchange.

 

Field of Dreams Photo Gallery

Colonial Life Arena recently hosted the Little Caesars Field of Dreams basketball event as two contest winners and their friends received the chance to play a game of 3-on-3 on the home court of the Gamecocks.
 
The names of the winners were Darrell Richardson and Joseph Reese.  Thanks to Mac Credille, the equipment manager for the basketball program, the two teams received a behind-the-scenes tour of the arena and had a locker room prepared for them with their game gear awaiting them in personalized lockers.  After warmups, the lights were turned out and the squads were introduced just like the South Carolina team is on game night.  Following the game, both Richardson and Reese received gift bags from Little Caesars that included personalized game balls.  The winning team also took home a supply of free pizza.
 
The official pizza of Gamecock Athletics, Little Caesars continues to offer great experiences for South Carolina fans.  The Field of Dreams promotion continues in baseball season with the opportunity to take batting practice at Carolina Stadium.  Customers can register to win at any Midlands-area Little Caesars location.

Monday Musings - Bracketolgy style:

No. 1 Seed - SEC play on the horizon for the baseball team

The South Carolina baseball team returned to winning ways last week with five straight wins in series sweeps of Valparaiso and Brown. The Gamecocks travel back to Fluor Field on Tuesday to face Furman. South Carolina is 4-0 all-time at the Greenville ballpark.

After hosting Davidson on Wednesday at Carolina Stadium, South Carolina opens Southeastern Conference action against Tennessee with a three-game series over the weekend at Carolina Stadium. The Vols are picked to finish in sixth in the SEC East and were 11-19 in league play and 26-29 overall in 2009.

Preseason All-Americans Cody Hawn and Blake Forsythe will be the Tennessee hitters to watch out as both players had strong offensive campaigns in 2009. Hawn became just the 10th Vol ever to win the team Triple Crown in 2009, leading the Vols in batting average (.364), home runs (22), RBIs (81), hits (72), doubles (15) and slugging percentage (.773). 

Forsythe started 53 of 55 games behind the plate for the Vols last spring, hitting .347 with 68 hits, 15 home runs and 46 RBIs in addition to leading the team with 40 walks and a .486 on-base percentage and collecting 19 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI contests. For more preview info on the Vols, read this pre-season outlook from SECSports.com.

No. 2 Seed - Downey racking up postseason awards

Devan Downey continues to pile up the hardware from his impressive senior season with the Gamecocks. After becoming the first Gamecock to win the league's scoring title, Downey was also named to the first-team All-SEC team by the league's coaches and by the media. The honor marks the third-straight season Downey has been a first-team choice by both the coaches and media. His selection marks just the second time a South Carolina player has been named to the AP first team in three seasons (BJ McKie was the last to do so).

Downey was also named to the league's All-Defensive team along with junior Sam Muldrow. The guard departs the program's as the school's all-time leader in steals. In addition, he was named to the USBWA All-District (III) squad, the Sporting News Fourth-Team All-American team and as a Yahoo! Sports Honorable Mention All-American.

You can hear Devan tonight on Inside the Roost with Athletics Director Eric Hyman and Derek Scott at 7 p.m.


No. 3 Seed - Track team finishes well at NCAA Indoor Championships

South Carolina's track & field teams posted strong performances at the NCAA Indoor Championships over the weekend in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The men earned their best placement in five years, placing 8th overall. It was the team's first top 10 finish since 2005. The women's team finished in 19th place - the 13th time in 14 years that the Gamecocks have finished in the top 20.

The Gamecocks transition to the outdoor season this weekend with the Shamrock Invitational at Coastal Carolina.

No. 4 Seed - Gamecocks return to proving grounds

After a brief hiatus for spring break, the football team resumes spring drills Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Gamecocks will practice twice this week (Tuesday and Friday) and are scheduled to scrimmage on Saturday at 10 a.m.  For more on Gamecock spring practice, click here.

Read the latest installment in The State from DeAngelo Mack as he chronicles his experience at Yankees' spring training in Tampa this spring - click here to read.

Besides the hamstring tweak, spring training has been a great experience. It's kind of amazing to see how the organization manages to get 150 players ready for the season each day. Pitchers will go off to work with the pitching coaches and throw bullpens, while the position players do individual defensive work and take batting practice. As for the weather, it has been mostly in the 70s, and the rain has been consistent each afternoon. Even when it does rain, we manage to still get a lot of work done in the mornings. If it rains in the morning, we spend time in discussion with the veteran coaches learning more about the mental side of baseball.

Tonight's show features one of the best to play on the hardwood for the Gamecocks - Devan Downey.

You can listen live on www.1075thegame.com.

If you've got a question you'd like to ask on the show, send an e-mail to roost@ispsports.com, call locally at 404-6100 or 1-866-667-1075. You can also submit your question in the comments section of this post and we'll get it over.

Add some Gamecock color to your computer with one of our new desktop wallpapers - we've just added Baseball and Softball.

Former South Carolina catcher Landon Powell is a nominee for the College World Series Legends Team that will be honored at the 2010 College World Series in Omaha, Neb.   The Legends Team will represent those student-athletes who had the best CWS performances in the 60 years the event has been played at Rosenblatt Stadium.  The 2010 CWS will be the last to be played in Omaha's Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium.  Voting for the CWS Legends Team begins Thursday, March 11 and will run until Noon on Friday, April 16.  Fans are encouraged to vote at http://www.ncaa.com/cwslegends/index.html

    Powell played in the College World Series three consecutive years (2002, '03, '04) and twice was named to the CWS All-Tournament Team in 2002 and 2004.  He had nine hits, six RBI and a HR as the Gamecocks finished as National Runner-Up in the 2002 CWS.  Powell is currently with the Oakland A's.  He was a two-time All-SEC selection at catcher (2003, '04) and earned All-America honors in 2004 as well.

  

The South Carolina men's basketball team (15-15) will face Alabama (16-14) in the opening round of the 2010 SEC Tournament on Thursday at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The contest will tip off at 1 p.m. ET on the SEC Network (WIS in the Columbia area) with Jimmy Dykes and Brad Nessler on the call. Fans can also listen to Andy Demetra and Casey Manning on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network across the state.

2010 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament Central

TV: SEC Network (Click here to find the SEC Network in your area)

Radio: Gamecock ISP Sports Network

Web: Live Stats, Live Audio, Twitter, ESPN360.com

Chris Dearing from The State has a feature in today's edition about South Carolina's first SEC champion in the pentathlon, KeKe Clarke. Click here to read.

Getting there wasn't easy. Clarke has battled hamstring and knee injuries, and there were plenty of times she thought about quitting. But with the encouragement of coaches and teammates, she was able to compete pain-free her final semester.

She made the most of her opportunity.

"I've thought about quitting so many times," Clarke said. "You know what you can do, but you can't because you are restricted with injuries. But I wanted everybody to remember me as a hard worker - even with what I've been through. I can still win and compete, and it finally showed."

Carolina Calls with Darrin Horn this week will be live from the Embassy Suites in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the site of the 2010 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament. This week's show will air from 7-8 pm ET on Wednesday. 

Call the show using any of these numbers: 877-477-7201, 404-6100 or #2001 for Verizon Wireless customers.

The State ran two good stories related to South Carolina's baseball team in today's edition. The first was a story about Hank Small, South Carolina's former home run king who passed away unexpectedly last week. Click here to read. 

"I loved Hank Small," said Jeff Grantz, a teammate of Small's at USC, who stood in a pew to address the gathering of about 300 at Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church. "He was a great friend and an awesome teammate. He was the greatest hitter I've ever seen."

Small, the first true home run hitter in USC baseball annals, died last Wednesday at age 56 after a freak fall at his new home in Griffin, Ga. He left behind his mother, three brothers, an ex-wife, two daughters and countless admirers.

They all had stories to tell about the affable Small, whose 48 career home runs stood as a USC record until two seasons ago. The baseball stories were mostly about his towering home runs.

Ron Morris also wrote a positive column about the new South Carolina-Clemson series format. Click here to read.

Talk about everything falling into place. Two outstanding college baseball games. Beautiful weather throughout. Overflow crowds. In the end, the new format for the South Carolina-Clemson baseball series was a smashing success.

Eric Hyman liked it. Mike deMaine, the Greenville Drive general manager, liked it. Jack Leggett liked it. Ray Tanner liked it...

South Carolina great Melvin Watson (1994-98) will be named Carolina's SEC Legend at the SEC Tournament to be held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville this week.  Watson, a 1997 First-Team All-SEC selection and a 1998 second-team honoree, still ranks as Carolina's all-time leader in games started (116) with teammate BJ McKie, while he also ranks first in career assists (543) and fourth in steals (194).  Watson ranks 14th all-time in South Carolina history with 1,424 points and was a 41.1% career shooter.

The SEC announced the all-SEC teams this morning and Gamecocks Devan Downey and Sam Muldrow earned SEC recognition. Both players were named to the league's All-Defensive Team and Downey was a unanimous selection for first-team All-SEC honors.

Downey was also named to the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District team (Virginia, North and South Carolina and Maryland) and also received an honorable mention on the Yahoo! Sports All-American team.

Former Gamecock outfielder DeAngelo Mack is participating in spring training for the New York Yankees this year after a solid debut season at the Class-A level with the Yankees' Staten Island team. Click here to read a brief feature on Mack from The State.

His former coach is just as excited for him. "He's the kind of player who makes coaches extremely proud," USC coach Ray Tanner said. "He put in the time and effort. He's a throwback player. He's not an instant gratification guy. He invested a lot of work to get where he is today."

The school year also ended well for him. He came back to USC after his first pro season to finish the four classes he needed to earn his degree in finance and marketing.

Mack smiles when thinking about getting the opportunity to pursue his dream. He has come a long way since playing in his hometown youth leagues.

Mack will also write a diary for the paper about his experience at spring training. The first entry can be read here.

The past month has been pretty laid back. It has given me a chance to adjust back to baseball every day and to meet other guys in the organization. The most exciting thing is you get to interact with a lot of the big league guys. The player that stands out obviously has to be Derek Jeter. Everything seems totally different when he is around compared to other players. It seems as if he has his own aura around him at all times. The most impressive thing I remember was watching him for three rounds of batting practice waiting to see if he would miss a ball or fail to hit a ball square. He didn't miss a ball and every ball was a line drive in either the right field gap or left field gap. His talent is obvious even in batting practice.

Monday Musings will be a weekly feature (on Mondays, of course) that provides some reflection on the previous week in Gamecock athletics.

New format hits a home run

Count me as one of those in favor of the new format for the South Carolina vs. Clemson baseball series. While it didn't finish with the preferred winner, the buzz and excitement created by the three-game series was more than it had been in recent years.

Over 21,000 fans attended the series with Sunday's finale setting a new Carolina Stadium attendance record. But beyond the numbers at the turnstiles, the series produced some intense, drama-filled action on the baseball diamond. How often do you get the chance to experience a play-off level atmosphere over an entire weekend when you're just ten games into the regular season?

Sure, Clemson did win this year's series with their victory on Sunday. But since 2000, South Carolina leads the series with 24 wins and 19 losses. The Gamecocks have won 10 of the last 15 games against the Tigers.

The Gamecocks will have the chance to get back on track starting Tuesday with a stretch that will see South Carolina play nine of their next ten games at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks will also return to Fluor Field next Tuesday to face Furman.

Downey not done yet

Lost among the intensity of the weekend series against Clemson was another game-changing performance from senior guard Devan Downey as the Gamecocks spoiled Senior Night for the No. 13/19 Commodores in Nashville on Saturday afternoon.

Downey scored just four points in the opening half, but followed that with 22 second-half points on 8-of-12 shooting. The guard scored ten points in a 16-0 run that propelled South Carolina to the upset victory.

The win earned South Carolina the East No. 5 seed and set up a rematch with Alabama on Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the opening game of the SEC Tournament. A loss on Saturday would've pushed South Carolina down to the No. 6 seed and forced the Gamecocks to play at 9:45 p.m. ET on the first day of the tournament.

As the '09-'10 season winds down, I've wondered lately how Gamecock faithful will remember Devan Downey after he pulls off the garnet and black uniform for the last time. Each of us can think back to a play that he made where you turned to the person beside you and said "Did you see that?" It's hard to think of a player at the college level can wow the masses quite like Downey. 

But the one thing that I think I'll take away from the Devan Downey Era is the opportunity to watch a guy who just refused to quit. I remember interviewing Downey earlier in the season for a Q&A for the blog and he said his most treasured possession was his pride. Interesting answer, right? His response:

"I feel like I have pride and that's what really drives me - my ability to not want to fail and do whatever it takes to see that I succeed," he said.

The next quote adds more perspective to his answer:

"Being my size and considering basketball is usually for the bigger guys - I could've listened to people and told myself I wasn't good enough but instead I fought and now I am where I am today."

Athletics Director Eric Hyman has talked before about the Gamecock programs establishing a reputation of being a team that will fight to the end and wear opponents down. To me, Downey is the embodiment of that blue-collar mentality.

Hope Springs eternal

The Gamecock football team opened spring practice last Thursday and will practice thirteen more times before the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game on April 10th. Excitement and anticipation is high for South Carolina this season as the Gamecocks return 54 lettermen and 17 starters from last year's squad.  Only seven players who saw significant playing time in 2009 have left the team.

You can follow 2010 Spring Practice with our brand-new Spring Practice Central page on GamecocksOnline.com featuring videos, links around the Web, practice reports and photo galleries.

Tune into "Inside the Roost" tonight on 107.5 FM at 7 p.m. as host Derek Scott and Athletics Director Eric Hyman discuss issues related to Gamecock Athletics from Staybridges Suites on Huger Street in Columbia.

Tonight's show features South Carolina men's tennis coach Kent DeMars who will be inducted into the Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in May. South Carolina's Director of Sports Medicine John Kasik will also be on the show as part of National Sports Medicine Month.

You can listen live on www.1075thegame.com.

If you've got a question you'd like to ask on the show, send an e-mail to roost@ispsports.com, call locally at 404-6100 or 1-866-667-1075. You can also submit your question in the comments section of this post and we'll get it over.

Monday

7 p.m. - Listen to Inside the Roost with host Derek Scott and Athletics Director Eric Hyman live from Staybridge Suites on Huger Street in Columbia on 107.5 FM or www.1075thegame.com. Monday's guests are South Carolina men's tennis Kent DeMars and South Carolina's Director of Sports Medicine John Kasik.

Tuesday

1 p.m. - Women's tennis is in action at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center against Wake Forest.

7 p.m. - Baseball hosts Valparaiso at Carolina Stadium in the first game of the two-game series. Listen live on 107.5 FM or GamecocksOnline.com

Wednesday

4 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. - Softball opens SEC action with a doubleheader on the road against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.

7 p.m. - Baseball closes out the series against Valparaiso at Carolina Stadium.

Thursday

1 p.m. - Men's basketball opens play in the SEC Tournament in Nashville against Alabama. You can watch live on the SEC Network or listen live on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network.

Friday

All day - Men's golf is in Tallahassee, Fla. in the Seminole Intercollegiate.

2 p.m. - Men's tennis hosts Alabama at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center.

4 p.m. - Women's tennis is on the road in SEC play against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

7 p.m. - Baseball hosts Brown at Carolina Stadium in the opening game of the weekend series.

Saturday

All day - Men's golf is in Tallahassee, Fla. in the Seminole Intercollegiate.

1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. - Softball plays its first home SEC games with a doubleheader against LSU at Beckham Field.

4 p.m. - Baseball continues the series with Brown at Carolina Stadium.

Sunday

All day - Men's golf is in Tallahassee, Fla. in the Seminole Intercollegiate.

Noon - Softball finishes the series with LSU with a noon game at Beckham Field.

1 p.m. - Men's tennis hosts Auburn at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center.

1:30 p.m. - Baseball finishes the weekend series with Brown.

2 p.m. - Women's tennis completes its weekend road trip with a match against Auburn in Auburn, Ala. 

 

The series didn't end with a South Carolina victory, but the new format brought added buzz to a rivalry rich with history and passion. Outside of Sunday afternoon's game, the series produced some intense, play-off atmosphere baseball in early March. How do you see that?

"I thought it was outstanding," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "Although we didn't allow our fans to get involved today, I think it was a good format. It's a series winner -  that's what fans want to see."

Game 1 in Clemson featured a comeback by each team and some late-inning heroics for the Tigers. Game 2 at Greenville, played at beautiful Fluor Field, had a four-run comeback and more late-inning drama. And if you're a fan of the long ball, Sunday afternoon even had something for you to enjoy.

Control Issues Lead to Trouble

It's hard to beat the nation's No. 9 team when you can't keep them off the bases. The Gamecock pitching staff gave the Tigers twelve free baserunners, issuing eleven walks and hitting a batter.

"This was really the first game that I thought our pitching just wasn't there for us," said Tanner. "For the most part, through ten games, our pitching has been pretty steady. But we've still got to get better."

Starter Tyler Webb loaded the bases for Clemson with two walks and a hit batter in the 2nd inning. Tiger outfielder Chris Epps cleared them on the next at-bat with a drive to center field to give Clemson a 4-0 lead early.

"The grand slam was a big blow," said Tanner. "They got four runs with one hit. We had walks, we had balks...they had the big inning. It was a bad combination for us today."

The Gamecocks used eight pitchers on Sunday and allowed runs in each of the final four innings.

"It's tough to battle back, but we've got the offense to battle back from six runs," said Ebert. "But we kept giving up runs late in the game and 19 runs is a lot to overcome."

Don't Rush to Judge

If you look at just the schedule and the win-loss column, you see a Carolina team that is just 6-4 through ten games and has lost four of its last seven games. But keep in mind that the Gamecocks have played two series against teams ranked in the top 15 and only one of those six games was at Carolina Stadium. 

"We've been on the road and played a tough team in East Carolina and Clemson - that has to be taken into context " said Tanner. "I think we're a good team, but we've got to prove it between the lines."

Outfielder Whit Merrifield was disappointed with Sunday's performance but believes the Gamecocks have more potential than they have shown so far.

"I don't think we're what this score shows and I think we're a much better team," he said. "We're not where we want to be. It's a long season. We've got a lot more to go. We've got to strap it on and get ready to work."
 
Bob Bradley and Tom Price MVP Awards

Named for long-time sports information directors at each school, the Bob Bradley and Tom Price MVP awards are given at the conclusion of the series each year.

South Carolina's MVP was outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. The sophomore was 6-of-12 over the weekend, scoring four runs and driving in four. Bradley homered in Game 2 in Greenville. 

Clemson's MVP was outfielder Chris Epps. The center fielder finished the series 7-of-14, scoring six runs and driving in six. Epps homered at Clemson in Game 1 and in Columbia in Game 3.

New Carolina Stadium Attendance Record

Sunday's game set a new stadium attendance record, drawing a crowd of 8,214. The mark broke the stadium's previous record of 8,212 set on April 22, 2009 against Clemson.

No. 13 Clemson (8-0) vs. No. 15 South Carolina (6-2)
(Baseball America rankings as of March 1)

Ballpark: Carolina Stadium
First Pitch: 2 p.m.
Probable South Carolina Starter:  Tyler Web (Fr. LHP) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 8.2 IP, 1 BB, 9 SO
Probable Clemson Starter: Scott Weismann (So. RHP) 1-0, 2.89 ERA, 9.1 IP, 1 BB, 10 SO
Last Meeting: South Carolina 7, Clemson 5 - March 6, 2010

Radio: Listen live to Saturday's game on 107.5 FM or GamecocksOnline.com
Web: Get live in-game updates on Twitter @GamecockBasebll

Promotional Notes:

-Modern Disruption will perform pre-game in the plaza behind the center field wall
-The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Verizon fan banner
The South Carolina Credit Unions will also have a display set up for fans to view
A Look at Carolina Stadium - Click here for a 360 tour of Carolina Stadium



Capacity: 6,400 permanent seats (9,000-plus with standing room)
Dimensions: 325 down the lines, 390 to center field. Walls in the outfield vary from 8 to 10 feet in height. Batter's eye is 80 feet wide and stretches 40 feet above the field

Whit Merrifield and Jackie Bradley, Jr. demonstrated the full potential of the top two spots in the Gamecock batting order on Saturday against Clemson. The pair led the Gamecock rally against the Tigers, accounting for five hits on nine at-bats, six RBI, four runs, two walks and two stolen bases.

Bradley put South Carolina on the board in the top of the third inning with a rocket over Fluor Field's version of the Green Monster, cutting Clemson's lead to 4-2.

In the fifth inning, Bradley drove in Bobby Haney with a single to left field to trim the Tigers' lead to 4-3. In the seventh, it was Merrifield's turn as he singled to score Adrian Morales and pull the Gamecocks level with Clemson. The outfielder also pushed his hitting streak to 23 games, two shy of the school record.

Merrifield came through again in the top of the ninth, bringing in Scott Wingo to put South Carolina ahead 5-4. Bradley followed that at-bat with a double to score Merrifield.

Series Continues to Delight

Beautiful ballpark, two fanatical fanbases and intense action on the field. Game 2 of the South Carolina - Clemson series picked up where Friday night left off, giving us an impressive rally, more clutch hitting and some strong pitching. 

"This really was a beautiful day for college baseball, regardless of who won the game. I thought it was exciting and just a tremendous atmosphere. We were just glad to be a part of this." said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. 

A Minor Script Revision

Saturday's game was almost a mirror image of Friday's night's contest with the Tigers jumping out to a quick lead, followed by the Gamecocks rallying back to tie the game. However, South Carolina prevented a repeat of last night's performance as the bullpen held and the Gamecocks were able to push across the necessary runs to tie the series at one game apiece.

Dyson Settles In

Saturday's starter Sam Dyson struggled early in the first two innings, allowing four runs and four hits. But after that, Dyson retired twelve of the next thirteen batters he faced to keep Clemson off the board. He struck out seven Tigers and walked two batters.

Bullpen Locks It Down

A night after surrending a late lead to the Tigers, South Carolina's bullpen was crucial in keeping the Gamecocks in a position to win the game. After Dyson's departure in the sixth inning, the trio of Jimmy Revan, Matt Price and Michael Roth combined to hold Clemson to three hits and one earned run. The bullpen struck out six Clemson batters. Overall, South Carolina's pitching staff struck out thirteen Tigers.  

No. 13 Clemson (8-0) vs. No. 15 South Carolina (6-2)
(Baseball America rankings as of March 1)

Ballpark: Fluor Field (Greenville, SC)
First Pitch: 2 p.m.
Probable South Carolina Starter: Jr. RHP Sam Dyson - 1-0, 2.35 ERA, 7.2 IP, 2 BB, 11 SO
Probable Clemson Starter: So. LHP Will Lamb - 1-0, 1.42 ERA, 6.1 IP, 2 BB, 6 SO
Last Meeting: 4-3 Clemson win at Carolina Stadium - March 5, 2010

Radio: Listen live to Saturday's game on 1320 AM or GamecocksOnline.com
Web: Get live in-game updates on Twitter @GamecockBasebll

A Look at Fluor Field







Capacity: 5,700 permanent seats
Dimensions: Left field 310 feet, left center 379, center field 390, deep center 420, deep right 380, right field 302

"It's Fenway-esque because they are an affiliate club of the Boston Red Sox. [On coaching left fielder to play with the Green Monster behind him] We try to get our left fielder to maximize his time in pre-game with balls off that wall. Sometimes you can hold a player to a single off that wall if you play it correctly. It's important that you don't play it into a triple. Most balls that go off a wall are doubles anyway. But if you play it perfectly, you might can hold a guy to a single. It's unique."  - Tanner 

The Gamecocks travel to Nashville Tennessee to battle it out against the No. 13/19 Vanderbilt Commodores for their last conference game before they enter into the SEC Tournament. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. ET.

Click here to download the Gamecock ISP Sports Network Scene Setter

Worthy of the Hype

While it wasn't the result that the Gamecock faithful were hoping for, Game 1 of the South Carolina - Clemson series certainly lived up to the hype. The series opener had everything a baseball fan could have hoped for - intense atmosphere, long balls, pressure situations and clutch hitting.

After a first inning to forget, Gamecock starter Blake Cooper settled down and gave South Carolina the opportunity to fight their way back into the game. Cooper's final line of 6.2 innings, seven strikeouts and three earned runs allowed was an effort that gave the Gamecocks the chance they needed to win.

The Gamecocks will certainly be ready to rebound in Greenville on Saturday when they'll be in friendlier confines with a little bit more garnet and black in the stands. If Friday's opener is any indication of what's to come, strap in for an intense ride for the rest of the series.

Captain's Bat Leads the Way

Team captain Kyle Enders gave the Gamecocks a spark with his bat, doubling in Whit Merrifield and Jackie Bradley, Jr in the top of the second inning to tie the score 2-2. Enders doubled again in the sixth inning. He would score later in the inning to give South Carolina a 3-2 lead. It marked the second time this season that Enders has doubled twice in the same game. The captain leads the team in hitting with a .500 batting average. 

The Streak Continues

Outfielder Whit Merrifield's infield single in the top of the third inning moved his hitting streak to 22 games. He's just three games shy of the school record set 24 years ago by Greg Keatley.

Late Innings Hurt Gamecocks Again

After allowing three hits in the first inning, South Carolina limited the Tigers to just three more hits over the next six innings. But walks in both the 7th and 8th innings allowed Clemson to put the pressure on the Gamecock pitchers and bring home the tying and winning runs.

South Carolina's bats went quiet in the final four innings as Clemson reliever David Haselden held the Gamecocks hitless after starter Casey Harman left in the 6th inning. 

No. 13 Clemson (7-0) vs. No. 15 South Carolina (5-2)
(Baseball America rankings as of March 1)

Ballpark: Doug Kingsmore Stadium
First Pitch: 6:30 p.m.
Probable South Carolina Starter: Sr. RHP Blake Cooper - 2-0, 3.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 4 BB, 11 SO
Probable Clemson Starter: Jr. LHP Casey Harman - 2-0, 0.84 ERA, 10.2 IP, 4 BB, 9 SO
Last Meeting: 12-2 Clemson win at Carolina Stadium - April 22, 2009

Radio: Listen live to Friday's game on 107.5 FM or GamecocksOnline.com
Web: Get live in-game updates on Twitter @GamecockBasebll

In the News: Rivals ready to test new format - The State
USC, Clemson baseball meet for weekend series - Greenville News
Carolina - Clemson series debuts new format - Spurs Up Blog

South Carolina Notes:
-Outfielder Whit Merrifield has hit safely in all seven games this season and owns a 21-game hitting streak that began last season. He's batting .333 and leads the team in runs scored with 11.

-South Carolina's pitching staff is 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA this season. The staff has struck out 71 batters and walked just 19 while holding opponents to a .217 average.

-Second baseman Scott Wingo tied the school career record for hit by pitches with 34 this week. Wingo is leading the team with a .462 batting average  and a .667 on-base percentage.

-The Gamecocks own the best fielding percentage in the SEC with just four errors in 265 chances (.985).


A Look at Doug Kingsmore Stadium:



Capacity: 6,217 (4,500 permanent seats)
Dimensions: 320 feet down the left-field line, 370 feet in left-center, 400 feet to straight-away center, 375 feet in the right-center alley, and 330 feet down the right-field line.

"Clemson used to be a pitcher-friendly park, but they moved their fences in [Clemson adjusted the field's dimensions in 2001), so you can hit some home runs in there now." - Tanner

Spring football practice has started and we've got all the news covered with our brand-new 2010 Spring Football Practice Central.  The page includes videos, practice reports and news links about the Gamecocks and SEC football. You can also download the spring roster, spring depth chart and spring guide there. We'll have a photo gallery from each practice. Check out today's gallery:

At the 2010 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, the SEC and Chick-Fil-A are honoring an individual from each institution as an SEC Legend. South Carolina's Legend is former volleyball player Ashley Edlund. Former Tennessee Vol and current assistant coach for the Gamecock women's basketball team Nikki McCray will be honored as well, representing Tennessee.

Edlund was a three-time first-team All-SEC setter in volleyball and four-time all-region. She led the Gamecocks to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Edlund was South Carolina's nominee for the 1999 H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarship and named Student-Athlete of the Year for the school in 1999. Named to the 1998 CoSIDA Academic All-District team and a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member, Edlund still ranks among the SEC career leaders in assists.

McCray started 101 of her 127 games at Tennessee and was named to a total of 11 All-American teams. McCray was a two-time SEC Player of the Year (94, 95) and helped Tennessee to three SEC regular season titles. She was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and played nine years in the WNBA. McCray was a three-time All-Star in the league.

Click here for a look at some series numbers in the 2000s and memorable Gamecock wins

The South Carolina-Clemson baseball rivalry has given fans of both sides classic games and memorable moments. And as if the fans need it, the 2010 edition of the series may just ratchet up the excitement level another notch. 

For the first time since the 1999 season, the Gamecocks and Tigers will play an odd number of games in the season series. Carolina and Clemson only played one time that year (Clemson won 8-7 at home). Every series of the 2000s has been a four-game set except for the 2000 season when the two teams met twice.

Clemson will host the series opener on Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Saturday's neutral venue game will be played at Fluor Field in Greenville and Carolina Stadium will host Sunday's series finale.

One of the biggest benefits to the new format? For the first time, both teams will be able to play and manage the games as a true series.

"It's like a conference weekend for them and for us," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "We're going both barrels loaded and we'll be able to use our personnel like it's a conference weekend."

The recent format of two games over a weekend in March and then two mid-week games in April forced both teams to alter their game plan depending on where they stood in their respective league schedule.

"Anytime we get together [South Carolina and Clemson], it's not a normal environment," said Tanner. "Sometimes that played an effect on both teams whether they were headed to Miami or we were playing LSU that next weekend. In those mid-week games, it was hard to use your personnel like a conference weekend because you had games coming up and you sometimes made decisions based on your future and not your personnel."

Tanner said both head coaches will evaluate the effectiveness of the new format after the 2011 series. The new format will be in place for two seasons. Next season, South Carolina will host the Friday game and Clemson will host the Sunday game. Fluor Field will remain the neutral venue.

"We'll see what is good about it and maybe there will be some things we didn't like about it," said Tanner. "Going into it, I think there is a little bit more excitement than in year's past because it is a true series."

Some may question the Gamecocks scheduling two games in the Upstate against their rival, but Tanner does not expect Saturday's atmosphere in Greenville to be a hostile one.

"We draw very well in that part of the state and we'll have 50 percent of the attendance. I don't feel like it's anything different than a neutral game."

Playing at different venues throughout the state can be a boon for recruiting.

"I like to get out in the state - going to the Upstate and the Low Country," said Tanner. "We're going to recruit the state and I like to be out there a bit and play in different venues. That's important to students and it helps in recruiting."

The three-game format also means that true bragging rights are up for grabs this year as the teams won't be able to split the series.

"We've got our best guys going against their best guys and it will give you a real idea of where each team stands with their pitching and their lineup," said outfielder Whit Merrifield. "I'm looking forward to it - it's going to be fun."

"It's two great teams battling it out," said first baseman Nick Ebert. "You're going to have a series winner and that will be bragging rights."

Quotable on the South Carolina - Clemson Series

"We've had great games, it's been a great rivalry and it's been a lot of fun. Our players like beating each other but they also respect each other and get along well. It really is a rivalry in the way it should be. You get after it and then you respect each other." - Tanner

"It's by far one of the biggest rivalries in the country - it's two in-state schools, two top notch colleges competing." - Ebert

"You don't really know how deep it goes until you're a part of it and you see how important it is to the community. It's unbelievable. It's a huge deal whether it's soccer or any other sport, people show up for these games and people care about these games." - Merrifield

"It's not the same as the other [games]. Everything you do is important and I don't want to minimize any game we play because they all count in the end, but it's our rival. It takes on great significance. It's not just another game. It's the Carolina-Clemson series and it doesn't get any bigger. It's great." - Tanner 

The No. 8 seeded South Carolina Gamecocks play the opening game of the 2010 SEC Women's Basketball tournament today against the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels. Tip-off is at noon. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net and ESPN360.com.

TV: FSN

Radio: 1320 AM (Columbia) or GamecocksOnline.com

Web Coverage:  Twitter, ESPN360.com

The names of Downey, Raley-Ross, Baniulis, Wilder and Archie (possibly) echoed through the Colonial Life Arena for the final time on Wednesday night as the Gamecocks faced Alabama.

The final home game of the season always brings out the most emotion as players who battled their way through four seasons of competition in the garnet and black hear their names called one final time by the home crowd.

Who did the Gamecock faithful say good-bye to on Wednesday night?

-Evaldas Baniulis: The three-point specialist from Lithuania ranks third in South Carolina history in 3-point field goal percentage and is eighth all-time in field goals made...

-Robert Wilder: A fomer walk-on awarded a scholarship in the summer of the 2008, Wilder grew up a Gamecock fan and earned his first career start on Wednesday...

-Brandis Raley-Ross: Averaging 11.2 points per game this season (his best offensive output as a Gamecock), Raley-Ross ranks sixth-all time in 3-point field goal percentage (37.9%). The guard has recorded 41 career double-figure scoring games, including 18 this season...

-Dominique Archie: Although Archie is applying for a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA after missing the 2009-2010 campaign, he participated in tonight's senior day ceremonies. Archie became the 41st member of the 1,000-point club at South Carolina in November and started 98 games for the Gamecocks...

-Devan Downey: Perhaps the hardest player for Gamecock fans to say good-bye to, Downey will go down as one of the most celebrated players to don the South Carolina uniform. The team's leading scorer each of the last three seasons, Downey also became the program's all-time leader in steals on Wednesday against Alabama...

Watch Wednesday night's senior tribute video here:



Key Box Score

	Total FG-FGA	3 pt FG-FGA	FT-FTA	Rebs	Pts	Assts	TO	Blk	Stl	Min
G Ramon Galloway	8-12	4-8	1-2	1	21	0	1	0	1	25

On Senior Night, it was freshman Ramon Galloway who made one of the biggest impacts on the game. The guard finished with a career-high 21 points in just 25 minutes of action. Galloway broke his career mark for field goals made and tied his career-high for three-pointers in a game (4).

"In the last three games, the freshmen have shown you why we're high on them and why we feel good about the future," said Horn. "They compete every night out and those are the kind of guys we want to more forward with and build our program on."

Key Quote
"We wanted to put ourselves in a position to win and fight and I think we did that. We didn't make enough foul shots in the end." - Darrin Horn

South Carolina will honor five seniors tonight on Senior Night at 7 p.m. against Alabama at Colonial Life Arena. The game will be televised on ESPNU where Carter Blackburn and Literial Green will have the call. You can also listen to Andy Demetra and Casey Manning on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network. Tickets are still available via the Gamecock Ticket Office (1-800-4SC-FANS) or GamecocksOnline.com

TV: ESPNU

Radio: Gamecock ISP Sports Network

Web Coverage: Live Stats, Live Audio, Twitter

The men's basketball seniors will be honored at tonight's game at Colonial Life Arena at 7 pm. One of those seniors is guard Devan Downey - click here to read a feature on Devan in today's edition of The State.

Downey was asked Tuesday about his legacy. "I don't dictate my legacy," Downey said. "The people, whoever make that legacy, you've gotta ask them. I just want to be remembered as someone who laid it out on the floor every time he came out."

Today's edition also includes a free "poster" of Devan - pick up a copy of The State to get yours.

The latest edition of the Friends of the Program podcast is now available on the Gamecock iTunes store. Today's show features ESPN analyst and 2010 SEC Legend Tom Brennan. Andy also speaks with senior Evka Baniulis in Courtside Confidential. Click here to download.

Series Numbers

Here's some series numbers to chew on as we go into the rivalry weekend:

-The Gamecocks and the Tigers have played each other 40 times since the start of the 2000 season.
-South Carolina leads the series 23-17 in that time span.
-Over the last three seasons, the Gamecocks are 9-3 against the Tigers.
-South Carolina has the only two series sweeps of the decade -  a 4-0 sweep in 2008 and a 2-0 sweep in 2000.
-South Carolina is 11-8 against Clemson in Columbia and 10-9 in Clemson in the 2000s. The Gamecocks are 2-0 in neutral venues against the Tigers (Omaha in 2002).
-The Gamecocks are 12-5 in the month of March against Clemson.
-The series has been split four times in the 2000s ('09, '05, '04, '02).

Memorable Gamecock Wins

I consulted with South Carolina Baseball's Sports Information Director Andrew Kitick on some of the most memorable South Carolina wins in recent years. Here's some we came up with:

June 19, 2002 South Carolina 12-4 (Omaha)
June 21, 2002 South Carolina 10-2 (Omaha)

Those games were huge in that it was on the national stage and advanced South Carolina to the national championship game and at the same time eliminated Clemson.

Here's an game recap of the second win from CNNSI.com. 

April 19, 2000 South Carolina 9-8 (Columbia)

"My understanding as this was one of the most electric crowds to ever witness a game at Sarge Frye Field.  Trey Dyson hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth that sent the place into a frenzy.  It was apparently one of the all time great moments at the park." - Kitick

April 23, 1997 South Carolina 38-16 (Columbia)

South Carolina set a school record for runs that day.

March 6, 2004 South Carolina 5-2 (Columbia)

Billy Buckner struck out 16 batters to tie an individual school record in the victory.

March 3, 2007 South Carolina 12-0 (Clemson)

As dominant a performance at Clemson as any in school history

Any of the 2008 games (South Carolina swept the four-game series against the Tigers in dominating fashion)
10-1 in Columbia
5-1 in Clemson
7-1 in Columbia
6-0 in Clemson

The Gamecocks outscored the Tigers 28-3 in four games.

April 7, 2009 South Carolina 7-6 (Columbia)

DeAngelo Mack's two-run single wins it for the Gamecocks in the bottom of the ninth. Need a reminder?



What did we miss? What are some of your favorite moments in the series?

One of the most anticipated baseball series of the season is coming up this weekend as the Gamecocks face the Clemson Tigers on the diamond. This year's series is a new format featuring one game at Clemson, one game at Fluor Field in Greenville and the series finale at Carolina Stadium in Columbia. Spurs Up will have more on the series later in the week. In the meantime, here's a pump-up video from Saturday's host of the Reedy River Rivalry, the Greenville Drive:




On the day of the game, from 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM, a tailgate-style block party will be held on Field Street outside of Fluor Field , with free admittance.  This event will include live music, mascots - the Tiger and Cocky - from both schools, and forums with players and coaches, baseball legends from both schools, as well as the athletic director from each university.  Food, beverage and merchandise items will be available for purchase, in addition to complimentary inflatable games, face painters, and a magician for children.

The game is sold out but the Drive hope to release a limited number of Lawn and Deck tickets the day of the game, Saturday March 6th starting at 10 am from the Field Street Box Office at Fluor Field. This limited inventory will be available for purchase at the Box Office only and are not available through telephone or website purchase options.

Tune into "Inside the Roost" tonight on 107.5 FM at 7 p.m. as host Derek Scott and Athletics Director Eric Hyman discuss issues related to Gamecock Athletics from Staybridges Suites on Huger Street in Columbia.

Tonight's show features former Gamecock kicker Ryan Succop who currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. Women's tennis coach Arlo Elkins will also be on the show.

You can listen live on www.1075thegame.com.

If you've got a question you'd like to ask on the show, send an e-mail to roost@ispsports.com, call locally at 404-6100 or 1-866-667-1075. You can also submit your question in the comments section of this post and we'll get it over.

South Carolina finished the 2010 SEC Indoor Championships with three gold medalists as pole vaulter Elliott Haynie and 60m dash specialist LaKya Brookins earned wins Sunday to go along with the pentathlon title won by Kettiany Clarke. The titles were all SEC indoor firsts in each event for the Gamecocks.

The men's team finished fourth for the second straight season with 53 total points and five medals. The Gamecock women's team placed seventh overall with 53 points, two points shy of sixth, and earned a total of five medals over the weekend. Haynie earned gold in the pole vault at 17'7 ¼ (5.37m) and Brookins, the defending national champion in the 60m dash, won gold at a nation-leading 7.18.

Watch this interview with head coach Curtis Frye after the conclusion of the championships:


Watch an interview with KeKe Clarke - the first SEC pentathlon champion in South Carolina history.

Watch an interview with LaKya Brookins after she receives her gold medal in the 60 meter dash.

Watch an interview with Gamecock pole vaulters Elliott Haynie (gold medal), Marvin Reitze and Matt Shuler (combined bronze).

Watch an interview with Gamecock hurdlers Booker Nunley (silver) and Johnny Dutch (bronze).

Monday
All Day -  Men's Golf participates in the SeaHawk Intercollegiate in Wilmington, N.C. (Country Club of Landfall)
All Day - Women's Golf participates in the Kinderlou Forest Challenge in Valdosta, Ga. (Kinderlou Forest Golf Course)
7 p.m. - Inside The Roost radio show with host Derek Scott and Athletics Director Eric Hyman from Staybridge Suites on Huger St. in Columbia. Monday's guests are former Gamecock football player Ryan Succop and women's tennis head coach Arlo Elkins. Listen live on 107.5 FM or www.1075thegame.com

Tuesday
7 p.m. - Baseball faces Presbyterian at Carolina Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
All Day - Men's Golf continues competition in the SeaHawk Intercollegiate in Wilmington, N.C.
All Day -  Women's Golf continues competition in the Kinderlou Forest Challenge in Valdosta, Ga.

Wednesday
2 p.m. - Women's Tennis takes on USF in Columbia at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center.
7 p.m. - Men's Basketball hosts Alabama in their second to last regular season game at Colonial Life Arena.
7 p.m. - Softball travels to Rock Hill, S.C. to play Winthrop.

Thursday
7 p.m. - Carolina Calls with Coach Horn at Wild Wing Café in the Vista. Listen live on the Gamecock ISP Sports Network.  
Noon -  Women's Basketball faces Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament begins in Duluth, Ga.

Friday
2 p.m. - Women's Tennis faces LSU at home.
3 p.m. - Men's Tennis heads to Baton Rouge, La. to take on LSU.
3:30 p.m. - Softball travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to play DePaul.
6:30 p.m. - Baseball takes on Clemson in Clemson, S.C.
 
Saturday
11 a.m. - Softball faces Michigan in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
2 p.m. - Baseball faces Clemson for the second game of the series in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field.
2 p.m. - Men's Basketball competes against Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn. in their final regular season game.
6:15 p.m. - Softball takes on DePaul in the second game of the series in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sunday
10 a.m. - Softball wraps up in Tuscaloosa, Ala with a final game against Michigan.
11:00 a.m. - The Dawn Staley Show airs on SportSouth.
11:30 a.m. - The Darrin Horn Show airs on SportSouth.
1 p.m. - Men's Tennis heads to Fayetteville, Ark. to play Arkansas.
1 p.m. - Women's Tennis hosts Arkansas in Columbia, SC
2 p.m. - Baseball closes out the series against Clemson in Columbia, S.C. The First 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Verizon Fan Banners.