KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011 / SPORTS
11A
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'
FACT OF THE DAY
Peter Maher
As of 2009, there are 19 football teams worth more than $1 billion. The Kansas City Chiefs are 17th on the list at an even $1 billion. The Dallas Cowboys are first with $1.6 billion.
-bestfunfacts.com
Q: How many hurdles are in a 110-meter hurdle race?
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
A: 10
— iaaf.com
Kansas Relays breaks 84-year tradition
MORNING BREW
The Kansas Relays aren't exactly what they used to be. Apparently there's a grand tradition behind them and
a grand tradition behind them and big names like Maurice Green used to show up and bring out plenty of fans to brave the almost-certain rain at Memorial Stadium every April.
But it hasn't been quite the same recently. Unless you're a rare American sports fan who gets really jazzy about top-10 javelin throwers or steeplechase runners (if you even know what steeplechase is), you probably haven't bothered to come out to the Relays.
I imagine the lack of attendees at the Kansas Relays in the past few years spurred some sort of brainstorming session at the Kansas Athletics offices last year. And I imagine it went something like this:
Meet director; "Man, why can't we get people excited about stuff like shot putters and long jumpers here in the U.S."
Knowledgeable employee: "I know. The European fans love this stuff. It's too bad we can't just have meets out on the streets like they do over there."
Meet director: "Have them on the what?" Knowledgeable employee: "Oh, you know, in Europe they put events like shot put out on downtown streets and there's music blaring and it's like an extreme sports venue. Everyone loves it."
Meet director: "WHY AREN'T WE
JOEL PETTERSON jpetterson@kansan.com
DOING THAT?"
Then I imagine the knowledgeable employee was either promoted for the idea or fired for not bringing it up sooner. Either way, here we are in 2011 with the Kansas Relays breaking an 84-year-old tradition of holding most of its field events on the lawn outside of Memorial Stadium (usually used as the Official Gameday Drinking Field during football season) and moving them to the corner of Eighth and New Hampshire streets downtown.
there.
The invitational shot put will be on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and the invitational long jump will be on Thursday at 6 p.m.. Both events will feature top-ranked professional athletes. It's a wonder that no one in America has had the idea to move field events downtown before. What's better than 300-pound men chucking 16-pound metal balls while the happy hour crowd mills about? No way anything could go wrong
Really though, the other competitors should be jealous that the meet organizers figured out a way to force Lawrence residents to watch the shot put and the long jump against their will while the rest of the meet's competitors are still cooped up inside a sparsely populated stadium.
Who knows, though, maybe next year we could have an all-downtown Kansas Relays. Make the hurdlers jump over parking meters instead of hurdles. They could offer extra prizes for high school competitors who could pole vault over traffic lights. They could even design the distance courses to cut in and out of department stores and bars. They should probably keep the javelin throw at the stadium, though. Just in case.
—Edited by Jacque Weber
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
BASEBALL
Baseball vs. Texas 6 p.m. Lawrence
FRIDAY
Track
Kansas Relays
All day
Lawrence
Track
Kansas Relays
All day
Lawrence
Baseball vs. Texas 6 p.m. Lawrence
Softball vs. Iowa State 4 p.m. Ames, Iowa
Women's Golf
Big 12 Conference
Championship
All day
Columbia, Mo.
Women's Golf Big 12 Conference Championship All day Columbia, Mo.
SATURDAY
Kansas prepares for weekend duel with No.4 Texas
BY MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
To beat No. 4 Texas — and have a better shot of making the NCAA tournament — the Jayhawks will have to rely on their pitchers.
"Texas comes in with the finest pitching staff in the country," Price said. "For us to have a chance to be successful, we're going to have to pitch as good as Texas this weekend."
means so much.
Coach Ritch Price said it's the biggest series of the year so far for the Jayhawks, and it's easy why it
The Jayhawks come into the series playing the best baseball they've played all season, winning three consecutive Big 12 series and four of five total on the year.
Kansas (19-18) sits at fourth in the Big 12, with a chance to make the NCAA tournament. It can be in a much better position to make the tournament if it can win the series.
next week.
It's not an impossible mission for the Jayhawks, who won a series against an Oklahoma State team that won two of three against Texas the
To out-pitch the Longhorns (28-9). all three of the Jayhawks starters are going to have to keep from making mistakes on the mound.
"We're going to have to limit the walks, the hit by pitches, and literally give them no free bases." Price said.
The Longhorns have been dominant on the mound all season, with a team ERA of 2.32 and opposing team batting average of .199.
Texas will start junior Taylor Jungmann, who has been nearly unhillable for the Longhorns this
"He may well be the first pick in the draft," Price said. "He's certainly one of the best pitchers that I've seen in my career."
season. The 6-foot-6 pitcher from Temple, Texas, brings an 8-0 record with an ERA of 1.11 and has only nine walks with 63 strike outs.
Junior T.J. Walz will take the rubber for Kansas Thursday. Walz had a rough start to the year, getting hit hard against TCU, but has been very successful in Big 12 play. Walz is 3-1 against Big 12 competition with an ERA of 2.04.
Friday's matchup on the mound could provide just as many fireworks as the Thursday night pitcher's duel. Sophomore Tanner Poppe will take his 3.26 ERA the mound for Kansas, against Texas senior Cole Green. Green brings a similar ERA of 3.27.
With the pitchers dueling it out on the mound, the Jayhawks are going to need their top batters to take charge. Senior outfielders Jimmy Waters and Casey Lytle are batting .345 and .340 in Big 12 play. Those two need to lead the way, and come through for Kansas when they need it most.
Saturday's matchup features Kansas freshman Alex Cox throwing against Texas junior Sam Stafford. Stafford is 5-0 on the year with a 1.39 ERA, opposed to Cox who is 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA. While Cox's ERA is slacking, the freshman has been improving and kept Missouri scoreless in a crucial
game last Sunday
"It's going to come down to two out hits," Price said. "When you've got runners in scoring position you've got to get a clutch RBI."
Edited by Corey Thibodeaux
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