Wednesday, March 8, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Spring training gets set to kick off
Football players gear up to fight for prized slots
by Allan Davis
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Football spring practice starts Monday, and coach Terry Allen anticipates strong competition among his players, all vying to establish a good impression that will carry into the fall season.
Spring practice gives Allen and his staff a chance to find out what they've got for the fall. Eight junior college transfers can't be here until September, and could change the depth chart. Three of the 11 transfers have enrolled and will be at spring practice. Allen expects most of the 16 incoming freshmen to take a redshirt season.
No practices are scheduled during spring break, but the players will resume practice March 27, and the game will be at 1 p.m. April 15 in Memorial Stadium.
Allen said that he hoped to come out of spring practice two players deep on the depth chart but that he knew that the fall might change those projections.
The defense will face several offensive styles during the fall season, and he wants to have his team in position to recall rather than have to be retraight specific coverages and defensive looks.
Offensively, the Jayhawks need to be able to run the ball as well as take advantage of quarterback Dylen Smith's mobility.
"We'd like to be able to develop the drop-back game with him, but he has so many strengths in the things that he does — getting out of the pocket, running the quarterback draw, running the option play, letting him move in the pocket — that we're certainly
not going to try and temper his ability by keeping him in as a drop-back quarterback," Allen said.
The return of wide receivers
Terminate Fulton and Byron Gasaway
— both were medical redshirts last
year
pleased
Smith
"I'm very excited about them." Smith said. "Last year we did
n't have a deep threat (after Fulton's injury). Termaine scored a lot of his touchdowns the year before on post plays, and that's a deep threat. Byron, with his speed, can go deep, so it's going to be excited."
Competition will be tough at almost all positions. Allen said that three offensive linemen John Oddonetto, Justin Hartwig and Marc Owen would be on the field but after that it would be very competitive. Defensive tackle Justin Sands has moved to
offensive tackle, which Allen said was a good move for the team because of his potential to be an effective lineman.
Allen said the development of secondary players also would be critical for the Jayhawks. Starting safeties Carl Nesmith and Kareem High return, as does cornerback Andrew Davison. Matt Jordan has moved back to cornerback, and Jake Letourneau has moved from quarterback to safety.
Allen is trying to arrange an April 1 scrimmage at a place to be announced, possibly Olathe or Topeka.
Asked why, Allen drew a laugh when he said, "For us, it's been an awful long time since we won a road game."
NCAA permission is required, and it's not certain that the game would be allowed.
Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner, whom Allen coached at Northern Iowa, tentatively is scheduled to visit Kansas at a date to be announced.
Jayhawks play steady, earn fifth home win
By Amanda Kashube sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Jayhawks kept up their solid play yesterday, breezing past Southwest Missouri State, 6-2.
Kansas took three of the four games it played with the Bears this season.
Kansas, 12-5, nailed all facets of its game — senior Rusty Philbrick pitched six strong innings, and gave up only two runs and fanned seven. The offense compiled nine singles and two doubles, adding to the potency of its short game.
"We swung the bats well, both early and late," coach Bobby Randall said. "We were hitting with power — power is hitting doubles. The wind was holding everything in, and they had a good pitcher. It wasn't a home run day."
Designated hitter Brandon Smith came close though — he smashed a ball in the seventh inning that almost made it over the center field wall. Smith settled for a double and an RBI instead.
"Smith almost made it over the monster — he was three-quarters of the way up it," Randall said.
Since the wind held Kansas hits inside the ballpark, the 'Hawks relied on key hits to score base runners. In the three-run seventh inning, sophomore Ryan Klocksien tabulated one of his three RBI on the day when he smacked a single to center field
that scored junior Jesse Gremminger.
"During practices, the coaches have been putting us in RBI situations to see how we can handle it," said Klocksien, who went 2 for 4 yesterday. "It's helped me and the team out a lot."
"We're still finding our swings and our grooves," said Klocksien, who now has a season-high six-game hitting streak. "The home runs will come."
Klocksien's, as well as Greminger's and Smith's, RBI effort in the seventh put the 'Hawks up by three for good. Kansas added one run in the eighth, off a Klocksien single that scored junior Matt Oakes.
While Klocksien was busy racking up the hits, Philbrick (1-1) and senior Ryan Schmidt (4-0) kept the pace on the mound. Schmidt earned the win — relieving Philbrick in the middle of the seventh inning and forcing the Bears to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Kansas shortstop John Nelson slides back into first to avoid being picked-off by Matt Lo Porto, Rockhurst College first baseman. The Jayhawks defeated Southwest Missouri State 6-2 yesterday at Hogglund Ballpark. Kansan file photo
Philbrick said his confidence was increasing as the season progressed.
"Once you get a couple of starts under your belt, you get your rhythm down," he said. "I've been getting the ball in the box, and that's good. The defense really helped me out."
Defensive snags by outfielders junior Doug Dreher, senior Brett Kappelmann and Gremminger kept Kansas in the game. Bears slugger Ryan Howard came close
to hitting a home run, but the wind kept it in for Dreher in center.
The Hawks will return to Big 12 Conference play on Friday, when they travel to the Lone Star State for the third time this season to play Texas (16-4).
BASEBALL BOX SCORE
**SW Missouri State** 000 010 100 2 7 1
Kansas 100 001 31x 6 11 0
**Kansas**
Name IP H R ER BB SO
Rusty Philbrick 6.1 6 2 2 2 7
Ryan Schmidt 1.2 1 0 0 0 0
Sam Gish 1.0 0 0 0 1 0
Softball team takes streak confidence on the road
By Rebecca Barlow sports@kansan.com Kansan Sportswriter
The Kansas softball team will hit the road again today to try to extend its six-game winning streak against Missouri-Kansas City.
After winning its home opener 5-0 last Tuesday against Washburn, the 'Hawks want to add another win to their 8-11 record.
A home game was just what the Jayhawks needed to turn things around on both offense and defense. Against Washburn, the Jayhawks were not only error-free but also pounded out eight hits in seven innings. However they won't play at home again until April.
"When we were at home we were comfortable." catcher Heather Sims said. "Everything seemed to go our way."
841-PLAY
1029 Massachusetts
"I don't know if it had to do with playing at home. Things did fall in place," said first baseman Shannon Stanwix. "Hopefully we can build on that."
The Jayhawks road woes were a result of too many errors and difficulties getting hits. Coach Tracy Bunge said the her team's hitting struggles stemmed from not relaxing at the plate — something team members did at home. Now they want that home success to carry into today's game.
"I hope it does," Sims said.
"There is not reason why it shouldn't, we do it everyday."
"They are going to be tough." Stanwix said. "We need to play hard against them. They are definitely a quality team."
The Jayhawks lead the series against the Kangaroos, but a win won't come easy. The team's 0-4 record hides nine returning starters.
Kansas won the last meeting 5-3 between the two-teams at home last April.
The Jayhawks will play a doubleheader today at Adair Park in Kansas City, Mo. The first game will begin at 4 p.m. The second game is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m.
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