Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 37

BASEBALL 3-7 SCOREBOARD 11 OUTDOORS 12 Lru LI THE CLARION-LEDGER JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY, MAY 27, 1990 D) Eagles are Pollard is off; Houston batters USM's ace 15-3 and sends the Eagles home from their first NCAA regional trip. By Robert Wilson Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer South I Regional At Baton Rouge, La. Saturday's results USC 5 LSU4 Houston 15 USM 3 LSU6 Houston 4 Today's games 3 p.m.: Southern California (40-20) vs. LSU (50-17) 6:30 p.m.: Southern California vs. LSU, if necessary IV.

y- --1 i i if 4 Saturday night. LSU must beat USC, 40-20, twice today to advance to the College World Series June 1-9 at Omaha, Neb. USM wouldn't have received its first NCAA berth without Pollard. But Pollard's arm wasn't there, and Houston's bats were. Damon said he wasn't feeling very good before the game started," Denson said.

"We've had trouble if our starters couldn't go at least six or seven innings." Pollard allowed eight hits and 10 runs in 3 13 innings in a 23-5 loss to Southern Cal Thursday. Denson felt he could go again 48 hours later. Pollard tried. "I tried to go to bed early, but I couldn't sleep," Pollard said. "I just didn't feel right out there.

I didn't have my fastball. My curve was OK at first, but my fastball didn't have any bite. I had to fight to get the ball to the plate. I told (USM pitching) Coach (Brian) Rhees to take me out. I wasn't doing any good out there." Pollard set down Houston in order with two See USM, 6D BATON ROUGE, La.

Hill Denson said all season that when Damon Pollard is on his game Southern Mississippi can beat anybody. But when the senior right-hander isn't, the Golden Eagles can lose to anybody because of a lack of middle relief. Pollard told Denson he wasn't feeling well before USM faced Houston Saturday afternoon in a South I Regional elimination game. You can guess what happened. Pollard lasted three innings, and Houston eliminated USM 15-3 before 968 at LSU's Alex Box Stadium.

No. 5 seed USM finished with a 1-2 record in its first NCAA Tournament appearance and ended the season with a school-record 42 wins against 25 losses. The Golden Eagles lost to No. 2 seed and No. 9-ranked Southern Cal 23-5 Thursday and eliminated No.

6 seed Southwestern Louisiana 14-10 Friday. No. 3 seed and No. 21-ranked Houston, 44-23, lost to No. 1 seed and No.

9-ranked LSU, 50-17, 6- The Associated Press USM's Kevin Young gets the ball too late to tag Houston's Rickey Torres. a RICK 1 CLEVELAND Executive Sports Editor The Clarion-Ledger 43 I The third baseman's grand slam gives the Bulldogs an 1 1-8 victory over top-seeded Florida State. By Rusty Hampton Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer i STARKVILLE When he hit a home run to break the Southeastern Conference record for hits, third baseman Burke Masters called it the thrill of his Mississippi State career. Saturday he one-upped himself. Masters hit a grand slam to finish a six-run ninth in ning rally that gave the South II Regional Bulldogs an 11-8 victory over top-seeded Florida State in the NCAA South II Regional at Dudy Noble Field.

"That was my biggest thrill," Masters said of Thursday's homer. "Now I guess this is." Masters' career day in addition to the grand slam, he had five singles, scored twice, and made all three assists to end the game put State one vic AtStarkville Saturday's results Miss. State 11.... FSU8 Illinois 8 BYU5 FSU6 Illinois 4 Today's games 2 p.m.: Mississippi State (48-18) vs. Florida State (56-14) 7 p.m.: Mississippi State vs.

Florida State, if necessary i The Story surfaces again as the SEC meeting convenes DESTIN, Fla. This same time last year, Southeastern Conference officials converged on this resort town for their annual business meeting. A horde of media came with them to cover "The Story." The story was SEC expansion, which was a topic hotter than the Florida sun. We heard that Arkansas, Texas and Texas were ready to break from the Southwest Conference and join the SEC. That Florida State, Miami and South Carolina might prefer SEC membership, as well.

The story became close to a non-story. A hot topic became lukewarm. The only news was that the SEC decided to form a committee to study expansion. The urge to expand seemed to have subsided. The general feeling was that SEC membership would remain at 10.

SEC officials began arriving here again Saturday for the 1990 meeting. This time, we've seen little media hype about expansion, which might mean a lot of us have been missing a huge story. The truth is, the mood in the SEC has never favored expansion more than it does now. Is that right, first-year SEC commissioner Roy Kramer? "Could be," Kramer said, with a smile. "I guess we'll see this week." Insiders say that Kramer, who has been cool toward expansion in the past, favors adding teams now.

By and large, SEC coaches oppose expansion, especially adding the powerhouses mentioned earlier. The coaches feeling: Hey, it's 1 tough enough to keep a job now. But coaches just call the plays; they don't call the shots. Presidents and athletic directors, the people who have to make the budgets, are more open to expansion. They see millions of TV dollars there for the taking and don't want another league or a newly formed league do the taking.

The presidents, of course, make the decisions. They probably will address expansion for the first time Wednesday. Templeton, Alford like idea Mississippi's SEC athletic directors seem to favor expansion. "I personally think that expansion might help Mississippi State," said MSU athletic director Larry Templeton. "TV is becoming a larger revenue source than ticket sales.

We stand a chance to gain ground there quicker than we do any other way." Warner Alford of Ole Miss agrees. "I've maintained all along that the league would benefit in the future by expanding. Anything you can do to enhance your TV market, you've got to look hard at, because TV is where the money is these days." The Mississippi schools are big players in the expansion discussions. State president Donald Zacharias is president of the league. He selected Ole Miss chancellor Gerald Turner to head the expansion committee.

State basketball coach Richard Williams is also a committee member. See CLEVELAND, 2D 5 tory away from its first College World Series appearance since 1985. It also shocked the third-ranked Seminoles, who are 56-14 and were 53-0 when leading after eight innings. "There's always a first time," said FSU coach Mike Martin, referring to the lost lead. When a Jackson television reporter asked Martin if "the grand slam took the wind out of your sails," Martin replied: "That's like asking me if I love Jesus Christ.

I love Jesus Christ, and that grand slam home run makes me feel as low as whale poo-poo." After the home run, State's fans chanted his name until Masters came out of the dugout and tipped his cap. They did it again after the game, and Masters' older brother Blaine jumped the Left Field Lounge fence and sprinted to the infield to embrace his brother. Masters even got a post-game hug from State coach Ron Polk. "I'm usually not that way," said Polk. "But Burke is one of the more special kids we've had here." "I think that was the biggest reaction I've ever seen out of Coach Polk," said Masters, who at the time didn't See BULLDOGS, 7D Masters is in a groove, 5D Scott Boyd The Clarion-Ledger State coach Ron Polk gives a bear hug to his top Dog, Burke Masters, whose dramatic grand slam beat Florida State.

SWAC charter member Prairie View pulls out Jordan, Bulls finally speak up Chicago's leader scores 47 points in a 107-102 victory over Detroit. ha Vkv By MikoLopresti Gannett New Sendee -v--. during the Council of School Presidents meeting at the SWAC spring meetings in New Orleans. "We feel that within a five-year period, we can build back up and I hope that we can appear before the council of presidents requesting readmission to this conference." Becton said the decision, made over the last two weeks, was made because of a $3.36 million deficit built up over the last five years. He said the school had been making up the difference by using funds from housing and dining facilities and Prairie View's absence will pro-See PRAIRIE VIEW, 2D Financial problems force the Texas school to leave the conference.

By Tim Turner Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer Prairie View, the last charter member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, has sent the conference reeling with its decision to discontinue all intercollegiate sports except track and field. "If there was any other way I could have done it, I would have done it," said Prairie View President Julius Becton Jr. Saturday CHICAGO Michael Jordan has spoken. In his favorite language. Ineffective in Game 2 and mum to the outside world since, Jordan's 47 points Saturday were a life raft to the sinking Chicago Bulls.

He pulled them from 14 points down in the third period to a desperate 107-102 victory against Detroit, cutting the Pistons' lead to 2-1 in the NBA Eastern Conference final. Jordan took his bow. And then said he wasn't See BULLS, 7D The Associated Press Detroit's Joe Dumars can only watch as Chicago's Michael Jordan eyes some of his 47 points. TV today The best: Start your engines with the Indy 500 at 10 a.m. on ABC, first of four auto races on the tube today.

The Coca-Cola 600, with Jackson's Lake Speed in the field, starts at 11:30 a.m. on TBS. numbers Twins 6 Red Sox 5 Orioles 7 Rangers 5 Angels 10 Brewers 3 Blue Jays 1 1 Mariners 4 National League Astros 8-12 Cubs 1-3 Reds 5 Expos 3 Mets 11 Padres 0 Braves 12 Phillies 3 Pirates 10 Giants 4 Dodgers 8 Cardinals 0 Texas League Jackson 1 San Antonio 0 Saturday sports by the BASEBALL South I Regional Southern Cal 5 LSU 4 Houston 15 USM 3 LSU 6 Houston 4 South II Regional Miss. State 1 1 Florida State 8 Illinois 8 BYU5 Florida State 6 Illinois 4 American League White Sox 10 Tigers 4 Athletics 6 Indians 3 Royals 9 Yankees 4 Inside Rickey Henderson tied Ty Cobb's 62-year-old American League record for career stolen bases and the Oakland Athletics won their sixth in a row, 3D. Cleveland native Kevin Rogers is a shining star for the Class A San Jose Giants, 4D.

Horace McCool took his first coaching job at Delta State in 1952 and has served the school in many capacities. He retires June 9, 8D. At age 33, Payne Stewart says he is much more mature and much closer now than ever to reaching his potential, OD. Drivers are ready for today's Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, 10D. Wichita 4 Shreveport 2 Tulsa 9 Midland 7 El Paso 10 Arkansas 7 NBA Eastern Conference final Bulls 107 Pistons 102 Consecutive baseball games played: 1.

Lou Gehrig 2,130 2. Everett Scott 1,307 3. Cal Ripken-x ,1,292 4. Steve Garvey 1,207 5. Billy Williams 1,117 x-active The rest: Portland and Phoenix square off for Game 4 of their NBA Western Conference final series at 2:30 p.m.

on CBS. The Blazers lead 2-1. There's also plenty of baseball..