Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Kansas men's golf coach Ross Randall, who led the 'Hawks to their first conference title since 1950, was named Big 12 coach of the year
Tuesday
May 4, 1999
Section:
B
Pro Basketball
SEE PAGE 3B
2. (A) 10cm $^{2}$ (B) 5cm $^{2}$ (C) 2cm $^{2}$ (D) 4cm $^{2}$
Court battles are under way to determine whether anyone is at fault for the 1993 death of then Boston Celtics' star Reggie Lewis.
SEE PAGE 4B
Page 1
Pro Baseball
Pete Rose will don a baseball uniform once again as a coach of the Western League's Sacramento Steelheads.
SEE PAGE 5B
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'Hawks strive to break losing streak
After losing to K-State, Randall may get chance for 400th victory tonight against Washburn
By Matt Tait sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
Nearly two weeks ago the Jayhawk baseball team ended an all-time school record losing streak of 12 games by defeating Rockhurst College in dramatic fashion. Since then, the Jayhawks as they have run up another losing streak of seven games.
The latest of the losses came this weekend at the hands of Kansas State. The Wildcats came to Lawrence and swept Kansas in three straight games — 8-6 in 10 innings, 10-3 and 6-2.
Tonight's game against Washburn University provides the 'Hawks with the best opportunity to end that streak. It also offers them a chance to get coach Bobby Randall his 400th career coaching victory.
Despite 400 wins being a major milestone and making him just the fifth active coach in the Big 12 to achieve the mark, Randall is downplaying the number and focusing on finishing the season strong.
"I just want to win," Randall said. "That 400 mark is more for the news and the media than anybody. I'm just concerned about improving every day and playing better baseball."
Kansas' Big 12 season is finished, and with a 4-26 mark the 'Hawks finished the worst they have in the existence of Big 12 baseball. The record marks show the worst-winning percentage since the 1987 team went 3-21 in the Big 8.
At Oklahoma, only a late-inning grand slam
Despite that fact, there were several games this season in conference play that the Jayhawks could have, and maybe should have, won. Youth, inexperience and costly mistakes led to losses in several of games.
in game two separated Kansas from winning the series. And at home against Baylor Eric Nelson's three-homer day — the third of which came in the ninth inning — canceled Shane Wedd's two-homer day to edge the 'Hawks 4-3. At Missouri, Kansas' inability to hold a lead destroyed any hopes of winning as they jumped out with six runs in the first only to the lead slip away losing 14-12.
The losing record does not indicate the level of talent in the Kansas dugout. The record does indicate that at key times in key games, the Jayhawks could not deliver.
With a losing record logged deep in their memories but heavy on their hearts, the players prepare to finish out May with intensity, pride and, most importantly, wins.
"People say we have nothing left to play for, but they're wrong." Wedd said. "We're playing for ourselves. It's still fun to win, and we want to show that we can do that."
"Yeah, I think that's what we're trying to do with the last part of the season, play hard and get some wins," outfielder Doug Dreher said.
Tonight, the final quarter hot dog night of the season, the Jayhawks will have the opportunity to get on the winning track and finish the season strong.
The Ichabods come to Lawrence sporting a 25-14 record on the season but trailing in the overall KU-WU series. Tonight's game marks the 81st meeting between the two schools with Kansas holding a 62-18 edge, including a 43-3 mark in Lawrence.
The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Edited by Jorge Nishouse
Commentary Columnist mulls coach's longevity alcohol hypocrisy
Sitting around while trying to figure out why the Kansas baseball team is so bad, my mind wandered into other areas.
Instead, I offer some thoughts on things such as Roy William's longevity, a little chancellor hypocrisy and the demise of Kansas track.
After all, with graduation looming, my time is running out
Kansas coach Roy Williams should sign a 10- or 15-year contract extension and publicly announce he will NEVER take the North Carolina coaching job.
After each season, Williams must deal with rumors that he is bolting for North Carolina.
Spencer Duncan
sports@kansan.com
It is his home and a dream job for Williams, but Kansas
is where the coach belongs.
is where the user can cement himself as the greatest coach to lead the Crimson and Blue. It is an honor he is slowly taking away from "Phog" Allen. But he can only do it if he stavs at Kansas.
At North Carolina, no one, not even Williams, can step out of the Dean Smith shadow.
If Williams signed a long-term deal and promised to never go to North Carolina, he would not have to battle the rumors that he hates so much.
Until he does that, then it is appropriate to assume Williams is waiting for an opportunity to slip into the Carolina job, and he should stop feigning surprise at the constant rumors.
Chancellor Robert Hemenway should demand that the Athletics Department either allow alcohol to be served to everyone at football games or to no one.
See ALCOHOL on page 3B
Rowing team misses nationals by seconds
By Matt James
Kansan sportswriter
When it came down to it, the Jayhawks just didn't have enough left at the finish.
Kansas' first varsity eight boat, which is ranked 23rd in the U.S. Rowing coaches poll, finished sixth in the final with a time of 6:41.17. The Jayhawks trailed only Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio State—all currently ranked 26th or higher.
The Kansas women's rowing team recorded two sixth-place finishes Sunday at the Midwest Rowing Championships in Madison, Wis. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to qualify the Jayhawks for the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
"As a team, we rowed and competed in every race better than ever before," said coach Rob Catloth. "The first varsity eight rowed very mature through the progressive system to the finals."
Just getting to the finals wasn't enough for the improved Jayhawks. And what may be most disappointing for the first eight is that they posted the second-fastest time of the entire regatta in the semifinals with a 6:16.
"It was calm in the morning for the semifinals, and we had a pretty strong headwind for the final," said Keesha Cravens, Valley Center junior, of the Jayhawk's 30-second time differential on Sunday. "We weren't disappointed with our performance, though. We had a plan, and we executed it to a tee. It's just frustrating because we worked
"If we were gonna be in the top three, we just wanted to race it through at an even pace," Cravens said. "Then in the finals, it's all you got left."
With four races in two days, Kansas needed a plan to conserve energy for the finals on Sunday. With eighth-ranked Michigan State in its first heat, the Jayhawks saw an opportunity to do just that.
hard but had to face so many good schools."
What they had left came up eight seconds short of the Iowa Hawkeyes, who claimed the fourthplace finish Kansas needed to qualify for nationals.
Kansas was eliminated in the semifinals of the women's varsity four race after finishing fourth with a time of 7:19.45, and the Jayhawks' first novice eight boat was also eliminated in the semifinals after finishing fourth with a time of 63.78.82.
The Jayhawks' second novice boat also finished sixth in its respective final, trailing only Ohio State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Texas and Michigan. Kansas finished with a time of 7:11.2
The Jayhawks end their season when they compete in rowing's equivalent of the NIT Saturday, May 15, in the Central Region Championships in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Edited by Matt Merkel-Hess
Junior pitcher Melanie DeWinter throws to Shannon Stanwix junior first baseman. The women's softball team will play host to a double-header against Wichita State University at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. today on Jayhawk Field. KANSAN file photo
Streaking 'Hawks looking toward regional action
Softball needs win vs. Wichita
After winning 10 of its last 13 games, the Kansas softball team will get one final tune-up before entering postseason play when the Jayhawks face Wichita State in today's doubleheader.
By Chris Wristen
cwristen@ukans.edu
Kansan sportwriter
The games are scheduled for 3 and 5 p.m. at Jayhawk Field.
Although neither game will affect the team's positioning in the Big 12 Conference tournament next week, both games are crucial in the Jayhawks' hopes at regional play. The Jayhawks currently boast a 27-26 record and need to add a few more wins to give themselves some breathing room.
The Jayhawks will be taking on a Shockers squad that has struggled this season and stands at 21-36. Kansas isn't deceived by that record, though. Although the Jayhawks beat Wichita State
"We need to win these games to go to regional," junior Christy McPhall said. "You have to be over .500 to be even considered for regional, and we're one game over right now, so we need to win them both."
Bunge said Wichita State touted a solid pitching staff that could give the Kansas batters some trouble. The Shockers are solid in the field as well.
"It'll be real important going back into Big 12 tournament play," Bunge said. "This year is the first year the conference tournament is open for anyone to win. It's totally wide open. Anyone who gets hot next week is going to win it."
Bunge emphasized the importance of today's games as building blocks for the conference tournament.
twice two weeks ago, 3-1 and 1-0, they know they will have to bring their best game to win.
"We're expecting a battle from them. We only won 1-0 in the second game of the doubleheader. It's going to be a hard-fought game. We need to go out and play 14 solid innings," coach Tracy Bunge said.
5
One thing the Jayhawks have going for them is confidence. After a midseason eight-game losing streak, the team has turned up the heat.
"We've been playing with a lot of confidence going towards the end of the year." Bunge said. "I feel much better with the way we've been playing the last month. I think the losing streak made the kids appreciate what we've been doing lately a lot more."
See SOFTBALL on page 3B