BI Athens #5 - Later Gator

Diamond Dawgs SEC Preview • Taste of Athens photos • Big Time Dunks • Barberitos 10th anniversary

Athens

the sports and social scene beyond the hedges

Later Gator!

Diamond Dawgs SEC Preview • Taste of Athens photos • Big Time Dunks • Barberitos 10th anniversary

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March 9, 2010

The Publisher Vance Leavy While the city of Athens has cleared out for spring break, we at Bulldawg Illustrated Athens have been hard at work producing our fifth issue of our inaugural year.

Back in early January, editor Ryan Scates and I discussed how we would navigate this time frame. Should we skip a week?

Or should we continue with our every other week publication cycle?

The consensus was to forge ahead because while many folks are frolicking in the sun this week, the majority of our Georgia athletes have a full week of competition. If you don’t believe me, then please go to our calendar on page 11. See I told you.

Those events are a great opportunity to support our athletes if you find yourself looking for something to do. But come to think of it, that can be said year round.

I think I can speak for everyone involved in putting out our publication when I say the biggest highlight has been immersing ourselves into each UGA sports program. We now have an even larger appreciation for the hard work and commitment it takes to perform at the Division 1 NCAA level.

And because of that, the victories are even sweeter and the losses are oh so bitter. The last few weeks of UGA athletics have had a little of both.

Jay Clark and the Gym Dogs had a huge victory against UCLA and are coming together nicely as post-season play approaches. The UGA softball team has picked up right where it left off last season posting several victories including three no-hitters over one weekend. That is sick and by all means, sick is meant to be good in this context.

Our tennis and golf teams are performing at great levels and will certainly be in the mix to win a title when tournament play occurs in the coming months. The Equestrian team had a rare loss at Auburn this past weekend, but then bounced back 24 hours later to beat No. 6 Kansas State. And Georgia’s track team has been getting record-breaking performances from athletes like Torrin Lawrence and Tommy Barrineau.

Of course, there have been struggles as the Diamond Dawgs ran into a Florida State buzz saw this past weekend in Tallahassee. It appears longtime Seminole skipper Mike Martin has one of his best teams ever. However I have all confidence that Georgia’s headman, David Perno, will use the tough weekend to help mold his team with SEC play cranking up in the coming weeks.

And on the hardwood, I would guess both Andy Landers and Mark Fox are a bit frustrated with their squad’s last performances. Yes there have been some bright spots over the last few weeks, but inconsistent play led to the Lady Dawgs exiting the SEC tournament in round two and the Hoop Dawgs road loss at LSU. However that is the beauty of March Madness, where getting hot at the right time can lead to dreamy circumstances.

For the Hoop Dawgs, any hopes of making the NCAA or NIT tournament hinges on a deep run in the SEC tournament that begins on Thursday in Nashville (tournament bracket on page 7). And when I say a deep run, I’m talking about making it to The Finals. A win there puts them in the Big Dance. A Finals’ loss might still be enough to earn an NIT invitation.

For Lander’s Lady Dogs, as Jeff Dantzler points out on page 4 anything is possible once the NCAA tournament begins in a few weeks. I’m betting on a deep run and perhaps a trip to the Final Four.

For now, we will bid you farewell, but hope you enjoy this issue and particularly our cover. No matter what the UGA sport, there’s nothing like beating Florida and saying Later Gator!

Publishers: Cha Cha Cha Publishing Cheri and Vance Leavy Editor: Ryan Scates

Layout Designer: Vance Leavy Web Maven: Cheri Leavy Videographer: Ryan Scates

Athens

the sports and social scene beyond the hedges

Page 6

Great Dunks

Page 8

Hope Haven

Page 16

STegeman REnovations

Page 19

taste of athens 1-877-456-4624 info@bulldawgillustrated.com www.bulldawgillustrated.com Friends of Bulldawg Illustrated @BD_illustrated

Special thanks to UGA sports communication for use of some photos

The EDITOR Ryan Scates I have a confession to make.

Earlier this week, when traveling through Florida, I stopped with my girlfriend and visited the University of Florida.

Yes, this paper is dedicated to covering all the spring semester sports at UGA, but it’s hard to visit an SEC rival school without dreaming even a little about football.

You see, I have this thing for college towns. Growing up, the highlights of the year were getting to visit places like Athens, Knoxville, Auburn and Tuscaloosa for big SEC football games. I would relish every second of the trip, from spotting car flags headed down the interstate, listening to the radio call in shows (…I’ll hang up now and listen to your comments.), and of course, experiencing what a day in the life is like in the world of a Tiger, Rebel, err…Crimson Tide person, and so on.

Naturally, the pageantry and local color surrounding the game became as memorable as the game itself.

Now, while I love the Georgia-Florida football experience as much as anyone, I couldn’t help but visit Gainesville just to walk around campus and imagine in my mind’s eye what their swampy campus would look like once invaded with a red and black contingent. With a camera in one arm and a lovely Georgia co-ed in the other, I set off to explore the palm tree dotted, jean shorts Mecca of the south.

We ate at a restaurant called The Swamp, where we sent an orange and blue colored plate of chips and salsa back to the kitchen and barked with some fellow Dawgs while making a pit stop en route to sunny South Florida.

Next, we meandered through the live oaks and shade spots to the veritable Death Star of the SEC, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Being a state-owned property, the stadium was open to any visitor who felt like walking in. I downed a bottle of Pepto-Bismol before venturing into The Swamp. We cruised up and down the bleachers, got some pictures defacing the infamous “Welcome to the Swamp” sign in the corner of the stadium and did our best rendition of the “Trinton Sturdivant Shuffle” in the endzone before headed back to I-75.

Cruising down the interstate after our campus visit, my girlfriend Kiel and I began to compare Gainesville to our own college vibe in Athens.

We started with the downtown scene. How did Gainesville compare with Athens’ Clayton Street? Hmmm…ok, well what did UF have that was similar to UGA’s North Campus? Did they have anything similar to the Arch, Five Points, or even Sanford Stadium?

It didn’t take long to realize that when it comes to Athens and other college towns, there really is no comparison.

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Lady Dogs have potential for run

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JefF DanTzler

Legendary Hall of Fame coach Andy Landers signed a contract extension through 2014 prior to the tipoff to the 2009-10 campaign. His goal is to get Georgia back to where it was, amongst the truly elite programs in women’s collegiate basketball. “There are three places for a program, and unless you’re number one you don’t want to be in the same spot in all of them,� said Landers, “where you’ve been, where you are and where you’re going.�

In the two previous years, Georgia had been good – losing in the second and first rounds respectively of the NCAA tournaments of ’08 and ’09 – but not excellent like the previous five years when the Lady Bulldogs advanced to at least the Sweet 16, or great like in the magical Final Four runs of the 1980s and ‘90s.

Landers retooled his coaching staff, and Georgia’s last two recruiting classes have both been ranked amongst the nation’s top ten, including this season’s crop of six freshmen that fill out of over half of the 11player roster.

Georgia roared out of the gates to a perfect 16-0 record, the best start in the storied history of the program.

The high point of the season came on January 21st, as the eighth-ranked Lady Bulldogs toppled No. 3 Tennessee 53-50 before a raucous Stegeman Coliseum crowd to vault into sole possession of first place in the rugged Southeastern Conference.

Three days later, the Lady Dogs had a late lead get away, and fell at home to Ole Miss. Had Georgia won that Sunday afternoon, its national ranking would have likely been No. 4 or No. 5.

Instead, it was the start of painful stretch in which Georgia lost six of

eight games to fall into the middle of the league’s pack.

Georgia had shown that it could compete with and defeat the best of the best. The Lady Bulldogs have slain, along with Tennessee, traditional national powers Oklahoma, Rutgers and Virginia. But the losing spell showed that it is still a work in progress.

To close out the regular season, the Lady Dogs returned to their first half of the season form, winning by 16 at South Carolina and topping Arkansas by 21 in the final home game for seniors Angel Robinson and Ashley Houts, who is one of the most popular and decorated players in school history, and amongst the toughest and grittiest competitors in Georgia athletic annals.

However, the slump knocked Georgia out of a first round bye for the SEC Tournament. The Lady Dogs won a seven point thriller over Alabama in the first round, but fell to rested Mississippi State in the second, losing for the first time in 20 games in which Georgia led at the half.

It will be a full two weeks until the Lady Dogs again take the hardwood in the NCAA Tournament.

This will give Houts, who has battled a sprained left ankle, time to heal and for the Lady Dogs to dial back in and recapture the magic of the first half of the season.

First comes selection Monday, when Georgia will be bound for the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time in 29 years – the second best total of any program in the country.

But then what?

With this team, anything is possible, from a first round loss to a deep run through March.

THE TICKER

Jasmine James equals SEC Freshman of the Week record earning the award five times Former Colts coach Tony Dungy to be speaker at a UGA spring football coaching clinic, March 25

Sr. Swimmer Hunter Lainhart qualifies for NCAAs in final appearance at Gabrielsen Kat Majester automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in pole vaulting

Softball pitcher Erin Arevalo earns back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Week honors Ashley Houts named to First Team All-SEC Squad Swim Dawg Matt Bartlett sets school record in the 100 backstroke with time of 47.19

Softball team climbs to program-best ranking in ESPN.com/USA Today Rankings

Bulldawg Illustrated Athens

5

Hoop DAWGS Memorable dunks of ’09-10 season The 2009-2010 Georgia Men’s Basketball season brought a lot of things to Stegeman that had not been seen in a while. After this team stumbled early to the lowly Wofford terriers, who would have thought that on Senior Night scalpers would be selling tickets for upwards of $80 a pop to see the Hoop Dawgs take on Kentucky? Honestly, I don’t know if scalpers were asking that much for tickets for the Georgia-Kentucky football matchup, which also fell on a Senior Night.

Yes, in 2010 Georgia basketball began to bring some sparkle back to old Stegeman Coliseum. Posting a 13-4 home record, the Dawgs gave home fans reason to cheer even when facing the tallest of odds.

When Tennessee came to town hot off of beating #1 Kansas, the UnderDawgs stopped them cold in their tracks. When Florida was seeking a return to the NCAA Tournament, Fox’s gritty squad hunkered down and turned the Gators back south. While the wins were great, my favorite thing to see return to Stegeman was the slam-dunk.

Now, when I talk about slam-dunks, I’m not talking about a mere, tip-in, quick rebound, easy two pointer. I’m talking about the genuine, fast break, attitude-soaked, crowd-electrifying, adrenaline pumping jams that were shaking backboards across the SEC when Fox’s Hoop Dawgs came to town. Below I have highlighted my three favorite jams from the regular season. Here is to hoping there is plenty more to come in the SEC Tournament.

1. Travis Leslie Fast-Break Windmill Jam against Tennessee In the first sold-out Hoop Dawgs game since 2007, the Georgia crowd was hungry for a big win over the big orange. After a misguided Tennessee pass Travis Leslie came up with a big steal. What happened next seemed to transpire in slow motion.

Unguarded and all alone approaching the Tennessee basket, Leslie launched a reverse-cradle rim rattler that even had the press box howling.

2. Travis Leslie Gets Serious Air at Rupp Arena Yes, This dunk came amid a loss, but Georgia put up a regal effort in a close game at Rupp Arena back in January. Who can forget seeing Leslie literally fly across that blue paint on Sports Center’s Top Ten? After beating Tech a week earlier, the dunk was a sure sign of this team’s refusal to lie down and play doormat to the SEC East.

3. Trey Thompkins’ Two-Hander against Georgia Tech.

It’s always good to Beat Tech. With a stiff twohanded jam late in the second half, Trey Thompkins showed the team from the North Avenue Trade School exactly what school calls the shots in this state.

Story and photos by Ryan Scates

6

March 9, 2010

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Bulldawg Illustrated Athens

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BI ATHENS ATHENS S ISSUE 5

Geor gia M T eennis vs.

Georgia Tennis Arkansas, 1:00 PM, Athens Geor gia Softball vs. T eennessee Georgia Tennessee 1:00 PM, Knoxville T eenn.

Tenn.

Geor gia Baseball vs. Aubur n Georgia Auburn 2:00 PM, Athens

Geor gia Softball vs. Florida Georgia 5:00 PM, Athens

Geor gia Bas seball vs.

Georgia Baseball 5:00 PM Kennesaw State, S Athens

Geor gia Baseball & Georgia Kennesaw State, 5:00 5:0 00 Kennesaw Ga.

G eorgia B aseball vvs. s. Georgia Georgia Tech Tech Georgia Baseball 7:00 PM, Atlanta Ga.

Georgia Geor gia M Basketball, SEC Tournament, Tenn.

T our o nament, Nashville T en enn.

Geor Georgia gia Softball vs. Florida 3:00 PM, Athens

Georgia Tennis William Geor gia M T ennis e vs. W illiam Mary, & Mar y, 2:00 2:00 PM to 11:00, Athens

- Geor gia M Basketball vs.

Georgia SEC T oourna Tournament, Nashville gia M Golf vs. Southern - Geor Georgia Highlands, Las Vegas Nev. -Geor gia W Golf vs. TBD -Georgia New Orlean Orleans La. - Geor gia Swimming Sw Georgia & Diving vs. TBA TBA, Ga Tech Atlanta - Geor gia Ba Georgia Baseball vs. Siena, 1:00 PM - Geor gia M Tennis vs. VanGeorgia derbilt, 1:00 PM, Athens - Geor gia So Georgia Softball vs. Alabama 2:00 PM, A Athens - Geor gia Gymnastics Gy Georgia vs. N.C. State, 4:00 P PM, Athens - Geor gia W T eennis vs. V Va anGeorgia Tennis Vanderbilt, Nashville T eenn.

Tenn.

Geor gia Softball vs. Furman Georgia 5:00 PM, Athens

Georgia - Geor gia M Basketball vs.

Tournament, SEC T our o nament, Nashville Georgia - Geor gia Baseball vs. Siena 6:30 PM, Athens - Geor gia M T ennis e vs Ken vs.

Georgia Tennis Ken-tucky y, 2:30 PM, Athens tucky, - Geor gia Swimming & DivGeorgia ing vs. TBA, Atlanta GA - Geor gia W Golf vs. TBD Georgia New Orleans La. - Geor gia W T eennis @. Ken Georgia Tennis Ken-tucky y, Lexington Ky y. tucky, Ky. - Geor gia T rrack & Field Georgia Track NCAA Championship Fayetteville Ark. - Geor gia Gymnastics @.

Georgia Michigan, 7:00 PM Ann Arbor Mich

Georgia Equestrian vs.

Delaware State, Dover Del. Georgia M Tennis vs.

Southern Cal. 3:00 PM, Athens

Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving ChampionshipPurdue University West Lafayette Ind.

ATHENS S ISSUE 6 BI ATHENS

Georgia Softball vs.

Georgia Florida State, 5:00 PM,Athens P Georgia Georgia Baseball vs.. Furman 5:00 PM, Athens

Georgia Swimming & Divin ng, Georgia Diving, Men’s NCAA Swimming and d Diving Championships, 12:00 12:00 PM, Columbus Ohio Georgia Tennis Georgia M T eennis vs. Ohio State, 4:00 PM, Athens

-G Geor gia M Basketball vs.

Georgia SE CT oournament, Nashville SEC Tournament, - Geor G gia Baseball vs. Siena Georgia 3:0 00 PM, Athens 3:00 -G Geor gia Softball vs. vs Alabama Georgia 1:0 00 PM, Athens 1:00 -G Geor gia Softball vs. AlaAlaGeorgia bam ma, 3:00 PM, Athens bama, - Geor G gia Swimming & DivGeorgia ingg vs. TBA, Atlanta GA - Geor G gia Track Trrack & Field Georgia NC CAA Championship NCAA Fay yetteville Ark. Fayetteville Ge eorgia W Golf vs. TBD Georgia Ne ew Orleans La. New - Geor G gia M Golf vs. Southern Southern Georgia Hig ghlands, Las V eegas Nev Highlands, Vegas Nev..

Georgia Baseball vs. Auburn 6:30 PM, Athens

W omen’ o ’s NCAA Swimming Women’ and Diving ChampionshipPurdue University West Lafayette Ind.

-G Geor gia Equestrian vs. SaGeorgia rfield Conn. cred Heart, Fairfield - Georgia Track & Field vs.

Georgia Tech. Atlanta Ga. nnis vs. Geor - Georgia W Tennis Geor-gia Tech, 1:00 PM, Atlanta all vs.

- Georgia Softball 0 PM, Tennessee, 1:00 n.

Knoxville Tenn. all vs. Aubur n - Georgia Baseball Auburn ns 3:00 PM, Athens AA Swimming - Women’s NCAA ampionshipand Diving Championshipity W We est Purdue University West Lafayette Ind.

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- Geor gia Swimming & DivGeorgia ing Men’ ing, Mens’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, 12:00 PM, Columbus Ohio - Geor gia W T ennis e Georgia Tennis vs.

Arkansas, 1:00 PM, Fayetteville Ark. - Geor gia Baseball vs. Miss St Georgia 7:30 PM, Starkville Miss.

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shatter season-high, edge out UCLA 197.900-197.875 as seniors Courtney McCool and Grace Taylor come up big on floor and beam with a 9.925 and the season’s first perfect 10. Don’t miss the final home meet on March 14 against NC State.

Men’s Tennis

opens outdoor season with wins over Furman and ETSU. The Tennis team returns home to face Southern Cal at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on March 19.

Haack’s Dawgs

wins the Charleston Shootout by 20 strokes. Russell Henley claims individual title, shooting three consecutive scores of 69. Catch the team in action at the Linger Longer Invitational, scheduled for March 26-28 in Greensboro.

Track & Field

claims individual SEC titles in Heptathlon (Tommy Barrineau) and 400 Meter Dash (Torrin Lawrence). The Spec Towns Invitational outdoor meet comes to Athens April 9-11. photos by Ryan Scates, track photo by UGA sports communications

12

March 9, 2010

A G BU L L D AW Sports s Talk Br Breakfast reakfast live with 960 The Ref Thee Morning Show with David vid Johnston & Stephen Stephen Hartzell guest speaker

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Diamond Dawgs JD’s 2010 SEC preview Fielding a consistently good college baseball team is extremely difficult. First, there is the matter of having only 11.7 scholarships. Then there is the fight against the Major League Baseball draft when it comes to keeping rising seniors and incoming freshmen after winning recruiting battles against rival schools.

When injuries come, well, you can do the math on that.

Georgia has been bitten badly by the injury bug and the Bulldogs are trying to keep their heads above water until everyone gets back. This team’s best days are definitely ahead of it.

But to give you an idea of what Georgia has had to do this year on the infield, Georgia had started four first basemen through the first nine games of the season, as Chase Davidson was battling an injury.

At second base, Todd Hankins has been starting. In the fall, the freshman was third string behind injured Levi Hyams and Chance Veazey, the incredibly brave and courageous freshman who suffered a serious, life-altering injury in a tragic accident.

At shortstop, star freshman Kyle Farmer, who is batting .458, suffered a broken hand and is out for three to six weeks. Hyams, who started at short last year, has been hurt, so the Bulldogs moved freshman AllAmerican third baseman Colby May to short in the meantime. Outfielder Kevin Ruiz, who has also played first, has played third along with catcher Christian Glisson.

And Georgia’s lineup, on the strength of two outstanding recruiting classes, features all freshmen and sophomores – with senior reserve Robbie O’Bryan the lone upper-class position player.

So as the Bulldogs battle through a typically tough slate – in the incredible David Perno era which has featured three College World Series trips and a pair of Southeastern Conference titles, Georgia’s strength of schedule has almost annually been ranked in the nation’s top five – the Bulldogs are hopefully getting healthy with the always brutal SEC grind looming.

Here’s what Georgia will see around the league, starting Alabama, which defeated the Bulldogs in a non-conference game on March 3rd in Suburban Birmingham’s Hoover, Ala., site of the SEC tournament, which features the league’s top eight teams.

Alabama: The one team Georgia doesn’t play in an SEC series. For some reason, league schools play 10 conference series.

Not all 11, and not a trimmed back eight or nine. Before the game in Hoover, first year Bama coach Mitch Gaspard, a longtime highly respected assistant, presented Perno with a check for over $1,000 dollars. In Alabama’s road game the previous Friday 14

March 9, 2010

at South Alabama, all of the Crimson Tide players gave their meal money, and that total was matched by the coaches, to the foundation for Chance Veazey. Bama boasts a typically strong lineup which will have them in contention for the SEC title.

Centerfielder Taylor Dugas is one of the league’s top leadoff men, and the infield is dynamite, featuring the third year keystone duo of shortstop Josh Rutledge and Ross Wilson. First baseman Clay Jones had rapped out four homers and 14 RBI’s in Bama’s first six games.

Ace Pitchers: Georgia’s Friday night (the SEC plays three game Series, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s, so that first game is obviously a critical tone-setter) starter Justin Grimm has outstanding stuff.

And he’ll have to be at his best this season, as the league features an imposing array of hurlers. As many as five SEC pitchers have projected as first round picks in June’s draft.

That doesn’t count Kentucky’s James Paxton, a first rounder a year ago, who is currently ineligible while dealing with NCAA issues regarding issues with an agent.

March 19-21 in Athens Auburn: It’s been a tough decade for Auburn, which is on its third head coach since the retirement of longtime standout chief Hal Baird. John Pawlowski is in his second season at the helm and he’s trying to get Auburn back to Birmingham for the first time since 2003. The Tigers went 3125 a year ago, but only 11-19 in the league.

Georgia and Auburn haven’t played for the last two seasons. The Tigers have a good lineup, headlined by junior outfield Brian Fletcher, who hit .301 with 17 homers and 54 RBI’s in ’09.

March 26-28 in Starkville Mississippi State: John Cohen is in his second year at the helm of his alma mater, taking over for the legendary Ron Polk.

Even though MSU went to Omaha in 2007, the feeling is that they’ve been passed in the state by Ole Miss, which would have been unthinkable a year ago. Also, Southern Miss went to Omaha last year, after beating Ga. Tech in the Regional and Florida in the Super. Georgia swept MSU a year ago, and Perno has had incredible success against the Maroons, highlighted by an 8-2 mark in the last 10 Starkville meetings. Connor Powers is one of the league’s best hitters. The senior infielder hit .301 while homering 19 times and driving in 63 last season.

April 2-4 in Baton Rouge LSU: The machine just keeps rolling along. LSU has been the nation’s most suc-

cessful program over the past 20 years, highlighted by six national championships.

The Tigers roared to the big prize a year ago and have two of the country’s top players back in Friday night ace righty Anthony Ranaudo and lefty slugger Blake Dean, who “slumped” to .328-17-71 a year ago. LSU usually leads the nation in attendance, and like South Carolina and Ole Miss, the Tigers have a spectacular new stadium.

April 9-11 in Athens Drew Pomeranz and Ole Miss: Ole Miss has a horse to throw of Friday night with Pomeranz, regarded by some scouts as the country’s premier left-handed starter.

He’s a power south-paw with outstanding control. Ole Miss is fighting injuries to its pitching staff, and will lean heavily on its ace, who went 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA a year ago. The Rebels visit Athens in early April (Masters Weekend). Ole Miss has been consistently good, but the Rebels haven’t found their way to Omaha. Since 2005, Ole Miss has lost in four super-regionals, including three at home when they’ve won the opener of the best of three sets.

April 16-18 in Fayetteville Arkansas craftiness: The Razorbacks didn’t have overwhelming personnel a year ago, but Dave Van Horn’s team topped Florida State in a Tallahassee Super-Regional and found their way to the College World Series. Zack Cox is back after going 5-1 on the hill and belting 13 home runs.

April 23-25 in Athens South Carolina: Ray Tanner has done great things in Columbia, etching his name right next to June Raines as legendary Gamecock baseball coaches. Tanner guided South Carolina to three consecutive College World Series trips from 20022004. As usual, South Carolina has a powerhouse line-up, led by first baseman Nick Ebert, who blasted 23 homers and drove in 73, while batting .321 a year ago.

April 30 – May 2 in Nashville Vanderbilt: Tim Corbin has another good club in the Music City, with a typically strong starting rotation. This program has taken enormous steps over the past decade. Until the middle of the past decade, the ‘Dores played in a stadium that would have been laughable by many high school standards. Vandy, like Ole Miss, has been close, but hasn’t been able to take that step to Omaha despite having such premier players as Jeremy Sowers, David Price and Pedro Alvarez. Sophomore DH Aaron Westlake was one of the league’s top hitters in ’09, batting .377, with 10 homers and 57 RBI’s.

May 7-9 in Athens Tennessee: Georgia should have a chance to close the season on a strong note, with two of the last three series at home against East foes Tennessee and Kentucky, both projected to finish in the bottom half of the division. Todd Raleigh is in his second season in Knoxville, succeeding Rod Delmonico who was let go following the 2007 season despite having led Tennessee to Omaha three times, including a 2005 trip.

That move raised some eyebrows. Tennessee has fought scholarship limitations due to RPI academic issues. Catcher Blake Forsythe, who hit .347-11-46 in ’09, is one of the league’s best.

May 14-16 in Gainesville Florida: The Gators are loaded and one of the favorites to win the SEC title. Kevin O’Sullivan is in his third year at Florida, and the former Clemson assistant just missed out on becoming the fourth consecutive Gator coach to pilot the program to Omaha. But Florida fell at home in the Super to Southern Miss. The Gators were 46-22 a year ago and won the East with a 19-11 record. Versatile infielder Preston Tucker headlines the potent attack, on the heels of an 85 RBI season a year ago, to go along with a .364 average and 15 round trippers. Perno’s Bulldogs have won eight of the last 10 meetings with the Gators in Gainesville.

May 20-22 in Athens Kentucky: Not having Paxton is a huge blow for the Wildcats, who went 28-26 overall and 12-18 in the league a year ago. When Cohen, who led Kentucky to the 2006 SEC championship, left for Starkville, the Wildcats stayed in house and hired longtime pitching coach Gary Henderson. Georgia swept Big Blue a year ago in Lexington.

There’s a good chance, with the Dogs hopefully fully healthy and playing their best baseball at season’s end, could have a lot on the line when Kentucky visits Foley Field.

Making the eight-team SEC tourney is a virtual assurance of an NCAA Tournament berth. This Georgia team has a chance to make history, and earn a third consecutive Regional bid. Perno’s teams, indicated by the three College World Series juggernauts which all put together extended second half winning streaks along with the obvious postseason success, have traditionally closed strong.

Almost every year, almost every team in the league is good. There’s a fine line between the conference championship, division titles, Birmingham berths and post-season exclusion.

It’s time for the gauntlet to begin. story by Jeff Dantzler, photo by Ryan Scates

HOT PICS Hoop Dawgs Florida Cameron Ellis, Josiba Jelicil, Nadja Gilchrist and Kaoko Veshima

Brendan Gibson and Kelly McCullogh

Attention Dawg Fans Join the UGA Tip-Off Club and help support Coach Fox and the basketball dogs.

UPCOMING EVENTS End of the season banquet on Thursday, April 15 at the Athens Country Club

Alicia Harrell and Nigel George

Monica and Rodney Holloway

Matt Cox and Cleave Jackson

Lindsay Duncan and Kyle Waddell

Charlsie Hubbell, Ben Butler, Chase Butler and Brad Butler

There is no better way to be a part of the action than to be a member of the UGA Tip-Off Club. The Tip-Off Club is a great place to meet new friends, make business contacts, and support the basketball program and its student-athletes.

Membership dues are $100 per person. This individual membership will allow you to attend member’s only events before, during, and after the season.

For more information about the UGA Tip-Off club or to register for events, please visit www.ugatipoffclub.com.

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15

Stegeman RenovationS

Better fan experience is main goal Athens might be known for its historical buildings and traditions, it’s the Classic City for a reason, but one common trend through the campus of UGA is development. Over the past few years, there have been multi-million dollar expansions to the Health Center and the Tate Center, a brand new art school and now an expansion to the state museum of art on campus. What’s next?

The University is planning renovations to the Stegeman Coliseum that are going to change the fan experience for the better. Arthur Johnson, Assistant Associate Director for Internal Operations, says the changes will bring over 10,000 additional square feet on both the north and the south sides of the building. There will not be any additional seating added, but there will be more women’s restrooms and concession stands so fans will have shorter lines and can get back to the action faster. And not only will you be able to get your dome-dog in record time, but there is expected to be 15-22 points of sale. This also includes a variety of different menus and concessions. Another difference will be a central ticket booth. There will still be multiple gates for fans to enter the coliseum, but all ticket purchases, will call and student tickets will be at one booth. The renovation also includes new flooring and overall bettering the space.

The project is over halfway through the planning and designing part of the process.

From the edge of the top of the building to the ground will be glass. The doors will be taken out all around the building, which will open up the space for fans once they are inside. Construction is set to take place after graduation this spring and should be completed in the middle of November, before the 2010-2011 basketball season starts.

So where did the idea for renovating the building come from? The university wants to give fans the best experience possible when they go to any sporting event, and they are starting with Stegeman. It is hard to beat the experience of a packed house and a SEC win, but they are going to try. The Athletic Association wants to increase fan base and the amenities of the building. The ideas and plans were brought up at the fall Athletic Board Meeting. Because the university owns the building, and the Board of Regents allows its use beginning at the start of basketball season, gymnastics and for graduation, they needed the go-ahead before any more moves could be made. They were approved in the winter, and the process hasn’t rested since then.

There is always something to look forward to when it comes to UGA athletics, and this is no exception. The renovations, with extra space, restrooms, concessions and options, will make the Stegeman experience better than ever. So next season when you can’t miss another dunk from Travis Leslie or performance from Kat Ding, but have that insatiable urge for a bag of popcorn…fret not.

Story by Chelsea Lipocky, artist renderings by Georgia Sports Communications

16

March 9, 2010

HOT PICS Barberitos Ten Year Anniversary

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Lucy Yeomans and Anna Bell Beasley Chris Scarborough, Mary Elizabeth Tebeau, Downing Barber and Kim Smith

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Please join us for the

Stadion Athens Classic at UGA April 29 to May 2

Jake Stanfill, Brandon Miller and Fred Barber

community... comm munityy....

SSome ome say say art, art, like like beauty, beauty, is is in in the the eye eye o off the the beholder. beholder.

We found it i thr through ough the ey eyes es of Athens-Clarke Athens-Clarrke students,, aand students nd with the help of their teacher teacherss and the School Di strict, cr eated a book so that ev veryone District, created everyone could sshare hare in their passion. Pur Purchase chase a cop copy py of

Tickets On Sale Now Help support the Athens community by purchasing tickets to the Stadion Athens Classic at UGA. Local nonprofit beneficiaries will receive 100% of revenue from all ticket sales through the TICKETS Fore CHARITY™ program. Visit our website for a list of participating nonprofits.

“Thr ough Our O Ey es, Portraits Portraits and Self Portraits” Portraiits” for “Through Eyes, only $20.0 $20.00 0 at one of our sev seven en location locations. s. Pr P Proceeds oceeds benefit the Athen Athens-Clarke s-Clarke County School Di District s strict arts pr ograms. After all isn’t isn’t that what it me eans to programs. means be a part of o the community?

Volunteers needed! www.stadionathensclassic.uga.edu your financial foundation fou undation www.fabathens.com www .fabathens.com

300 College Avenue

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Bulldawg Illustrated Athens

17

Nash Boney to Give Art Presentation on University

Bulldawg BEAT

Boney, professor emeritus of history, will give a lecture and slide presentation titled “Two and a Quarter Centuries and Counting: A Visual Run Through the History of the University of Georgia,” presentation will be on March 31 at 4 p.m. in the Visual Arts Building.

Alpha Omicron Pi Hosts Run for the Roses Annual 5K race and philanthropy event hosted by Alpha Omicron Pi. Wednesday, April 7, at Sandy Creek Park, 5-8pm. Race begins at 5:30.

Registration is $15 and includes a TShirt and Chick-Fil-A dinner.

BreastFest Annual event designed to increase awareness and early detection of breast cancer includes a 5k run, live music, food, and of course, beer tastings. March 20, 2010. 12:00-5:00pm, Terrapin Beer Brewery, Newton Bridge Road. BreastFest 5K, March 21, 8 a.m. behind Stegman Coliseum.

3rd Annual UGA Alumni Association ®

March 20, 2010 Registration begins at 7 a.m.

Stegeman Coliseum Contact Wanda Darden at wdarden@uga.edu (706) 542-2251

www.uga.edu/alumni/athens 18

March 9, 2010

Lady Dawgs Second MostRanked Team in History

Gubernatorial Debate comes to Georgia Chapel on March 18

The Lady Bulldogs are now the secondmost ranked team in the history of the AP poll. UGA has now been included in 448 weekly editions of the rankings. A great statement of the present team and all those former teams and players who have ever played at the University of Georgia.

Sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha. Candidates for Governor of the State of Georgia engage in debate moderated by Dr. Charles S. Bullock, political science professor. Republican candidates at 6:00 p.m. Democratic candidates debate at 8 p.m. Chapel.

Contact: dougherk@uga.edu

HOT PICS Taste of Athens Scott and Lauren Seale with Lauren and Jay Cook

Tood Lister and Mayor Heidi Davison

Mary Boyce Hicks and Leslie Barron

Kellie Landeche, Shelby Wright and Hodge Patterson

Jeff and Vonnie Chesser

Elizabeth Dale and Candace Barber

UGA Athletics & Athens Pop Culture Crossword Created by Chris Boatright and Cheri Leavy

Don and Phylliis Nelson with Lori and Tom Scott

Paul DeGeorge, Corey Ripley and Ashley Epting

Lisa Thomas and Mike Stokes

sponsored by guide

2athens

ACROSS 2. famous theatre in downtown Athens 6. UGA basketball player and “Human Highlight Film” 9. UGA All-American golfer and four time PGA Tour Champion 10. early UGA leader that signed U.S. Constitution 11. position Gordon Beckham will play this year for Chicago White Sox 12. artist that graduated from UGA with exhibit at World of Coca Cola 14. year you should not walk under The Arch to jinx graduation 15. UGA grad and Food Network star that hosts Iron Chef of America 16. Athens’ own coffee roasting company 17. intersection that leads to Madison, Monroe, Jefferson and Washington 18. beloved Italian cafe serving Athens since 1988 19. What’ll ya have!?!

DOWN 1. team that UGA hoop dawgs beat in 1983 to advance to Final Four 3. B52s hit song 4. UGA basketball star and 22nd in “100 Greatest Female Athletes in the 20th Century” in 2000 Sports Illustrated 5. won the Heisman in 1942 and #1 draft pick in 1943 7. former football great and mixed martial arts star 8. popular fashion line created by UGA grad Amy Smilovic 13. best beer selection downtown since 1989

Bulldawg Illustrated Athens

19

Across: 2. Morton 6. Dominique 9. ChipBeck 10. Baldwin 11. secondbase 12. Penley 14. freshman 15. AltonBrown 16. JitteryJoe’s 17. PresidentsCorner 18. DePalmas 19.

Varsity Down: 1. NorthCarolina 3. RockLobster 4. Edwards 5. FrankSinkwich 7. Herschel 8. Tibi 13. TheGlobe

Andrew Downs...Appointments at 5...Athens Interior Market...Dalton Carpet One...Hawthorne House...Blane Marable...Christopher Mark

The guide2athens blog has ongoing human interest and lifestyle posts: Taste of Athens- Verdict: Athens tastes very, very good! posted by Anna Ferguson

guide

2

athens

www.athens.guide2s.com

Apparently, Athens tastes very, very good. That much became readily and deliciously apparent during the 17th annual Taste of Athens event. Held Feb. 21 at The Classic Center, the gastroQRPLF FHOHEUDWLRQ EURXJKW WRJHWKHU WKH EHVW EULJKWHVW DQG ÀQHVW IRRG DQG GULQN YHQGRUV LQ WKH FLW\ all in the name helping our neighbors through raising funds for Community Connection.

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Prior to my arrival at the three-hour food feast, I hadn’t eaten much that day. Purposefully, I wanted my belly to be open and ready for the downpour it was about to receive. By the time 5 p.m.

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