Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
The Kansas Jayhawks had a successful meet this weekend at the FutureSystems Midwest Rowing Championships in Madison, Wis. Several Kansas teams placed well.
Tuesday
April 28,1998
Section:
B
Page 1
SEE PAGE 2B
Pro Basketball
San Antonio sensation Tim Duncan was named NBA Rookie of the Year.
SEE PAGE 3B
College Basketball
North Carolina's Antawn Jamison said goodbye to North Carolina and made himself eligible for the draft.
SEE PAGE 6B
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Kansas Baseball
Kansas' Clint Wyrick touches home after knocking the ball loose from Texas A&M's catcher during Sundav's aame. Photo by Steve Puppe/KANSAN
Injury strikes; KU players are out
By John Blakely Wilson
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas baseball head coach Bobby Randall glanced down his bench last Sunday and found himself a bit lonely.
"We only had 18 healthy bodies, and nine of those were pitchers," Randall said. "I've never seen this many injuries in a five-year stretch before."
The Jayhawks (18-28) started the season with 27 on the roster, even after outfielder Harrison Hill broke his leg in football last fall.
Then came injuries — and surgeries. Third baseman Sparky Wilhelm missed five games earlier in the season with a fractured cheekbone, and shortstop John Nelson won't play the rest of this season after catching a fast ball in the nose last week. Four other players have undergone surgery this season:
■ First baseman Randy Case, shoulder
■ First baseman Chad King, shoulder
- Pitcher Chad Shuster, knee
- Pitcher Franco Martinez, elbow
Add 2 wins in the Jayhawk's last 15 games and the mononucleosis second baseman and team batting average leader Andy Juday contracted a couple of weeks ago to the list, and the Jayhawks could use a couple of months off.
"People blame everything else on El Nino. So I the only reason I can think of for all our hurts would El Nino." Randall liked.
"We're missing so many key guys that our everyday players are getting worn out."
Randall said. "The guys that are playing are fatigued and inexperienced."
With a rugged April schedule that has seen the team play 22 games in 28 days, the few players that have remained healthy have had to play almost everyday.
Randall said the team suffered
"I've never seen this many injuries in a five-year stretch before."
"We've been close in so many games, but we have few options."
Bobby Randall
Kansas baseball coach
"This team was in great shape at the beginning of the season."
Randall said. "The injuries were not muscle pulls that come from being out of shape, but freak accidents like getting hit with line drives."
Underclassmen like outfielders
Brett Kappelmann and Doug Dreher and shortstop Brandon O'Neal have received considerable playing time.
"It's hard when a player is playing high school ball in Hays one year and playing against Texas A&M's juniors and seniors the next," Randall said of Dreher. "It's a credit to the young guys that we have been so competitive this season."
- The final quarter hot dog day of 1998 will take place today at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium as the Jayhawks play the Kansas State in a non-conference game at 7 p.m. Kansas closes out their Big 12 Conference schedule with three games this weekend against the Wildcats in Manhattan.
Women's golf swings through another season
Jason Pearce
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's golf team ended its season Sunday after finishing in ninth place in the Big 12 Championship in Norman. Okla.
Kansas totaled 972 for the 54-hole event and finished 12 strokes behind eighth
place Iowa State.
The Jayhawks shot a final round 328, which stopped any hopes of a comeback and a postseason tournament spot.
Texas A&M won the championship
53 shots ahead of Kansas with its total of 919. Texas took second place with a total of 923 while Oklahoma State placed third with a 924 total.
Kansas was led by senior Beth Reuter, who tied for 33rd with her score of 241 (81-75-85). Freshman Jamie Tucker finished in a tie for 35th with a 243 total (82-79-82). Junior Mandy Munsch tied for 39th with four other golfers at 244 (80-83-81).
Susan Tessary, one of the Jayhawks' hottest golfers heading into the championship, ended her sophomore campaign with a 43rd-place finish. Tessary shot 86-78-81 and a total of 245. Also for Kansas, Ashely Bishop finished 59th with her total of 261 (88-89-84).
Coach Jerry Waugh said that the golfers had to contend with windy conditions Friday and Saturday and with rain on Sunday but that the weather was not a factor in the finish.
"I had felt we would finish about seventh or eighth place, but our performance on the last day was less than average," Waugh said.
Kansas sophomore Courtney Wilson pitches against Southwest Missouri State. Photo by Roger Nomer/NakANSAN
Waugh said that Iowa State played well enough Sunday that even if the Jayhawks had played up to their potential, they probably would not have surpassed them.
The men's golf team finished the first round of its Big 12 Championship yesterday in fifth place. Weather permitting, the Jayhawks were scheduled to play 18 more holes yesterday and 18 holes today. The championship is being held at the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson.
Men's golfers Brad Barnett and Brad Davis were selected to the 1998 Academic All-Big 12 team that was announced last week.
Jayhawks to end season today
Barnett is a senior in Business Administration and Spanish and is the fourth starter on the 31st-ranked Jayhawks. Davis, a junior majoring in Business Administration, was ranked 65th nationally last fall. Davis holds a stroke average of 73.6.
Kansas softball team receives sixth seed in Big 12 tourney
By Laura Bokenkroger
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas softball team received a little luck last weekend.
After splitting with Missouri, the Jayhawks' chances of moving into the winners bracket of the Big 12 Tournament looked bleak.
Texas A&M needed just one victory against visiting Baylor to seal the sixth seed, the last spot in the double elimination bracket. But the game went nine innings and ended in a tie because of rain. The second game was canceled, and Texas A&M finished 6-10-1 in the league.
The Jayhawks, who are 7-11 in the Big 12, got the sixth seed and will face third-seeded Texas at 12:30 p.m. Friday in Oklahoma City.
The Jayhawks will end the regular season in a doubleheader against Creighton at 3 and 5 p.m. today at Jayhawk Field. The first two scheduled meetings between the two teams were canceled because of rain.
The Jayhawks will face Texas pitcher Christa Williams, the youngest member of the 1986 United States Olympic Gold Medal team and an All-American in her freshman year at UCLA. Williams, who has a 70 mph fastball, led UCLA to the championship game against Arizona last year before transferring to Texas.
Kansas will leave tomorrow for Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City and practice Thursday before opening the tournament against Texas Friday afternoon.
"Just because we only had one hit that game doesn't mean we didn't hit the ball hard." Stanwix said. "It'll be a challenge to face her again, but I hope I'm never intimidated by anyone. She has a lot of different pitches, a hard fast ball and a great change-up. I think our key will be staying back on the change-up and the rise ball."
The Jayhawks faced Williams earlier this season, and first baseman Shannon Stanwix broke up a no-hitter by driving in the Jayhawks only run. Kansas was ahead 1-0 in the
Coach Tracy Bunge said that she would focus practice on what the Jayhewks need to do to win, including keeping her team confident and focused on their strengths.
bottom of the seventh, but a two-run double by Texas gave the Longhorns the 2-1 victory.
Juco transfer looks at Kansas
Ashante Johnson, a 6-foot-9 junior college swinger from California, told teammates he loved his visit to the University of Kansas last weekend.
Johnson, who averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds last season, said he would consider signing with Kansas, Xavier, Florida State or Pepperdine in the coming weeks.
The deadline for the late signing period is May 15.
His coach, Mike Legarza, said he had heard that Johnson liked the University.
"I haven't talked to hm yet," Legarza said. "But from talking to some of his teammates, he really had a good time. He loved the campus. The coaches there obviously think he fits their system well because they had him to visit."
Johnson shot 54 percent from the field last year and 39 percent from behind the three-point line. He helped Canada (Calif.) Junior College go 20-4 and advance to the final four of the California junior college tournament, in which 160 teams participated.
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-Tommy Gallagher