Inside Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Sports The Kansas baseball team continued its slide this weekend against Texas A&M. The Jayhawks clinched last place after being swept by the Aggies. Pro Baseball Former Kansas City Royal star Brett Saberhagen hopes to make a comeback. SEE PAGE 5B Monday April 27,1998 Section: B Page 1 Kansas Softball The Kansas softball team heads into the Big 12 Conference tournament after splitting two games with Missouri. SEE PAGE 4B WWW.KANSAN.COM/NEWS/SPORTS Contact the Kansan Sports Desk: (785) 864-4810 Sports Fax: (785) 864-5261 Sports e-mail: sports@kansan.com Sports Forum: spfforum@kansan.com Frederick not talking about open post in Big 12 By Tommy Gallagher tgallagher @kansan.com Kansas sportswriter Steve Hatchell has yet to resign as commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. But Bob Frederick, Kansas director of athletics, may be a leading candidate for the position. Hatchell came under scrutiny by people whom he worked with in the Big 12 office in Dallas. Allegations included workplace harassment and inappropriate comments toward women. Frederick, who lost a 7-5 vote to Hatchell in March 1995 for the right to be the Big 12's first commissioner, told The Associated Press on Thursday Frederick; may be a candidate for big 12 Commissioner. that he did not want to speculate about the future. Texas A&M president Ray Bowen, chairman of the Big 12 presidents told The Associated Press that Hatchell was not being forced to resign. "I'm not going to comment on that at this time," Frederick said. "I don't know what the status of everything is. I'm concerned about the conference, but I would prefer not to answer a hypothetical question at this point." Hatchell said he probably would resign after spring conference meetings next month, but added he did not know whether the resignation would come in May, June, July or even later. "If it's being reported that he's being forced out, that's false," Bowen said. "He's a gentleman who has done a good job, and he's decided to look for other opportunities. He told us that. Whether he is leaving tomorrow or six months from now, I don't know." Hatchell interviewed for the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee on April 17 and is considered a candidate for the sports director position. The committee said it hoped to fill the position by June. Hatchell has about 20 months remaining on his five-year contract with the Big 12. Some sources report that he earns $250,000 annually, others $212,000. Frederick, Missouri director of athletics Joe Castiglione and Oklahoma State associate director of athletics Dave Martin are considered leading candidates to replace Hatchell. Frederick, who has been the athletics director since 1987, has led the Kansas program through some of its most successful seasons. In 1992-93, Kansas became the second school in Division I history to win a football bowl game, advance to the men's basketball Final Four and reach baseball's College World Series in the same school year. Frederick hired each of those coaches: Glen Mason, Rov Williams and Dave Bingham. And during 1993-94, Kansas placed 28th among 219 schools for the Sears Directors Cup, an award that recognizes the top athletics programs among NCAA schools. Under Frederick, the Jayhawks have added two women's sports: crew and soccer. Kansas and Connecticut participated in the first men-women basketball doubleheader on network television in 1995. Running of the Bowles Kansas running back Mitch Bowles breaks through the line on a run. Bowles ran for a 75-yard touchdown in the spring game on Saturday. Photo by Steve Puppe/KANSAN Blue team wins annual spring game By Kevin C. Wilson Kansan sportswriter nits he is a slow starter. Mitch Bowles admits he is a slow starter. "I usually don't start off that quick," the junior running back said. "It takes me a little time to get in the flow of the game and get a feel for it." On Saturday it took just 16 seconds. Bowles exploded for the unattached 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage for the Blue team in the annual spring football game at Haskell Stadium. The Blue team, composed of the Jayhawks' first-string offensive and defensive teams, piled up 292 yards of total offense and coated to a 38-0 victory against the White team. The windy conditions hampered the aerial offenses of both teams, but rushing the ball was easy for the first team. "The running game was just great. It surprised the heck out of me," Blue team quarterback Zac Wagner said. "It's tough to run, the ball on our defense." Bowles finished with 147 yards and two touchdowns on four carries and sophomore running back David Winbush added 52 yards and two touchdowns as the firststring team amassed a total of 225 yards on the ground. Coach Terry Allen said he had come to expect big plays from his running backs. "Every practice that we have gone live this spring, one of them has broken a long run." Allen said, referring to Bowles, Winbush and senior Julius Bruce. Winbush ran for 34 yards on the Blue team's second possession, setting up a 22-yard field goal for sophomore kicker Joe Garcia and extending the lead to 10-1. After two failed possessions, strong safety Michael Allen intercepted a pass from quarterback Akili Roberson and returned it $3 yards to the seven-yard line. Winbush burst into the end zone with 5:02 remaining in the first quarter, extending the lead to 17-0. On the Blue team's next possession, Bowles slithered through a hole and ran for 66 yards. He finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown run and pushed the lead to 240 with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter. With 8:03 remaining in the second quarter, cornerback Jamie Harris intercepted another Roberson pass and ran 75 yards for the touchdown. Wegner completed 7 of 11 passes for 67 yards on the day, but he said that the blustery conditions made it difficult. "It definitely wasn't the ideal conditions for throwing the ball, but it always feels good to get out there," Wegner said. BLUE 38, WHITE O Scoring by Quarter Blue Team: 24 14 0 0—38 White Team: 0 0 0 0—0 Scoring by Quarter White Teams 0 0 0 0 — 0 First Quarter Blue: Bowles 75-yard run (Garcia kick), 11:44 Blue: FG Garcia 22, 9:07 Blue: FG Garcia 7-yard run (Garcia kick), 5:02 Blue: Bowles 6-yard run (Garcia kick), 1:32 Second Quarter Blue: Harris 75-yard int. return (Garcia kick), 8:03 Blue: Harris 75-yard int. retun (Garcick kick); 8-03 Blue: Winbush 29-yard run (Garcick kick; 4-1) Blue: Harris 75-yard int. retun (Garcick kick; 4-1)
| White | Blue | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 7 | 9 |
| Rushing-yards | 22-3 | 18-225 |
| Passing | 66 | 67 |
| Comp-Ath.Int. | 5-12-2 | 7-13-0 |
| Punts-Avg. | 7.38-9 | 3.45-7 |
| Fumbles | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 6-31 | 3-30 |