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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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BASEBALL
Freshman pitcher steps up in Wichita State win
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BEN FELDERSTEIN sports@kansan.com
Kansas found itself in an all too familiar situation Tuesday night. An all too familiar situation, with a different face.
for the second straight game and the third time in the last four games, Kansas was clinging to a small lead headed to the ninth inning. The first two times this happened, senior
right-hander Jordan Piche' was given the task to close out the game
However, on Tuesday freshman Stephen Villines heard his number called to close out a 4-2 Kansas victory. Villines came on in the eighth inning and got a quick fly out to center.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN Shortstop Justin Protacio fields a hard hit ground ball during the 6th inning. Kansas defeated Wichita State 4-2 Tuesday night.
"I didn't find out until mid-way through the game," Villines said. "Coach put it up on the board late and I got mentally prepared."
A strikeout and two fly outs to center in the ninth got Villines his second save of his freshman campaign. His fastball was tailing, his slider was breaking and his release point had hitters baffled.
"He looked like the Big 12 Newcomer of the year out there..."
"It was like any other night for me," Villines said. "It's always just get in there and throw strikes. It's fun out there in the ninth, a little bit of an adrenaline boost."
been made prior to the matchup against Wichita State.
Even though Villines was not in the know, the decision had
"We knew coming in," Coach Price said. "We're trying to switch up roles. We needed to approach the game a little differently."
Piche' got the nod a little bit earlier on in this game. Due to recent struggles, Piche' found himself in the set up role in the seventh, looking for a hold, not a save.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
RITCH PRICE baseball coach
Piche' retired the Shockers in order, two by way of strikeouts and one ground out to short. Piche' looked like the Piche' of old Tuesday night.
and he was poised to only get better.
"That was fun," Piche' said. "That was an enormous confidence builder. I haven't felt that good on the mound in a while."
Piche' was dominant. He threw eight pitches in the seventh. His fastball was hitting 92-93, his slider was devastating and his changeup had hitters off-balance.
"He looked like the Big 12 Newcomer of the year out there." Price said. "This was a great outing for him. It was really good to see him back in rhythm and be dominant."
22. 1 innings. He has struck out 14 and walked only three. He has pitched to near perfection.
Coming into 2014, the Kansas bullpen had a different makeup than Tuesday night. Piche' was coming off a dominant year. He led the Big 12 in saves, he won multiple awards
Villines is a goofy freshman from Lake Forest, Calif., who weighs 146 pounds and throws a mid-80's side-arm fastball. No one expected him to be closing games for a division one program.
But where Piche' has struggled, Villines has thrived. Villines has allowed 13 hits this season with a .40 ERA over
has painted it "I keep mixing up looks," Villines said. "My release throws hitters off. But I'd be nowhere without Kai (Eldredge) and the defense behind me."
Piche' came into the game struggling with an ERA in the mid fours. He had blown five saves, four consecutive and
had not been looking himself. But as Price preaches, the key to a team's success is finding the right roles for everyone. Piche was dominant in the seventh. He was untouchable.
"I'm happy for Stephen," Piche' said. "He looked great out there. It's been fun to teach him, kind of show him the ropes out there. He's a guy that pays attention and really wants to learn."
earlier Villines was a bridge to Piche' in the ninth, going forward it seems the roles have reversed.
"He's going to pitch the ninth," Price said. "That's going to be his role going forward."
Edited by Jamie Koziol
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Obama welcomes World Series champion Red Sox
MLB
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama welcomed the World Series champion Red Sox to the White House Tuesday, praising their triumph on the field while hailing them as a symbol of their city's "grit and resilience" in the wake of last year's Boston Marathon bombing.
@narackObama" he quickly tweeted.
Not all of the ceremonial greeting was quite so serious. David Ortiz, Boston's best-known player, presented the president with a Red Sox jersey emblazoned with "Obama" and the number 44 on the back, then promptly took a cell phone picture of himself and the chief executive. "What an honor, thanks for the #selfie
And Jonny Gomes, an outfielder, strolled the White House grounds dressed in a sports jacket that looked like an American flag, stars on one half, and stripes on the other. Standing in front of players and team officials, Obama noted that the Red Sox have won three championships in the past decade, more than any other team.
Three people were killed and more than 260 injured nearly a year ago in a bombing at the Boston Marathon. The Red Sox staged a tribute to the victims on the field and had "Boston Strong" symbols sewn into their uniforms. "The point is, Boston and the Red Sox were one," Obama said.
He said sports sometimes "seems like it's trivial, it's just an entertainment. And then, every once in a while, you're reminded that sports represents something else and it has the power to bring people together like almost nothing else can."
"When they visited bombing victims in the hospital, when they played ball with kids getting cancer treatment, when they started a program to help wounded warriors get treatment at Mass General (Hospital), these guys were saying, 'we're all on the same team.' Obama, a Chicago White Sox fan, wished Boston good luck this season, then added, "May the best Sox win."
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