THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASEBALL & SOFTBALL
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20, 2002
Possible starters
Softball team hopes to build on last year's success
Bv Ali Brox
Kansan sportswriter
After sending three teams — Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas Tech — to the NCAA Regionals and sending Oklahoma to the Women's College World Series, the Big 12 Conference appears to be tough again this season.
Kansas, which finished the 2001 season with a 32-27 record, was picked to finish fourth behind Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
"The Big 12 Conference is going to be unbelievably tough this year," coach Tracy Bunge
Kansas opened some eyes in the league last season when the team finished with a tie for third after being picked in the preseason to finish ninth. This year, the Jayhawks think they deserve to be ranked higher in the preseason poll.
"I think they have a lot of their tradition and reputation getting them into the top, which they well deserve, but we know what we have and what we can do," senior outfielder Shelly Musser said of the three
said. "I think anybody on a given day will be right there, and that's what I love about our conference."
The layhawks entered most of their games last season with limited expectations. They think some teams will underestimate this year as well.
teams ranked ahead of Kansas.
"If we play the way we believe we can, we're going to be right up there at the top with everybody else."
"Last year we were the underdogs, and we were ranked obviously lower than we should have been," senior third baseman Megan Urquhart said. "I still feel like being ranked fourth we're still a little bit of the underdogs because it just tells me we didn't earn the respect we should have
last year."
Regardless, this year's expectations are definitely different from last year.
"It's an extremely different feel. I think last year the only expectations were of ourselves on ourselves. Now everybody's talking about it," Bunge said. "The expectation is we're going to have a good year. We feel like we're going to compete for the Big 12 title this year."
Contact Brox at abrox@kansan.com. This story was edited by Anne Mengermein.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Mound man a mystery for Jayhawks after ace leaves for pros
Kansas outfielder Matt Tribble settles under a fly ball. Tribble set a freshman record for Kansas with 11 doubles last season.
by Ryan Wood
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team's offense is looking solid and ready to go, but the weak spot could be inexperience in the pitching staff.
The loss of Pete Smart to the pros, the workhorse of the 2001 team, has left coach Bobby Randall searching for a leader on the mound.
"That's the million-dollar question." Randall said. "The answer is, I don't know if one guy is going to be able to replace Pete at the level that he pitched. We have seven or eight guys, and I think everyone of them will have to replace Pete's innings. The arms are there. I think they're unproven at this point. I don't think they're untalented. I'd rather have talent with no experience than experience and no talent."
Other seniors ready to make an impact on the mound include Jake Wright, Randy Strann and Dan Olson. Olson is recovering from elbow troubles, which limited his effectiveness during most of his junior campaign. He has responded nicely so far this year, earning two victories in as many starts and posting a 2.25 ERA.
Senior Jeff Davis, appears ready to assume responsibility as staff ace. The control pitcher went 2-2 last year with a 4.24 ERA, and has only walked eight batters in the last two seasons.
"This is the best shape I've ever been in, arm-wise and body-wise," Davis said. "This is the most preparation I've ever put into a season. I feel like I've done everything I can."
.
In his only start this year, Davis shut down Centenary last Friday, striking out nine and giving up one run for the complete game victory.
"The job that Jeff Davis did on Friday night was extraordinary," Randall said.
"I'm very excited about Dan Olson." Randall said. "He's
SEASON SCHEDULE
Today — Wisc.-Newman, 3 p.m.
Friday — Wisc.-Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
Saturday — Wisc.-Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
Sunday — Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
Feb. 28 — Creighton, 3 p.m.
p.m., 1 p.m.
March 12 — at SW Mo. State, 2:30 p.m.
March 15, 16, 17 — at Baylor, 7 p.m., 3
p.m., 1 p.m.
Feb. 26 – Creighton, 3 p.m.
Bemidji, 3 p.m. 1 p.m.
March 2– 14 – Northwestern, 1 p.m.
March 5 – at Oral Roberts, 3 p.m.
March 8, 9, 10 – Texas A&M, 3 p.m.
p.m. 1 p.m.
March 19, 20 — at Texas Pan-Am., 7 p.m.
1 p.m.
March 22, 23 — Michigan, 2 p.m., noon
March 22 — Oral Roberts, 3:30 p.m.
 March 28 — at Creighton, 5 p.m.
 March 30, 31 — at Oklahoma State, 3
April 19 — at Missouri, 6:30 p.m.
April 20.21 — Missouri, 7 p.m., 2 p.m.
p.m. 2 p.m.
April 5, 6 — at Texas, 6:30 p.m., 2 p.m.
April 7, 8 — at Texas, 3:30 p.m.
April 23 — SW Mo. State, 6 p.m.
April 26, 27, 28 — at Nebraska, 6:30 p.m., 2
1:00 a.m.
April 9 — Wichita State, 7 p.m.
April 12, 13, 14 — Texas Tech, 7 p.m., 2
p.m.
May 1 --- at Illinois-Chicago, 1 p.m.
May 3, 4, 5 --- Centenary, 7 p.m., 2 p.m.
May 8 Rockhurst, 5 p.m.
April 30 — at Illinois-Chicago, 7 p.m.
Illinois-Chicago, 1 p.m.
1 p.m.
Mav 18 — Kansas State, 7 p.m.
May 8 — Rockhurst, 5 p.m.
May 10, 11, 12 — Oklahoma, 7 p.m., 2 p.m.
1 n.m.
"I don't think a lot of people know that much about us. I don't think a lot of people expect that much out of us. We expect it, and that's all that counts."
"It you look at our club, everybody's poised to take that next step," Randall said. "We've got great character, good work ethic, and we got talent. That doesn't make you an automatic winner, but those are ingredients for success."
Despite starting fast out of the gate, the untested pitching staff has a tough task ahead of it in the always-tough Big 12 Conference.
Contact Wood at rwood@kansan.com. This story was edited by Jeremy Clarkson.
May 18— Kansas State, 7 p.m.
May 19, 20— at Kansas State, 3 p.m., 1
healthy for the first time. He was drafted out of high school, and he was one of the highly touted guys going into last year, and he never was healthy."
p.m.
May 22 to 26 — at Big 12 Tournament, TBA
SOUTBALL SEASON SCHEDULE
Feb. 8 – UMASS, L-7 (1-0)
Feb. 8 – California, L-6 (2-0)
Feb. 9 – Utah State, W-8 (1-2)
Feb. 9 – Southwest Texas, W-5 (2-2)
Feb. 10 – Arizona State, W-3 (2-2)
Feb. 15 – Oregon State, L-4 (3-3)
Feb. 15 – Utah State, L-7 (3-3)
Feb. 16 - Cal-Poly, W-1 (0-4)
Feb. 16 – Oregon, L-9 (7-4)
Feb. 17 – California, L-8 (4-6)
March 1 – Florida State, 6 p.m., at Florida State Invitational
March 2 – Mississippi State, 4 p.m., at FSU Invitational
March 3 – TBA, at FSU Invitational
March 5 – Washburn, a-b
March 8 – Princeton, 1:30 p.m., at KU Holiday Inn Invitational
March 8 – Indiana State, 3: 45 p.m., at KU Invitational
 March 9 – Portland State, 11:15 a.m., at KU Invitational
March 10 – TBA, at KU Invitational
Invitational March 10—TBA, at KU Invitational
March 14 — Syracuse,7 p.m., at Saragamo State Invitational
March 15 — California, 9 a.m., at SS Invitational
Invitational March 15 — San Jose State, 1 p.m., at SS
international March 15 — Miami (Ohio), 3 p.m., at Ss
March 15 — Miami (Ohio), 3 p.m., at SS Invitational
March 15 — Bradupa p.m.
March 20 — Oklahoma State (2), 1 p.m., 3
p.m.
April 23 — Oklahoma state, 2 p.m.
p.m.
March 14 — at Baylor, 2 p.m. 1 p.m.
March 27 — at Arkansas (2), 3 p.m. 5 p.m.
March 30 — Texas (2), noon, 2 p.m.
March 31 — at Missouri, 3 p.m.
April 4 — Creighton (2), 2 p.m. 4 p.m.
 April 6, 7 — at Texas A&M, 2 p.m. 4 p.m.
 April 9 — SWo State, 2 p.m. 4 p.m.
 April 10 — Wichita State University (2), 3 p.m.
 April 13, 14 — Texas Tech, 2 p.m.
 April 17 — UMKC I (2), 2 p.m.
 April 20, 21 — at Oklahoma, 2 p.m. 1 p.m.
 April 22, 28 — Iowa State, 2 p.m. 1 p.m.
 May 2-5 — Big 12 Tournament, TBA
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