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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 5. 2005
BASEBALL
Royals destroyed at Tigers' opener
DETROIT — Dmitri Young got to the top step of the dugout, pivoted and tipped his helmet to a roaring crowd after becoming just the third player to hit three homers on opening day.
"I've had a curtain call, but nothing like that," Young said. "That was incredible."
Young went 4-for-4 and matched a career high with five RBI, and Jeremy Bonderman won as the youngest opening-day starter since 1986 to lead the Detroit Tigers over the Kansas City Royals 11-2 yesterday.
Two years after losing an AL-record 119 games, the Tigers backed up what Young said last month when he boldly proclaimed: "We're the Tigers — not the kittens." It was, however, just the first of 162 games, and the victory came against a team expected to be among baseball's worst.
Detroit's performance created a frenzied atmosphere before a Comerica Park-record crowd of 44,105 on a sunny day with temperatures in the 60s.
"I don't know if I could've written a better script," Tigers manager Alan Trammell said.
Young's home run in the second inning put Detroit ahead 1-0. He hit a two-run homer in the third for a 5-1 lead and added another two-run shot in the eighth. The designated hitter also had a single and was hit by a pitch.
"That was a great day." Kansas City manager Tony Pena said. "Good for him. Bad for us."
Toronto's George Bell hit three homers against the Royals on opening day in 1988 and Tuffy Rhodes of the Chicago Cubs had three against the New York Mets in 1994. Those two games also were played on April 4.
- Larry Lage/The Associated Press
MEN'S GOLF
Golfer garners national recognition
BY TIM HALL
hall@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Kansas senior golfer Kevin Ward led his team to a first place finish at the Stevinson Ranch Intercollegiate on March 22 and a second place finish at the 59th Western Intercollegiate on March 29.
Last Friday. Ward received
some national recognition for his contribution, when Golf World magazine named him the College Player of the Week
Ward
The voting for the award
took place during the Jayhawk's visit to Stevinson, Calif. Ward not only won the Stevinson Intercollegiate by six strokes over Ben Kern from Kansas State, he led Kansas to a 20-stroke victory over Kansas State and Nebraska.
Ward's second-round play was flawless, as he made eight birdies and no boges. Through 15 holes, Ward was eight under par, and his score could have been even lower if he had connected on any of three makeable birdie putts.
Ward played some of the best golf of his career during the two-day tournament, hitting a three-round 8-under-par 208. He shot a 4-under-par 68 in the opening round, and went on to shoot a career-best 8-under 64 in the second round.
Even though Ward received the national honor last week, he has remained humble.
"This award is really going to help with my confidence and also the team's confidence," Ward said. "The team deserves this award as much as I do because they really helped my
thing you want from a player, whether it's in the work-out room, at practice or on the golf course."
Ross Randall Kansas men's golf coach
cause — winning by 20 strokes.
I give them all the credit.
Ward has been a team leader for the Jayhawks the past two seasons.
Coach Ross Randall nominated Kevin Ward for the honor after his play at Stevinson.
"He really has been our leader all year," Randall said. "He is everything you want from a player, whether it's in the work out room, at practice or on the golf course."
During his career at Kansas, Ward has won three individual tournament titles, and has recorded 10 top-10 finishes. Ward entered the 2004-2005 golf season with a 75.59 career stroke average. All season long he has been improving upon that number. He has the lowest season-stoke average of his career: 71.37.
With a national player of the week award under his belt, Ward has all the confidence he needs to finish the season.
"I'm excited about getting this award," Ward said. "But I'm even more excited about playing and finishing the season out."
Kevin Ward and the Jayhawks will head to Holly Springs, N.C., to play in the Courtyard by Marriot Intercollegiate on April 8.
Edited by Kendall Dix
Kansan file photo
Senior golfer Kevin Ward practices putting at Alvamar golf course during his sophomore season. Golf World magazine named Ward College Player of the Week last Friday.
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