WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2003
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN • 7B
Softball CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
against Oklahoma City, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. As a team, Kansas racked up a seasonhigh 14 hits.
The 'Hawks found themselves down 2-1 in the bottom of the third but answered the call and put up three runs in the inning, accented by a Moppin homer. Moppin finished 2-for-4 for the game with two runs and two RBI.
Junior pitcher Kara Pierce picked up the victory, allowing only two earned runs and striking out six. Her overall record improved to 12-6.
In the second game, it was second verse same as the first for the 'Hawks.
The hits kept coming. And the long balls did, too. Kansas smacked four home runs in the game—two by Moppin, one by freshman Melaney Torres and one by junior Sandy Smith.
The homers were plenty of support for pitcher Kirsten Milhoan. The senior allowed only one run with five strikeouts to raise her record to 8-2.
Moppin made Kansas history in the bottom of the sixth inning when she rocketed the ball over the right center wall. The home run gave her eight on the year, tying the freshman home run record of Keli May set in 1980. In addition, the blast gave Kansas 28 home runs on the season. That's just
four away from the school record of most home runs in a season — a record set by last year's squad.
"Everything we're doing in practice is paying off," Moppin said. "It's kind of a domino effect. Once one player gets a hit, every one starts getting them."
Bunge credits a large part of her team's home run hitting and success at the plate in general to the team's hitting coach, Julie Wright.
She points out that compared to last year's team, the makeup of the lineup has been completely changed. Last year, her lineup was mostly filled with left-handed, speedy hitters. This year, Kansas features seven right-handers that can hit for power. Bunge said.
The Jayhawks will need to continue swinging a hot bat if they wish to get to capture their first conference victory at Iowa State on Saturday, part of a two-game series in Ames. Despite all of Kansas's success and national rankings, the 'Hawks are still 0-4 in Big 12 Conference play after being swept by No. 18 Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
"We know and we understand that we started out with two of the toughest teams in the league," Bunge said. "But we also know there are no easy wins in the Big 12. We need those two wins."
- Edited by Christy Dendurent
number one seeds. Kansas got the two seed and was shipped off to the west.
Final Four
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Digger Phelps, ESPN basketball analyst said during the ESPN tournament selection show that Kansas should have been a No.1 seed. Phelps claimed that because Kansas won the conference and defeated Texas head-tohead, Kansas and Oklahoma should have been the No.1 seeds from the Big 12. Phelps could not be reached for comment.
"The number one seeds all deserved them, and we were left out of that group." Collison said. "But get beat at any seed and you're done, so we've got to be ready to play."
Several factors influence the committee's decisions, and the Ratings Percentage Index is only a small part of that, Weiberg said. The RPI is a combination of schedule strength. The committee also looks at head-to-head play and passed victories or losses against certain teams. For
Nick Collison, Kansas basketball player, said that the seeding process was difficult.
instance, Colorado was helped by victories over Kansas and Texas, but hurt by losses to Kansas State, Iowa State and Nebraska.
When decisions become close with bubble teams—teams that have a slim chance of making the cut—the committee will often look at the team's past 8 to 10 games as an indicator of its play down the stretch.
The committee votes for the 34 at-large bids through a few ballots, and they put up a list on a board of potential teams. Slowly teams are added and subtracted until all of the slots are filled.
After that, the seeding begins and the bracket is filled out.
In a typical Dick Vitale moment during the selection show, he screamed second guesses into the cameras, "Auburn shouldn't even be in the tournament, baby."
After two victories, including an upset over No.2 Wake Forest, Auburn is one of 16 teams left standing and just two short victories from the Final Four.
As Collison said, once the bracket is filled out, it is up to the players to play the games.
Edited by Leah Shaffer
Sporting events provide distraction from war
By Matthew Muench
University Daily via U-wire
Texas Tech
LUBBOCK, Texas — Eight-year old Miles Hancock waved a small American flag Saturday at Dan Law Field minutes before Texas Tech Red was to play baseball against A&M.
"I love baseball," he said. "I wanted to see baseball today."
The youngster was one of many.
His mother, Sara Hancock, a Lubbock, Texas, resident, said she wanted to get away from the television, the radio and the Internet that were flowing with news about the war in Iraq. Her son had the same idea.
"He asked me why cartoons were not on (Saturday)," she said. "I told him, and I don't think he
really understands. But coming to a sporting event helps you forget about what is going on. It eases your mind a little bit."
Texas Tech junior Ryan Ross said, "I am in support of the war, and I really feel for the soldiers and families. But Tom Brokaw's voice was starting to get in my dreams, and all I wanted to do was watch what was happening.
"Watching basketball is getting my mind away from Iraq," he said. "Even if I had to come by myself. I thought about going to see a movie, but I think basketball will do the trick a little bit better."
During the three baseball games and two basketball games, fans stood up for a moment of silence.
During March 19's basketball game,the first bomb was dropped
in Iraq, and at halftime, President George W. Bush's address to the nation was aired on Raider Vision.
It has been a difficult time to play, coach Bob Knight said, but he thinks playing is good for the public.
"There is not a person in America that has access to a television set at anytime whether at work or at home or wherever that hasn't been glued to the television set with what goes on," he said. "Every time there is an American causality, your heart stops a little bit. I think people have watched that all day, and they come see some recreational enjoyment to see us play."
Knight said he was glad sporting events were not canceled.
"Next to staying alive, our service people over there are paying
attention to the NCAA tournament," he said. "A lot of them are watching the NIT, and a hell of a lot of them will be glued to the opening of Major League Baseball. These [sporting events] need to be going on for everybody's sake."
"Right here," Lubbock resident William Baled said at the baseball game. "This is America. Baseball is the pastime of this country. And I tip my hat to all those soldiers fighting for us. Although watching this helps me get away from the tube, I still have my mind on them."
His son, Ryan Baled, a high school student, said he felt badly for coming to the games.
"I kind of feel selfish," he said. "I get to do this while they are dropping bombs and firing weapons."