Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 26

SECTION Sports INSIDE The fourth in a scries of NHL draft profiles. Today: Nikolai Zherdev. PAGE C-8 THURSDAY, JUNE 19,2003 INSIDE WHERE ARE THEY NOW? page c-2 I HIGH SCHOOLS page c-3 I SCOREBOARD page c-7 I FISHING page c-7 SOCCER page c-8 Questions about delivery or service? Call 1-800-228-NEWS (6397) JL ACC Set to chase Va. Tech Adds I Iokics to wish list By Hank Kurz Jr. The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va.

Atlantic Coast Con-1 ference presidents will invite Virginia Tech to join three other Big East schools in jumping to the ACC as part of its expan-. 1 sion plan, two sources told The Associated Press last night. The sources spoke on the condition they not be identified. The decision to add Virginia Tech was made yesterday during a three-hour tele-, conference of nine league presidents after' it appeared that the original expansion involving Miami, Boston College and Syraj cuse would not get the required seven votes for approval, a government with knowledge of the talks said. The suggestion to reconsider the Hok-ies was made by Virginia President John T.

Casteen III, who has supported include ing Virginia Tech in the plan After the Hokies were first rejected last month, he pledged to continue pushing for their inclusion. Virginia Tech President Charles M. Ste-, ger was notified of the ACC's change of heart in a meeting with Georgia Tech Presi-. dent G. Wayne Clough in Blacksburg, last night, the second source said.

Steger was expected to speak with, i members of the school's Board of Visitors, today to gauge their feelings on whether Virginia Tech should accept the offer. Steger and others at Virginia Tech have been among the most outspoken critics of SEE ACC, PAGE C-3 r' Virginia Tech key to solid Big East Peter DianaPost-Gazette photo Brian Giles and Jack Wilson mob Jason Kendall after his two-run double in the bottom of the ninth beats the Expos, 4-3, in the second game. Watching the Big East and Atlantic Coast Conferences slugging it out is a little like watching sudden-death overtime at a sporting event The highs and lows are incredible. Unfortunately for 0)1 RON COOK Kendall's clutch hit in ninth rallies Pirates to sweep against Expos Pitt, the outcome is much more significant than any one game. I felt pretty good yesterday about Pitt's future as a legitimate presence in major college football when ACC officials again passed on a chance to extend official invitations to join their little fraternity to Big East members Miami, Boston College and Syracuse.

The ACC clearly didn't have the necessary votes from its mem-' bership to expand. The legal action brought by the other Big East football schools Pitt, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Rutgers and Connecticut to stop the expansion might be a nuisance lawsuit, as many legal experts believe. But it appeared to be a nuisance that at least hadn't won a series at home," Manager Lloyd McClendon said. "That was very disappointing." That disappointment brushed aside, the Pirates can go for a sweep of the series at 12:35 p.m. today.

Montreal took a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth of the second game on a one-out home run by Jose Macias off Salomon Torres that broke a 2-2 tie. By Paul Meyer Post-Gazette Sports Writer Pinch-hitter Jason Kendall's two-run double in the ninth inning last night lifted the Pirates to a 4-3 victory against the Montreal Expos and gave them a sweep of a doubleheader for the first time since Sept. 8, 2000, against Cincinnati at Three Rivers Stadium. Undaunted, the Pirates immediately set the table against closer Rocky Biddle. Randall Simon opened with a bouncer through the left side for a single.

Matt Stairs, 12 for 25 since returning from the disabled list June 10, lined a single into center field, putting pinch-runner Adam Hyzdu on second base. SEE P5RATES, PAGE C-5 In the opener, Jeff D'Amico, who hadn't won a start in June since 1997, pitched six effective innings and the bullpen closed out a fairly nervous ninth inning in a 7-3 win. Thus, in the span of 5'A hours, the Pirates did something they hadn't done in the first months of the season win a series at PNC Park. "It upsets you to no end to think we SEE COOK, PAGE C-3 Woods calls on PGA to test drivers 0 i i i if I LJ replied, "You could say that." Manufacturers submit their clubs to the USGA to see if they conform. But clubs are not tested at PGA Tour sites.

That has led to some suspicion that players are using "hot clubs," especially with driving distances soaring this year. Woods is not among the group. He ranks 30th in driving distance at 293 yards. He never has finished a season lower than sixth. "I think we need to make sure clubs are regulated," Woods said.

"They need to be tested, a lot like NASCAR. First hole, here's my driver, make sure it's legal. Green-light, red-light kind of thing." The tour says it is waiting for the USGA to provide it with a portable testing device that can be used at tournaments. The hope was that it would be ready for next month's Western Open, but the tour is shooting for January. Under USGA guidelines, a driver can't exceed a coefficient of restitution of 0.830.

For a tour player, 0.10 of a point over the limit could mean an additional 10 yards off the tee. Woods has a multimillion-dollar deal to use Nike equipment. The company shares his concern that some players might be playing with nonconforming clubs. Mike Kelly, director of Nike's golf division, won't reveal names, but says his company has tested clubs from competitors that don't conform. "Absolutely, we know it's going on out there," Miller said.

"Players came up to us and said, 'I'm hitting blank driver 20 yards We tested those drivers and they exceed the limit." The big question is whether players who use these drivers know they are over the limit. Last week Johnny Miller, a spokesman for Callaway Golf, voiced his concern that some companies might be handing out nonconforming drivers in an effort to get players to use them. "At some point you ask, 'Is it the player, the manufacturer, or is it an Kelly said. "If a pro suddenly is gaining 20 or 30 yards, they know something is going on." Tour's No. 1 player believes some clubs noncomforming By Ed Sherman Chicago Tribune CHICAGO Tiger Woods wants to play by the rules.

He is concerned some players aren't. Yesterday, Woods stepped up his call to the PGA Tour to implement a test to make sure every player in a tournament is competing with clubs, specifically drivers, that conform to U.S. Golf Association rules. While responding to questions at the Buick Classic in Westchester, N.Y., Woods again strongly implied some players are exceeding USGA limits for the springlike effect the ball has off the clubface. Asked if he believed players had clubs in their bags that "shouldn't be out here," Woods Nati Harnik; Associated Press, ALL HE'S GOT Stanford pitcher John Hudgins earned his second win of the College World, Series in a 5-3 win vs.

Cal State Fullerton. Roundup, Page C-5. SPOUTS TRIVIA DID YOU HOW? In the baseball expansion draft before the 1969 season, the Montreal Expos selected three Pirates Who wpre thpy? Answer cn Pzzz C-7 Until Stanford's Carlos Quentin homered twice in the 1 1th game of the College World Series ypQtnrrHy thp firct 96 OA'S hnmo nine harj been hit by 2S different players. E-KAIL: SPORTS: 41 2-263-1 621 WED: WWW.P0ST-6AZETTE.C0.WSP0RTS EDITOR: FRITZ KUYSMAN.