---
SPORTS
ee tax office.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 1B
BASEBALI
Kansan file photo
Junior pitcher Don Czyz throws a pitch during a game against Nebraska March 26. The Jayhawks host in-state rival Wichita State at 7 tonight at Hoglund Ballpark.
'Shocking rivalry resumes
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Taking a slight break from Big 12 Conference games, Kansas (22-12, 2-4) prepares to face in-state rival Wichita State University (23-9, 1-2) in the first of four meetings this season.
Both teams enter tonight's 7 p.m. contest at Hoglund Ballpark following a series loss this weekend. After picking up the series opener in extra innings against Texas A&M, Kansas could not keep the momentum and dropped the next two games.
The Shockers struggled with extra innings against Missouri Valley Conference opponent Evansville. Wichita State lost the first and third games of the series, both in extra innings. The Shockers' only victory came in the second game of the series, 11-0.
"I personally think its a huge midweek game. You put two of the best programs in the Midwest and you've got an in-state rivalry that's unparalleled in baseball." coach Ritch Price said.
After just one conference series this season, No. 21 Wichita State has accumulated half of its total conference losses from 2004, when the Shockers went 49-16 and 28-4 in the MVC.
This game marks the 56th meeting between the two clubs. The series has been dominated by Wichita State, coached by Gene Stephenson, who is in his 28th season.
Although Kansas split two games with Wichita State in 2004, Wichita State holds a commanding 37-18 lifetime series lead.
The in-state rivalry is fueled by the usual passion for winning, but as Kansas continues to improve, recruiting in-state players gets increasingly tough.
Price says that both Matt and Ryan Baty and possibly Travis Metcalf would have played for Wichita State if Kansas had not taken big strides in its program.
"If their offensive numbers aren't as good as they've been in the past it may be because Nebraska became a national power and as we've gotten better, we've hurt them," Price said.
Sophomore infielder Derek Schermerhorn leads Wichita State with 31 RBI and a .339 batting average. He has hit safely in 25 consecutive games.
Senior catcher Joe Muich was another bright spot in the Shockers loss on Sunday, when he hit his team-leading fourth home run. The three-run shot gave Muich his 22nd RBI of the year.
Seniors Phil Napolitan, utility player, and Nick McCoola, shortstop, continue to dominate at the plate for Wichita. Napolitan is batting .353 with 13 RBI. McCoola, only a few points behind him at .547, has 21 RBI on the season.
Lett-hander Max Hutson (1-0) will take the mound against Kansas this afternoon. Hutson has a 4.22 ERA in his 10.2 innings pitched.
"You look at their numbers and there's no doubt that pitching is the strength of their team." Price said.
The Jayhawks enter the contest hitting .305 as a team. Although they were out-hit 43-24 in their last series against the Aggies, they still bring seven starters hitting over .300 into tonight's probable lineup.
Jared Schweitzer, junior first baseman, was the hero in Kansas' last victory. Schweitzer hit a game winning two-run double in the 12th inning. He is hitting .314.
On the mound for the Jayhawks, junior closer Don Czyz (3-1) continues to anchor the staff, who pitched relief for the weekend's only win.
Senior catcher Sean Richardson led the way against the Aggies last weekend. He went 5-10 in the series and collected four RBI. Richardson is batting .347 and has 24 RBI..
Price announced that they will staff-pitch tonight's game. Sophomore left-hander Sean Land will throw the first two innings followed by senior right-handed Clint Schambach (2-3).
Price then plans to use a list of freshman pitchers through the game's end.
"We've struggled in the Saturday game on the weekend. In order to continue to improve as a program, we've got to develop our young guys," Price said. "We're trying to mask the problem."
All four games will be televised in the Kansas City and Wichita areas. Lawrence, however, will not have the game broadcast.
Cox Cable will air the game in Wichita while Metro Sports will show the game in Kansas City.
"It's one of the few times you get to play a mid-week game in a special. All four games are on TV and I don't think it could be any better than that," Price said.
- Edited by Jesse Truesdale
SOFTBALL
Pitcher perfect
Co-captain Serena Settlemier pitches no-hitter in victory
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
A perfect game at the perfect time.
The Kansas softball team defeated UMKC yesterday 8-0 at Arrocha Ballpark in six innings. Junior pitcher and co-captain Serena Settlemier pitched a perfect game as the Jayhawks found the win column again after a six-game losing skid.
"We had a lot of fun, and that is what winning is all about," Settlierier said. "This was a good game to get out of the rut we were in. We're playing as a team and that's what we need to do to win games."
Settlemier had seven strikeouts and moved to 8-5 on the season.
Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said the team's success would start and end with pitching. She said Settlemier threw crisp strikes with high velocity and good command.
Atter losing six in a row, the victory is a major step forward for the lavhawk.
"It is nice to feel good about ourselves," Bunge said.
Bunge said the team did everything right yesterday. Offensively, the Jayhawks got 11 hits, securing their victory. Freshman outfielder Jackie Vasquez came out strong and went 2-3 with 3 RBI.
"Hitting is contagious on this team," Bunge said. "Heather Stanley continues doing a good job the last couple of weeks in the leadoff position getting things going early," she said.
Stanley, junior outfielder, led the team with three hits yesterday.
Defensively, the team did not have an error, helping Settlemier retire 18 straight. Junior catcher Ashley Goodrich had a solid game catching in her first career start at catcher. Freshman catcher Elle Potterf, who caught every inning until she went down with an injury to her lower leg on Sunday against Texas A&M, is still out. Bunge said Potterf was still day-to-day.
Bunge said her team still had a long way to go to climb back into the Big 12 Conference race.
Serena Settlemier, junior pitcher, threw a perfect game against UMKC yesterday afternoon, which was the first perfect game since 1994. The Jayhawks beat the Kangaroos 8-0.
"If we can get things turned around, we are not out of the mix." Bunge said.
Kansas had a tough draw to begin conference play, competing against two of the elite teams in the Big 12. Texas and Texas A&M.
The team will head to Stillwater, Okla., this weekend to face Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State Saturday and Sunday.
Kelly Hutsell/KANSAN
- Edited by Austin Caster
DUCKS ON THE POND
Self is a better coach to lead the Jayhawks
CALEB REGAN
cregan@kansan.com
As I sat on a barstool Monday night trying to remove that hand print on my face that is Roy Williams' national championship, Bill Self kept popping into my mind.
On March 24, The Kansas City Star ran an article in which athletics director Lew Perkins was quoted saying he received a handful of emails demanding the firing of Self.
The same article said that Self received around 150 letters that would sit unopened until he returned from vacation. He assumed the majority of those letters were negative and he didn't want to read them so soon.
Good fans would give him better. An opening-round loss in a coach's second year with the team is no cause for firing. Especially in college basketball.
Here are five reasons why I'm glad Kansas has Self as its basketball coach.
No. 1 — First and foremost, my school and its prestigious basketball program wasn't good enough for Roy, and the school deserved better. I've read many articles this week about how much he loved and still loves old Kansas. That's crap.
If he loved it,he wouldn't have said in
2001 that he'd never consider leaving again.
Does anyone else remember watching games in the fieldhouse and hearing the crowd roar when Roy took off his jacket? How lame for a man to perform rehearsed antics on the sideline to try and arouse the crowd.
No. 2 — Self is a better man than the previous basketball coach. Comparisons are unfair to both men, I realize, but in this case they are necessary.
Self is more real than that. He refrains from using the "doggones" and "gosh-darnits" in favor of more real lingo. I can't count the number of times I've been watching a game on TV and seen Self cover his mouth and yell.
I'm pretty sure those aren't gosh-darns. That's more real than Roy's good ol' boy front.
No. 3 — Self is good enough for Larry Brown
The benevolent LB produced a national championship in 1988 before he left for the NBA. That makes him THE MAN.
He's had success at all levels, and at many different places. On Monday, he was documented as saying that Self is the right man for Kansas. He's a man that knows transitional periods for programs as much as anyone. He said to give Self time; you have to trust LB.
No. 4 — Recruiting.
Judging by the McDonald's All-American game, Kansas is in good hands. I don't know what the hell Roy was thinking before he left, because after this senior class, he had no one to turn to. Moulaye and the gang
Williams
would have probably been successful, but he left next to nothing compared to what there is now.
Self, on the other hand, appears to be able to sell a ketchup popsicle to a lady in white gloves (Julian Wright committed after one in-house visit). He has an easier sell than that
because his popsicle is Kansas basketball and Allen Fieldhouse.
No. 5 — Last of all, the future national championship.
In the recruiting Mario Chalmers, Self told him that they would be in a Final Four in Chalmers' sophomore season. Lofty expectations, but with the seasoning of the current freshman and the incoming group, the next four years should be fun.
Self, as you can see, is a better man. He's more real, regardless of the Xs and Os, than Roy was. It turns out Roy is the opposite of honest and left with no integrity.
I'm confident Kansas will eventually get a national championship.
I won't be around to see it, but I'll be glad for Self. Those letters on his desk and all those nay-sayers will, in time, be proven wrong.
- Regan is a Fort Scott junior in journalism.
---