---
12A • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY,MAY8,2003
- 20,000 Sq. Bt. Incorporation Facility
- Learn To Our Stainless Custom 3000 With Crow Audio System
* Experience An Indoor Water w/3000 Sturdy Light, Black Lighting, Ring and Wind Machines.
* Snack Bar, Clean Restroom • Lounge Area With NRR Nutrition Broadband Internet Access
Spring Hours
Wednesday 5pm-11pm • Friday 5pm-11pm
Saturday 10am-11pm • Sunday Noon-9pm
Mon., Tues., & Thurs by appointment only
Pricing Wednesday and Friday $5 Field Fee
Saturday and Sunday $10 All Day Field Fee or $5 for Half Day
Student Nights Wednesday & Friday $9 Field Fee
Visit our website: www.battleplat.com
1534 1400th Street • Iola, MS • L Mile North of Iola Walt Disney • (620) 365-7599
3 Mar. Team Tournament • May 24, 6, 25 • Deadline May 18
3 Man Team Tournament • May 24 & 25 • Deadline May 18
Featuring:
- Custom Embossed Announcements from 99¢
· choose paper, typeface, print color, and special messages
· 24-48 hr turnaround, Low minimum order
- Complete Regalia from $19.95
* Masters Regalia w/hood $42.90, Doctoral Regalia w/hood $49.90
- Diploma Frames from $99.95
- Free '03 graduation tshirt (with $50.00 order)
Congratulations on your Achievement and thanks for shopping with us over the years!
Online ordering @ www.jayhawkbookstore.com
www.jayhawkbookstore.com · 1420 Crescent Rd · 843-3826
www.jayhawkbookstore.com·1420 Crescent Rd·843-3826
Jayhawks eligible for baseball draft
By Daniel Berk
dberk@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
In the upcoming 2003 Major League Baseball Amateur draft, the Kansas baseball team has five players who could potentially be drafted. Here is the lowdown on all of them.
Senior left fielder Casey Spanish
.394 batting average, 47 runs scored,
seven triples and 45 RBI.
Spanish has started all but one game this season for Kansas. The senior from Savage, Minn., was
expected to be the team's first baseman but was moved earlier this season to left field and has played the majority of the season there. Spanish is projected to get
drafted in rounds 7-15.
Spanish
"I totally expect Casey to be drafted," coach Ritch Price said. "He caught the eye of a lot of scouts this year. He has tremendous size and speed. He had a fabulous year and is worthy of being an All-American."
"What is exciting to me right now is our team." Spanish said. "I will cross that bridge when it happens. I came to college to become a better player, and I think I have done that. If it is a good opportunity for me, then I will take it."
Junior right fielder Matt Tribble
.327 batting average, 43 runs scored,
15 doubles and 35 RBI.
streak, as he got a hit in the first 21 games of the season. Price said Tribble's strong arm and defense garnered attention in addition to his offense.
Earlier this season, Tribble set the school record for a hitting
Tribble
"Any time you do something special like he did with his hitting streak, the scouts take notice," he said.
Tribble has been the team's everyday right fielder for two years, starting 40 games in that position last season. He's the only current Kansas player already to be drafted. The Chicago Cubs drafted him out of high school in the 15th round of the 2000 draft. However, Tribble elected to attend college instead. Three years have passed since his first draft, and Tribble can re-enter the draft again this year.
"I really haven't been thinking about that too much." Tribble said. "It was dream come true the first time it happened, and at the time I felt like college was the best place for me. Hopefully I will have another decision to make."
Junior first baseman Ryan Baty
are batting average, 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 51 RBI.
Baty is making a run at almost every record in Kansas history—he leads the team this year in doubles and RBI and is tied for the home run lead. Baty has been the team's starting first baseman this season after starting 27 games in left
"Ryan is a very interesting guy," Price said. "He is very physical with the bat. It will be interesting to see where he falls because he is a fourth-year junior. He had to red shirt a season due to an injury. He is a great player, and we try to set the table for him at the top of our lineup. I see him getting drafted anywhere from rounds 7-15 like Casey."
field and 19 games at second base.
Baty injured his shoulder making a diving stop at first base. He is content playing for Kansas now.
"I just want to take care of what is on my plate right now," Baty said. "Once I do that, then I can start focusing on the future. The injury is something I do not think about; if anything it helped me as a player."
Senior pitcher and designated hitter Kevin Wheeler
Baty
.335 batting average, 41 runs scored,
10 home runs and 40 RBI.
Wheeler has been used as a pitcher this year. He started 13 games and compiled a record of
and three losses during his tenure as pitcher. When he wasn't pitching, he was used ordinarily as a designated hitter. Wheeler plaved
first base and outfield the majority of last season and was not used much as pitcher in his first three years at Kansas.
"He is a great college player." Price said. "He is good enough to get the opportunity to play from a team. He does not have the velocity pro-scouts are looking for
Wheeler
when it comes to pitching. If he is not drafted, our coaching staff is going to work extremely hard to get him signed as an undrafted free-agent because he is such a competitor."
Wheeler said it would be a dream come true to be drafted.
"To be thought of as a professional would be unbelievable," he said. "The better Kansas does, the better chance it is for guys on our team to be drafted."
Senior catcher Sean Flynn
252 batting average, three home runs and 29 RBI.
Flynn is in his first year at Kansas, after transferring from University of Texas-Pan American. Before the season, Flynn was battling with junior Jake Kauzlarich for catching duties but has pulled away and emerged as the team's every day catcher.
Flynn
Scouts like his defense more than his offense; he has committed only four errors on the season.
"He has great defense, and catchers are a thin position in the draft this year." Price said. "He will be a late-late pick. He saved us this year, as we had a major weakness behind the plate before the season started. We didn't sign him to come to Kansas until a week before school started. He is also a very mature player."
Unlike in basketball, if underclassmen Tribble and Baty do not like where their drafting teams, they are allowed to come back for their final year of college.
Edited by Todd Rapp
>choose from more than 100 worldwide trips!
>vacations include: accommodations, transportation, many meals and as much fun as you can handle!
> 6 day california highlights from $575
> 3 day new york big apple explorer from $425
> 10 day canada & the rockies from $919
see your AAA travel agent call toll-free 1-800-365-5222
Travel With Someone You Trust.*
www.aaa.com
>europe >australia >america >canada
---