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Friday, February 13, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
KU baseball swings into new season
Jayhawks open at San Diego St.
By John Blakely Wilson sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
A vacation to sunny California with red hot sand and sky blue water sounds pretty good in the middle of a Kansas winter.
The Kansas baseball team jets off on this dream vacation this weekend for three days in the San Diego sun.
Too bad they will not see much of that sand and water.
The Jayhawks, coming off a 31-26 record in 1997, open the season with a three-game series at San Diego State. Head coach Bobby Randall said there would not be much time for sightseeing.
"We'll basically only go places you can with baseball pants on," Randall said. "We'll spend most of the weekend either playing games or practicing."
The Aztecs, coming off a 41-22-1 season, have a 2-1 record and received votes in the latest USA Baseball Weekly rally. Rallman said San Diego State returned
five of six top hitters and the all- Western Athletic Conference pitcher Chad Wanders. Wanders struck out seven batters in five innings during his first start of the season, a win against Houston. He will start tomorrow's game.
"They're going to be a challenge because they knock the ball around and run aggressively on the bases." Randall said. "Their ace pitcher (Wanders) could throw anywhere in the nation."
Randall downplayed the significance of the three-game head start that San Diego State has on his team.
"I would be more concerned if we hadn't been able to spend much time outside, but we have," Randall said. "If you lose with excuses, you still lose."
Pitcher Rusty Philbrick (3-1 record, 4.71 ERA in 1997) will start the opener and be followed by pitcher Les Walrond (1-0, 14.40). Each will be held to a 75-80 pitch count by the coaching staff.
"I expect to use all 13 pitchers this weekend and keep everybody's pitch count low," pitching coach Wilson Kilmer said. "We want to protect our arms this early in the spring."
ERA in 1997) and freshman Brian Schriner are scheduled to throw tomorrow, followed by junior college transfer Chad Schuster and Chris Williams (1-1, 5.86) on Sunday.
Mark Corson (2-3 record, 4.86
Randall said freshman shortstop John Nelson would lead off the batting order, followed by second baseman Andy Juday (.365, 10 home runs, 37 RBI in 1997) and third baseman Sparky Wilhelm (.265 and 17 RBI).
Catcher Josh Dimmick (313, 5 home runs, 38 RB) will hit clean-up, followed by designated hitter Shane Wedd (341, 1 home run, 10 RBI) and first baseman Chad King (253, 5 home runs, 17 RBI).
Center fielder Clint Wryrick (.373 average, 9 RBI at New Mexico in 1997), right-fielder Cliff Bryson (.334, 8 home runs, 35 RBI in junior college) and left-fielder Brett Kappelmann (.250) will round out the order.
Randall said the most important thing about this early-season series was identifying ingame problems.
"We will know much more about this team after the weekend," Randall said. "We'll see what our weaknesses are and then come home and work on improving them."
Out to the ballpark
Closer: Chris Williams #11 Jr., 1-1 record, 5.86 ERA,
20 games
Baseball team catches some new outfielders
M. D. Bradshaw/KANSAN
By John Blakely Wilson Kansan sportswriter
Last season the Kansas baseball team recorded a school-record .327 batting average, and much of the team's hitting attack came from its outfielders.
Unfortunately, the outfield was also to blame for its last place finish in Big 12 Conference fielding percentage.
Kansas baseball begins this season with a new starting outfield because of graduation and position changes. Head coach Bobby Randall said this group had improved defensively.
Kappelmann: Will start in left field for Kansas today
Two Kansas' outfielders graduated:
Justin Headley (.340 batting average,
11 home runs, 53 RBI) and
Stephen Matthews (.308, 4, 16).
Outfielder Mike Dean (.315, 1, 26) transferred to Oral Roberts University and Les Walrond (.335, 6, 37) is concentrating on pitching.
"We made too many errors in the
King: Will start in right field for Kansas today
outfield last year because of a lack of concentration," Randall said. "We're faster and have better arms now and combining those
skills with better concentration will make us improved."
Randall said New Mexico transfer Clint Wyrick .373 and 9 RBI) Cliff Bryson .334,8,35 in junior college) and Brett Kappelmann .250) are in competition for the center field job.
Wyrick won the first battle, earning the starting nod for the opener with Bryson in right and Kappelmann in left.
"They are all fast, and all have a chance to be very good hitters for us," Randall said. "I think you will see dramatic improvement from them through the first month of the season as they get experience."
Chad King (.253, 5, 17) will spend
"We made too many errors in the outfield last year because of a lack of concentration."
Bobby Randall Kansas head coach
some time in the outfield but will start the season at first base, and Walrond should see time in right field in addition to the pitcher's mound.
Waldron's big play bat will be missed in the everyday line-up this season. He hit game-winning
home runs against Baylor ace Kris Lambert and against national power Oklahoma State last season.
"Les will get at bats: It wouldn't be smart to keep a batter like that completely out of the line-up." Randall said. "You'll see him a lot as a pinch hitter in key situations."
Junior college transfer Danny Auckland, whom Randall said was hitting as well as anyone on the team, and freshman Doug Dreher, should also get chances.
"Our team defense has to improve, and I think this will be an area in which we'll be much better," Randall said.
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