Section B The University Daily Kansan One more time Sports Mark McGwire hit his first home run of the exhibition season, putting him on pace for 172 homers. Inside: Nick Collison and his freshman teammates have broken through "the wall," the obstacle most freshmen hit at the end of the year. SEE PAGE 10B Inside: Eight Connecticut high school wrestlers have been arrested on assault and conspiracy charges for abusing a freshman wrestler. FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2000 WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS The Kansas baseball team starts its Big 12 conference play today with a three-game series against the Iowa State Cyclones. Kansan file photo Kansas baseball to battle Cyclones in Big 12 opener By Amanda Kaschube sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter Big 12 conference play starts today, and the Kansas baseball team has yet to decide on a definite starting line-up — but coach Bobby Randall isn't too worried about it "We have a lot of candidates, but we'll keep switching it up for the next couple of days," he said. "If guys are playing well, we'll make sure to use them. If they have a bad game, we'll make changes. It's just the nature of the game." The 'Hawks have decided on their infield — senior Shane Wedd gets the nod at first base, freshman Ryan Baty will take second, junior All-American honorable mention John Nelson will be up the middle at shortstop, and sophomore Ryan Klocksien rounds out the diamond at third. Junior transfer Brenton Del Chiaro and sophomore Matt Oakes will split time behind the plate. "There are a lot of guys that are inconsistent. That's the best part of having a deep squad," Randall said. "We're looking to make changes all the time. It's important to keep changing it, especially if you're a young team like we are." But the outfield is a different ball game — Randall can See 'HAWKS on page 2B Seniors facing fieldhouse finale Missouri could cause headache for Kansas in final home game By Shawn Hutchinson sports @kansan.com Kansan sportwriter Contemplating his impending final game in Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas senior Ashante Johnson tried to sum up his thoughts. "It's going to be pretty special," Johnson said. "I'm going to have some family in town, and the fans get to see us play for the last time. It will definitely be something to remember." Then when asked about Kansas' Senior Day opponent — the Missouri Tigers — Johnson turned somewhat grim. "They embarrassed us in their place last time," he said. Embarrassment might not be the right word. Missouri annihilated the Jayhawks in an 81-59 victory on Jan. 22 at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. The Tigers hit 11 three-pointers that fateful day, including seven by sophomore Clarence Gilbert. That Missouri victory snapped a seven-game Kansas winning streak and sent the Jayhawks (21-8, 10-5 Big 12), into a funk that led them to lose four of their next seven games. "I think that would be the thing that jumps out quickly was how well they shot the ball early," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "I thought they outplayed us offensively and defensively and made it difficult for us for 40 minutes. We'll have an added incentive because they beat our tails last time." Taking care of Missouri's outside gunners will be a top priority for the No. 23 Jayhawks when they face the Tigers Sunday at 1:05 p.m. in the fieldhouse. Aside from Gilbert, the Tigers also have sophomore point guard Keyon Dooling (15.3 ppg), junior guard Brian Grawer (7.7 ppg), and freshman forward Kareem Rush, who didn't play against the Jayhawks last time because he was serving a suspension. Rush now is back in the lineup and shooting 43 percent from three-point range for the Tigers (17-10, 10-5). "They've got Rush, which is definitely good for them," said Kansas forward Nick Bradford. "The biggest thing for us is going to be taking advantage of our size. We are going to need to pound it inside and hit the boards hard. Defensively, we need to stop their penetration." As if that wasn't enough to focus on, Kansas also will be bidding farewell to four seniors during the Senior Day ceremony. Johnson, Bradford, Lester Earl and Terry Nooner will be honored before the game, and fans are encouraged to bring carnations or silk flowers. All four seniors will start in their Fieldhouse finale. "It's always good to come out and play tough for Senior Day," Bradford said. "You have to keep your emotions down a little bit. I've seen three senior days that have been great. They've been great because we've fought hard and won." A Kansas win on Sunday, coupled with an Oklahoma loss tomorrow at Oklahoma State, would give the Jayhawks a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament next week. But Williams said that was the farthest thing from his mind. Kansas notes - Forward Jeff Carey has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 Conference team. Carey, a sophomore in Business Administration, has missed the last two games because of a broken finger. Former Kansas player Billy Thomas, a 6-foot-4 guard from Shreveport, La., has signed with the Kansas Cagerz for the upcoming 2000 United States Basketball League season. SUNDAY'S GAME Who: Missouri at No. 23 Kansas When/Where: 1:05 p.m. p.sunday at Allen Fieldhouse TV/Radio: CBS/Jayhawk Radio Network Missouri Tigers (17-10, 10-5 Big 12) F 21 Kareem Rush HT 9 YR PGP RPG 4 F 21 Jeff Hafer 6.5 6.5 14.4 14.2 G 3 Gareth Joyce 6.5 Jr. 9.4 6.3 G 3 Keyon Wood 6.9 Jr. 12.7 6.3 G 4 Clarence Gibson 6.2 So. 12.7 3.7 No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks (21-8, 10-5 Big 12) Rocky Mountain F 3 Leaser Earl HT YR PS RPG RPG F 3 21 Nick Bradford HT YR 1.1 1.5 4 F 2 32 Ashante Johnson 6.9 Sr 3.9 2.0 F 1 52 Ashante Johnson 6.9 Sr 3.9 2.0 G 10 Nirk Hirnich 6.3 Fr 4.9 2.3 Freshman forward/center Drew Gooden makes a layup in the game against Oklahoma. Kansas faces Missouri Sunday for Senior Day. Kansan file photo Track coach to leave without any regrets Kansas track program will continue to suffer when Schwartz is gone Nobody wants to run track anymore — or at least, run it at Kansas. And that was just part of the problem for Gary Schwartz. Schwartz, who was effectively fired Tuesday when the Athletics Department announced it would not renew his contract, has the resume of a great track coach. He's in the Kansas athletics hall of fame. He's been the NCAA track coach of the year and worked with several U.S. national teams in international competition. Yet, when his teams couldn't produce during the last five years or so, Schwartz got his walking papers. In the '50s, '60s and into the '70s, Kansas track and field was a national power. Big time athletes — Jim Ryun, Billy Mills and Al Oerter among them — competed for Kansas, and Kansas won titles. Between 1952 and 1983, Kansas won 49 conference team indoor and outdoor championships and five NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. But those NCAA titles came between 1959 and 1970, and the conference dominance was mostly in the '50s and '60s. Truth is, Kansas track hasn't been good since before Schwartz got here. Sports editor Anyway you slice it, Kansas had a dominant track and field program. It hasn't been so supreme for the last 20 years. Recruiting has become difficult because not only do elite athletes usually bypass college in favor of making money, but track athletes also have become difficult to bring to Kansas. Why freeze at Kansas when places such as Southern California, Arkansas and Texas offer warm weather year-round in It all has to do with recruitment of athletes, the cyclical nature of sports and the NCAA. Mike Miller sports@kansan.com first-class buildings? When the NCAA limited men's track scholarships to 12.6 total, that made things more difficult. Instead of a large balanced team necessary for success in dual meets, the focus is on four or five outstanding athletes who can score points in national meets. Success is now determined by individual victories, not team wins against other schools — something Kansas track has taken pride in. No program can be dominant in one sport for a long time anymore. The cyclical nature of sports applies here. It's an excuse many teams may use, but it's also true. Some schools may improve their programs, but it's nearly impossible to be dominant forever. Schwartz wouldn't blame the problems on the workout buildings, which are grossly inadequate, or on the omission of the Kansas Relays the last two years because of Memorial Stadium renovations. Instead, he cites his team's inability to perform well at championship meets. But with a tradition of winning on the line and with Kansas not finishing higher than fourth in the conference championships the entire 12 years Schwartz was here, it added up to a new start. The bottom line was winning — and the Jayhawks weren't doing that. But even without Gary Schwartz, they probably won't anyway. "Performance is what life is about," he said. "This program is held to a higher standard, and we weren't there." Miller is a Cheyenne, Wyo., senior in journalism. Coach says he always has stuck by his values By Sarah Warren sports@kansan.com Kansas sportswriter Coach Gary Schwartz has values. He wants kids in his track and field program who are not only good athletes, but good students and good kids as well. And by focusing his recruiting radar on finding those kids in his past 12 years at Kansas, he may have cost himself his job. "Track is a difficult thing to evaluate even for track coaches, but I feel proud of what we have accomplished because I have run a clean and honest program with real student-athletes," Schwartz said. "It's not as difficult [to find student-athletes] if you are going to go out and focus on winning." However, winning is one thing Schwartz hasn't done enough. The team has had only one NCAA champion since Schwartz has been coach, and since the Big 12 Conference was formed, neither the men's nor the women's teams have ranked in the top six. Schwartz:Has spent 12 years as Kansas coach Schwartz said he spent more time on developing good athletes into great athletes. Schwartz gave junior co-captain Jabari Wamble as an example. Wamble came out of nowhere this season to qualify provisionally for the NCAA Indoor Championships and place fourth at the Big 12 Indoor Schwartz said it all came down to performance, and considering Kansas' tradition as a track and field team — seven National Hall of Fame inductees, more than any other school — some alumni aren't too happy with the team's recent performance. "This program is held to a higher standard I think by the public and by the alumni because of the successes of the men's program in the '50s, 60s and '70s," said Schwartz, a Kansas track and field athlete during those successful times. He said winning had become the only thing that mattered to the public. Conference meet in the 400-meter dash. Cliff Rovelo, Kansas State's track and field coach and Kansas alumnus, said that Kansas' academic standards made it difficult to get winning athletes. "It's difficult academically to get into Kansas, and some kids can get in somewhere else and so the population is limited," Rovelto said. "And anytime that population is limited, it becomes more difficult to get the athletes you want." And Schwartz doesn't believe in sacrificing the stars he did obtain in the name of winning. Junior Scott Russell is such an example. Russell, who is redshirting this indoor season to train for the Canadian Olympic team, was last year's Indoor Conference champion in the 35-pound weight throw. Schwartz needed his points to do well in the Conference, but he didn't want to compromise Russell's decision. "People get redshirted all the time, but I wasn't going to use him to keep my butt in that chair," Schwartz said. "I'm absolutely not ashamed of anything I've done since I've been here." Track sets sights on bettering marks at weekend meets By Sarah Warren sports@kansan.com Juniors Charlie Gruber, Andrea Branson and Jabari Wamble, sophomore Ryan Speers and freshman Vadim Gvozdzetski will attend last chance meets at Iowa State and Oklahoma. For five Jayhawks, this weekend marks their final dress rehearsal before next week's NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Favetteville, Ark. Going into today's meets, Branson is automatically qualified in the pole vault, with her jump of 13-1 Jan. 21 at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev. Meanwhile, Gruber, Wamble and Speers all are provisionally qualified and will try to better their respective marks to clinch a trip to Arkansas. Gvozdetsky, however, will attempt to qualify provisionally, as he has yet to do so. “It’s the ones that are automatically or provisionally qualified or close to it that get to go,” said Lorri LaRowe, throws coach. “This meet is nice, too, because it’s smaller. You don’t want two big meetings in a row.” Kansan sportswriter This is it. And it's not going to take much for each to move up in the provisional rankings, as many athletes are grouped tightly in between the provisional marks and the automatic marks. In Speers' case, a little bit added on to his personal best can mean a significant jump in the rankings. "It's not going to take much to move him up, like a couple of centimeters or so," LaRowe said of Speers' provisional mark of 60-10 set at the Pre-Conference Invitational on Feb. 18. Moving up is a primary goal for Speers, who currently is ranked 15th. He isn't too concerned about anybody overtaking him in the rankings. Because he isn't worried about his trip to Arkansas, Speers will try to have a good meet to come off for the NCAA's. Speers' said he wanted to throw a 61-5 today or at NCAA's. "The people who are below me are a foot below me," Speers said. "I really don't have to worry about the people behind me." 1 "I threw like crap last week," Speers said. "I didn't think about technique. I didn't feel very confident about what I was doing last week." )