2B
Wednesday, January 11, 1995
SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tennis team to begin title defense
Both teams hold region's top ranking
By Robert Moczydlowsky
Kansan sportswriter
The 1995 Kansas tennis season opens this week with the defending Big Eight Champion men's and women's teams ranked at the top of their respective regions.
In the latest Rolex Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, the women's team is ranked No.1 in the Central Region and 10th in the nation. The men's team also earned a No.1 regional ranking after a solid fall season, and it ranks 23rd in the national poll.
Michael Center, men's tennis coach and Kansas director of tennis, said he expected continued success for both teams in the spring season. The men's team, which opened its season Friday at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic, is focusing on the National Team Indoor Tournament in late February and the NCAA Tournament in May.
"We expect to repeat as Big Eight champs," Center said. "We return everybody from last year's team, and we added an excellent player in Enrique Abaroa."
The best opportunity for the men's team to reach its goal comes in late February, when it will travel to
Louisville, Ky., for the National Team Indoors. This tournament guarantees Kansas three matches against top-15 competition, including third-ranked Mississippi State.
"That is really a tremendous opportunity for us," senior Martin Erickson said. "If we can go down there and win two matches, we would be ranked in the top 10 and in good position for the NCAAs."
Poised to help the Jayhawks is the newcomer Abaroa, a French Open junior doubles champion and Wimbledon junior singles semifinalist.
For the Kansas women's team, repeating as Big Eight champions is top priority.
Leading the Jayhawks' title defense will be senior Nora Koves and freshman Christy Sim. Koves, the lone senior on the women's team, is ranked No. I regionally and second in the national individual standings. Aside from helping the Jayhawks defend their title and advance to the NCAA Tournament, Koves has a realistic shot at an individual national championship.
Sim, a two-time 5A Kansas high school champion, hopes Koves' experience will rub off on the rest of the team.
Also counted on to have a big impact will be sophomore Jenny Atkerson, a semifinalist at this fall's Rolex Regional Tournament and the No. 5-ranked singles player in the region.
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
kansas men's tennis coach Michael Center shows Enrique Abaroa how to improve his technique. The men's and women's teams will defend their Big Eight Conference championships this season.
Baseball team uses fall for preparation
By Tom Erickson
Kansan sportswriter
This year's fall practices had a strangely different feel for Kansas baseball coach Dave Bingham.
The change forced Bingham to make a major adjustment from the system he used for his previous seven seasons at Kansas. Despite the switch, everything went well.
Instead of playing exhibition games against area junior colleges, the Jayhawks had only themselves to contend with, thanks to a new Big Eight Conference rule that eliminated junior varsity teams for all sports.
"It was fairly successful from a competitive standpoint," he said. "We would have liked to have junior college teams here because it's good to have those people on campus for competition and from a recruiting standpoint."
Bingham said the practices were divided into five series of games in which different teams were rotated for each series. At the end of the fall they staged a final world series game.
"By having older players in practice settings it became more beneficial for us." he said.
The team will resume practice on Jan. 19, with the season opener at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on Feb. 10. The Jayhawks do not play in Hogund-Maupin Stadium until March 1 when they will face Washburn.
Bingham said he thought returning starters Dan Rude, Josh Igou and Brent Wilhelm would make an impact on the upcoming season.
Rude, a shortstop and pitcher, will resume both roles for the Jayhawks in 1995. Bingham said he still was unsure if Rude would be a part of the starting rotation.
"We plan to put him in the bullpen for the first series and see what happens," he said.
Wilhelm, a third baseman and this season's team captain, said he was counting on a few of his teammates to help him lead the dayhawks.
"All of the other seniors have to help out," he said. "We have to be more consistent this year."
Igou, a right fielder, will provide stability in the outfield, despite his switch from left field. Junior Brian Turney will take over in center field for former Jayhawk Darryl Monroe, and Igou said he was looking for them to work together this season.
Although the thought of making a second trip to the College World Series in three years is quite appealing to Igou, other goals must come first.
"Going to the world series two years ago was a new experience for all of us," he said. "After tasting that a bit we want more. But first we want to win the regular season and win the regional."
The Barefoot Iguana 9th & Iowa Hillcrest Shopping Center Don't get stuck in the stacks... come check out our Beer Library!
Over 2,000 images!
The Art Print and Poster Sale is here at the University of Kansas for a limited time only...choose from fine art, photography, movies, music, romantic, nostalgic, nature, children, 3-D, and much more, plus a full selection of poster hangers and frames!
at the Kansas Union Gallery Level 4 Monday - Sunday, January 9 - 15 and Tuesday - Friday, January 17 - 20 Hours: 9-5 Monday-Friday,11-4 Saturday,12-4 Sunday
LEARN THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR
---
Let's face it, buying books can be a hassle. First you have to check your bag, then you have to hunt for your books and then you have to wait in line to spend astronomical amounts of money for them. And what do you get out of it? Pretty much nothing unless you decide to read them. But now there's a reason to enjoy your adventure to and through the bookstore--They sell the Kansan Card. For only a buck, the Kansan Card will save you hundreds at local businesses. It also teaches how to be thrifty and wise with your money something your $70 Econ book can't. So learn the value of a dollar, buy the Kansan Card.
BUY IT WHEN YOU BUY YOUR BOOKS!
The Kansan Card is available at these fine locations
layhawk Bookstore
University Book Shop
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN