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Friday, October 1, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 13
Softball team hopeful, despite injuries
By Joel Francis
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Despite losing two key players to injury, the Kansas softball team hopes to end its fall season with a strong appearance at the UMKC Fall Classic tournament held at Adair Park in Independence, Mo., this weekend.
The team will play Northwest Missouri State at 8 tonight. Tomorrow's games are against Missouri-Rolla at 11 a.m., Creighton at 3:30 p.m. and Jacksonville State at 6:30 p.m. The championship bracket will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.
"Overall, the quality of this tournament is better," said coach Tracy Bunge. "It will be a good challenge and a better test of our abilities. Hopefully, it will push us more, and
show us more things we need to work on."
First baseman Shannon Stanwix was injured in Sunday's home game against Pittsburg State.
"I went up halfway on a pop fly," said Stanwix, Lawrence senior. "I hit my foot on the bag and twisted my ankle. I don't remember stepping on the bag, or rolling my ankle."
Stanwix said she immediately knew the injury was serious.
"I knew this was not the usual ankle sprain," she said. "I have weak ankles and usually when I roll them I can just walk it off. I knew it wouldn't work this time."
Doctors officially said Stanwix suffered a grade three severe sprain to her ankle. It will be reexamined after three or four weeks of rehabilitation.
In another blow to the team, mononucleosis was diagnosed in
Leah Tabb, Oklahoma City sophomore, on Monday. She will be out of action for two to three weeks.
"We are a little thin going into this weekend," Bunge said. "Leah and Shannon are power hitters that can hit the ball out at any given appearance."
Stanwix set the team record for most home runs in a season last year with 16.
Katie Campbell and Heather Sims are being called on to replace Stanwix at first base.
"Shannon has been our starter at
first for three straight years." Bunge said. "We will probably have some missed cuts, but it will be a great learning experience for them."
The news is not all bad for the Jayhawk, though. Two weeks ago trainers found a stress fracture in pitcher Kelly Campbell's femur. A new bone scan this week showed it was healing. Campbell has pitched three games this fall, and said she was excited about this weekend
"We're going with a three-pitcher rotation, so I'm ready to go two games or whatever," she said. "I've been working on my change-up this week. Hopefully, everything else will work out in the off season."
Bunge said she hoped the fall season would end on a good note.
"My big thing is, we want to have a good weekend for our last weekend," she said.
Edited by Jennifer Roush
Kansas seeks stride after midweek loss
Bv Shawn Hutchinson
By Shawn Hutchinson sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Limping home after a sweeping loss against No. 8 Nebraska on Wednesday night in Lincoln, the Kansas volleyball team will try to get back its stride this weekend.
That's when the Jayhawks will take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders, a team sporting a 10-5 overall record and 0-3 record in the Big 12 Conference. The match will start at 7 tomorrow night at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
The Jayhawks, 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference, are 3-3 at home this season. That home record includes victories against Missouri-Kansas City, Chicago State and Wichita State, and losses against Texas Christian, Auburn and No. 7 Texas.
"It'll definitely be nice to play at home this weekend," said Kansas senior middle blocker Amanda Reyes.
Home can be especially comforting
after what happened to the Jayhawks on Wednesday. Kansas was swept by the Cornhuskers thanks to a career night by Nebraska junior outside hit Mandy Monson. Monson posted a season-best 16 kills.
leading her team to a 15-11, 15-6 and 15-7 victory.
In the Jayhawks' two conference losses this season, they have had problems containing some of the premier players in the Big 12. Last week, in Kansas' loss against Texas, Longhorns' sophomore outside hitter Kathy Tilson exploded for 19 kills and no errors, while teammate and All-American candidate Erin Aldrich added 15.
On Wednesday, Monson chipped in her 16-kill performance, while Nancy Meendering, preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and junior outside hitter, had 10.
The Jayhawks will try to reverse that trend this weekend against a Texas Tech squad that boasts preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and outside hitter Colleen Smith.
"A lot of people thought that when the season started, they would be a top-20 team," said Kansas coach Ray Bechard. "Even though they've started the conference season out at 0-3, they're an extremely quality team, and we're expecting a tough match."
smith leads the team with 180 digs, while middle blocker Lori Garber has a team-high 160 kills and 69 blocks on the season.
Kansas is 0-4 all-time against Texas Tech, which includes two losses last season, one in Lawrence and one in Lubbock, Texas.
The Red Raiders are coming off a home loss Wednesday night against No. 16 Texas A&M. Texas Tech was outhit by the Aggies en route to a 3-15. 10-15 and 10-15 loss.
After Saturday night, the Jayhawks will be on the road again. Kansas will play against the Oklahoma Sooners, 6-7 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12, on Wednesday in Norman, Okla.
- Edited by Jani Kumpula
Kansas outside hitter Danielle Geronym reaches to block a spike by a Texas player. The Jayhawks take Texas &M, this weekend. Photo by Matt Daugherty/KANSAN
Home-run race redo not as good as first
The Associated Press
ST, LOUIIS — Just like in the movies, the sequel to the great home run derby closes with a bang.
McGwire vs. Sosa, man-to-man face-to-face.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs wind up the season with a three-game series beginning tonight, that would
be totally
meaningless
except for
the home run
title at stake.
T h e i n
Cardinals are 11 games
below .500,
and the Cubs
had only
three more
victories
than Sosa
had homers.
McGwire: Downplaying the home-run race
entering last night's game in Philadelphia, yet there's no denying a certain electricity.
“It's one of those miracle coincidences that both these guys are playing the last three games of the season against each other,” said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “What a treat for our fans.”
McGwire took the lead for the first time since Aug. 18 when he hit Nos. 62 and 63 in a doubleheader sweep of the San Diego Padres Wednesday night. He has homered in each of the past four games, although he insists his charge has absolutely nothing to do with wanting to out-do Sosa.
whoever wins this home run title, we're both over 60 home runs," McGwire said. "So nobody loses, right?
"There's no 'I want to beat him, he wants to beat me.'
That's not going on, but I know the press is trying to get it going."
Sosa, who was ahead 55-51 entering September, had a 30 at-bat homer drought this month and was one behind heading into last night's game in Philadelphia. He was the first player to hit 60 in consecutive seasons and the first to beat Roger Maris' 1961 record
of 61 in consecutive seasons, but just like last year, he's trailing down the stretch.
Sosa: Says he isn't the only one out of the field
"Last year was totally different; last year was a record, " McGwire said. "Here, everybody is
talking about a home run title, which up until this last year nobody ever talked about."
McGwire, who had 65 homers with three games to go last year, thinks fans are disappointed that there won't be another challenge to the record.
"People, I think, are spoiled from what we've done last year," McGwire said. "They constantly want more, more, more. It's hard to comprehend that what we've done this year is harder than what we did last year."
Sosa echoed those sentiments.
"The people expect us to go out there and hit a home run every at-bat," Sosa said. "They have to understand that we don't play by ourselves, there's a guy out there trying to get me out."
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