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SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2003
'Hawks fall to Shocks
Dan Nelson/Kansan
Junior Josh Duran winds up for a pitch at the Jayhawks vs. Wichita State game last night.Duran allowed six hits and 4 runs in three and one-third innings.
Strong pitching helps WSU win
By Daniel Berk
dberk@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
In the first of two meetings this season, the Wichita State Shockers downed the Kansas baseball team 7-2.
With the loss, Kansas dropped to 32-19 on the season and has lost three of its last four games. After dropping two of three games to conference rival Baylor, the
Jayhawks could not bounce back and managed only three hits in the game.
Junior Josh Duran started for Kansas and pitched 3 and one-third
innings, allowing 4 runs and striking out two batters. He was relieved by freshman Don Czyz who fared a little better pitching five and two-thirds innings with three runs and three strikeouts.
"I think his performance is one positive we can take from this game," Kansas coach Ritch Price said. "He gave us a chance to cut the lead. He keeps taking a step forward then a step backwards. Tonight, he took a step forward, and now we just have to continue to get those performances for the rest of the season."
Wichita State starter Steve Uhlmansiek was "special," according to Price, as he pitched six innings allowing only three hits and 1 earned run. He also struck out five batters. Mike Dennison came on in relief and also had a strong performance pitching three innings, not allowing any hits and striking out three batters.
Kansas scored the first run of the game in the second inning, as senior left fielder Casey Spanish walked and then advanced on a ground out. Spanish continued toward third base. When the Shockers attempted to throw him out at third base, the throw was wild, and Spanish scored.
The Shockers responded by scoring 1 run in the third and then 4 more runs in the fourth inning.
"Pitching is the strength of their team," Price said. "They play four game sets on the weekend, and then they have this guy come in and pitch during the week, and he is 6-1. They have seven quality pitchers, and that guy was very,very good tonight."
Junior first baseman Ryan Baty, who hails from Wichita, had a little extra incentive playing against his hometown team.
Baty reached base every time he batted. He hit a double, walked twice and was hit by a pitch once.
"I would be lying to you if I said this game was just another ball game," Baty said. "Growing up in Wichita, this game means a lot to me. I want to come out on top every time I play those guys, and tonight we didn't."
Kansas will return to the field this weekend as the Jayhawks host defending national champion Texas for a three-game series beginning Friday night.
Edited by Erin Chapman
NCAA event lets students compete in sports
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Students wanting to snag a fly ball before it sails over an outfield fence will get the opportunity today and tomorrow in front of Allen Fieldhouse.
The NCAA Beyond the Game Tour presented by CBS Sports allows students to compete in five NCAA sports. All events are free. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Rod Koch, representative for the tour, said it wes a promotional campaign for student athletes.
"There are 360,000 student athletes in 23 NCAA sports," Koch said. "There are 88 championships, and we want to celebrate the student athlete — we want to show people what it takes to be a champion."
In basketball, students attempt four historical shots in 30 seconds. The shots include famous buzzer beaters by Christian Laetner and Bryce Drew.
The football drill is more complex. Participants must deal with a blitzing defender and throw a football in stride to a moving wide receiver in between two defenders. The blitzer and wide receiver
Students can attempt feats in basketball, baseball, football, lacrosse and rowing.
move on a track, and there is a net between the receiver's hands to make the catch.
In baseball, students try to rob home runs flying over a wall. In rowing, participants must work together. The area is designed to simulate actual water currents, and the team is racing against the championship time. Nobody has come close. Koch said.
"Everyone has to work together and row together or they won't go anywhere," Koch said. "One rowing event is like playing two basketball games back-to-back."
event they wish to call, and a CD-ROM is made of the play-by-play to take home. There is also a giant Coca Cola prize bottle in which people walk in and try to grab tickets that are shot all about. Then they decide which prize they would like. Prizes include CDs, hats, T-shirts, visors, coolers, mini-footballs and gift certificates to local sporting goods stores.
Students not wishing for physical activities can try the play-by-play booth. Participants can choose which historic
Jamie Pickett, Stockton junior, said she was looking forward to today's festivities.
"I really like sports, and I like to be involved with sports," Pickett said. "I can't wait for the stuff to open up."
Men's golf finishes eighth at Big 12 Championships
— Edited by Erin Chapman
GOLF
Shooting a final round score of 309 yesterday, the Kansas men's golf team finished eighth at the Big 12 Championships at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. The team finished two strokes out of a tie for sixth place with Kansas State and Colorado.
Texas won the conference tournament for the second straight year, beating Oklahoma State by four strokes and Oklahoma by five. Oklahoma State stand-out Hunter Mahan won the tournament by 13 strokes.
The bright spot for Kansas was the play of senior Chris Marshall, who was playing in his final conference championship. Marshall opened with a six-over-par 76, but rebounded with rounds of 73 and 74 to place him in a tie
in a tie for 27th place. Freshman Ryan Rainer shot 80 in both of his first two rounds and closed with a 76 to finish in 31st place. Sophomore Andrew Price went 84, 75 and 80 in his three rounds to finish in 41st place. Junior Tyler Hall shot a disappointing final round 88 to finish in 58th place.
The team will now play a waiting game until May 5 to see whether it makes NCAA Regionals in Manhattan.
"It was really long, the greens were extremely fast, and the wind was blowing. You just had to accept the fact that you are going to make bogeys and realize par is a good score," said Marshall.
for third. Marshall said that Southern Hills provided him his hardest test in college golf.
Freshman Pete Kranich also played well for the team, shooting three rounds in the 70s for a 223 total put him
Paul Kramer
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Kansas fans might have thought they had coaching problems.
Eustachy's actions hurt others more than himself
Jesse Newell jnewell@kansan.com
What a shame. But not for Larry Eustachy.
He seems least affected by his own actions.
It seems the difficulties at Iowa State might go much deeper.
Photographs surfaced this week of Cyclones' coach Larry Eustachy attending a student party at Missouri. The pictures show Eustachy kissing and hugging college-aged women in a student apartment. The coach also reportedly attended a party at Kansas State, where he told students that his team sucked.
Eustachy may be hurt by his actions, but everyone else will be hurt worse.
But everyone else loses, too.
You see, Eustachy probably won't get fired. The Iowa State athletics department will more than likely slap him on the wrist and say, "You silly man drinking with teenagers. Don't do that again." They will force him to travel with the team, something he should do anyway, and probably suggest counseling for alcoholism.
Eustachy is a model of Iowa State University, like it or not. Anything and everything he does is automatically linked to the Cyclones.
Again, what a shame
His family will lose for one. The man has a wife of 16 years and two children. What do the kids think of daddy kissing girls nine years older than them while mommy cares for them at home? Not a thought when kicking back in Columbia, Mo..with a Natural Light.
How about his players? How can they feel, knowing their coach, who recruited them out of high school and junior college, is telling complete strangers that they suck? That's certainly not a confidence booster.
Iowa State and its fans deserve better.
What about future recruits? How could he possibly sit down with an 18-year-old's parents and say with a straight face that he would be a good influence on the athlete? It's pretty tough to portray authority when you're posing as one of the frat guys.
In a time when fans at Kansas and Illinois begged their respective coaches to stay, Cyclone fans should do the opposite. Eustachy has not earned the right to be the coach at Iowa State next year.
When signing a contract with Iowa State, Eustachy agreed to be a "positive representation of the university and the university's athletic programs in private and public." He has failed.
And then there's Iowa State and its fans. How are they looking now? The most recognizable figure at the institution likes to attend fraternity parties and flirt with girls less than half his age. Turns out he is also photogenic when he is drunk, not a quality that you would necessarily want a representative of the university to have.
Eustachy is the highest-paid public employee in the state of Iowa. Number one. Should fans be able to expect better behavior than this from such a well-paid individual?
The simple answer is yes.
He has disgraced the university. He has disgraced the fans. He has disgraced himself.
But, more than likely, he will ask for another opportunity. And, more than likely, Iowa State will give it to him.
What a shame.
Stick to caffeine-free soda, Larry. This may be the last opportunity you get.
Newell is an Emporia freshman in journalism.
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