PAGE 8
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASEBALL
Jayhawks beat Baker, win second straight
Early Kansas home run gives young players a chance to play in later innings
ANDREW JOSEPH
ajoseph@kansan.com
The Kansas baseball team (14-23- 3-9 Big 12) kept its winning streak alive Tuesday night with a 7-3 victory against Baker University.
Coming off their biggest win of the season, the Jayhawks found themselves in the familiar spot of trailing in the first inning. But as Kansas did on Sunday against No. 2 Texas A&M, the offense responded.
With one on and one out in the first inning, senior third baseman Zac Eligie launched the go-ahead two-run homerun deep over the trees in left field. Eligie's homer - his fifth of the season - gave Kansas a 2-1 lead, which it never relinquished to the NAIA Wildcats.
Heading into the game, Elgie reminded his teammates that they had to deliver against Baker's best
shot, but he led by example with the monster home run.
"It's one of things against these NAIA teams, where you know
you're going to get a pitch to hit," Elgie said. "The hardest part is laying off those pitches that are their pitches and trying to find the one that you want."
"When you're trying to clear your bench,it's important to get ahead early."
Coach Ritch
your bench, it's important to get ahead early," Price said. "We had to get a clutch swing for that to happen. If we ended up playing seven
Price emphasized that these midweek games are meant for the development of his younger players; but, to give the bench more playing time, Kansas needed an early lead. Eligie's home run gave Kansas the advantage necessary for Price to turn toward his bench.
COACH RITCH PRICE
Kansas baseball coach
"When you're trying to clear
up playing seven
or eight of our regular guys, then this game doesn't do us any good at all."
The two first-
inning runs were
all that freshman
pitcher Robert
Kahana needed
to hold off Baker.
Kahana pitched
five innings and allowed one run on four hits, striking out a career-high six batters. The win improved Kahana's record to 3-1, and he holds a team-best 2.92 ERA.
The Jayhawks used 20 players in the ballgame, and freshman outfielder Dakota Smith led the young players, hitting two-for-three with
an RBI. Smith is on a three-game hitting streak, which has improved his batting average by 43 points in one week (.246). The key to Smith's improvement at the plate has been simplifying his offensive approach.
"It definitely feels good to get back on track," Smith said. "They gave us pitches to hit, and we hit them."
The Jayhawks will take the field tonight against the University of St. Mary - another NAIA team - and Price plans to apply Tuesday night's approach to Wednesday's matchup.
"I expect to do basically the same thing," Price said. "That's the plan, and we'll start the freshman Drew Morovick and hopefully go out there and do the same thing tomorrow."
— Edited by Corinne Westeman
Sophomore outfieldier Tucker Tharp slides into second base as his oppiment jumps to catch the ball during Tuesday night's game against Baker University. The Jayhawks won 7-3.
ASHLEIGHLEE/KANSAN
TRACK AND FIELD
Downtown streets to host shot put
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
For the second consecutive year, the Kansas Relays will bring the nation's only street shot put event to downtown Lawrence tonight at 6. Eighth Street will be blocked off, allowing hundreds of spectators to gather and watch 300-pound men throw 16-pound balls down the road.
This year's participants—many of whom will compete in this summer's Olympics — include Kevin Bookout, shot put world champion Ryan Whiting and
2008 Olympic competitors Dylan Armstrong, Christian Cantwell, Reese Hoffa and Adam Nelson. Kansas junior Mason Finley, who is healing from a herniated disc that deterred him for the entire indoor season, was scheduled to compete, but a recent ankle injury will keep him from participating.
"It's an unbelievable meet," said Andy Kokhanovsky, Kansas' throwing coach and former shot put Olympian. "It's one of the greatest events around the world. I wish [Finley] would compete here, but it didn't work out."
Coach Kokhanovsky, who grew
up in the Soviet Union, said that he has never experienced anything like the downtown shot put event. He said that it's a great opportunity for people to educate themselves about an Olympic event in a sociable, local environment.
Meet director Milan Donley came up with the idea for a street shot put event after he heard about these events taking place in Europe.
"A couple years ago, we were trying to figure out something new," Donley said. "I heard that they had been doing some shot
puts in Europe outside of stadiums, in streets, in train stations. Some guys were throwing over a moat by a castle."
After the success of last year's event, other communities and meet directors are contacting Donley about organizing more events like the one in Lawrence.
"To me, it's one of those events that a non-track person can come and enjoy," Donley said. "And to some, maybe it's a nice introduction to track and field."
Edited by Taylor Lewis
ROWING
Freshman chosen for US National Team camp
After last weekend's success at the Knecht Cup, the University rowing team celebrated two more victories this week.
The varsity four boat that won in New Jersey was named the Conference USA Boat of the Week on Tuesday. The winning boat consisted of juniors Emily Starr and Ashleigh Allam, seniors Kathryn Schoonover, Paige Stephens and coxwain Lindsay Brickleman. Kansas beat several big-name competitors, including the University of Massachusetts by eight seconds, followed by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania State, Villanova and Old Dominion. One of the younger faces on the varsity team was selected to attend the 2012 US Rowing Women's National Team Freshman Camp this summer because of her potential. Freshman Erin
Brogan was selected Tuesday along with 23 other athletes from across the United States to attend the camp.
This year, Brogan progressed from the second varsity eight to the first varsity eight. The camp will prepare her for the national-team experience through training sessions two to three times a day with other athletes of a similar level. Brogan will also learn to row in all boat categories and refine her technique, as well as address the psychological aspects of competing.
The camp will be held June 11 to 17 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Connor Bullis, the women's varsity assistant coach at the University of Washington, runs the camp. National team contender and former University of Washington rowe Jenny Park will assist Bullis.
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