Sept. 12, 2013

Six career school records, four NCAA Tournament appearances, three Southeastern Conference Eastern Division banners, and one SEC Tournament title. The right shoulder of Megan Matthews Buning produced all of those and many more. And with those accolades, Buning earned her spot as a 2013 South Carolina Letterman’s Association Hall of Fame inductee.

“It is surreal,” said Buning in an interview from Oxford, Miss., where she works in the Division of Outreach at the University of Mississippi. “It hasn’t really hit that this is happening. It’s a tremendous feeling of graciousness and honor to represent our sport and our team there and all the hard work and the individuals of the past … (including former Gamecock head coach Joyce) Compton for fighting to keep the program and get the sport in the SEC.

“It’s a very tremendous honor. I’m so lost for words right now. I never, ever thought this would happen. It’s not like I had this on a dream list. I feel very, very thankful.”

South Carolina’s softball program held an esteemed place in the national scene before Buning came to campus in the fall of 1998. She made sure the legacy continued, helping the Gamecocks start a run of six-consecutive NCAA trips as a freshman. The Garnet and Black won 49 games during that 1999 season, with Buning gaining 29 of them. She also set a program-record with nine saves during her rookie year as part of her single-season record 57 appearances. But maybe her best moment came in 2000.

While the Gamecocks struggled in the regular season, the SEC Tournament saw South Carolina come alive, mostly thanks to Buning. Held in South Commons Stadium in Columbus, Ga., the same site as the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Matthews put together an epic string of performances. Winning the first two games, the first on a two-out rally and the second a stunning defeat of No. 11 Alabama, Matthews had the Gamecocks in the semifinals. Despite a stumble against upstart Arkansas, helmed by former Compton assistant Carie Dever-Boaz, the Gamecocks bounced back to beat the Razorbacks in the “if” game early Sunday morning, setting up a championship-game showdown against Western Division champ LSU, who went 26-4 in the SEC regular season.

Buning and LSU ace Ashley Lewis dueled, with neither giving up a run through regulation. In the eighth inning, a Megan Donohoo hit drove home Joyce McMillin, leading the Gamecocks to the crown. Buning had great help from her defense in that final game, scattering eight hits while striking out only one, but she didn’t walk a Tiger in the victory. It seemed very reminiscent of how the Gamecocks of that era played.

“We were clicking on all cylinders,” commented Matthews. “We weren’t expected to win. We were a little bit scrappier (than most teams).”

Buning’s 2000 season still ranks among the most impressive for a Gamecock pitcher, as she holds the single-season mark for innings pitched (311), games started (41) and complete games (37) from that year.

Buning and company went back to the SEC Tournament title game in 2001 but fell short to the Tigers before making a quick exit in the NCAA Tournament. As a senior, Buning helped the team not go down without a fight. South Carolina won the SEC Eastern Division crown for the third time in four years with a two-game advantage over Georgia. However, the Bulldogs kept the Gamecocks from advancing into a third-consecutive finals appearance in the SEC Tournament. The NCAA Tournament committee made sure the rivalry continued, sending Georgia to Columbia for the six-team regional.

Both teams won their first-round games, but Georgia got the upper hand in second-round meeting, winning 1-0 in a no-hit bid. The teams met again the next day, with Georgia’s loss to No. 1 UCLA making it an elimination game. South Carolina’s bats came to life, downing Georgia 9-3 to advance to the championship round against the top-ranked Bruins. But the win over the Bulldogs still stands out to Buning.

“That was a great, great night,” Buning said, with her enjoyment barely being contained through the phone.

South Carolina won the first game over UCLA 2-1 with a seventh-inning comeback before the Bruins felled the Gamecocks 1-0 in the final game of the year and career for South Carolina’s last NFCA All-American.

Buning earned NFCA All-Region accolades on four occasions and second-team All-SEC honors twice. A three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, she still holds South Carolina’s career marks in innings pitched (1,110.1), appearances (194), games started (150), complete games (122), strikeouts (1,090) and hit batters (58). Those 194 appearances also are tied for second in NCAA Division I history, with three of the other marks also standing in the top 20 still. But with all those stats and awards, Buning still remembers what it took to compile those in competition.

“I remember each and every one of our conditioning practices,” remarked Buning. “The 6 a.m. sleds, we had to pull a teammate that weighted the same as us or more. Those stick out. I never said I hated them; I enjoyed the physical exertion. One of my fondest memories is running (Williams Brice) Stadium.”

After spending time as a pitching coach around the southeast including stints at Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss, Buning works in a different field, moving into the University of Mississippi’s Division of Outreach, helping out people with grants and the university in developing a five-year strategic plan.

And she is excited for what she will wake up to this morning in Columbia. A number of sights are in her order of business this weekend.

“I want to see the new stadium,” Buning said. “My husband is an alum also, so we’re bringing our bikes (to see) campus and the riverwalk. And we’re excited about seeing the Gamecocks live at a game. It’s not very often we get to see that.

“Every time we step in the state of South Carolina, we feel like we’re home, and the memories flood back more when we get to Columbia.”

Gamecock Nation can remember her as well this weekend as she takes her place among the all-time greats.