SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, April 23, 1993
7
Tennis teams plan to ace tournaments
Women hope to repeat as champions
Rebecca Jensen, Kansas sophomore, returns a ball during practice in preparation for the Big Eight Tournament. The Jayhawks are ranked 17th in the nation, and Jensen is ranked 15th in singles. The women's tournament is this weekend at the Homestead Country Club in Prairie Village.
By Blake Spurney
Kansan sportswriter
The No. 17 Kansas women's tennis team will head into this weekend's Big Eight Championships as the overwhelming favorite — expected to repeat as conference champions.
During the regular season, Kansas,
0-4 overall, breezed through its conference
record of 56-7. Five of its team members were crushed 9-0 by Kansas.
The players were loose and confident at yesterday's practice at the tenius courts behind Allen Fell Field House. Sophomore Rebecca Jensen said she had no doubt that the Jayhawks would win the Big Eight.
This weekend's matches will be played at the Homestead Country Club in Prairie Village, Kansas' first round will be at 9 a.m. today against Missouri, which has not been a conference opponent.
Kansas coach Chuck Merzbacher said that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State had the best shot of dethroning the Jayhawks.
"Nobody gives you a conference championship." Merzhaer said.
Both Oklahoma teams gave Kansas some trouble when they met two weeks ago in Lawrence. Kansas clipped Oklahoma 5-4 and Oklahoma State 6-3.
Menzbacher said that his players struggled in those two matches with their singles play, but now they were the first to win tennis at the best time of the year.
In doubles play, Kansas has been virtually untouchable with a 20-1 record in the conference.
Sophomore Nora Koves owns a 7-0 Big Eight singles record. Koves and Jensen both will carry a 24-5 overall
record into the tournament.
Junior Abby Woods said it would be a good match if Oklahoma and Oklahoma State would meet in the second round Saturday. However, she said she did not see the Jawahars losing this weekend, regardless of who they play in the finals.
"I don't really think it matters what team we play, as long as we focus on what we need to do," she said. "As long as each of us does her job, KU should be Big Eight champions again."
State-Colorado match tomorrow at 1 p.m. The finals will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Barring a major upset, the Jayhawks will face the winner of the Kansas
If Kansas does win the conference, a return trip to the NCAA Championships, May 12 to 20 in Gainesville, Fla. is almost assured.
ing All-America status this season. An All-American must be ranked in the top 16 of the final intercollegiate Tennis Tournament in singles or the top eight in doubles.
Jensen was ranked No. 15 in last week's poll, and Jensen and Koves were ranked No. 10 in doubles.
Men's team confident about title
Jensen and Koves are close to reachmake you pay for your mistakes," she said.
The Kansas men's tennis team will attempt to improve upon its three consecutive second-place conference finishes this weekend at the Big Eight Championships.
Kansas last won the conference in 1988, but its coach and players sounded optimistic about their chances of taking this year's title.
Kansan sportswriter
By Blake Spurney
"I think we have a really good shot of winning," he said. "We might have the mental edge."
Freshman J. P. Vissepo agreed.
Kansas coach Michael Center said the team had been playing well for a month. The Jayhawks, 14-7 and 5-1 in the Big Eight, have won six of seven matches since losing to Arizona State March 24.
"If we put together two really good matches, we could win it all," he said. "If we don't, we may get fourth or fifth."
First for the Jayhawks will be Missouri, 0-6 in the conference, at 3 p.m. today at the Leawood Country Club in Leawood. When the two teams met during the regular season, Kansas pummeled the Tigers 9-0.
Weekend may decide softball championship
*nansas has met Nebraska twice in season. The Cornhuskers took the first match in the fall, but fell to the Eagles in Neb., during the Big Eight season.
In the second round, the Jayhawks will most likely face Nebraska at noon tomorrow. Nebraska, 4-2 in the conference, Oklahoma State, 1-5, in the first round.
Center said that he was not overlooking the second game.
"We'll have to play well on Saturday to get to Sunday," he said about reaching the championship game.
By Mark Button
It's crunch time for the Kansas soft ball team.
The Cowgirls are ranked 4th in the nation and lead the conference with only one loss in 12 conference games. Kansas is second with a 10-2 record.
The No. 13 ranked Jayhawks will play host to Big Eight Conference rival Oklahoma State this weekend in two doubleheaders. The four-game series should decide the conference championship.
Kansas coach Kalum Haack said that this was the most important
Haack said that the games were important to the Cowlers as well.
"They need to maintain their No. 4 ranking," he said. "Also, we beat them five out of seven times last season." Two of the five Kansas victories last year came in the NCAA Regional game last weekend and won. The championship propelled Kansas to its first NCAA Women's College World Series.
Oklahoma State coach Sandy Fischer said the Cowgirls were mentally prepared to come to Lawrence and make a statement.
"I don't know if it's revenge," says Fischer on last season's loss. "But it's definitely an incentive. Anytime we play Kansas, it's big."
Injuries have been a problem for the 'Hawks throughout their 1993 campaign. However, Haack said his players were ready for the series.
Not only are the Jayhawks healthy, some of them are hitting the ball better than they have all season.
Senior catcher Erin Wahaus is one of the Jayhawks on a hot streak. Wahaus is on a eight-game hitting streak, in which she is 18-for-24.
"It's unbelievable," Haack said of Wahaus' streak. "The ball must lor k like a cantalope to her."
Junior pitcher Stephani Williams agreed with Haack.
Haack also said it would be important for sophomore first baseman Lora Richardson and senior centerfielder Shanna Cole to continue to produce offensively.
"If we stop them from scoring, I feel we can manufacture some runs," Haack said. "We just can't make any mistakes."
Although Kansas has some hot hitters, Haack said defense and pitching would make the difference.
They're the kind of team that will
Kansas softball
24-8-1 vs. KU
Oklahoma St.
39-6
Jayhawk starters avg. RBI
c ein Ernhaus .533 14
1b Lora Richardson .353 18
2b Lorie Capple .184 21
ss Katie Morgan .222 13
f Ty Saxby .222 9
rf Joyan Cole .410 8
rf Joyan Carlo .410 8
rf Dhelli Michel .308 2
Starting pitcher
Stephani Williams, 8-1 (0.86 ERA)
Head coach: Kalum Haack
GAME NOTES
GAME NOTES
Kansas is ranked 13th.
Oklahoma St. is ranked
Williams has been victorious in her last seven starts, and her record for the season is 22-4. She has allowed only three runs in the last 48 innings.
Oklahoma St. leads the all-time series 28-26.
"She is pitching the best she has in a month," Haack said.
Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday's will start at 11 a.m.
Doubleheaders at 1 p.m.
Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday
Jayhawk Field
Hot 'Hawks to face Missouri
By Brady Prauser
Kansan sportswriter
Missouri's baseball season has been a roller coaster ride.
Coach Gene McArtor just hopes his team is on the upswing at 7 tonight when the Tigers play host to No.12 Kansas in the opener of a three-game series.
"We've been an up and down team the entire spring." McArtor said. "It will be good for us if we can string a few wins together."
Missouri won eight of its first nine games before being plagged by two skids in which it lost four of five and five of seven games.
Kansas, 31-8 overall and leading the Big Eight Conference with a 12-4 record, split two games earlier at home against Missouri. 21-13 and 8-7.
Although Missouri has the homefield advantage this time, McArter does not know if the location will be a factor in the outcome of the game.
"Any coach in the country would prefer to play at home in terms of comfortable surroundings," McArtor said. "But it's hard to predict whether the results are going to be any different."
Kansas senior left-hander Tom Stewart, 5-2, will face Missouri isophorne left-hander Chris Robertson, 2-
Kansas baseball
31-8, (12-4) vs. KU
Missouri Tigers 21-13. (8-7)
Jayhawks lineup .avg. HR RB 1
2.2b Jeff Berbilinger .345 .841
2.5b Dan Rude .293 .4 28
2.6b Nejemycheck .394 .4 28
4. c Jin Nejemycheck .374 .6 18
5. cf Josh igou .377 .3 31
6. rf Tor袁Turquinio .298 .3 31
7. st Jordi Wintheim .298 .3 31
8. th John Hoffghoff .486 .8 30
9. dh Alex King .302 .0 30
Probable starting pitcher Tom Stewart, 6-2 (5.33 ERA)
Tom Stewart, 6-2 (5.33 ERA)
1. Stewart got the loss against the Tigers during their first meeting this season.
Kansas leads the nation in scoring, averaging just more than 10 runs a game. But the Jayhawks still are without the services of all-conference junior center fielder Darryl Monroe, who was sidelined April 16 after straining a hamstring against Iowa State.
Bingham said he hoped Monroe would be back in action before the
Big Eight Tournament in May. Kansas has 12 games left in the regular season.
The Jahawks won two games Tuesday and Wednesday at Nebraska.
"Our club is playing well and has confidence in itself," Bingham said. "but when you go on the road you afford to make as many mistakes."
Jamie Splittorff, 5-0, will start for Kansas tomorrow, and senior David Soult, 6-1, will pitch Sunday.
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Limited Seating
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