6B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2005
BASEBALL
Division I newcomers battle tougher level
Starting freshman third baseman Erik Morrison throws home during practice yesterday. Playing third baseman this season is new for Morrison because he played shortstop at his high school in Arroyo Grande, Calif.
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@hanss.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITER
The Kansas baseball team has 18 newcomers to Division I baseball this season.
Freshmen Ryne Price and Erik Morrison have each earned starting spots in the infield.
This may be their first season at this level, but they seem unfazed by the challenge.
Five have some junior college experience under their belts. The rest are last year's redshirts or true freshmen.
"I look at it as more of an opportunity," Morrison said. "I came in here hoping to work hard and be able to start at a Division I college."
Price joined the middle infield as the Jayhawks' second baseman.
He has started all 13 games for Kansas, hitting .239. Price collected 13 RBI and a home run in his early starts.
"I think they've both been real solid so far. They are certainly two of the best high school players in the country," coach Ritch Price said.
Morrison fields the hot corner as the starting third baseman. He also has 13 starts, hitting a point shy of Price at .238. At the plate, he has four extra base hits and nine RBI.
"I've assumed my role in the nine hole. I'm trying to put the ball in play and do whatever I can to help the team," Morrison said.
Equally as important is that the freshmen duo are aces with the glove. Price has a .939 fielding percentage and Morrison fields at .923.
"They both have started to break out with the bats," Price said. "The big thing for me is that they play defense."
Junior college offers student athletes the chance to move up to the next level of play without the overwhelming stress of playing the Big 12.
Gus Milner transferred to Kansas from Hutchinson Community College during his
junior season. Milner is now a starting outfielder.
starting it definitely different. There's like one or two extremely good players in juco, but here everyone is an athlete," Milner said.
He has wasted no time making an impact in D-I baseball. In his 10 starts and 12 appearances, Milner is batting a solid .412.
"I'm not going to complain
about (my performance) but there's always somewhere I can work on stuff," Milner said. "The big thing is doing that in the Big 12."
He has proved himself as an extra base-hitting powerhouse, racking up four doubles and three triples. His two home runs and .824 season-slugging percentage leads the team.
"Gus is really a key guy for us
Other position player newcomers include redshirt freshman outfielder John Allman, freshman infielder Matt Berner and freshman outfielder Brock Simpson.
because he is so good defensively. We need him on the field." Price said.
Each has made positive things happen in his appearances. Although not seeing significant time on the field, each
seems to understand his role.
Newcomers on the mound will also be a big issue for the jayhawks, as well.
Junior transfer Kodiak Quick, right-handed pitcher, has surfaced in the starting rotation. In his three starts, Quick has accumulated a 1.23 ERA on a 3-0 record. Most impressive is his one walk to 15 strikeouts.
Earlier this season, pitching coach Steve Abney said that he would look for big things coming from left-handed newcomers, junior Travis Goset and freshman Logan Murphy.
"Being a freshman from California, I knew a little about the Big 12," Murphy said. "I'm not usually worried when I'm on the mound, that's when I relax."
Goset transferred from Palomar College. In his two Jayhawk appearances, he pitched for a 2.25 ERA.
Other new pitchers include freshman right-handers Tyson Corley and Carter Holt. Although senior Michael Fitch, right-handed pitcher, opened his season with a rocky start, he is expected to contribute after his transfer from Southeast Missouri State.
Whatever his role, each player has to adjust to the high level of play in the Big 12.
"It's a whole new level. The guys are bigger and the game moves a lot faster," Morrison said. "Everything is so much faster."
INTRAMURALS
Sixers stave off Sigma Nu 2, preserve perfect record
Kevin Huang,
Taiwan sophomore, practices his jump shot. Huang and his team, the Sixers, defeated Sigma Nu 2, 41-37, Monday night during an intermural basketball game at the recreation center.
Kelly Hutseil/KANSAN
BY MICHAEL PHILIPPS
mphillips@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The Sixers outlasted Sigma Nu 2 in a meeting of teams from men's pool 24 Monday night, prevailing 41-37 in a hard-fought intramural basketball battle.
The victory brings the Sixers to 3-0 headed into the playoffs. That's not bad for a team that went 0-3 last year in pool play.
Defense was played well by both teams, who held each other to more than 20 points below the season average.
Sigma Nu (2-1) brought a high-pressure defense on every possession, while the Sixers focused their efforts on dominating inside the paint.
Free-throw shooting was another important factor. The Sixers made four of their eight
shots, while Sigma Nu went just two of 10.
The key to winning the game for the Sixers was not quality of shots, but quantity. Of the first 30 shots of the game, 20 of them were hoisted by the Sixers.
With just 6 minutes to play before halftime, the Sixers turned up the heat and went on a six-point run, which helped them claim a 22-18 lead at halftime.
During the halftime break, the team realized that it was slowing down.
"We realized that we had to sub in a little more to keep our legs fresher." Alex Haneberg, Chicago sophomore, said.
Haneberg was a key to the Sixers' second-half success as they took advantage of Sigma Nu miscues and slowly pulled away. The team enjoyed a nine-point lead with just under 6
minutes to play.
Over the next few minutes, however, Sigma Nu demonstrated why it was the highest scoring team in the pool. Despite having only seven players on the team, members ran fast breaks and began full-court pressure against the Sixers.
The strategy worked, and with 2 minutes to play it was trailing by only two points.
On the Sixers' next possession, they gave up a steal at midcourt. Sigma Nu had an open look at the game-tying basket, but it was called back on a traveling violation.
The play went back and forth twice more with neither team scoring. With 21.5 seconds showing on the clock, Sigma Nu had the ball underneath its basket for what would likely be its last opportunity.
It found an open three, but it did not fall. The Sixers started to fast break the length of the floor and got a basket with a foul to put the game away just before the final buzzer.
Sigma Nu put a scare into the team at the end, Hanobeg said.
"But I was confident we would pull away with the victory," he said.
The team did, and will go into next week's tournament against its choice of opponent.
Eric Williams, Wichita sophomore, said he was encouraged by the season and that he hopes the team will continue its success in the tournament.
"I'm hoping at least two wins, but it all depends on who is in our bracket and how difficult it is," he said.
Edited by Kim Sweet Rubenstein
The University of Kansas Chancellor's Student Awards Committee is accepting nominations and applications for the following graduating senior awards:
The Agnes Wright Strickland Award
The Donald K. Alderson Memorial Award
The Class of 1913 Award
- The Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award
The Alexis F. Dillard Student Involvement Award
The Caryl K. Smith Student Leader Award
Applications must be received by 5:00 pm, March 4
Nominations must be received by 5:00 pm, February 18
- The Leffel Award is not limited to graduating seniors
Forms available online at www.deanofstudents.ku.edu/awards or from 113 Strong Hall
Wednesday, Feb. 23rd 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Forth Floor Lobby Kansas Union
www.ucc.ku.edu
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