The University Courier.
13
GOD BLESS THEE, KANSAS.
Verdant wheat fields stretching southward,
Fruitful orchards east and west;
Not a spot in all the prairie
That the spring time has not blest;
Every field a smiling promise,
Every house an Eden fair;
And the angels, Peace and Plenty,
Strewing blessings every where.
Peace, thine angel, pointeth upward
Where the gray clouds break away,
And athwart the azure heavens
Shineth forth Hope's placid ray.
Look to heaven and to the future,
Grieve no longer o'er the past;
Through thy trials, God bless thee, Kansas!
See the stars appear—at last!
—Hattie Horner.
ATHLETICS.
The first practice game of base ball was played at McCook field last Saturday. Nothing much can be said about the ability of the candidates to play ball, in that it was the first game. But judging from the game played Saturday it would seem that we are going to lack good pitchers. None of the men who occupied that position filled it at all satisfactorily. If any of these men expect to pitch for the team, they will have to work, and work hard. I think that a good pitcher is necessary for K. U. to win at base ball. Of the other positions nothing can be said at present.
The following men have registered as candidates for the base-ball team. Catcher, Parker, Kelsey; Pitcher, Waggener, Steinberger, Smith, Strothers, Clarke; First-base, H. B. Hogeboom, Lewers, Green, Mitchell, Coleman, Reynolds, A. McMurry; Second-base, Alden, Holdren, Sutermeister, Matteson; Third-buse, McLaughlin, Pampell; Short-stop, Hill. Williamson, Harding; Field, Chamberlain, Shirar, McMahon, R. W. Hogeboom, Kelley, Piatt, W. McMurry, Taylor, Mitchell, Macomb, Ludlum, Watsen,—34.
The Junior Laws propose to make things hum in base ball this spring. They have several good men in their class and they can defeat any other class team in the University. They perfected the organization of team last Tuesday. They would like to hear from any class in the University.
During this nice weather the captain of field athletics should have his men out and at work. The track could be fixed up and a great deal could be done. The fact that we have no gymnasium should be sufficient argument for this assertion.
Baseball in the West, and especially throughout the Southwest has been at low ebb, but with the reorganization of a strong Western League the sport will beyond doubt assume much of its old-time popularity the coming season. Several of the colleges also have good teams, and Kansas City may possibly be treated to games between Kansas and Missouri and Kansas and Michigan. It is noticeable that while the colleges have met on the "gridiron" for a number of years, there have been few baseball contests. Baker and Kansas met each year, and in '92 Kansas defeated Nebraska 5 to 4, but outside of these games there has been little college baseball in this section of the country. Why would not some college contests in Kansas City prove extremely popular?-The Western Sportsman.
The Western Sportsman says: "football has very foolishly been prohibited at the Kansas State Normal School. The State Agricultural College never did "cotton" to it any way, so the State University will have to uphold the honor of the State all alone." It might be well to add that we are going to do just this, in foot ball next fall.
Captain Kelsey announces that the following teams will play Saturday:
Smith, P. Wagner.
Kelsey, C. Parker.
Williamson, S. S. Harding.
Mitchell, 1st. Lewers.
Matteson, 2nd. Alden.
McMahon, 3d. Hogeboom.
Taylor, R. F Shiras.
Chamberlain, C. F. McMurray.
Strothers, L. F. Steinberger.
All candidates be at McCook Field Saturday.
Kansas City will have a baseball team this year. Johnny Manning will captain and manage the team.
The Junior Law School team plays the Lawrence High School team next Saturday.
Jimmy Kelsey will captain and manage the Winfield, Kansas, team this summer.
Todd, the crack short-stop of the "Central Minnesota Base Ball League," will enter K. S. U. next year.
Midland College promises to play good base ball this spring. They did splendidly in foot-ball last fall.
What is the matter with Washburn? Are we not going to have the pleasure of defeating her again?
Base ball promises to regain some of its former prestige this year.
Foot-ball at West Point and Annapolis has been prohibited by the War Department.
The Glee Club should organize a ball team for their spring trip. Perhaps they might be more successful than they were with their foot-ball team.
It is said that Carl Faulks used to be a great pitcher. Idt.
There is talk of organizing an inter-fraternity base ball league. The idea is a good one and should be pushed.
Fred King caught for his class team at Ann Arbor.
A committee of the athletic board has applied for a charter for our new association.
The Baker team was "never defeated" during the season, and quit several hundred dollars behind. The University of Kansas won but two games and quit the game a thousand dollars ahead. It looks as if Baker had the beef and Kansas the brains.—(Copied.)
Thank you. We need something to "feel good" about.
John S. Johnson refuses to race Zimmerman for a cash prize.
Kid Nichols of the Boston league is coaching the Brown University team. Keefe is coaching at Yale; Mullam at U. of V.
Murphy, Yale's crack short-stop, has signed with the New York league team for this season.
Sankey, the noted evangelist, has a son who is trying for the position of short-stop at Princeton.
Dartmouth opens the season April 3, with the Holy Cross team.
Williams of Leheigh will catch for Princeton this year.
It is said that there will be more base ball leagues this year than was ever known in the history of the game.
There are forty candidates for the Yale freshman team.
Shorty Hamill says that he has quit playing foot-ball for good.
Why not see about fixing up some courts and play some good tennis this spring?
The Seniors are said to be "strong" this year in base ball.
Will Wynn says that he is out strong as a candidate for scorer subject to the decision of the Republican county convention.
The following men were elected football captains for next year: Emmons, Harvard; Trenchard, Princeton; Knipe, U. of P.; Hinckey, Yale.