SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, April 30, 1993
9
Jayhawks need to sweep Cyclones
Irene Lanier / KANSAN
Sophomore first baseman Lora Richardson throws the ball to junior third baseman Kim Newborn during warmups between innings during a game. The softball team will play a four game series against Iowa this weekend.
Tournament invitation still possible
By Mark Button Kansan sportswriter
It's do or die for the Jayhawks.
Although the Kansas softball team split a doubleheader with Creighton Tuesday, there is still hope for the Jayhawks to receive an invitation to the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament.
The Jayhawks, 25-11-1 overall and 11-5 in the Big Eight Conference, remained in second place in the region despite Tuesday's loss.
Kansas coach Kalum Haack said he liked what he saw defensively in the games with Creighton, but he was disappointed with the offense.
One of the Jayhawks who has stepped up defensively is freshman shortstop Katie Morgan.
Morgan, who struggled in the first half of the season, has committed only three errors in conference play and turned in a flawless performance in the four-game set with Oklahoma State.
"Katie is playing great," Haack said.
"She has really come through for us."
The Jayhawks dropped the first game against Creighton 1-0 in a 10-inning affair and won the second game 3-2.
With the loss, Kansas faces a must-sweep situation in this weekend's four-game series with Iowa State. Though some coaches might not be comfortable with the pressure, Haack
said he was happy with the team's position.
"We're in the driver's seat," he said. "We don't have to wait for some other team to win or lose."
Kansas had scheduled a doubleheader with Missouri-Kansas City for yesterday. However, because of rain earlier in the week, the games were not played and will not be made up.
If the Hawks sweep the Cyclones, they will advance to the regionals.
If Kansas does not claim four victories, then the third-place team in the region, Texas A&M, would have a chance to bump the Jahyacks out of the tournament. However, if Kansas were to claim only three victories, it would still have an outside chance of advancing.
Haack said that he was confident that his team could bring home four victories from Iowa State.
"It's possible that both Texas A&M and Kansas will be invited," Haack said.
"We just need to stop them from stringing together back-to-back hits," he said. "If they get on a roll they're hard to stop."
Iowa State coach Deb Kuhn, a 1978 Kansas graduate, said she realized her team had been inconsistent this season.
Kansas senior center fielder Shanna Cole, who leads the conference in steals with 16, runs scored with 17, and triples with two, said she was also at ease with Kansas' must-win predicament.
Kansas softball
26-12-1 vs.
Iowa St.
14-20
Probable KU starters avg. RB
c  Erin Wahaua 145
1b Lora Richardson 292 1
2b Bonnie Dickie 174 3
3b Bonnieappe 160
ss Katie Morgan 184 1
if  Ty Saxby 273 4
rf  Ty Herrera 273 4
rf  Michelle Duthil 270 4
d Michelle Duthil 263 4
Stephani Williams, 24-8 (0.96 ERA)
Probable Iowa St. pitcher
Probable Iowa St. pitcher
Kristy Brown, 9-7 (136 ERA)
head coach: Kalum Haack
GAME NOTES
Kansas is 11-5 in the Big Eight, Iowa St. is 7-5.
KU must sweep the four game series to qualify for postseason play
at Southwest Athletic Complex, Ames, la.
"We know we've been playing well." Cole said. "We just need to get our hitting back on track."
Cole said that when she was an underclassman she looked to the seniors in situations such as the present one. She said if the seniors could get on track, there would be a carry-over effect.
Another Jayhawk catcher, catcher Erin Wahaus, has also been hot this season. She leads the conference in three categories: hitting, with a 452 average; hits, with 19; and runs batted in, with 14.
"Erin has been hitting the ball real well lately," Cole said. "If we turn it up a notch, hopefully everyone else will."
Big Eight standings
Softball
league overall
Oklahoma St. * 14 2 42 7
Kansas* * 11 5 26 12
Iowa St. * 7 5 14 20
Missouri 8 8 28 13
Nebraska* 2 10 13 22
Oklahoma* 2 14 20 26
- Standings updated through April 26.
* Kansas also has one tie.
Baseball
Kansas at Iowa St. 1 p.m. (DH)
Missouri at Nebraska. 1 p.m. (DH)
Kansas at Iowa St., 11 a.m. (DH)
Missouri at Nebraska, 11 a.m. (DH)
league overall
Oklahoma St. 16 7 27 12
Kansas 14 6 33 10
Missouri 11 9 24 16
Nebraska 10 10 21 18
Oklahoma 10 9 27 17
Kansas St. 4 12 13 26
Iowa St. 12 15 12 24
Kansas at Kansas St, 7 p.m.
Saturday's games:
Kansas at Kansas St, 7 p.m.
Missouri at Iowa St, 1 p.m.
Sunday's games:
Kansas at Kansas St, 1 p.m.
Missouri at Iowa St, 1 p.m.
Nebraska-Hearty at Nebraska
1:30 p.m. (DH)
Assistant basketball coach takes job at Illinois State
By David Dorsey
Kansan sportswriter
Kevin Stallings, an assistant coach with the Kansas basketball team for five seasons, was announced as the new head coach at Illinois State yesterday.
Stallings, who is from Collinsville, Ill., said that returning to his home state was just one of many factors in his decision to leave Kansas.
"It's a tremendous opportunity," he said. "There are so many things to be proud of at Illinois State."
Kansas coach Roy Williams lost an assistant coach for the second time in two years. Last season Jerry Green took the head coaching job at Oregon.
As with his reaction to Green's leaving, Williams had mixed emotions about Stallings' detenure.
"We're very, very happy for Kevin and very sad for us," Williams said. "It's a big loss for us. Kevin has been instrumental in all our success. He came the first month we were on the job at Kansas. It's a big-time loss for me personally."
It is not yet known who will fill Stallings' position. Steven Robinson is the only
Ramming descent who has been in the Kansas staff since Williams was hired in 1989.
Matt Doherty is the restricted earnings assistant coach and has been on the Jayhawks staff for almost a year.
At Kansas, Stallings was responsible for coordinating recruiting and scouting. During its college basketball preview issue, Sports Illustrated listed Stallings among the top college basketball recruiters in the nation.
NOTE:
Jerod Haase, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard from California, visited Lawrence yesterday. He is reportedly considering transferring to Kansas next fall.
Williams is unable to comment on Haase until the paperwork is complete.
Haase would fill the fifth and final scholarship that Kansas has to offer next season. He will be able to practice but not play next season. He will also have three years of eligibility remaining after next season.
Muse averaged 7.2 points a game at California and was a starter until early February, when Coach Todd Bozeman replaced Lou Campanelli, who was fired.
BRIEFS
Kevin Stallings watches the final minutes of a game against Nebraska. Stallings, an assistant basketball coach at Kansas for five years, has accepted the head coaching job at Illinois State.
Golf coach named Coach of the Year
Kansan staff report
Kansas men's golf coach Ross Randall was named Big Eight Conference Golf Coach of the Year yesterday.
It is the second time in Randall's 14 years at Kansas that he has earned the award. The previous honor came in 1989.
Randall led the Jayhawks to a second place finish at the Big Eight Championships this year. Oklahoma State, ranked No. 1 in the nation, defeated Kansas by one shot.
"This honor certainly gives the team confidence and the feeling to believe in themselves," Randall said. "It is also nice to be recognized."
Junior Matt Gogel, who finished third at the Big Eight Championships, said Randall helped the teamplay at a higher level and that he deserved the honor.
Big Eighth honors Javhawks'Jensen
Kansanstaffreport
Kansas sophomore Rebecca Jensen has been named Big Eight Netter of the Week for the period ending April 25.
At the Big Eight Championships last weekend, she went 2-0 at the No.1 singles spot and helped lead the Jayhawks to their second consecutive conference title.
Jensen defeated Missouri Sonja Moe and Colorado's Nathalie Dickson in the first two rounds of the conference tournament.
Jensen's match in the finals, in which she was leading Cristina Sirianni, was suspended when Kansas clinched the match against Oklahoma State.
In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's latest poll, Jensen was ranked No. 15 in singles with a 26-5 record.
Kansan staff report
Signee will add depth to women's tennis
Kansas women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher announced Wednesday the signing of Amy Trytek, a nationally ranked player from Bradenton, Fla.
Tryptek was ranked in the top 16 in singles national indoors and ranked in the 54th in singles outdoors in the 18-and-under age group. In doubles, she was a semifinalist at the national grass courts.
"With everyone coming back next year, she will add depth to our program." Merzbacher said. "In juniors, she has excellent doubles results, so she will add another element to our doubles possibilities."
Trytk is from Chicago. She received the 1990 Illinois Coaches Award. At Bradenton's St. Stephens Episcopal School, she plays the No. 1 varsity position.
Jayhawks ready for rematch with Kansas State
Wildcats coach fears Kansas runs in quest to avenge close loss
By Brady Prauser
Kansan sportswriter
Although the No. 16 Kansas baseball team begins a three-game weekend series at 7 tonight at Kansas State, the Wildcats are not the team Kansas coach Dave Bingham is concerned about.
"If we do what we are capable of doing, the wins and losses will take care of themselves," Bingham said. "We haven't played as well as we did early in the season. We want to get back swinging the bats well."
nor is he concerned about anyone else in the Big Eight Conference
Kansas.
Fortunately for Kansas, swinging the bat for the first time in two weeks will be all-conference senior center holder Darryl Monroe, who was signed by a hamstring strain suffered against Iowa State.
John Wuychek, senior first baseman, tries to catch a Kansas State player off guard during a pick-off play. Wuychek is 2-for-4 and had 2 RB in Tied game's game.
Bingham had there was a good chance that No. 2 hitter Monroe got the lead.
"Darryl is a great addition for us," he said.
On the down side, however, senior second baseman Jeff Berbler will
Leadoff hitter Berlinger has not been completely healthy since the Northeastern Illinois series during the first week of the month, Bingham said.
remain out with a back injury at least until the Nebraskas series beginning.
Freshman Brian Turney will start at second base tonight.
Two left-handers will handle the pitching. Kansas senior Tom Stewart, 5-3, faces K-State junior Rob Merriman, 3-5.
"It has just gotten progressively worse," he said.
The Wildcats lost 6-3 here Tuesday night after Kansas rallied from a 2-1 deficit with two outs in the eighth inning by scoring five runs. Wednesday's game was rained out.
"You aren't going to shut Kansas down for the whole ball game." Clark said. "We need to keep executing when Kansas does get a run going, especially in the middle of the lineup."
That matchup could be key, said K-State coach Mike Clark.
Despite Tuesday's loss, Clark had no regrets.
"I don't mind losing when we play
like that," he said. "That was one of the most enjoyable college ball games I've seen. It was two teams hustling. It was just a fun game to watch."
K-State right-hander Dan Driskill, who held the Jayhawks to three hits through seven and two-thirds innings Tuesday, might start again Sunday, Clark said.
Kansas, 33-10 overall, is second to Oklahoma State in the Big Eight with a 14-6 conference record. KState is 13-26 and 4-12.
The Jahawks will start freshman Jamie Splittorff, 5-0, tomorrow. Senior David Soult, 6-2, will start Sunday.
Kansan sportswriter
By Blake Spurney
Track teams prepare to run in last two meets of season
The Kansas men's and women's track teams will compete in their last meet before the Big Eight Championships tomorrow at the Minnesota Invitational in Minneapolis.
Kansas coach Gary Schwartz said that he was sending every healthy athlete to compete.
Other men's teams attending the meet will be Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. On the women's side, Nebraska, Minnesota, Mankato State, St. Olaf and St. Cloud State will compete with the Jayhawks.
"We're pretty excited about it because we're going north," he said.
He said that some of the better track programs were at schools north of Kausa, like Nebraska and those in the Big Ten Conference.
"It is a good opportunity for our athletes to get a good frame of mind for the upcoming conference meet," Schwartz said.
"According to Coach, it's going to be good for us because Nebraska is there." Johnston said.
Junior distance runner David Johnston, who will run the 1,500 Saturday, said that not many teams would be there, but that the three going were good teams.
The Jayhawks will be shooting for the Cornhuskers at the Big Eight Outdoors, which will be May 17 and 18 in Boulder. Colo.
Schwartz said that the men's team would be helped this weekend by the return of junior spinner Jobe Pickett and junior pole vaulter John Bazzoni, both of whom have been injured.
"Physically, healthwise, we maybe in the best shape of the season," Schwartz said.
However, junior distance runner Julia Saul will not make the trip because of a strained hamstring, which she aggravated at last week's Drake Relays.
NOTES:
S six athletes have signed letters of intent with the Kansas men's and women's track teams. Schwartz announced Wednesday.
On the men's team, sprinter Nate Hill and triple jumper Marc Scheid of Blue Valley North, Overland Park, pole vaulter Troy Hoffmann from Thomas More Prep, Hays, and high jumper Ty Lewis of Oswego signed.
On the women's team, Bridgett Mann of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Colleen McClinton of Madison, Wis., both distance runners, signed.