6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SOFTBALL
FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2009
Team to take momentum to Texas
BY TOM POWERS
tpowers@kansan.com
Fresh off of their first two game series sweep on Tuesday against UMKC, the layhawks return to action this weekend. Playing another two-game series, this time they'll square off against the No. 24 Texas Longhorns.
Riding a three-game winning streak, their longest of the season, the Jayhawks (16-23, 4-6) travel down to Austin today to play a single game at 1 p.m. Saturday, and another at noon Sunday, Kansas.
4-6 in the Big 12 Conference, has an opportunity to get back to .500 with a pair of victories.
"We really just need to work on our mental game, that's what kills us," Liz Kocan, sophomore right fielder, said. "This season
it seems like one game we're going right at our opponents and the next we're flat."
THIS WEEKEND
Kansas vs. No. 24 Texas
Two-game series
Austin, Texas
We really just need to work on our mental game, that's what kills us."
The lawhaws will need to be mentally prepared if they want to challenge Texas. The Longhorns are
currently third in the
LIZ KOCON
Sophomore outfielder
currently third in the Big 12 in team batting average .305). Texas also leads the Big 12 in home runs (44), a fourth of those hit by first baseman Desiree Williams (.318, 10 HR, 40 R). Also leading the Longhorn offense is designated player
Loryn Johnson (.423) who leads the Big 12 in hits (60).
After Thursday's practice, Bunge talked about what the jawhaws
will need to do strategically against such a well-balanced lineup.
"Texas is a much better offensive team this year than last year. They've got more pop in their bats and have one of the most consistent hitters in softball in Loryn Johnson," she said. "We need to
keep the ball low and make them hit pitcher's pitches."
Kocon (.290), 22 RBIs) is one of the leaders of a resurgent Kansas offense that also includes third basemain Val Chapelle (.318, 8 doubles) center fielder Dougie McCaulley (.311, 25
runs) and utility player Allie Clark (.267, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 8 doubles). In the outfield, the jayhawks have played tight defense, committing only one error in their three-game winning streak.
one walk. Senior Val George, who has pitched the most innings for Kansas, leads the staff with 137 strikeouts in 129 innings pitched.
"They're both getting a start," said coach Tracy Bunge of George and Vertelka. "We're going to need two good pitching performances
Out of the circle, Sarah Vertellak pitched phenomenally in her last two outings. In eight innings, she pitched 11 strikeouts, giving up no runs on only three hits and
"This season it seems like one game we're going right at our opponent and the next we're flat."
LIZ KOCON
Sophomore outfielder
in order to beat Texas."
The Texas pitching staff is led by sophomore Brittany Barnhill (20-9), who's posted a 2.73 ERA so far this season.
Last year, Kansas was able to put up three runs in four
innings against Barnhill in an 8-1 victory.
"Barnhill has improved a lot since her freshman year," Bunge said. "She stays around the plate and I've told our hitters to not be overly aggressive, we can't chase and we've got to hit good pitches."
- Edited by Sonya English
Senior pitcher Valerie George wins through a pitch during the Jayhawks April 11 game against Oklahoma. The Jayhawks wince off with Texas for a two-game series this weekend.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
MLB
Indians' 10-2 victory tarnishes luster of brand new Yankee Stadium
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fighter Jets fly over the new Yankee Stadium during pregemen ceremonies before the first regular season game on Thursday in New York. The Yankees lost the home-opener 10-2.
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Jhonny Peralta broke a 1-1 all tie in the seventh with a two-run double off Jose Veras, and Grady Sizemore hit a grand slam into the right-field seat of Damaso Marte.
BY RONALD BLUM
Fans in the sellout crowd of 48,271 and players alike bubbled about unprecedented amenities on a picture-perfect sunny afternoon. New York's hitters then fizzled and its bullpup came apart in the formal debut of the new Yankee Stadium, a $1.5 billion monument to the Yankees' wealth and power.
By the time Victor Martinez's solo homer capped the nine-run inning, just as the shadow of the famous frieze was about to creep past home plate, angry spectators who paid up to $2,625 list per ticket
Associated Press
"It felt like we disappointed quite a few people today," Johnny Damon said.
NEW YORK — Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and other stars from the New York Yankees' famous pint-striped past would have been embarrassed.
After an 85-year run in a stadium that was home to 26 World Series champions, the Yankees opened baseball's fanciest and priest ballpark Thursday with a humiliating 10-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
The opening of the new house drew a celebrity-filled crowd that wasn't happy with the result.
On April 18, 1923, Ruth homered at New York opened the original Yankee Stadium with a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. The ballpark, built for $2.5 million and considered grand at the time, quickly was dabbed "The House that Ruth Built."
"To come in here and do what we did is' something we'll always remember', Sizemore said.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who has attended few games since becoming increasingly frail, watched from his box to the left of home plate, with baseball
That was a reference to New York right fielder Nick Swisher, who pitched a scoreless innings during a blowout loss at Tampa Bay on Monday.
taunted the Yankees with chants of,
"We want Swisher!"
Cleveland, whose only Series titles were won in 1920 and 1948, enjoyed its accomplishment against a superpower whose $201 million payroll dwarfs the $82 million the Indians spent.
"It's not how you want to start a new stadium, but one game is not going to make the history of this Yankee Stadium," manager Joe Girardi said.
"I'm going to remember the homerun, no question about it, but right now it's a little disappointing." Posada said.
CC Sabathia, pitching in pinstripes for the first time since signing a $161 million, seven-year contract, allowed an RBI double to Kelly Shoppach in the fourth just after third baseman Cody Ransom threw out Peralta at the plate on Ben Francisco's grounder. Sabathia left 5/2/3 innings in his first start against his former team.
commissioner Bud Selig and devel oper Donald Trump.
They saw the Yankees botch many chances in the first five innings, when they stranded 10 runners while going 0-for-7 with men in scoring position against Cliff Lee (1-2). The primary cheers were for Jorge Posada, who hit the first homerun in the ballpark's history, a fifth-inning drive that landed in Monument Park behind center field.
Current and former New York City Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudolph Giuliani watched from the first row to the plate side of the Yankees dugout in some of the most expensive seats, while former Yankees pitcher David Wells sat in the bleachers. New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan was on hand, as was rapper lay-Z.
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