Blake Taylor does his closing in a shirt and tie these days.

"Honestly, I had no idea," Taylor said about his current career in commercial banking. "Just like every kid wants to be a major league baseball player, that's what I was supposed to do.

"Always liked finances and stuff like that, so I thought why not give it a whirl and see what happens, and it's turned out to be a fantastic move."

Taylor's face and voice were broadcast several times upon Carolina Stadium's videoboard during last season, promoting his bank, Columbia's Southern First, and recalling his 2001 and 2002 seasons at USC. That was a business decision, but there were times when Taylor thought about perhaps suiting up again and jogging out of the bullpen.

He seldom pitches these days, sticking to an appearance now and again for the USC alumni team when it plays local summer-league squads. But the game's never far from his mind.

"I played A ball for a couple of years, and didn't make a lot of money doing it," Taylor said. "When I got released after my second year, I got a big pay raise taking a regular job. But I would never trade anything in the world for my two years of minor-league baseball or the two years I played at USC."

Taylor is recalled for his closer's-role season of 2002, when he led the nation with 21 saves. The Gamecocks' top fireman was close to automatic when he came through the pen's doors, but he was also a spot starter -- he had four starts among his 37 appearances and went 6-1 with a 2.63 ERA.

A transfer from Chipola (Fla.) Junior College for the 2001 season, Taylor also had a fine first season. He was 5-4 with a 3.30 ERA and one save for a Super Regional team, and it was he who won the deciding game of the NCAA Regionals. He kept Central Florida off the basepaths early and Kip Bouknight shut the door, putting the Gamecocks against Stanford for the right to go to the College World Series.

Going to Omaha was nice when Taylor was along for the ride in 2002, and afterwards he departed for his pro career. Taylor went in with his eyes open, knowing he was getting a chance, but still knew he was unlikely to last very long.

"I always knew I wasn't a prospect," he said. "I didn't have the typical professional baseball player body or velocity or pitches. I knew I would play for hopefully a couple of years and enjoy it and have the experience."

Once he was done, he spoke with then-USC assistant athletic director Brad Edwards. Edwards put him in touch with some people he knew and Taylor got an interview.

He was as dominant there as he used to be on the mound. One week later, Taylor took the job.

Looking back on it, Taylor's proud of his career and realizes how fortunate he was to come along at a time when USC baseball made the leap from good to great. He didn't credit himself for his 2002 season, preferring to thank his teammates and coaches for the overall effort that put the Gamecocks in Omaha.

"I had the No. 1 defense behind me in the country," Taylor said. "That helped a lot. I had Landon Powell as a catcher, who was one of the best catchers I've ever thrown to. Coach (Jerry) Meyers did an excellent job -- he had an All-American for four straight years. We were a great bunch of guys."

Taylor thought briefly about coaching but found that banking was something he was very proficient at and was available. Baseball's not very far from his thoughts, but for right now, he's set.

Besides, there's always the chance to begin a new career. Taylor and his wife, Kieley, are about to celebrate their first anniversary next month and are looking forward to their next step.

"No kids, but they will be in the near future," Taylor said. "Hopefully we can have a first-rounder."