KU CYCLING: Team earns spot in national championship MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Rovals snap losing streak against Tigers.
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Chris Wristen
cwristen@kansan.com
Softball team seeks refocus, happy ending in postseason
When the Kansas softball team settled on "A Storybook Season" as its theme for this year, it didn't expect the storyline that unfolded.
Last year Kansas posted a 32-27 record and tied for third in the Big 12. The Jayhawks lost just one player from that squad, so it was understandable that they entered the 2002 campaign with high expectations.
Eight seniors adorn this year's team, including home run queen Leah Tabb and outfield standouts Christi and Shelly Musser. Its top hitters, pitchers and fielders all returned. That alone was reason to think big. Freshmen Serena Settlemier and Lindsey Weinstein also blended in nicely and became immediate contributors to an already deep team. Everything was in place for an exciting, season-long run.
The "storybook" theme seemed like such a good idea at the time, but the book that's been written thus far hasn't been all good. It's been less like the Bible and more like that psychology textbook that the bookstore won't buy back.
Kansas is 31-23, lost games it probably should have won against Missouri, Iowa State, Wichita State and UMKC and slipped to seventh place in the Big 12. That slump included a 6-3 Senior Day loss to Iowa State during Sunday's double-header. It was a somber end to a regular season that began with so much promise and such high expectations.
"The season didn't go how we expected it to go, but it seems like nothing ever does," said Amy Hulse, a senior and three-year starter at second base. "That's life, I guess."
But, like life, softball allows second chances. That's what the post-season is all about. It gives powerful teams like Nebraska a chance to bolster their records even more before the College World Series, and it gives talented teams who have underachieved—like Kansas—an opportunity to redeem themselves and salvage their seasons with a strong post-season run.
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2002
Coach Tracy Bunge noted that it wouldn't be an easy task. The Jayhawks have to play an additional game as the seventh seed. Beating Iowa State on Sunday would have given the Jayhawks a sixth place finish and first round bye.
"There's a big difference in this conference between finishing sixth and finishing seventh as far as the pressure that goes into that first game," Bunge said. "We definitely didn't want to have to go in and play a play-in game."
The Jayhawks need to use that play-in game against Texas Tech to refocus. They need to forget their losses and realize that none of those games matter any more. They need to look ahead with a new attitude.
"We've all made a decision that we're going to go out and we're going to leave everything that happened during the season. We're going to forget about it, and we're going to peak," Hulse said. We're definitely going in looking to win."
That's the attitude the Jayhawks need, because their storybook is not yet complete. Their book has had an interesting plot with lots of twists, turns and bumps in the road, but they still have a chance to write their final chapter — and make it a good one.
Wristen is a Leawood senior in journalism.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Senio Ryan Klocksien slides into the base against Missouri. Klocksien, named twice to the second-team All-Big 12, has been one of Kansas' most valuable and dependable players. He has played in 194 of Kansas' 204 games in the last four years, and will go into tonight's game against Chicago-Illinois with a .295 batting average.
Senior has proved reliable, productive for baseball team
Kansan sportswriter
By Ryan Wood
When Ryan Klocksien's college eligibility expires near the end of May, one thing is certain — he didn't get cheated.
The senior third baseman has been the iron man of sorts for the Kansas baseball team. In four years, Klocksien has played in 194 of Kansas'204 games. He's missed just one game since his sophomore year because of the flu.
"He's never hurt." coach Bobby Randall said. "If you think about it, that's a unique thing, to stay in there every day. That's an extraordinary quality."
Of course. Klocksien must be producing if Randall
pencils him into his lineup card day after day. After being named Kansas' newcomer of the year in 1999, Klocksien exploded for a .351 average and 42 RBI as a sophomore. He was named second-team All-Big 12 for his efforts, an honor he repeated a year later.
This season, Klocksien is hitting.295 with two homers and 29 RBI going into tonight's game at Illinois-Chicago. His average has slipped a bit from his previous two seasons, but there's a reason.
"He's been the focal point of most of the pitchers," Randall said. "Everyone knows he's been an all-league guy for two years. I'm sure every series, they really focus on stopping Ryan. They pitch him harder than they pitch everybody else."
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 6B
Final game to end twin play
By Ali Brox
Kansan sportswriter
The final game for senior athletes is an emotional culmination of years of hard work, sweat and tears. But for the two sets of Kansas softball twins, the final game means playing with each other for the last time.
For seniors Katie and Kelly Campbell and Shelly and Christi Musser, the end of the softball season will be the end of a softball era.
"We played when we were little on our town team and then in high school we made varsity together our freshman year," pitcher Kelly Campbell said. "We both pitching at the time, but the coach asked if anyone wanted to try catching because we needed one. Katie tried and loved it. I've been pitching to her ever since."
The Mussers have been playing together since the seventh grade. They started as infielders on a baseball team but outgrew Little League and took up the outfield on a competitive softball team. The two play left and center field for the Jayhawks.
The decision to play in college did not initially include staving together.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
"Actually, we wanted to go where was best for us," centerfielder Shelly Musser said. "I committed before I even
Shelly Musser, senior centerfielder, slides in to home base after a wild pitch at the April 28 home game. Her twin sister, Christi Musser, watches from the side.
came on my visit to Kansas, and I canceled all my other visits. Christi waited a month before she committed. She
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 6B
Two players return home to play series in Windy City
By Ryan Wood Kansan sportswriter
For sophomore outfielder Matt Trible and freshman pitcher Tom Gorzeelanny, tonight's game between Kansas and Illinois-Chicago will be a special one.
Not only because Tribble will return after missing eight games with a strained abdominal muscle. Or because Gorzelanny is probable to make just his fourth start in his young collegiate career.
Tribble and Gorzelanny will finally return home.
The two are both natives of metropolitan Chicago, and neither has played there since their successful prep days.
"It's a game that I've been looking forward to all season," Tribble said. "There will be people there that haven't seen me play for a long time."
The Windy City has been kind to the two of them. Tribble had a sensational career at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School in Wheaton, Ill., hitting .477 with 10 homers and 42 RBI as a senior. He was drafted in the 15th round by the Chicago Cubs but chose to attend Kansas instead.
Gorzelanny attended nearby Marist High School in Orland Park, Ill. He was drafted by the White Sox in 2000 before coming to Kansas.
"I think Tom is pretty excited," Tribble said. "I know he and I have lots of family in Chicago that will come to see us play."
The Jayhawks (17-23) have had their share of struggles away from Lawrence. The team is 5-15 on the road, and after the two games against Illinois-Chicago (27-9). Kansas returns home to play eight of its final 10 games at Hogund Ballpark.
"When we get back home Wednesday, we'll be home for the rest of the time," coach Bobby Randall said. "I know I'm looking forward to it."
Notes:
Senior pitcher Dan Olson was named the Big 12 Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week. Olson pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out six in Kansas' 14-3 victory Sunday over No. 15 Nebraska.
Kansas swept Illinois-Chicago last year in a three-game set in Lawrence, including a 24-2 pounding on March 13, 2001. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 8-1, with the Flames only victory coming in the year 1900.
Contact Brox at abrox@kansan.com
Kansas at Illinois-Chicago
Tonight: 7 p.m.
Tomorrow: 1 p.m.
Radio: 1320 AM
Kansas golf ranked low in Big 12 match
The Kansas men's golf team, picked fifth in the pre-season coaches' poll and finished no lower than eighth this season, had expected much more from yesterday's first two rounds of the Big 12 Championship than what they produced.
At the 6,598-yard, par-70, Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, the Jayhawks started the day with a first round score of 300 and recorded a 301 in the second round.
After 36 holes, the Jayhawks were in 11th place in the 12- team tournament with a total first-day team score of 601.
The Oklahoma Sooners are currently leading the championship with a score of 557. Texas is in second place with 567. Oklahoma State is in third with a score of 574.
Kansas' top player in the first day was senior Travis Hurst, whose two-round score of 148 tied him for 23rd place. Junior Chris Marshall finished the day tied for 27th place with a score of 149. Senior Casey Harbour and sophomore Tyler Hall were both tied for 45th place, each with scores of 154. Andrew Price, freshman, is tied for 54th place with a score of 158.
Hurst and Marshall shot the lowest individual round scores for the jayhawks on yesterday. Hurst shot 69 in the first round,
and Marshall shot 69 in the second round.
The overall individual leader for the tournament going into today's third round is Oklahoma's John Kidwell. Kidwell shot a 64 in the first round and a 69 in the second round yesterday, totaling 133. Cody Freeman, also from Oklahoma, was in second place with a first-day score of 135. Texas' Jason Hartwick was in third place with a total of 137.
Ryan Greene
The final round of the championship will begin at 8 a.m. today at Prairie Dunes.
MEN'S BIG12 GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
Team scores: 1. Oklahoma, 557. 2. Texas, 567. 3. Oklahoma State, 574.
4. Baylor, 583. 5. Missouri, 585. 6. Colorado, 590. 7. Texas Tech, 591. 8.
Iowa State, 592. 9. Kansas State, 595. 10. Texas A&M, 600. 11.
KANSAS, 601. 12. Nebraska, 607.
After the first and second rounds
Kansas results: 23rd Travis Hurst, 148. 27th Chris Marshall, 149. 45th Casey Harbour and Tyler Hall, 154. 45th Andrew Price, 158.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Casey Harbour, senior, tied with Tyler Hall, sophomore, for 45th place yesterday at the Big12 golf championship in Hutchinson.
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