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Kurt Busch surprised by recent award
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FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014
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PREP BASKETBALL
Vandevander steps down BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS jdriggers@theitem.com It had been brewing in the back of her mind for nearly a year and a half, but the timing never seemed to be right. Until now. Sumter High School head varsity girls basketball coach Chris Vandevander has decided to step away from the program she has guided for the past six seasons, and from basketball altogether for the foreseeable future. “I’ve been a head coach at various levels for 17 years now,” Vandevander said. “It was just a timing thing with me and my family. I felt like I needed more time at home and I was tired. “I told the girls at the end of the sea-
son that I expected to be back, but my assistant coach (Christy) Kelly was thinking about stepping down to spend more time with her family as well and the timing just seemed to be right.” Vandevander nor Kelly will be gone from coaching completely, though. Positions opened up to coach Sumter’s junior varsity volleyball team and Kelly will step into the head coach’s role with Vandevander working as an assistant. “I wanted something that would allow me a little more personal time but also the opportunity to keep my hand in coaching because I love doing it,” Vandevander said. Time was the main theme for why she decided to step down, realizing
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO
Sumter High School girls basketball head coach Chris Vandevander has resigned after SEE VANDEVANDER, PAGE B7 heading up the program for the past six seasons. She finished with a 92-45 record and four region titles.
LEGION BASEBALL
Weather wins out for now
Camden’s 9-run fifth leads to victory over Jets BY TOM DIDATO Special to The Sumter Item
Manning-Santee leads P-15’s 4-0 when game halted BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS jdriggers@theitem.com MANNING – The Sumter P-15’s and Manning-Santee Post 68 managed to avoid the weather for two innings on Thursday, but eventually the storm found its way to Monarchs Field. With Manning-Santee up 4-0 in the top of the third inning, the game was halted because of steady lightning in the area. After about 30 minutes, the rain, wind and pieces of small hail ended any thoughts of playing on, and the game was eventually called off. It will be made up on June 5 in Manning with a 7:30 p.m. start time. It was not known at press time whether the game will be replayed in its entirety or picked up where it left off. Sumter (2-0) had taken the first two games of KEITH GEDAMKE / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM the 3-game series against Post 68 on Tuesday Manning-Santee’s Linc Powell (21) is greeted by teammate Russell Thompson and Wednesday. The P-15’s are now set to host
in Post 68’s game against Sumter on Tuesday. Manning was leading the P-15’s SEE WEATHER, PAGE B3 4-0 in the third inning on Thursday when the game was halted due to rain.
USC BASEBALL
CAMDEN -- Camden Post 17 used a 9-run fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie and it held on for a 13-7 win over visiting DalzellShaw Post 175 on Thursday at American Legion Field. The victory evened the 3-game series between the League III rivals heading into today’s 7 p.m. game at General Field. CAMPBELL The visiting Jets answered a 2-run Camden bottom of the second by scoring three times in the third with Michal Hoge and Juan Gardner legging out consecutive one-out infield singles. Edison Aldridge then sent a liner off of Post 17 pitcher Grey Hoke to load the bases with two gone for Shane Bishop whose three-run double to center gave Post 175 a 3-2 advantage. After Grayson King’s 2-run home run to left field returned the lead to the hosts at 4-3, Dalzell-Shaw evened things with a run in the top of fourth. Ron York drew a leadoff walk and later scored on Hoge’s 2-out single to shallow center.
SEE JETS, PAGE B3
CLEMSON BASEBALL
Tigers hope for friendly regional Carolina looks to build on NCAA home winning streak BY AARON BRENNER Post and Courier
VANDERBILT REGIONAL AT HAWKINS FIELD Nashville, Tenn.
BY PETE IACOBELLI The Associated Press COLUMBIA — South Carolina coach Chad Holbrook knows his team’s 27-game NCAA tournament win streak at home comforts supporters and throws a big scare into postseason team headed to Carolina Stadium. He also knows all those victories from the past won’t mean much when the Gamecocks (42-16) open the Columbia Regional on Friday night against Campbell (40-19). “We do play well at home,” Holbrook said Thursday. “But as loud as our fans are, they can’t be inside the white lines with us so our players have to perform.” Few teams have done that better in NCAA play than South Carolina the past decade or so. The Gamecocks have reached the College World Series six
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
South Carolina shortstop Marcus Mooney and the rest of the Gamecocks will put their 27-game NCAA tournament home winning streak on the line at 7 p.m. today as they host Campbell in the Columbia Regional. times the past 12 years, winning national titles in 2010 and 2011. They finished as Omaha runners-up twice more in
that stretch. At home, they’ve been unstoppable with
SEE STREAK, PAGE B2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Maybe this year, loser buys dinner. The night his team’s 2013 baseball season ended with an NCAA superregional loss to Louisville, Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin sought solace in a private meal in Nashville with a guy who’s basically family. Corbin, Clemson coach Jack Leggett and their wives dined at Ted’s Montana Grill, a LEGGETT rare moment for the longtime friends and old-time dugout mates to catch up and reminisce on working together at Clemson from 1994-02. Leggett made the trip, since his Tigers had lost in the Columbia regional the week prior. “He’s like a brother,” Corbin told Vanderbilt media earlier this week. “He came here last year when he could have just gone somewhere because they were out, and he chose to come here and stay with us and watch us play and be a support system.” A year later, Ted’s might need to hold a table aside, since the Commodores or Tigers are paired in the 2014 NCAA Nashville Regional in Nashville, which begins Friday with Clemson’s 1 p.m. opener against Oregon and Vanderbilt’s 8 p.m. first pitch with Xavier. First things first, of course. Out of
Game 18), 1 Game 27), 8
TODAY
1 — Clemson (36-23) vs. Oregon (42p.m. 2 — Vanderbilt (41-18) vs. Xavier (29p.m.
SATURDAY
Game 3 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. Game 4 — Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8 p.m.
SUNDAY
Game 5 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 1 p.m. Game 6 — Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m.
MONDAY
x-Game 7 — Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m.
Clemson and Vanderbilt, if one wins and one loses Friday, they’re in different brackets and the Day 1 victim is in danger of bowing out early, not even setting up a tasty matchup between their head coaches and baseball lifers. Corbin actually would prefer not to face the man he called a second dad, a brother and a best friend — all in the same interview with local reporters. That’s why Clemson and Vanderbilt haven’t faced each other since the mid-1980s, the Bill Wilhelm years. “I don’t like doing that,” Corbin said. “Now if we’re matched up against each other, that’s someone else’s choice. But no, I’d rather just play against other people I don’t
SEE TIGERS, PAGE B2