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THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
No.22 Jayhawks begin Big 12 play against Texas
DEREK SKILLETT
@derek_skillett
After successfully completing a tough nonconference schedule, the No. 22 Jayhawk softball team begin conference play against the Texas Longhorns at 5 p.m. Friday in Arrocha Ballpark at Rock Chalk Park.
Kansas is coming off a sweep of the Rock Chalk Challenge last weekend, where they defeated Eastern Michigan, UMKC and Georgia State to bring its overall record to 29-2. The Jayhawks were slated to face off against the Drake Bulldogs on Tuesday, but the game was canceled due to weather.
On Tuesday, Kansas senior Maddie Stein was named the Big 12 Player of the Week after recording five hits, four runs scored, three walks and five RBIs in the five games played last week. Stein also recorded her 141st RBI in a Sunday win over Georgia State, setting a new all-time program record.
Kansas coach Megan Smith
also reached a milestone after Sunday's win over Georgia State. Smith recorded her 300th career win and is one win away from leading the Jayhawks to five consecutive 30-win seasons.
In a report published by the NCAA on Wednesday, the Jayhawks have the highest RPI among Big 12 schools, recording the No. 8 RPI in the nation.
The Texas Longhorns, who have received votes in the two major top-25 polls, come into Lawrence with an impressive 20-9 record. The Longhorns have some impressive wins on their resume, having defeated no-No. 21 ranked Arizona State in the Kajikawa Classic on Feb. 8. They also defeated no-No. 7 ranked Georgia on Feb. 19.
The Longhorns are statistically led by sophomore outfielder Stephanie Wong, who leads the team with a .349 batting average and has recorded 29 hits and 11 RBIs and has scored 15 runs. Junior outfielder Lindsey Stephens
ranks second on the team with a .330 batting average while leading the Longhorns with 30 hits and 24 runs scored. Stephens has also recorded 25 RBIs this season.
Senior pitcher Gabby Smith leads Texas' pitching staff. Smith touts a 1.53 ERA and has struck out 47 batters while allowing 36 hits and 13 runs in 45 innings pitched. Smith has a 6-1 record this season. Freshman pitcher Erica Wright ranks second on the Longhorns' pitching staff with a 2.15 ERA and has struck out 82 batters while allowing 60 hits and 40 runs scored in 84.2 innings pitched.
This will be the first time that fans at home will be able to watch the Jayhawks on television, as the game will be televised on the Jayhawk Network and ESPN3. The cancelled game against Drake was slated to be the first televised game for the Jayhawks.
Edited by Mackenzie Clark
Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds,
Ryan White and Michael Raffl
scored goals to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Giroux had his 22nd goal for his first even-strength score at home this season. Steve Mason was stout again for the Flyers, finishing with 34 saves.
Timonen returned to Philadelphia for the first time since he was traded to Chicago in February for two draft picks. Timonen's Philly career ended because of blood clots that sidelined him all season until he was traded.
Flyers roll past Blackhawks 4-1 in Timonen's return
Flyers fans gave Blackhawks defenseman Kimmo Timonen a standing ovation during a video tribute for the returning defenseman who helped lead Philadelphia to the 2010 Stanley Cup final.
Andrew Shaw scored for the Blackhawks.
2007, had said he would retire at the end of the season and wanted to go out with a playoff contender. Long out of the postseason picture, the Flyers granted his wish once he was cleared to skate.
"Everything's been unusual," Timonen said before the game. "I'm trying to find my game. It's been a process the last three weeks. We have a really good team. Even if I play 10, 12 minutes a game, we win games. I have to remind myself the reason why I'm here. It can't to play 20 minutes, it's to help this team as much as possible. The playoffs and the Stanley Cup is the biggest thing."
The four-time All-Star waved to the crowd and players on both sides tapped the ice with their sticks during a video tribute in the first period.
The Flyers beat the Blackhawks at home for the 11th straight time during the regular season, dating to Nov. 9, 1996.
However, Chicago won in Philadelphia in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup final to clinch the championship. The Blackhawks won the Cup again in 2013 while
Timonen, who joined the Flyers in
Senior forward Chelsea Gardner shoots a two-pointer in the game against Texas on Feb. 14. Gardner was named to the 2015 Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Region team yesterday for the second time.
ALI DOVER/KANSAN
Senior forward Chelsea Gardner has received another postseason honor to add to her resume for her senior season. Gardner was named to the 2015 Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Region team for the second consecutive season by the WBCA on Wednesday.
the Flyers are still chasing their first title since 1975.
Gardner Receives Second WBCA AllRegion Honor
This is the fourth season in a row that a Jayhawk has been named to the WBCA All-Region team. Gardner is among 52 finalists for WBCA All-American honors. She is one of six players from the Big I2 and Region 5.
Gardner also earned her second All-Big 12 First Team honor, which she became the 10th Jayhawk to be selected to the All-Big 12 First Team.
For a night, this game had as close to a playoff feel as the Flyers will get this season.
a career-high 34 points. Gardner recorded three games of 30 or more points in her career, the last coming on Nov. 21, 2014, where she had 30 points against Alabama in the Naismith Hall of Fame Challenge.
blocks on the season which was also good for third best in the Big 12. Gardner also surpassed 200 blocks in her career with 202 blocks, which is second on the Kansas all-time blocks list.
The senior also worked her way into the 1,000-point club on Nov. 14 against South Dakota. Gardner ended with 1,512 points in her career at Kansas, which is 12th all-time in Kansas women's basketball history.
Gardner led the team in scoring and rebounding at 17 points and 9 rebounds per game. Both were good for third best in the Big 12. Gardner also recorded 78
Simmonds scored his 100th career goal as a Flyer in the first period for a 1-0 lead.
Gardner's best game of her career was against Texas Tech on Feb. 1, 2014, where she scored
Gardner also became the first Jayhawk in over 33 years to have a game with 20 points and 20 rebounds in a single game.
"I think we were making smart decisions with the puck," Simmonds said. "One of the biggest things we talked about before the game was we have to be smart with the puck and to have smart puck management. We haven't made too many turnovers in the neutral zone or trying to do anything fancy."
Minutes after Simmonds scored, the Flyers aired the tribute to Timonen.
Dylan Sherwood
"It was kind of tear-jerking." Simmonds said. "Kimmo is an awesome player and he's even a better person so that made it even better."
Flyers fans chanted "Kim-mo! Kim-mo!" in the final minutes and he received another standing ovation when he returned to the ice as the third star of the game.
Associated Press
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