Section B
The University Daily Kansan
Insert foot here
Sports
CBS announcer Billy Packer has yet to apologize to two female Duke students who said he made sexist remarks to them.
Inside: Iowa State's Marcus Fizer was one of four unanimous selections to the Associated Press All-Big 12 Conference first team.
SEE PAGE 2B
Inside: Creighton, Iona, UNC Wilmington and Central Connecticut State all won automatic berths to the 'Big Dance' last night.
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2000
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
'Hawks hope to steal win
Team relies on running game
By Amanda Kaschube
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
In a game often criticized for its slow play and drawn-out innings, Kansas has spiced things up with base stealing and catching others in the act.
The 'Hawks, 11-5, will try to keep sneaking down the base path today when they square off against Southwest Missouri State, 6-4, at 3 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.
"It's a really important ingredient for us," said coach Bobby Randall. "It's one way of scoring
runs when you don't hit well. Brett Kappelmann and John Nelson have been leaders for us in that respect, but we can still do better."
The 'Hawks have nabbed 31 bases this season, compared to only 11 steals by their opponents. Nelson, a junior who has been successful in 12 of his 14 attempts, and Kappelmann, a senior who has snatched nine in 11 tries, have been the stars of the Kansas running game.
"I just need to go out there and lead by example," Nelson said. "If I see a place for improvement, I'll make the changes and go out there and do it."
In last weekend's series against Iowa State, the 'Hawks won games when they stole. In game two, the lack of hits led to a lack of base runners, resulting in zero base
running. But in game three, four out of five 'Hawks reached base successfully for the first time in the series, including senior Shane Wedd and junior Doug Dreher.
"Iowa State outhit it in every game, but the stolen bases served us well in the two wins," Randall said. "It's something every offense needs to do."
On the flip side, junior college transfers Brenton Del Chiaro and Matt Oakes have decreased the running game of Kansas' opponents. Both catchers have picked off one base runner, and it's still early in the season.
"Oakes and Del Chiaro play tough, hard-nose baseball," Randall said. "There's no telling how many games their play has turned around. This was a sore spot for us last year — it's a major
improvement."
Southwest Missouri State has managed only six stolen bases this season, and two of those nabs came in the three-game series with the 'Hawks in February. Kansas took two of those games, and in both wins, held down Southwest Missouri State base runners.
Senior Rusty Philbrick, 1-1, will start on the mount for Kansas and try to stop the Bears' four-game winning streak.
But Randall is confident that his team's improved base running will help the 'Hawks steal another win.
"They will be a better team than when we played them before, but we should play better at home," he said. "If we hold the score and run the bases well, we should be fine. It's going to be a tough contest — they want revenge on us."
Kansas outfielder Brian Hoefer successfully slides into second base under the errant throw of a Rockhust player. The Jayhawks will play host to the Southwest Missouri State Bears at 3 p.m. today at Hoglund ballpark.
Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Andrew Lumpkin his balls to players during the tennis team's practice at Alvamar Acquet Club. Lumpkin, a former player, has returned to the team as a volunteer assistant coach. *Photo by Brad Bridder/KANSAN*
Cancer not final chapter in tennis player's career
By Brent Wasko
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
Andrew Lumpkin, Littleton, Colo., junior, was swinging a tennis racket at the early age of two. He loved the game of tennis so much he transferred to Kansas in 1996 primarily because his previous school, Colorado State, no longer carried a men's team game.
However, Lumpkin played just two seasons for the Jayhawks before his tennis career was cut short in August of 1988 when cancer was diagnosed in his leg.
Despite three cycles of chemotherapy and a very weak left leg, Lumpkin has rejoined the Kansas men's tennis team this season as a volunteer assistant coach.
"It was something I wanted to do because I still want to stay involved with the team," Lumpkin said. "I wish I could do more to help the team, but I'm physically unable to right now. I still love the game and really miss it. It's tough for me to watch tennis and not be out there."
Kansas coach Mark Riley said he was happy to see Lumpkin back with the team.
Lumpkin attends practices with the squad on a limited basis. When the coaches need assistance, he will come in and help run their drill's drills. He cannot
travel with the team on road trips or coach them during home meets because NCAA rules state each school only can have two coaches. The Jayhawks already had two coaches on their roster when Lumpkin started helping out.
Although Lumpkin has a limited role with the team, junior tennis player Ed Dus said his presence during practice had been beneficial.
"I think he knows a lot about the game," said Dus, a teammate of Lumpkin's in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons. "Having him around should inspire us all."
Lumpkin won All-Western Athletic Conference honors during his freshman year at Colorado State before coming to Kansas. Riley said Lumpkin was ready to contribute for the Jayhawks, but in February of 1998, Lumpkin noticed a small bump on his left shin while he was in the shower.
"It didn't seem like a big deal — like a bump you would have if you hit yourself with a racket," he said.
When he went home that June, he went to see a doctor because the bump was starting to bother him. The physician said there was a 95 percent chance that it was a stress fracture, but that it also could be a tumor.
Lumpkin said he got a CAT scan and an MRI to make sure that it wasn't serious. At that time, the doctors concluded that he definitely had a stress fracture.
Two weeks before the fall season was set to begin in August of 1988, Riley asked Lumpkin if he could play. Lumpkin said his left leg still was bothering him, so he went in to the doctor's office one more time to have it examined. This time, however, he requested a biosv.
"Him being around lets the other players know how fortunate they are to play tennis."
Mark Riley
Kansas Coach
"The doctor came back and told me it was one of three things and a stress fracture wasn't one of them," Lumpkin said. "It ended up being a malignant tumor in my left tibia. Everyone skipped over it because it was so incredibly rare. The clinic that I went to had seen it only 17 times in their history."
After his illness was diagnosed as cancer, Lumpkin left Kansas to live in a special clinic in Denver. There, he was treated by the top doctor in the world dealing with that condition, he said.
"I feel very lucky that I had the doctor that I did and that the technology had advanced in the treatment of that kind of cancer," Lumpkin said. "The doctor told me that a few years ago he would have definitely amputated my leg and he would have given me a 10 percent chance of living."
Lumpkin was fortunate enough to leave the clinic a year later with both his leg and his life, but unfortunately, he was told that he could never play the game of tennis again.
See CANCER on page 6B
Big 12 tournament begins today
Top women's teams prepare for tough play
By Melinda Weaver sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
When the Big 12 women's basketball tournament begins at noon today at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., any of the top seven teams have a legitimate shot at winning the tournament.
The regular season is no more than an outline in the horizon as the Big 12 Conference women's basketball teams prepare to embark on the postseason.
"I feel like I am going to an amusement park and riding a roller coaster," said Nebraska coach Paul Sanderdorf. "I think that any team that gets hot has a good chance. There are seven or eight teams that can win this thing."
The real season's here.
The quarterfinal rounds could be trouble for the top seeds. Kansas could play Nebraska, a team that defeated the Jayhawks twice, and Iowa State could play Kansas State, a team that beat the Cyclones on the road and came within three points in
FIRST ROUND TODAY
- Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State, noon
- Nebraska vs. Baylor, 2:20 p.m.
- Missouri vs. Colorado, 6 p.m.
- Texas vs. Texas A&M, 8:20 p.m.
Part of the reason for the increased intensity is two or three teams are fighting for an NCAA tournament berth. The top four seeds have their spots sealed, but Nebraska's, Texas' and Missouri's chances would greatly increase with one or two victories.
Ames, Iowa. And although Texas Tech beat possible opponent Texas twice, Texas took the Lady Raiders into double overtime in the second contest.
"I think the quarterfinals will be a fun round," said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. "I'd be shocked if all four top seeds win their first game."
"This (the conference tournament) is our first priority, but we are hoping to get in the tournament," Sanderford said referring to the NCAA Tournament. "If the SEC can talk about sending 10 teams, we definitely have six teams that are deserving. Winning this tournament would definitely increase our chances of being one of those."
The Cornhuskers have a chance to make waves in the tournament because they start with 7-19 Baylor, and would advance to a
Kansas team that they have beaten twice — a scenario that echoes Kansas' three-game sweep by Iowa State last year.
"That happened to us a year ago against Iowa State when we had to play a team that we had lost to twice during the season, and we let it get us down," said Kansas coach Marian Washington. "It is tough to face a team three times, but we feel very comfortable. We can beat anybody on any given day if we stay focused on us and work on the things that got us here this season."
But Washington said that Nebraska could not discount Baylor, and in fact, the first round matchups might be as interesting as the quarterfinals.
Anyone who goes into this tournament assuming anything is very naive," Washington said. "Texas A&M is very scrappy, and I wonder why they haven't won more games. Colorado is the team of the future, and when they are on, they can be very competitive. You can't underestimate anybody, and that is a reflection of what this season has been like."
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
By Zac Hunter
The situation could not have looked better for two freshmen entering the inaugural Big 12 Conference women's tennis season three years ago.
Senior pair looking for conference title
by Zac Hunter sports@kcsu.edu
Kansas had won the last five Big Eight titles and was by far the best team in the conference.
Three years later, seniors Brooke Chiller and Julia Sidorova still are looking for their first conference championship.
The Texas Longhorns have won all three conference and tournament titles. The Longhorns' dominance should not be considered a surprise; they won national championships in 1993 and 1995, have been to the final four six times in the '90s and have not lost a Big 12 dual meet since 1996. The
But that has not diminished Chiller's and Sidorova's personal successes.
As a sophomore, Chiller won the Big 12 singles tournament at No. 3. Two years later, she won the Big 12 singles at the No. 2.
Sidorova also achieved success as a sophomore. She was named to the All-Big 12 doubles team after posting a 20-11 record. She has spent most of her singles time at the No. 5 position and claimed second place in the Big 12 last year.
Jayhawks haven't slouched, placing second twice and third last year, but they haven't been able to overcome Texas.
Both started the season 1-0 in conference play, and both have aspirations of winning.
Both lead the team huddles before matches, something Sidorova might not have done
See SENIOR on page 6B
---