THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Baseball
Sports
Division series playoffs
The home-run race may be over,
but the fun hasn't ended yet.
Atlanta Braves defeat
Chicago Cubs, 7-1
The series is tied, 1-1
New York Yankees defeat
Texas Rangers, 3-1
Yankees lead series, 2-0
Cleveland Indians defeat
Boston Red Sox, 9-5
Cleveland leads series, 1-1
Thursday
October 1, 1998
Section:
A
Page 12
Former Royals pitcher Dan Quisenberry died of a brain tumor yesterday at age 45.
Pro Baseball
SEE PAGE 10A
Pro Basketball
NBA labor talks were postponed until Oct. 8, virtually assuring the delay of the start of the season.
SEE PAGE 10A
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Basketball team to court walk-on players
By Erin Thompson
Kansan sportswriter
Men interested in trying out for the University of Kansas basketball team will have the opportunity beginning Oct. 18 in Allen Field House.
Before trying out, candidates must complete paperwork specified by new NCAA guidelines, which include proof of health insurance and a recent physical examination.
The new guidelines would not have kept Chris Martin, Overland Park senior and last year's walk-on addition, from trying out.
"It wouldn't have deterred me," Martin said. "If you go in and you don't expect to
make it. you don't have much to lose."
Tryouts are from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 18. Prospective players should come dressed and prepared to work out.
For the first few days, candidates practice as a group. Then the cuts begin, and they continue until the final session, when the remaining players practice with the actual team.
"The last guys practice with the team," Martin said. "It's not given that they're even going to take any of them."
Players trying out often think they may not make the team but have little to lose by trying out.
Steve Myrick, Wichita freshman, said he
NEW NCAA GUIDELINES
Leah candidate must have had a physical examination within the past 12 months. Proof of that examination must be shown and certified by a member of the Kansas athletics department training staff in the Wacoon Student-Athlete Center.
An insurance form must be completed or an insurance card shown to a member of the
wanted to get his foot in the door this year and hoped to make the team in the next few years.
Kansas athletics department training staff.
A medical paperwork form must then be completed in the Kansas athletics business
A medical paperwork form must then be completed in the Kansas athletics business office, 270 Parrot Athletics Complex .
"I'm not expecting to make it," Myrick said.
"I'm not going in with high expectations." Dug
■ The candidate must go by the compliance office, located next to the business office, and complete proper NCAA forms. All steps must be completed by Oct. 16.
"I'm not going in with high expectations. I figure I'll just give it a shot. I'm here, and I might as well try out."
Martin, the walk-on addition who saw action in eight of Kansas' 16 conference
games, said he thought the walk-ons played an important role.
"The walk-ons are a good thing for the school and the program," Martin said. "The students have a representative who may not be the most athletic, but we're out there."
Making the team may be even more difficult this year. The Jayhawks already have 15 players on the roster. Last year they only had 14.
"I think this year will be especially tough." Martin said. "We have more guys than last year plus some really good players coming in."
Coaches do not have to pick any walk-ons, and there are no guarantees that any walk-ons will earn a roster on the team.
Volleyball to face Nebraska
'Hawks not afraid of No.3'Huskers
By Laura Bokenkroger
Kansan sportswriter
The time has come for the Kansas volleyball team to demonstrate the abundance of its potential.
This weekend, the 10-3 Jayhawks face two Big 12 Conference rivals who are both in the Top 25.
No. 3 Nebraska will battle the Jayhawks at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Allen Field House, marking the first ranked opponent Kansas has faced this season.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the field house, No.12 Colorado will take the court against the Jayhawks, rounding out the toughest weekend they have had in 1998.
But the Jayhawks aren't intimidated. Setter Laura Rohde said they were looking forward to the challenge.
"We usually play our best games against those teams," Rohde said. "We like the challenge, and we kind of rise to their level. We are definitely excited for those matches."
That kind of excitement may be just what Kansas needs. The Jayhawks have attributed most of their success this season to their newfound enthusiasm and intensity.
Middle blocker Amanda Reves said they had raised their expectations as they surpassed their goals — one of which was finishing in the middle of the pack in the Big 12.
"Our team chemistry on the court has helped us, and we know what it's going to take to fix the problems in the past," Reves said.
The Jayhawks are coming off a 3-1 loss to Kansas State. Rohde said the loss left the team with mixed emotions because it had stayed with the Wildcats despite playing badly.
"It was the first time we have played like that, when no one was having a good game, but we still managed to hang in there." Rohde said.
Last season, Nebraska finished 27-7 overall and 16-4 against Big 12 opponents. The Cornhuskers topped off their season with their third consecutive Final Four appearance before losing to Long Beach State 3-0 in the semifinals.
Although that may have been of some consolation last weekend, Rohde said that the Jayhawks would have to learn from their mistakes and play better tomorrow.
In this case, it's Nebraska — a team that only has fallen to the Jayhawks once in school history, compiling a 59-1 record against them.
"We just need to take care of what's on our side of the net," Rohde said. "It doesn't matter who we're playing."
Colorado's statistics from last season look similar to Nebraska's final numbers. The Buffalooes finished 22-9 overall and 16-4 in the Big 12. Their season ended in a NCAA Tournament appearance — their seventh consecutive run at the national title.
This season, the undefeated Cornhuskers have won 11 games, including victories against No. 7 Stanford, No. 9 Florida, No. 14 Loyola Marymount and No. 17 San Diego.
Senior outside hitter Moira Donovan, left, and junior middle blocker Anne Kreimer attempt to block a ball. The team's next game is Friday against Nebraska. Photo by Eric B.
Howell/KANSAN
Commentary
I call this column the "Harley has two tests, three papers and a short story due by next Monday, not to mention a trip to Indiana this weekend, a car that's about to break and he is about to lose what little mind he has left he's so stressed out" column. So with this taken into account, read and enjoy ...
As much as Chicago's professional sports team's make me want to vomit, I have to give it up for the Cubbies.
Although I'm a life long Mets fan (reason: Mookie Wilson), the Cubs are a wonderful team to root for. Sosa's great. Grace is steady. Gaetti's old. And Rod Beck has baseball's biggest mullet haircut since Mitch Williams retired. What's not to like?
If you're still one of those stodgy, boring, baseball traditionalists who gets all pouty
Harley Ratliff
when the words wild card and interleague come up, it's time to get a life.
Although they seemed gimmicky at first, the wild card and interleague play have proven to be runaway, smash successes. They pumped life into a dying sport by increasing fan interest during the middle of the season.
As for basketball, the ongoing NBA lockout has resulted in the cancellation of 25 preseason games.
Way to go, guys!
Kudos to Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams.
Sure, I've given him a tough time in the past, but I have nothing but praise for the early recruiting class Coach Roy has assembled.
After missing out on several big names last season, Williams made sure that didn't happen again. Andrew Gooden and Nick Collison should give the Jayhawks a great front line well into the next century.
Kansas football media guide page 121:
"Last year's Super Bowl match-up featured two former Jayhawks in prominent roles. Dana Stubblefield and Gilbert Brown were teammates at KU and were major performers along the defensive fronts for San Francisco and Green Bay." Right
The last time I checked, San Francisco wasn't anywhere close to last year's Super Bowl. Call me senile, but I could have sworn it was the Broncos and the Packers.
Pick of the Week
Final score: Kansas Athletic Department 1. Accuracy 0.
LSU 31. Georgia 27.
This should be the week's most entertaining match-up. A good ol' fashion SEC battle between the Tigers and the Bulldogs. Look for a lot of points, big plays and a close game. Georgia plays tough, but the Tigers take it in the Bayou.
Rattiff is a Norman, Okla., senior in journalism.
Freshman's goals spark wins
Forward scores four times and earns Big 12 honors
By Brad Hallier
Kansan sportswriter
What a difference three days can make. Before last weekend's inaugural Kansas Tournament, freshman forward Lindsay Kennedy led the team in shots but still was looking for her first collegiate goal.
are proud of Lindsay. For a first-year player to impact our program like this is excellent."
She didn't have to wait long. She scored twice in a 3-minute span during the first half of Friday's match against Central Oklahoma. Kennedy's goals led the Jayhawks to a 4-1 victory.
Sunday, Kennedy helped cap the tournament for Kansas when she scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the Jayhawks' 5-0 victory against Western Illinois.
Kennedy's performance last weekend earned her a spot on the all-tournament team. The
previous week, she was named to the Sheraton Four Seasons Tournament team.
Kennedy also became the second Jay hawk soccer player to earn Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors. Sophomore Colleen Colvin was the first to earn the honor for the week of Nov. 3, 1997.
"it's fantastic for our program," Kansas coach Dan Magner said. "Last year, we were proud of Colleen, and this year we
Kennedy's two goals Friday established a Kansas record for the two fastest goals by one player. By the weekend's end, she was the team leader in goals (4) and and the leader in the total number of assists and goals (8).
"I just had to find my niche and get used to the team," Kennedy said. "Hopefully, I can keep scoring and we can keep winning."
Magner said he hoped Kennedy's performance last weekend was a sign of things to come.
"We are entering conference, play with confidence as a team, and certainly Lindsay should feel confident in her ability to score," he said. Magner said Kennedy had adjusted well to the demands of being a student-athlete. "It's hard for freshmen because they are adjusting."
many factors outside of soccer," he said. "Academic life, social life, living in dorms and being away from home are all things that can impact a first-year student. Lindsey has shown she can handle herself well in that environment as well as the field."
Kennedy will try to add to her goal-scoring total 3 p.m. Friday when the Jawhacks play the No. 23 Baylor Bears. The venue of the match likely will change because of a rain-soaked Super Target Field.
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