6B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY,APRIL7,2003
Baseball dropstwo ofthree to No.11 Nebraska
Dan Nelson/Kansan
By Daniel Berk
dberk@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Freshman shortstop Ritchie Price prepares to swing at a pitch as junior first baseman Ryan Baty warms up in the ondeck circle, Kansas won one game against Nebraska Saturday in the three-game series.
The Kansas baseball team battled nationally ranked Nebraska this weekend and came away winning one of the three games in the series.
The weekend had a rough start Friday night as the No. 11 Cornhuskers defeated Kansas 16-7. Senior Kevin Wheeler was the starting pitcher for Kansas but only lasted four innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits. Wheeler was credited with the loss and his record dropped to 4-2.
Offensively, Wheeler, an Omaha, Neb., native, got some redemption at the plate, going 3-for-5. Junior first baseman Ryan Baty continued his hot hitting in Big 12 Conference play, smashing his sixth home run of the season.
The Cornhuskers were led by first baseman Matt Hopper, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and his 11th home run of the season.
In the second game of the series Saturday, the Jayhawks rebounded from their tough defeat the night before and won a dramatic 5-4 thriller.
Junior Chris Smart got his third start of the season on the pitcher's mound and pitched five and two-thirds innings, allowing only one earned run.
"He only allows one earned run in the six innings he is out there, and that allows us to get to Brandon Johnson," coach Ritch Price said. "The most positive thing about the weekend was Smart, and now we know he will be in our rotation."
Kansas took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning when junior right fielder Matt Trible led the inning with a walk, and then was sacrificed to second base on a bunt from senior left fielder Casey Spanish. After a strikeout to third baseman Travis Metcalf, senior catcher Sean Flynn recorded a two-out single to drive in Tribble.
But Nebraska would not quit. The 'Huskers responded with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to even the game at four. In the bottom of the eighth inning, just one game after Metcalf hit a grand slam against Southwest Missouri State, the sophomore from Wamego ripped a home run, which would prove to be the difference maker, giving Kansas the 5-4 victory.
After adding another run in the fourth after Nebraska scored one its own, Kansas scored two in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Baty led the inning with a double, followed by another double from Tribble. Spanish added yet another double that scored Tribble to give Kansas the lead.
"I just went up there wanting to put the bat on the ball and put it in play," Metcalf said. "If you look to do that, hopefully good things will happen. It was a good win, and it helps us in the conference. We would have liked to take another one, but it helps us, though."
The third and final game of the series also took place Saturday, with the teams deciding to play a doubleheader to avoid bad weather yesterday. The game was the total opposite of the first game as Nebraska dominated and came away with a 13-0 victory.
Junior Ryan Knippschild started the game, only days after bruising his arm in a car accident. Knippschild managed to pitch four and two-thirds innings for Kansas, allowing nine runs.
ously, that was not the normal Ryan Knippschild out there."
"I was just proud of him that he went out there and competed for us today." Price said. "Obvi-
The game was called after seven innings because the deficit
versity at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Hoglund Ballpark.
was larger than 10 runs. The Jayhawks managed only three hits and committed two errors.
Kansas will host Baker Uni-
- Edited by Ryan Wood
Flaherty CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Everyone knew who would take the shots, and Price succeeded anyway. He knocked down huge shots in crunch time, played fantastic defense and filled the floor with his courage and tenacity. When the Sooners won, he willed them to it. When they lost, it was because Oklahoma would go through a scoring lapse because it only had one option. His Sooners won the Big 12 Tournament. Only a groin injury in the tournament kept him from dominating postseason play.
The Big 12 coaches picked Nick Collison as player of the year. He scored an average of 18.5 points and had 9.7 rebounds per game. He was the best player on the best team in the regular season.At times,Collision simply refused to let his队 lose. He scored 24 points and snatched 23 rebounds against the Longhorns.He sent Duke packing with 33 points and 19 rebounds. Smooth and agile, he made the game look easy, and has the Jayhawks in the national championship for the first time since 1991
Shouldn't you have to be the best player in your conference to win national player of the year? Just think of all the conference players of the year who don't win national player. Out of the AP All-America team, four of the players won their conference player award. The one who didn't? Ford.
Not that the award has to go to the Big 12 player of the year. Collison is worthy, but so are Xavier's David West and Marquette's Dwayne Wade. Wade fought his team to the Final Four and scored 19 against Kansas. West scored 47 points and grabbed 18 rebounds against conference rival Dayton.
Any of these players deserve it—just don't pick the third best player in his own conference.
Flaherty is a Lenexa junior in journalism.
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