THE UNIVERSITY HAIRY KANSAN
SPORTS
5B
:
BASEBALL
Jayhawks prepare to face big stadium and big fan base in Texas
Kansas plays in Olsen Field this weekend, a stadium that can hold more than 7,000 fans
JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
A stadium that's known to house around 7,000 fans at a time, Olsen Field, home to Texas A&M baseball, is a notable destination on the Jayhawks' schedule every other year. And filled with so many Aggie fans, who are known as relentless hecklers, the stadium can
second in morning
destination:
Nonetheless,
coach Ritch Price
is looking forward to when the
Jayhawks (15-7,
3-0) face the No.
15 Aggies (15-9,
3-3) this weekend,
starting this Friday
at 6:35 p.m.
KANSAS AT TEXAS A&M
ment. In 2004 Sports Illustrated
"Without question it's my favorite place to play in America," Price said. "It'll be the best environment some of those kids will ever play in."
"Without question it is my favorite place to play in America."
College Station, Texas
Friday, 6:35 p.m.
Saturday, 2:05 p.m.
Sunday, 12:05 p.m.
RITCH PRICE Kansas coach
And Price isn't alone in his assess
004 Sports Illustrated ranked Olsen Field the best venue in college baseball. With so many fans filling the stadium (the largest recorded being 11,052 in 1999), the Kansas players know and expect to hear their fair share of chants and heck- line. The far from a
family-friendly setting of Hoglund Ballpark.
"You just embrace it, go in there and have fun," junior second baseman Robby Price said of the
sometimes-hostile environment. "During fly balls they (Aggie fans) scream. When it's sold out, you can't really hear, but at the same time it's fun."
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Junior shortstop David Narodowski will be playing at Olsen Field for the first time in his career. With Kansas in first place in the Big 12 for the first time since the early 1990s, Narodowski said he understands the importance of
this series, and will be ready for the crowd. He said it was the biggest series of the season.
"When I've taken my teams there
some success in College Station, Texas, Kansas took one game in each of the last two series at Olsen Field
"When it's sold out,
you can't really hear,
but at the same time
it's fun."
"Their fans are going to be heckling us, that's what I've heard from the guys," Narodowski said.
It will be even more fun for the Jayhawks if they surprise another Big 12 perennial power. Last weekend Kansas swept No. 1 Texas for the first time in school history. In the past, the Jayhawks have seen
ROBBY PRICE
Junior second baseman
in the past we have played very, very well". Ritch Price said. "If you're said, you have goose bumps during the national anthem."
Sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson hones in on a runner during the Jayhawks' March 25 7-4 victory against Western Illinois at Hogwoll Ballpark. The Jayhawks travel to College Station, Texas, to play Texas A&M this weekend.
"He (Price) said that we should be excited, they've sold out and there's going to be 7,000 fans there." Narodowski said. "I got goose bumps when he told me that. I'm so excited for that. I can't wait to see 7,000 fans watching us."
Robby Price said playing clean baseball will be the key. Over spring break against talented programs such as Arizona State and San Diego State, Kansas had five
errors in four close losses. During the Texas sweep, Kansas only had one error in the three victories.
"We can't beat ourselves, our pitching has to give us an opportunity, but most importantly we've got to catch the ball defensively,"
Robby Price said. "The only games that got out of reach was when we were making two errors, three errors—setting the table for the big innings."
WOMEN'S GOLF
Edited by Sonya English
BY HALLIE MANN hmann@kansan.com
Kansas to face strong competition in Georgia tournament
The women's golf team will head to Athens, Ga., this weekend to play in the Liz Murphy Collegiate Classic hosted by the University of Georgia. The three-day tournament will feature teams and individuals from all over the country including No. 4 Oklahoma State.
Leading the Jayhawks is junior Meghan Gockel, who took the first place individual title at the Duramed Collegiate Invitational before spring break.
Gockel's performance helped the women's golf team take the first place team title at the Duramed Invitational as well and earned her Golf World's player of the week. Gockel said she was surprised by the award and said she thought
that it would help boost the confidence of the whole team.
"I just see this award as a bonus to our win in Arizona," Gockel said. "We're getting down to business now and I'm glad our hard work is paying off."
Coach Erin O'Neil said that Gockel had worked really hard over the season and that she was glad to see her finish with this win and this award. O'Neil said Gocke'
led on the final day of the tournament and showed she was a strong player by keeping her composure and finishing strong.
"It was good to see it all come together for Meghan," O'Neil said.
"We're taking it one day at a time and just looking to keep moving up in the rankings."
"It was great to see her recognized on the national level like that."
The women's golf team was also honored with Team of the Week by Golfweek.com after its victory
competitive."
at the Duramed Invitational. O'Neil said this award got the team fired up and excited to keep competing.
ERIN O'NEIL Women's golf coach
"The girls were so excited," O'Neil said. "It just makes us as a team that much stronger and that much more
The golf team will take five players to Georgia: Gockel, junior Emily Powers, sophomores Meghn Bal and Sydney Wilson and freshman Kalind Carson. All of five th
"We're taking it one day at a time and just looking to keep moving up in the rankings," O'Neil said.
golfers finished in the top 15 at the Duramed invitational. O'Neil said she thought the junior class had really stepped up to lead the team and that she was expecting another good performance from them.
"It's going to be a strong field in Georgia and it will be some good
Kansas will face off against teams including Georgia, Auburn, Coastal Carolina and Florida State. Oklahoma State will be the only Big 12 team at the tournament. O'Neil and Gockel said that the level of competition at this tournament would be a good test for the team coming off of their recent win.
LIZ MURPHY
COLLEGIATE CLASSIC
Team Rank
Oklahoma State No. 4
Kent State No. 20
Ohio State No. 28
Kentucky No. 44
Kansas No. 71
NCAA.com
Edited by Liz Schubauer
competition for us," Gockel said.
The tournament will be held at the University of Georgia golf course on Friday March 27 through Sunday March 29.
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NFL Chiefs pick up veteran offensive lineman
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs sign unrestricted free agent offensive lineman Mike Goff.
The 11-year veteran has played for San Diego since 2004. He's started in 147 games during his career in San Diego and Cincinnati.
The Peru, Ill.:native started every game in his four-year college career at Iowa.
He's also started 106 consecutive games since an Oct. 27, 2002, game when Cincinnati played Tennessee.
STADIUMS Disagreement shouldn't impede sports complex
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County officials say negotiations with two construction labor unions shouldn't delay opening the Royals and Chiefs stadiums.
The unions for carpenters and ironworkers doing construction at the Truman Sports Complex are locked in contract talks with the Builders Association.
More than 5600 million in improvements are under way at the stadiums for Kansas City's professional baseball and football teams. A 3/8-cent sales tax that taxpayers approved in 2006 is financing most of the work.
Mike Smith, chairman of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority, said the Arrowhead Stadium might feel the most impact from a work stoppage because it has extensive renovations now under way.
Most of the heavy work at Kauffman Stadium, where the Royals play, has been finished. But workers still have been keeping late hours to be ready for the Royals' home opener on April 10.
Negotiations continued Thursday. Current contracts with both unions expire Tuesday.
County officials said they are confident that a settlement will be reached between the negotiating parties, allowing work to continue at the sports complex.
Officials for both the Chiefs and Royals say they're also hopeful that the parties can come to an agreement and finish the project.
"Should that not occur, we are optimistic that we will be ready for the open house on April 5 and obviously the home opener scheduled for April 10 against the New York Yankees," said Kevin Uhlich, senior vice president of business operations for the Royals.
Associated Press
Copyright © 2018 by Wiley Blackwell.