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SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2003
'Hawks lasso Cowboys
By Daniel Berk
dberk@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
It took the Kansan baseball team six tries to win its first conference game of the season, but the Jayhawks (22-11 overall, 1-5 Big 12) downed the Oklahoma State Cowboys 10-8 yesterday at Hoglund Ballpark.
Junior pitcher Ryan Knippschild took the mound for Kansas a day after the team used five pitchers. He pitched eight and one third innings for a total of 146 pitches, earning the victory and improving his record to 6-2 on the season.
"He was really special today," Kansas coach Ritch Price said. "I talked to him before the game about concentrating on himself and doing the things he has done so well thus far this season. He has a goal to win 10 games this season, and if he could do it, it would be a great accomplishment for him in his first year in a Kansas uniform."
The Jayhawks fell behind 3-1 after two innings, but then they managed to score in four consecutive innings starting with one in the third inning.
Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth, the bottom of the lineup started the scoring for the Jayhawks. Sophomore infielder Travis Metcalf, the number seven hitter for Kansas started the rally with a double, followed by a single from senior catcher Sean Flynn, which drove in Metcalf. Freshman infielder Matt Baty then doubled, his first extra base hit of the season.
"After the last yesterday we talked about the fact that we have been getting no contribution from the bottom of our lineup," Price said. "Today, we got some help from our seven through nine batters, and I think that is the reason we got some runs."
After being tied at 4 after four innings, senior infielder Kevin Wheeler led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run to straight away centerfield.
his seventh of the season. The Jayhawks built off of that and, once again, the bottom of the lineup came through.
After senior infielder Casey Spanish walked, Metcalf singled, which advanced Spanish, then Flynn followed with a double off the centerfield wall. Once again, Baty got in on the action and singled into the outfield, which capped the scoring for the inning. Kansas managed to have four players cross home plate.
The Jawhaws continued to build on their lead as freshman infielder Ritchie Price scored twice, once in the sixth inning and again in the eighth inning. Price reached base three times in the game, something he has been doing a lot lately.
"The key to our team scoring runs is me and Lance getting on base," Ritchie Price said. "We know that the big guys will get us in. It was a big win for us, and hopefully we can continue to play well this weekend against Nebraska."
The Cowboys attempted a comeback in the ninth inning scoring 4 runs, but it
KANSAS 10
OKLAHOMA STATE 8
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 - R H E
Ok. State 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 - 8 1 2 3
Kansas 1 0 1 2 4 1 0 1 X - 10 13 2
Pitchers:
Kansas- Knippschild, Johnson
Oklahoma State - Weaver, Rhodes, Hawk, Whitehead,
Cowley
Win-Knippschild
Save - Johnson
Loss - Rhodes
Homerun: Matulich, Baty, Wheeler
was not enough — junior reliever Brandon Johnson came in to record the last two outs of the game and get his third save of the season.
With the victory, Kansas matched its win total from last year, as the 2002 Jayhawks finished the season 22-29. The Jayhawks will return to action at 6 p.m. today against Southwest Missouri State at Hoglund Ballpark.
Edited by Andrew Ward
Linebackers gear up for season
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
During the 2002 season, the Kansas linebacking corps faced a tough task — replacing graduated playmakers Marcus Rogers and sack-master Algie Atkinson.
Thanks to performances by Greg Cole and Leo Etienne, the linebackers were effective yet again as Cole was named The Associated Press second team AllBig 12, and Etienne was AP honorable mention. The two combined for 202 tackles including 27 tackles for loss and six sacks last season.
Now the 2003 team faces a similar challenge with a few twists. The two standout linebackers are gone, another was switched to safety in spring practice, and a fourth is recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him last season.
Mark Mangino, Kansas football coach, said Banks Floodman was working on his knee in practice.
"Banks right now is participating in 75 to 80 percent of the drills," Mangino said. "We just keep him out of some drills so that he doesn't get his knee rolled up in a pile-up."
Floodman starred for the Jayhawks at the start of the first game against Iowa State. In what became a blowout, Floodman stood apart from the rest. He chased Iowa State star quarterback Seneca Wallace around the field, collecting eight tackles with a sack and a quarterback pressure. Then, on a second quarter punt return, Floodman injured his knee, leaving him out for the rest of the season.
Now, through spring practice, the sophomore is attempting to regain his earlier form, and has gained muscle and measures 6-foot-3,230 pounds.
Mike Gehrer, Floodman's high school football coach at Wichita Collegiate, said
when Floodman was a great talent when he signed at Kansas.
"I told Banks that college is not where he stops," Gehrer said. "If he keeps getting bigger and keeps his tenacity, he could be playing football for a very long time."
While Floodman works at regaining lost strength. Nick Reid works to learn a new position—safety.
After switching from quarterback to linebacker last season, Reid tallied 62 tackles and a team high six sacks. Now he goes from being an undersized linebacker at 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds to a big safety.
Reid's departure opens the door for several players to make an impact.
Sophomores Kevin Kane and Brandon Perkins were working with Floodman on the first team defense on Friday. Kane, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound middle linebacker saw significant playing time with Floodman's absence last season and finished the season with 27 tackles. Perks added 10 pounds of muscle and is athletic. Darren Rus and Greg Tyree could also see some playing time, while Glenn Robinson has not participated in spring practice because of an injury.
Perhaps the greatest help to the line-backers will arrive in the fall.
Brandon Baker/Kansan
Gabe Toomey was a junior college All-American last year after transferring to Iowa Central Community College from Oklahoma. In high school, he was rated as one of the top-four outside linebackers in the country by USA Today and was a Prep Star All-American. Although a junior college transfer, Toomey will have three years of eligibility at Kansas.
Juco transfers John McCoy, a 6-foot-3 250 pound linebacker who had 45 tack-
"He is going to be a good player." Mangino said.
Mangino said the 255-pound Toomey was a fantastic recruiting catch.
Sophomore linebacker Banks Floodman has been working on his knee during practices. Floodman injured his knee during a game against Iowa State on Aug. 31, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
tes for loss last season, and athletic Zach  at 3:25 p.m.
Mims should also bolster the unit.
The next open practice is tomorrow — Edited by Erin Chapman
Former coach supports from sidelines
Bv. Jesse Newell
jnewell@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Sitting atop the bleachers at football practice, it might be a tough adjustment for Don Fambrough to be seen and not heard.
But that's exactly the path the former Jayhawk coach has taken.
Fambrough has made the transition from player to assistant to coach to fan for the Jayhawks—a role he has taken in stride.
"He has never once attempted to lend me advice, even though I may have asked him things from time to time," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "He just cares about the football program, and he wants us to be successful right now."
The 80-year-old Fambrough has
Fambrough began his Jayhawk career in 1946 as an offensive guard and captain of the football team. He earned All-Big Six honors twice and led Kansas to an Orange Bowl victory in 1947 before becoming a 19-year assistant for the Jayhawks. He received an opportunity to be coach in 1971 and led the Jayhawks to two bowl appearances in eight years of coaching. He was named Big 8 Coach of the Year in 1981.
"He's a true-blue Jayhawk—let there be no doubt." Mangino said. "He is one of the most loyal people to this University and to our football program that we've ever had."
attended all the Kansas practices this year and remained dedicated to the team after 57 years of devotion.
Fambrough pointed out many differences between his coaching days and
today, such as indoor practice facilities. He said when the weather was not cooperative, his team would practice on the basketball courts after the basketball team was finished. Now, the Jayhawks have the luxury of the Anschutz Sports Pavilion, a full indoor practice field.
"This is a great place to do some teaching," Fambrough said. "When the wind blows outside, sometimes it's hard for the players to hear. If you want to devote a practice to teaching, a lot more can be done in here."
The former coach also noted that practices were more meaningful now, as the NCAA has limited the number of hours a team can run drills.
"We used to have spring practice from the day the snow melted to the day school got out," Fambrough said. "Now the coaches have to take advantage of every minute of practice, because teams
are doing it everywhere else."
Fambrough said he was supportive of Mangino's efforts in attempting to rebuild the program.
"I'm 100 percent behind coach Mangino," Fambrough said. "There's no doubt in my mind he's going to get the job done."
After watching practices this year, Fambrough said he was encouraged with the strides the team has made.
"They've had so much improvement," Fambrough said. "There's no comparison between where the team is this year compared to last year."
Mangino feels fortunate to have Fambrough around his team.
"I really like having him here," Mangino said. "He's an inspiration to us all."
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Edited by Leah Shaffer
Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com
I still remember the first time I watched them both play.
Point guard role model for Hawk on court
They had a smooth game without any hesitation. They looked small but could play above the rim or on the perimeter. Most noticeably, they had the swagger that walked the line between confident and cocky, without crossing it.
The two players I speak of share a mentor-student relationship. The professor is Michigan legend Jalen Rose, and the student is Kansas sophomore guard Keith Langford.
Growing up, Langford loved Jalen Rose. Not only did Langford choose the same jersey number as the former Fab Five standout, he modeled his entire game after Rose. During his nearly two years at Kansas, those who know the two can see the obvious resemblance between them, but in the NCAA Tournament, Langford has shown his most valuable lesson learned from Rose's book — rising to the occasion.
Keith Langford has won over fans in many sentimental ways. Whether it's his changing of his shoes at half-time when getting off to a rough start or thrumping his chest and raising his arms after a monster dunk, it's hard not to love the guy as a fan.
1.
The most inspiring part of Langford's game is that he has emerged as the emotional leader from the Jayhawks' talented sophomore class. Wayne Simien sat a large and crucial portion of the season. Aaron Miles is not only a streaky performer, but also short-tempered at times. All the while, Keith Langford has shown that he is ready to make this his team once Collison and Hinrich are getting paid to play.
I love the guy because we share the same idol in Jalen Rose. Langford is becoming a mature player on college basketball's biggest stage, just like Rose did in 1993.
In the 1993 NCAA Tournament, Rose was desperately needed by a Michigan team that had a couple of scares in both the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. In the Final Four, Rose averaged 15 points per game, as the perfect complement to fellow sophomore, Chris Webber, who led the Wolverines with 25 points per game. Even though Michigan suffered a heart-breaking 77-71 loss to North Carolina in the championship game thanks to an infamous time-out call, Rose stepped up as the number two guy.
No one wants Langford's second Final Four trip doesn't end in heartbreak like Rose's did. If Langford emerges Monday night with a ring, he may live longer in the college basketball lore than his legendary role model.
On Thursday, in Kansas' Sweet 16 victory against Duke, senior Nick Collison played the game of his life with 33 points and 18 rebounds. With fellow senior Kirk Hinrich shooting 1-for-9 from the field and scoring just two points, Langford stepped up with 13. He was the only other Jayhawk to score in double figures. Then, when Hinrich redeemed himself on Saturday against Arizona and Collison sat a good portion of the game in foul trouble, Langford was there with a helping hand and 13 points once again.
Greene is a Vernon Hills, Ill., junior in journalism
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