2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2005 ATHLETICS CALENDAR Editor's note: The men's basketball game on Sunday will occur if the Jayhawks advance in the NCAA Tournament by winning on Friday. TODAY TODAY Baseball with Baker, 3 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark TOMORROW LOMORROW * Swimming at NCAA Championships, all day, West Lafayette, FRIDAY Track at Emporia State, all day, Emporia FRIDAY Baseball vs. Western Illinois, 3 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark - Baseball vs. Western Illinois, 3 p.m., mugglecity.com * Men's basketball vs. Bucknell, 8:40 pm, Oklahoma City - + Men's basketball vs. Bucknell, 8:40 p.m., Oklahoma City vs. Minnesota, 2:30 p.m., Sacramento, Calif - **Softball** vs. Minnesota, 10 a.m., Sacramento, Calif. - **Softball** vs. Rhode Island, 5 p.m., Sacramento, Calif. - Melt's Back Adam * Softball vs. Minnesota, 2:30 p.m., Sacramento, Calif. - Squidwim vs. Marek Wilkinson, at NCAA Championships, all day, West Lafayette, Ind. In: Women's golf at Louisiana State, all day, Baton Rouge, La. SATURDAY SATURDAY ★ Baseball vs. Western Illinois; 1 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark - Softball vs. Northwestern, iPhone, Sacramento KS * * Softball vs. Illinois, 2:30 pm, Sacramento, Calif.* - Swimming at NCAA Championships, all day, West Lafayette, Ind. - Women's golf at Louisiana State, all day, Baton Rouge, La. SUNDAY ◆ Baseball vs. Western Illinois, 1 p.m., Hogland Ballpark ◆ Men's basketball at NCAA Tournament, TBA, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oakland Southern va. Utah Valley State, 11 a.m., Sacramento, Calif. Northwest State, 1 a.m., Sacramento, Calif. - S舟帆 vs. S掌帆 OCA * Women's golf at Louisiana State, all day, Baton Rouge, La. INTRAMURAL SCORES FRIDAY ★ **Men's open** Johnny Kilroy's def. Young Gunz 68-45 Seminoles def. Phi Slamma Jamma 54-51 ♦ Men's residence hall Pearson def. Blake's Team 60-59 K-Unit def. Battenfeld A 61-46 ♦ Women's greek Fresh Theta def. Tri Delta 64-11 Kappa Delta def. Alpha Gamma Delta 31-23 + Women's open * Men's greek LCA-1 def. DU 1 57-38 Sigma Nu 1 def. Sig Ep 1 68-57 * Women's open Shooting helmet, Chopper City Hewlett del Toro Thunders 38-35 65-27 CoRec ★ Vaccines Your Mom Goes to College def. White Unit 63-49 Uppers def. Slobberknockers 58-34 Kansas coming off season-high results BASEBALL Jayhawks to play with built offensive momentum today BY ALISSA BAUER abauer@hansan.com KANSAN SPORTWRITER Increasing offensive power is the momentum driving Kansas as the team takes on Baker this afternoon. afternoon. Kansas (16-8) has appeared to have found its groove at the plate and in the field after the season-high 17-run performance in its three-game series against North Dakota State last weekend. The Jayhawks will looks to continue their run against the Baker Wildcats (9-11), who have faltered as of late. "That's the last game on our schedule that we are supposed to do." coach Ritch Price You have to stay focused all game and be ready to come in at any point or start any game." win," coach Ritch Price said. "After this it will be like nine straight weeks of top 25." Brock Simpson Freshman outfielder Baker, who competes at the NAIA level, enters today's game after two losses at home Sunday. It lost at the hands of Mount Mercy College. Kansas last saw action against North Dakota State at home. The team is hitting .313 collectively. Junior outfielders A.J. Van Slyke and Gus Milner continue to lead the Jayhawk starters at the plate. Van Slyke leads the team in batting average at .375. He also posts the highest slugging average at 667 and leads the team in home runs. 600 and takes his expertise in extra base-hitting with eight doubles and two triples. After last weekend, Milner is batting a .361. After last weekend, Milner and Van Slyke are expected to perform consistently. As games against Big 12 Conference teams approach, Price and the rest of the coaching staff are trying to set up a standard lineup. Players like Milner and Van Slyke are expected to perform consistently. Kansas starting pitcher Clint Schambach has held opponents to a .210 batting average this season. He and Baker pitcher Kyle Muzeger will look for their third victories of the season this afternoon. STARTING PITCHERS - Clint Schambach Hand: R. Record: 2-2 ERA: 3.94 + Kyle Metzger Hand: L. Record: 2-2 ERA: 3.60 Kyle Metzger Source: Kansas and Baker athletics departments However, pre-Big 12 games give the Jayawk bench players an opportunity to breakout and earn playing time. earn playing time. "We feel that it is crucial that these guys have been getting game experience. So when we do have injuries, they are capable of stepping into the line-up and producing," Price said. CORRECTIONS Notable breakout players in last weekend's series are second baseman Ryne Price, senior first baseman Andy Scholl and freshman outfielder Brock Simpson. Brock Simpson. Freshman outfielder John Allman also played well in place of the injured Matt Baty. "We are really proud of our freshman class. We think our freshman class is as good as any freshman class in the Big 12," freshman Ryne Price said. said. Price, who struggled early in the season, has raised his batting average to .309 after a 9-11, five RBI weekend. Scholl went 5-6 and knocked in three runs. Simpson hit his first career home run on the way to a 3-3 series finale, nearly hitting for the cycle. the cycle. "Ive kind of accepted the role of playing every once and a while and coming in off the bench," Simpson said. "You have to stay focused all game and be ready to come in at any point or start any game." game. Baker, coached by Phil Hannon, is led at the plate by junior shortstop Tommy Griffin. Griffin drove in two runs against Washburn on March 8. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark. Edited by Megan Claus Yesterday's University Daily Kansan contained an error. In the story "Albuquerque regional tournament review," Winthrop's victory total was exaggerated, Illinois and Old Dominion both have more victories. ♦ Monday's University Daily Kansan contained an error. In a photo caption with the story "Kansas focuses on positive," senior forward Wayne Simien's point total against Oklahoma State was misstated. He scored 30 points. BASEBALL Kansas senior in the running for top college catcher award The last two winners of the Johnny Bench Last season's team MVP is making noise again this season. Senior catcher Sean Richardson was named to the list of possible candidates for the Johnny Bench Award yesterday. Garko or Sainato win The last Big 12 player to win was Kelly Shoppach of Baylor in 2001. The award is handed out to the nation's top collegiate catcher each year. In his second year with the Jayhawk, Richardson has been a factor in the team's early season successes. Richardson His superior defense behind the plate has Richardson at a .983 fielding percentage with only three errors. At the plate, Richardson is hitting .354 and has driven in 15 runs. He also is tied for third in the Big 12 Conference with eight doubles. Junior catcher Taylor Teagarden of Texas was the only other Big 12 catcher to make the list. The list of players to watch for the award consists of 37 catchers from 16 different conferences. On May 17 the list of 37 will be cut down to 10 semifinalists. to 10 seminists. In the last round the number of candidates will be reduced to three. The Johnny Bench Award winner will be announced at the Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 29. Alissa Bauer Tell us your news NCAA TOURNAMENT Contact Bill Cross or Jonathan Kealing at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com. BY KELLI ROBINET krobinet@kansan.com KANSAN SPORTWRITER breaks down first-round Austin regional bracket wrence jackson/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Editor's note: Kansan sports-writer Kellis Robinett will examine the four regions in the NCAA Tournament before play starts tomorrow. The following is a breakdown of the Austin regional. Tomorrow, Robinett will dissect the first-round games in the Syracuse regional in his final installment. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski yells during the second half of the ACC men's basketball championship against Georgia Tech Sunday in Washington. Duke won the game and the ACC title, solidifying itself as the top seed in the Austin regional. No. 1 Duke (25-5) vs. No. 16 Delaware State (19-13) Delaware State is on an eight-game winning streak, but Duke shouldn't have much to worry about in its first-round match-up. Possible games with Syracuse, Michigan State and Kentucky will be much more intriguing. No. 8 Stanford (18-12) vs. No. 9 Mississippi State (22-10) Mississippi State started the year with high expectations but went only 2-8 against tournament teams and ended up a No. 9 seed. Senior forward Lawrence Roberts, who was the 2004 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, averages a double-double and can erupt for a big game at any time. Stanford hired Trent Johnson as its new coach before the season and struggled through nonconfer- ence play. The Cardinal are playing well of late, though, as they have defeated Arizona and Washington. No. 5 Michigan State (22-10) vs. No. 12 Old Dominion (28-5) The Spartans have 10 players who average more than 9 minutes a game, but none who average more than 30. They are deep, and if Tom Izzo's bunch can survive Old Dominion it will be well-rested for the second round. Winning in the first round won't be easy, though, because the Monarchs' 28 victories are second to only Illinois. No. 4 Syracuse (27-6) vs. No. 13 Vermont (24-6) The Syracuse Orangemen are on a three-game winning streak after winning the Big East Conference Tournament and have national title experience with junior guard Gerry McNamara, who scores 16 points per game, and senior forward Hakim Warrick, who scores 21.4 points per game. Syracuse will face a difficult first round-game against Vermont. The Catamounts are one of the better small schools in the tournament and have the experience of playing at Kansas and North Carolina earlier this year. Coach Tom Brennan also has one of the most versatile inside-outside tandems in the country with senior forward Tyler Coppenrath, 25.7 points a game, and senior guard T.J. Sorrentine, 18.6 points per game. No. 6 Utah (27-5) vs. No. 11 Texas-El Paso (27-7) The Utes are led by sophomore forward Andrew Bogut, whom ESPN named player of the year. The seven-footer averages a double-double and led Utah to an 18-game winning streak earlier in the year. UTEP will make its second straight appearance in the Big Dance after winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. The Miners are on a seven-game winning streak and also have a solid forward, senior Omar Thomas, who averages more than 20 points a game. No. 3 Oklahoma (24-7) vs. N. Niagara (20-9) The Sooners have one of the best front courts in the tournament with junior forwards Kevin Bookout and Taj Gray. Coach Kelvin Sampson has plenty of postseason experience and will try to lead Oklahoma to another Final Four. Niagara is No. 7 Cincinnati (24-7) vs. No. 10 Iowa (21-11) making its first tournament appearance since 1962, but its fast-paced style of basketball could be difficult for Oklahoma to accommodate. The Bearcats are making their 14th-straight tournament appearance, but lost to every ranked team they played this year. Iowa won some games down the stretch and earned an at-large bid. The Hawkeyes own victories against Louisville, Texas, Texas Tech and Michigan State. No. 2 Kentucky (25-5) vs. No. 15 Eastern Kentucky (22-8) The Wildcats won the Southeastern Conference regular season title and are one of the best teams in the tournament as usual. Kentucky lost in the second round of last year's tournament and will be motivated to not let it happen again. Eastern Kentucky is coached by Travis Ford, a former Kentucky guard, and the Colonels want nothing more than to upset the state's most famous school. Pregnant? Think you might be? BIRTHRIGHT can help 1-800-550-4900 204 W.13th FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL PREGNANCY TESTS AND REFERRAL - Edited by Austin Caster GRE GMAT LSAT MCAT DAT OAT PCAT TOEFL Enroll now and get $100 back! Receive a $100 rebate when you enroll in a Kaplan course between March 1 and March 31. Limited time offer! Call or visit us online for more information or to enroll. 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