ROWING: The team heads to the Knecht Cup. SEE PAGE 2B. TENNIS: The team heads to Nebraska with a 11-game winning streak. SEE PAGE 2B.
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SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2002
Kansas gets'Tech'nical
Baseball team full of confidence entering weekend home series
By Ryan Wood Kansan sportswriter
the Kansas baseball team returns to Big 12 Conference play at 7 tonight, when it plays host to Texas Tech.
The three weekend games will be the first home conference series since Kansas played Texas A&M more than a month ago.
"I think everything is better play-
ingat home," coach Bobby Randall said. "It's good to be back. We really like being at our own ballpark."
The Jayhawks (15-15 overall,
2-10 Big 12) have played their last nine conference games on the road — all against Top 25 teams. Overall, their road record is 4-12, while their record at Hogwlnd Ballpark is 11-3.
"It's always an advantage to be the home team, to have your own
fans, your own ballpark," Randall said.
Texas Tech (25-15, 8-10) has shown impressive power this season. As a team, the Red Raiders have hit 46 home runs, compared to 24 by the Jayhawks. Tech senior Nick Blankenship is hitting 313 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in just 39 games this year.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 6B
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior infielder Casey Spanish bobbles the ball as a University of Nebraska-Omaha runner tries to avoid a pick-off play. The Javhawks open a three-game home series against Texas Tech today at 7 p.m.
Freshman first baseman Lindsey Weinstein stretches to catch the ball in an April 3 game against Washburn. The Jayhawks return to action with games tomorrow and Sunday against Texas Tech at Jayhawk Field.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Mental errors hamper Jayhawks, team faces struggling Red Raiders
By Ali Brox
Kansan sportswriter
After a pair of non-conference doubleheaders this week, the Kansas softball team returns to Big 12 Conference play this weekend against Texas Tech.
The two-game series begins tomorrow at 2 p.m. and continues Sunday at 1 p.m. at Jayhawk Field.
overall and 1-9 in the Big 12, Kansas knows it must play better to win this weekend.
The Jayhawks (26-17 overall, 3-6 Big 12) split a doubleheader with Wichita State Wednesday. But though Texas Tech is 12-30
"Texas Tech has had an up-and-down year," coach Tracy Bunge said. "But they're a very dangerous team. They've had some good wins and are a capable team but have not had consistent pitching."
The Red Raiders are led offensively by Esmerelda Perez, who has a .292 batting average, and Kristi Robles with a .269. On the mound, Kristina Blair is 6-9 with a 4.67 ERA while Ami Stines
has a 2-13 record and 4.85 ERA.
Bunge said the key for Jayman would be to swing the bats early and get ahead of the Red Raiders.
"They're a team that, once is down, stays up." Bunge said.
According to freshman first baseman Lindsey Weinstein, the Jayhawks will be ready for this weekend, especially after the disappointing loss to Wichita State in the second game of the doubleheader yesterday.
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 6B
Plethora of quarterbacks should help football in fall
Kansan sportswriter
Bv Brent Wasko
New Kansas football coach Mark Mangino has no idea who his starting quarterback will be next season, but that doesn't seem to bother him.
"As we move along here, we'll probably get some kind of pecking order," Mangino said. "There just isn't right now, and I'm not overall concerned about that."
Kansas opened spring football practices last week with seven quarterbacks on its roster. That number has been cut to five.
Mangino said that Fort Scott Community College transfer Bill Whittemore and junior Zach Dyer were working with the team's No.1 offense. Sophomore Kevin Long, freshman Brian Luke and senior Jonas Weatherbie were all working with the No.2 offense.
"He's a good-sized kid," Mangino said. "He runs pretty well. He's pretty competitive. I like his attitude, and I think he can help us at the tight end position. We certainly could use some help there."
Junior quarterback Jeff Reinert wasn't mentioned on that list. It remains unclear what position he will play next fall.
Kyle Cernech, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior, was moved from quarterback to tight end.
Last season, Dyer and Mario Kinsey, who was dismissed from the team this winter, shared time at quarterback. Dyer finished the season with 460 yards passing and three touchdowns.
Dyer said the competition between quarterbacks this spring had been intense.
“It’s kind of the feeling of having a fresh start,” he said. “We all have new coaches that really don't know too much about us. So it's almost like your freshman year again, trying to prove yourself over again.”
Junior Zach Dyer attempts a pass against Southwest Missouri State. Dyer is one of five quarterbacks competing for the starting job next year.
Senior wide receiver Harrison Hill, who sat out last year because of an injury, said he thought the large number of quarterbacks at spring practices would improve the offense.
"Last year, our offense was pretty bad. I think it will run a lot smoother this year." Hill said. "Offensively, we
SEE QUARTERBACK ON PAGE 3B
South African's story of success proves hard work pays big dividends
Christi Wagenaar isn't your typical student-athlete. Not the way the student-athlete is portrayed in the mainstream right now.
In a time when news of student-athletes revolves around early entries and multi-million dollar contracts, it's refreshing to hear Christi's story. It's a story that began four years ago, when Wagenaar was a young tennis star in South Africa. It ends in July, when a matured Wagenaar will take a job as a financial analyst on Wall Street.
It's the time in between that makes Wagenaar unique.
One of two seniors on the No.33 tennis team, Wagenaar has seen limited action this season. In fact, Wagenaar's career record in singles and doubles combined is 66-65. She's the first one to admit that her playing career hasn't been as impressive as she hoped it would be.
But, tennis for Wagenaar goes far beyond wins and losses. If not for tennis, she might still be in South Africa. Wagenaar points to the sport as the sole reason for coming to Kansas, and that only happened because a friend of hers played on the now-defunct men's tennis team.
Wagenaar found her niche at the University was in business and accounting, which led to a pivotal realization.
"After a while I started realizing what my real strengths were," Wagenaar said. "My strengths were in my academics, my career, and my future."
COMMENTARY
Ryan Malashock rmalashock@kansan.com
So Wagenaar dedicated herself; she committed to her studies, sometimes not finding enough hours in the day to complete her work.
Wagenaar's schoolwork kept her on target during her freshman and sophomore years, especially. Homesickness and difficulties with her game bothered her to the point of almost leaving Kansas in those early years.
But it was her growing love for school, her teammates, and as she calls them, 'the best teachers ever' in the business school that kept her going.
Wagenaar's hectic daily regimen seemed easier because of tennis, and the fun that came with it. Though she's 2-9 this season, and without a dual victory, Wagenaar doesn't regret the series of events leading up to the present time.
It doesn't anger her that she didn't play No. 1 singles or win a Big 12 Conference title.
"I've learned so much through tennis," Wagenaar said. "Tennis taught me
SEE MALASHOCK ON PAGE 3B
Kansan sportswriter
Former coach returns to men's basketball team
Former Kansas men's basketball assistant coach Steve Robinson is coming back to Kansas.
Robinson, who served as the assistant coach from 1989-95, and who has since served as head coach at Tulsa and Florida State, is returning to Kansas to assume his previous post as an assistant coach. He replaces Neil Doughtery, who accepted a head coaching position at Texas Christian University.
"I'm getting the opportunity to come back home and work with people that I have fond memories of, be in a program that I have fond memories of and just be involved with what I think is one of the best college programs in the country," Robinson said in a press release.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said the addition of Robinson would be beneficial to the team.
"He will care for our student-athletes both on and off the court and he'll represent the University the right way," Williams said in the release. "The seven years that he's been gone, he's gained valuable insights into the game of basketball from a head coaching perspective."
Jayhawk teams went 184-51 during Robinson's seven years as an assistant under Williams, reaching the NCAA Tournament six times during that span.
Contact Wasko at bwasko@kansan.com. This story was edited by Brooke Hesler.
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