THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
SOFTBALL | 8A Jayhawk pitchers fall short No.14 Oklahoma out-performed Kansas in doubleheader.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 10A
KANSAS 7, MISSOURI 1
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Sophomore pitcher Thomas Taylor fires the ball against Missouri Wednesday. Taylor finished with a career high of nine strikeouts in Kansas' 7 to 1 victory against Missouri Wednesday.
Taylor shines in Border Showdown win
BY MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Playing a bitter rival in a big league ballpark couldn't distract sophomore pitcher Thomas Taylor from taking care of business in his second career start at Kauffman Stadium.
"We walked in here today like it was a Big 12 championship with Texas," coach Ritch Price said.
In six innings on the mound, Taylor gave up one hit for one run, while striking out a career-best of nine batters. Taylor got the start on the mound last season as well, allowing two hits and no runs in 5.2 innings. The Overland Park native has thrown 11.2 innings at
Kauffman, giving up three hits for one run with 17 strikeouts.
"I grew up around here, and I think I went to my first Royals game when I was two," Taylor said. "I've always wanted to pitch here."
The young hurler led the Jayhawks in their 7-1 win over Missouri in the home of the Royals. The bats for Kansas gave Taylor plenty of cushion, exploding for seven runs off of nine hits in the Jayhawks' best offensive performance in 13 games when Kansas lit up Eastern Michigan, scoring eight runs off of 14 hits.
Taylor's start, though, wasn't quite as strong as his finish. He gave up a leadoff single to open
the game, and after a stolen base Missouri was able get the runner to third after a sacrifice bunt. Thomas responded with strikeout, walk, strikeout closing the inning.
"I was pretty erratic at the beginning." Taylor said.
He continued struggling with his control in the second. The 6'4 right-handed pitcher walked Missouri's leadoff batter, Eric Garcia, who stole two bases to get on third. A deep fly to center field enabled Garcia to score, but Taylor responded well and never looked back.
"I tried to stop overthrowing and tried to pound the zone more, and everything went well
after that," Taylor said.
From the third inning on, Taylor threw nothing but gems; he struck out the side and got through the top half after only 14 pitches. Only one Missouri batter got on base in Taylor's final three innings.
"He struggled at first, and then all of the sudden he kicked it in and really shoved it to them once we got the lead," senior outfielder Jimmy Waters said. "We needed someone to not let somebody back in the ball game, and he did that for us tonight."
Taylor matched his career high of eight strikeouts after fanning the first batter in the fourth inning, and he didn't have to wait
long for number nine, striking out Blake Brown to end the fifth.
The Jayhawks relief pitching held up strong in the final four innings. Freshman pitcher Frank Duncan and junior closer Colton Murray combined for three innings on the mound without giving up a hit or a run to close the game.
Although it was a team effort at the big league stadium Wednesday, Taylor took over the game and never allowed Missouri to sniff any momentum at the plate. The lights were bright, the stage appeared to be bigger than ever, and Taylor came through.
Edited by Erin Wilbert
PHILANTHROPY
Former KU star uses basketball to help families
BY SARA KRUGER
skruger@kansan.com
wayne Simien and Joe Reitz represent two successful outreach programs for underprivileged children and their families in Lawrence. Through their hard work, families who find themselves in devastating situations can find hope from Family Promise.
and discouraged children can gain confidence through Call to Greatness. Both organizations are nonprofit and, with this fundraiser, are bringing hope to families in need.
Simien
The first annual Wayne Simien Free Throw Challenge will take place this Sunday, with a preliminary round on Saturday. All ages beginning at fourth grade and up are welcome to participate in a fundraiser for Family Promise of Lawrence and Wayne Simien's ministry, Call to Greatness, which consists of camps for children in junior high and below.
Campers are allowed to specialize in basketball, baseball. football or soccer. Simien focuses on encouragement and positive reinforcement through athletics, ensuring that each child knows giving his or her life to Jesus Christ ensures greatness.
Campers are allowed to spe
"He is a young man of incredible character, the real deal. He is very humble, has a real heart for kids and helping people and he's given his life to the Lord," said partner Joe Reitz on Simien.
"I've always been interested in trying to do things the right way, but Family Promise is the best thing I have ever been involved in," he said.
Rietz, a former KU employee, is now devoted to helping homeless children and their families through service and he started Family Promise in Lawrence.
"We provide food and shelter but our objective is to get them past whatever problems they have and to get back in a permanent house with a job and sufficient resources" Reitz said.
Opened in November of 2008, Family Promise uses faith congregations to house and feed homeless families 365 days a year.
Lawrence, being a college town is a fragile economy for towns.
"A University is a great thing, but students drive up the cost of housing so some people who have never been homeless find themselves in desperation that Family Promise can help," Reitz said.
who are "on the margin," Reitz said.
"We thought this would be a fun way to get our name out there and because KU students love basketball, and get so frustrated at their team when they miss free throws, I thought this would be a perfect time for them to get a shot at it." Reitz said.
Completely nonprofit, both programs run off of private donations, company sponsorships, and fundraising.
Saturday is the opening place and there are five different places to try out. The Community Building in downtown Lawrence, 115 W 11th St., Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2104 Bob Billings Pkwy, Clinton Parkway Assembly of God, 3200 Clinton Pkwy, and Bishop Seabury Academy, 4120 Clinton Pkwy. There are a number of time slots so people will not have to wait in long lines to try out. There will be a referee, and Wayne Simien will visit all of the sites.
The finals will be held on
WAYNE SIMIEN
FREE THROW CHALLENGE
Individual competitors and five-person teams will be
placed in one of six age groups:
4th and 5th graders Middle schoolers
Middle schoolers High schoolers
College and young adult (under 30)
High schoolers
Adult (under 55)
Senior (55+)
The grand champion will receive an autographed Kansas basketball and reserved seat tickets to a Kansas men's Big 12 game next season.
Individual Entry Fee: $10
Team fee: $15
Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse where Wayne Simien and other players will be present for a fun competition with many prizes.
"Companies around Lawrence have been very generous to us," Reitz said, and any KU student who makes the finals and makes more free throws than Reitz will be in a drawing for a unique prize.
The entry fee for individuals is $10. To compete on a team of
five, while also being eligible to compete individually, the fee is $15. There will be teams made up of ROTC members, the Lawrence Fire Department, sororites and fraternities and family and friends. To enter go to iamctg.org or lawrencefamilypromise.org.The deadline is Friday at noon.
Edited by Brittany Nelson
COMMENTARY
Elgie lives his dream, if only for one night
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Zac Elgie was supposed to have these things in his future: lights by the hundreds, instead of the tens; ballparks with freshly-cut grass and even more freshly-tamped dirt, instead of a carpet of turf; and grand stadiums with fountains in the outfield and seating for 37,000 fans, instead of for 2,500.
When the Oakland Athletics chose Elgie in the 12th round with the 364th overall pick of the 2008 MLB draft after his four years of dominating at Minot High in North Dakota, it's undoubtedly what they had in mind for him. It's definitely what he still dreams of.
"To play in such a beautiful ballpark," he said, "it's been my childhood dream, to make it to the big leagues."
If Elgie would have signed with the Oakland Athletics, he might have only been halfway there by now. He's a junior now and high school prospects that make it to the big leagues take an average of six years to get there, Kansas coach Ritch Price said. But, he might have been further along. He might have been out of the game, too. It's impossible to say.
The only thing to know for certain is that Elgie isn't now considered the prospect that he once was. He'll probably get drafted this season. If he puts up numbers better than his current .283 batting average, .353 on-base percentage and .435 slugging percentage, maybe he'll get a quality look from a team somewhere around the 20th round, but it will probably be later than that. He'll probably get drafted next year, too, and if he continues his progression, it could be closer to the 10th round.
Elgie still might get to the big leagues someday. He is, after all, one of the few Jayhawks that has managed to hit with any consistency or anything resembling power this season. And part of the infinite beauty of the game of baseball is that players with far worse odds than Elgie have become stars.
On Wednesday night, you could see the ability that got Elgie drafted in 2008. He roped a double in his first at-bat, scoring Jimmy Waters and spotting the Jayhawks to a one-run lead with two outs in the first inning. In his second at-bat, he laid down a bunt single and scored the Jayhawks' fifth run of the game in the third inning.
"If you can't get up to play in this park," he said, "you're probably playing the wrong sport."
He played like he belonged under those lights by the hundreds, in that ballpark with the freshly-cut grass and the even more freshly-tamped dirt, in that grand stadium with the fountains in the outfield and seating for 37,000 fans.
He looked like a big leaguer. And for one night, in a major-league park, with his big country smile projected even bigger on the mammoth jumbotron in center field, that was a dream come true.
Edited by Jacque Weber
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