NSAN
2009
Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TEAM AVOIDS BLOWOUT BUT MISSES THE VICTORY
Kansas loses 13-8 to Missouri State after trailing by 11. SOFTBALL 7B
WOMEN KICK OFFENSE INTO ANOTHER GEAR
WWW.KANSAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009
Addition of transition game boosts WNIT hopes. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 18B
HOMECOMING HEARTACHE
PAGE 1B
Kansas guard deals with tragedy
Tyrone Appleton faces playing after close friend's death
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Iyronte Appleton will be in his home state, Indiana, for the second time in the past six days, when Kansas arrives Wednesday in Indianapolis.
But the circumstances of the two visits couldn't be more different. The layhawks will arrive in Indianapolis, just more than two hours away from Appleton's home-town, Gary, to begin preparing for their sweet Sixteen game against Michigan State on Friday.
"it's a blessing." Appleton, a junior guard, said.
And the reasons go far beyond basketball. 'ast Friday, after Kansas' 84-74 victory against North Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Appleton flew home to Gary to attend a funeral.
One of his closest friends since childhood, Dennis Williams, was shot and killed earlier in the week.
"It does put a perspective on everything," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Because basketball is important and why were all here and all that stuff, but it is certainly not life or death."
Williams repeated that same message to Appleton every time they talked. Appleton hadn't enjoyed an easy year to begin with.
"He told me, 'No matter what, whenever I got out there to just do my best.' Appleton said. "He's always going to be on my mind when I'm playing basketball."
Appleton averages only two minutes per game and didn't appear in 13 of Kansas' 32 regular season
Appleton committed to Kansas out of Midland Community College, where last year he won a junior college national championship as a freshman, and expected to make an immediate impact. It hasn't worked out.
SEE APPLETON ON PAGE 7B
SWEET SIXTEEN
Kansas vs. Michigan State
8:37 p.m., Friday
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: CBS (Channel 5, 1)
BASEBALL
Junior guard Tyrone Appleton will be heading back to his home state, Indiana, this weekend for Kansas' Sweet Sixteen game against Michigan State. It will be Appleton's second trip home in a week, but for a much happier occasion this time. Last Friday, he attended the funeral of his close friend Dennis Williams, who was shot and killed earlier in the week.
Kansas fans' cheers for Mizzou have explanation
A funny thing happened on Sunday.
Marquette trailed Missouri by two points. The Golden Eagles had enough time left to win with a three, or tie the game with a Tyus Edney-esque layup. Lazar Hayward, a Marquette junior forward with big-game experience to spare, took the ball to in-bound it. Only he never got to. He stepped over the line, effectively gift wrapping a Sweet Sixteen birth for Missouri.
And that funny feeling became more prominent in my gut. I was — dare I say it? — happy Missouri had won. The subdued fist pump with which I saluted the victory only served to make official what I had desperately wanted to deny the entire game — I had been rooting for Missouri.
My only source of solace — and similarly, confusion — was the fact that I was hardly alone in my treachery. First, Facebook statuses (the best barometer for telling what our generation thinks about anything) spelled out begrudging admissions of having rooted for the Tigers. Brief conversations have since provided further evidence — however anecdotal it may be — that seemingly significant portions of Jayhawk nation found it somewhere within their hearts to do the sacrilegious.
The obvious question is: "why?"
The most obvious question is: Why?
The most obvious answer is brackets. More than anything else, people like being right. Especially in the context of competition.
If there happens to be money at stake, all the more motivation. But although this may explain the Mizzou cheering for some, it should be noted that people often seem to abandon their brackets and let the emotions evoked by March Madness take over. I doubt anyone had East Tennessee State offing Pittsburgh, but most were probably cheering for it, however badly it would have ruined their brackets.
Perhaps it's conference loyalty that can explain matters. Perhaps KU fans were merely supporting the Big 12. That Mizzou was facing off against Marquette (of the endlessly hyped Big East) may have been enough to switch the sympathies of some Jayhawk fans.
SEE BEECHER ON PAGE 7B
Jason Brunansky,
freshman outfield,
bats during the game against Western Illinois at Hogland Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon.
Jenny Terrell/KANSAN
BASEBALL
Kansas lays 14 runs on Western Illinois in victory
RY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
Worries about Kansas' hitting after the Texas series were put to rest Tuesday afternoon.
The Jayhawk bats put on an impressive display during the 14-3 victory against the Western Illinois Leathernecks (3-11) at Hoglund Ballpark.
"That was a good team win," coach Ritch Price said. "That what I was hoping would be accomplished today, to get a chance to play a lot of my backup guys."
Junior second baseman Robby Price, who had one hit and one
"So far every game, it seems, is one-run, two-run and real close," Robby said. "It's nice to see us put a 10-spot on some team and try to get those bats going and carry it through the weekend."
RBI, said it was nice to finally see some runs on the board. Kansas has played in five consecutive one-run games dating back to last week.
Six of the nine regular starters received the day off. The reserves took advantage of their playing time and Kansas (14-7) collected a season-high 14 hits with sophomore outfielder Casey Lytle tying junior shortstop David Narodowski with a game-high
For full coverage of the game against Western Illinois, check out page 6B.
BASEBALL REWIND
three hits and also adding two RBI.
"You come to the field every
Even though he usually comes off the bench, Lytle has raised his batting average to .424.
After the game players and coaches were relaxed, Ritch Price admitted that entering the third inning with his team down 2-0 he was anxious.
day to prepare and you get your chance and hopefully you make the best of it." Lytle said. "So far I'm making the best of my opportunity right now."
"It didn't start out as good as I would have liked," Price said. "It was a little scary there in the first couple of innings."
But once Kansas entered the second inning the floodgates opened and runs came in bunches.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 6B