Baseball: What USC student isn’t proud of our College World Series title-winning baseball team? If you’ve never been to a Carolina baseball game, get there early, and bring a blanket to sit on, as the only student seating is the Bi-Lo Berm hill. The baseball team starts their season Feb. 18. Look for key returning players from the College World Series games including Pre-season All-Americans Jackie Bradley Jr. and Matt Price. With more overall wins and conference wins than any other SEC team in the last 11 years, it’s sure to be another great season for the Gamecocks.
Quidditch: Our Quidditch team is holding practices, and anyone is welcome to ride broomsticks and chase after players dressed as golden snitches. The rules of non-magical Quidditch are similar to rugby, but everyone must run with a broomstick between his or her legs. There is an official Facebook group called “USC Quidditch League,” and once you join, you can stay up-to-date on meetings and matches. Head on over to the Honors Hall (how Potteresque) or Strom to catch a game that’s growing in popularity across the country. Who knows – maybe a Quidditch World Cup title is in our future? But that may just be a bludger in the sky.
Men's & Women's Tennis: If you enjoy easy-to-follow yet exciting competition, our tennis teams play at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center, and admission is free. The nationally-ranked men’s team has already begun their spring season. Keep an eye out for newcomers including first-year student Chip Cox. They will have 14 home matches in the spring, so there are plenty of opportunities to attend. The women’s tennis team kicked off Jan. 25. Look for the team’s only fourth-year student, Miljana Jocic, who was named Most Valuable Player.
Swimming & Diving: Think awesome Olympics diving, minus the cost of travel. Men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams train and compete in the newly renovated Carolina Natatorium. Both talented teams boast many first and second-year students, so you can look forward to them in future seasons. The men’s team is ranked 24th in the nation and has gone 7-0 for the first time in school history. Key swimmers to look out for are fourth-year Bridget Halligan for freestyle and second-year Bobby Cave for his record-breaking breaststroke times. Don’t miss this promising season.
