THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Embracing the underdog status
SOFTBALL|3A
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2011
The Kansas softball team has had a turnuточous conference schedule, which has dropped it from the ranks of the nation's elite. But to the team, being the little guy is the perfect way to play.
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Orphanage to Olympics
Reese Hoffa will compete against high-ranking shot putters at the shot put invitational tonight at Eighth Street. Hoffa had to live through many childhood struggles before he succeeded as a shot putter.
Howard Ting/KANSAN
BY GEOFFREY CALVERT
ocalvert@kansan.com
PAGE 10A
Very few things can measure up to what Reese Hoffa has already been through. Hoffa competes tonight against seven shot putters ranked in the top 25 in the world, but then again, he's ranked No. 2. No matter how stacked the shot put field will be for tonight's shot put invitational, which is held on Eighth Street between Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets, tonight will not be the most difficult for Hoffa.
His mother was 13 years old when she gave birth to Reese's brother Lamont and 16 years old when Reese was born. Reese was only three years old when he and Lamont accidentally burned their house down.
"My brother was playing with a lighter, putting the flame out on the curtains," Hoffa said. "He ran out of water, so he put the lighter on the bed and went to refill the cup of water. I got a flame going."
By the time his brother was back, the entire curtain was ablaze.
The boys summoned their mother, but it was too late. The room went up in flames, leaving Hoffa's family to bounce around apartments. One day, his mother decided she couldn't raise Lamont and Reese anymore. Their mother took them to an orphanage.
"She gives me a hug, goes down stairs and leaves." Hoffa said.
"It was traumatizing," Hoffa said. "I just sat in a chair. I was numb. I was asking, 'Why am I here?'
Reese said he didn't understand that his mom gave her two boys up for adoption because she was too young to raise them. Instead, Reese thought she didn't want him because he burned their house down.
Hoffa was adopted by a family in Georgia, where he spent the rest of his childhood. The family didn't adopt his brother Lamont, though. Reese took up the shot put at the suggestion of a high school coach.
He won the Georgia state championship and received a scholarship from the University of Georgia.
Hoffa was able to find his mom and still keeps contact with her. He rarely talks to his brother.
Three years after graduating from Georgia, Hoffa competed for the U.S. Olympic team in Athens.
Greece. He wasn't used to the intimate street environment in most European countries, and he admits he didn't throw well. With experience, he said competing in the street has gotten much easier. Now, he is excited for himself and for fans about the shot put being held in the streets for the first time in
the United States.
"I want them to be loud and be excited," Hoffa said. "We've got a great crew of guys that can throw far. I love this environment."
The Kansas Relays will run today through Saturday. Multiple athletes who competed in the Olympics are scheduled to compete, including
Lauryn Williams in the women's 100 meters, Veronica Campbell-Brown in the women's 200 meters and Bershaw "Batman" Jackson in the men's 400-meter hurdles.
Edited by Caroline Bledowski
DeLeon's two homers help beat St. Mary
BASEBALL
mvernon@kansan.com
BY MIKE VERNON
myernon@kansan.com
Seventeen batters and five pitchers saw playing time at Hoglund Ballpark for Kansas in Tuesday evening's 11-5 victory against its NAIA opponent, Saint Marv.
Not only are the Jayhawks above .500 for the first time in more than a month, but it was a chance for the younger players to see significant time on the field.
"I was pleased that everyone who is a position player got a chance to get into the game and
get an at-bat today," coach Ritch Price said. "Those guys grind every day and don't get the reward of having their name on the lineup card as much as they'd like."
The Jayhawks came into Tuesday's game rolling after winning three consecutive Big 12 series, and kept things moving along smoothly against the Spires.
"I just hope that it keeps you at game speed, and helps your rhythm as you prepare to play again Thursday," Price said.
the Jayhawks had planned it. Starting pitcher Wally Marciel walked the leadoff batter of the game, and third basemen Devin Hupp followed with a home run to left field.
But the game didn't open how
The Jayhawks responded in the bottom of the first by getting runners on first and second base with two outs. The inning was killed after Brandon Macias was thrown out trying to steal third base.
After the first inning hiccups, the Jayhawks settled and took control of the game in the second. Marciel went through the top hal-
fof the inning without giving up a hit, and the bats responded with three hits for three runs to take a 3-2 lead.
trouble extending it. The Jayhawks duplicated their big second inning in the third, with three hits for three runs to extend their lead to 6-2.
Once the Jayhawks grasped hold of the lead, they had little
Sophomore catcher Alex Deleon connects for a two-run home run Tuesday at Hogland Ballpark. DeLeon went 2-3 with five RBIs.
After Kansas jumped out to its comfortable lead, it brought in senior Nolan Mansfield to pitch and sophomore Jordan Dreiling to play third.
"I was pleased that everyone who is a position player got a chance to get into the game."
Things continued to go smoothly for Kansas in the fifth inning, when two hits led to three more Kansas runs. Sophomore catcher Alex DeLeon hit his second home run of the game, hitting the Jayhawks' first multihome run game since May 8 of last season.
"He struggled with his command." Price said. "He's not to get
impression on the coaching staff that he wanted. In 2/3 innings on the mound, Smith gave up two hits for two runs.
"My first at-bat was a 3-1 count, I was sitting fastball and I got one," sophomore catcher Alex DeLeon said. "The other home run was a 2-1 count, and I was looking fastball again and I got it."
RITCH PRICE
Coach
Hes got to get out there relax, and focus on the catchers glove and throw to the glove."
Freshman pitcher Tyler Smith took the mound in the seventh inning. He had only pitched two innings all season coming into the game. Smith didn't leave the
With a 9-5 lead heading into the seventh, Price decided it was time to see what some of
his more bench-ridden players could do. Sophomore Taylor Hart walked in his third at-bat of the year, and scored off of a wild pitch after making it to third base off of a single.
Sohomore pitchers, Jordan Jakubov and Matt Kohorst closed out the final two innings, only giving up one hit to the Spires.
Even though, Hart was the only Kansas batter off the bench to get on base, senior outfielder Casey Lytle said he thought it was a good experience for all of the young batters who got action Tuesday.
"You always look forward to getting your at-bats, and sometimes they're rare to come by for freshman." Lytle said. "You love the opportunity every time you get it."
FOOTBALL
Edited by Corey Thibodeaux
Holding on to hope for 2011 season
BY KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
ing with a loss to the D. AA team and ending with a blowout in the Border Showdown, the 2010 Kansas football season was nothing short of a disappointment. Other losses included a 55-7 defeat at Baylor (a Baylor school record), a 59-7 drubbing by Kansas State and a 45-10 loss to Texas A&M. Kansas' quarterback play was inconsistent at best, the coaches were trying to implement their own system and many players were holdovers from the Mark Mangino era.
You could go on if you were so inclined, but don't. There were so many factors working against Kansas football in 2010 that anything more than five wins was going to be a pleasant surprise. That's not to excuse the poor performances in those blowouts, but rather to offer a glimmer of hope for 2011.
The offensive line will be more experienced this season. James Sims will return as the leading rusher and he'll be teamed with four-star recruit Darrian Miller, who's been praised by coach Turner Gill multiple times throughout spring practices. The safety tandem of Keeston Terry and Bradley McDougald will excite fans as well.
Then there's the big question: quarterback. Without looking, I can't think of many freshmen who left big marks at a BCS conference school. Jordan Webb was no different. He struggled, much like the other quarterbacks on the Kansas roster. However, the jump from freshman to sophomore is big at any position in any sport. And as a quarterback in a major conference? It's astronomical. Nobody is predicting Webb to become Payton Manning. But with a year of game experience and more than a year of acclimating himself with the new offensive scheme, Webb could have a breakout year in 2011.
But while success may not show up in the wins columns, blowout losses against teams like Baylor and Kansas State aren't going to happen in 2011. There's too much talent this year for that to happen. The talent is young, which might not translate into victories right away, especially with that schedule. But with potentially explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball, another Georgia Tech type of upset is very possible.
This glimmer needs an explanation, though. The 2011 football schedule is going to be brutal. There will be games on the road at Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and Texas, as well as a home game against Oklahoma and the annual contest with Missouri in Kansas City. Much like 2010, the victories might not pile up this fall.
So while the results may not be there this fall, fans should be patient. Things are slowly improving over at the Anderson Family Football Complex.
Edited by Amanda Sorell
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