THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
NCAA TOURNAMENT | 8A
TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011
Huskies win sloppy title game
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Connecticut capped an 11-game unbeaten postseason streak with a 53-41 win over Butler, who shot a Final Four-record low 19 percent in the championship game.
A SHOT AT THE BIG LEAGUES
PAGE 10A
Senior catcher drafted into pro league
Brittany Hile was drafted to the Diamonds, one of four teams in the National Pro Fastpitch League.
BY HANNAH WISE
hwise@kansan.com
Many children grow up dreaming or playing professional sports, but only a small number of people reach that level. Senior catcher Brittany Hile has reached that level after playing as Kansas' starting catcher and offensive leader for four years.
On March 18, Hile was selected by the NPF Diamonds, one of four teams in the National Pro Fastpitch League, in the annual Senior Draft.
"We picked Brittany because we think she is a good fit for our team," said Diamonds coach Tim Kiernan. "We've done some research on her and the type of player she is and the type of person she is. She will be an ambassdor for the league because we play all of our games on the road."
Being drafted into the pro-league is another step in Hile's long career that began when he
"It was a routine thing when we were younger," Hile said. "Almost every night we would go to the city parks and play around and then it just kind of filtered into competitively and into something that I fell in love with."
began when she was young, playing catch with her father and brother. Her interest began after watching her brother's baseball games and gradually started going to the field to play catch and learn to hit.
Hile played at Blue Valley High School, leading her team to the Eastern Kansas League championships in 2006 and 2007 as well as district titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007. She holds the school record for home runs, batting average and on-base percentage. She also gathered experience playing club ball for the Wichita
Mustangs.
Since joining Kansas softball, Hile has been a major influence on the team. During her freshman season she started all 56 games as catcher. That season she also lead the team with 11 doubles and was third with 37 hits.
"When I was committed to KU I just had a lot of fun with it," she said. "When I got to KU it became a job, you know we practice four hours a day, every day of a week and it is something that I do as a job and I love it. It is fun for me so it doesn't feel like a job."
During her sophomore year she started 32 games and held a .360 batting average until she was hit by a pitch and sidelined with a broken wrist.
Hile began to develop more power during her junior season. She hit 5 home runs including her first career grand slam against UMKC March 30, 2010. She played as the Jayhawks' starting catcher for all 56 games of the season and caught 22 runners stealing.
"Brittany is a prime example of hard work and really working to improve her game," said coach Megan Smith. "Year after year she has worked to improve her game. From last year to this year she had a huge improvement offensively. It is starting to show in her stats and obviously people are starting to notice because she was drafted."
So far this season she leads the team with 10 home runs on 35 hits. Her 10 home runs are a school record for most home runs in a season, which she shares with junior Liz Kocon. She has been a major factor for the team's success this season with a 27-9 record as well as four
SEE HILE ON PAGE 7A
BASEBALL
Jayhawks look to avenge loss to Missouri State
BY MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Revenge is on the mind of the baseball team today as they host Missouri State.
"They beat us so we've got it out for them this time," junior catcher James Stanfield said.
Last week, the Jayhawks lost 6-0 in Springfield, Missouri — their fourth straight loss — and left coach Ritch Price questioning the team's maturity and toughness.
The Jayhawks are an abysmal 2-10 away from Hoglund Ballpark, compared to 10-5 at home.
"The thing I'm disappointed in
our record is at home and how bad our record is on the road," Price said. "That's all about being tough enough to go on the
While the offense hasn't been consistent, the pitching staff has been the Jayhawks' steadiest force. The staff's ERA is 3.78, and they hold opponents to a .262 batting average.
Senior lefthanded hurler Wally Marciel is expected to start on the mound for the layhawks tonight. Marciel has been in and out of the starting rotation, and he has an ERA of 3.81 in his nine appearances for Kansas this season.
The hidden gem of the pitching staff so far this season is junior closer Colton Murray. In his nine
"The thing I'm disappointed in is how good our record is at home how bad our record is on the road."
his average up to .273 after strug gling early in the year.
In just three games against Baylor, the Jayhawks improved their batting average 11 points. The Jayhawks came into last week's matchup with Missouri State batting .232. Kansas now comes into Tuesday's matchup batting .243.
road and play through the adver sity."
Just six days later, the teams will meet in Lawrence under much different circumstances. The Jayhawks just won two of three against No. 19 Baylor and are coming into the game on a much more positive note.
Leading the offensive improvement has been senior outfielders Jimmy Waters and Casey Lytle. In just nine Big 12 games, Waters is batting .375 with an on base percentage of .447 and a slugging percentage of .563. Lytle has brought
RITCH PRICE Coach
appearances on the mound for Kansas, Murray is 2-0 with five saves and an ERA of 1.74. Batters are hitting an average of .197 against the hard throwing pitcher.
"A year ago he
The Jayhawks will have their hands full in tonight's 6 p.m. matchup against the Bears at Hoglund Ballpark. While things appear to be improving for the Jayhawks, tonight's game provides a chance to find out how far they've actually come.
The 16-10 Bears are sure to have the Jayhawks pitching staff's full attention this time around. Missouri State averages .319 at the plate, and Aaron Conway leads the lineup, batting an astounding .410
he was trying to throw a ball through the back stop, and now he's out there pitching," Price said. "He's been lights out all season."
Edited by Danielle Packer
Senior pitcher Nolan Mansfield delivers the ball to first base to pick off a Baylor runner during the 5th inning of Sunday afternoon's game at. Mansfield pitched 2.2 innings for three hits, three strikeouts, and one earned run in the Jayhawks 12-4 loss to Baylor. The Jayhawks are now 12-15 as they enter today's game against Missouri State.
COMMENTARY
Softball embraces fun side of sports
BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
College athletics is a business. Money obscures the sport for what it actually is: a game.
We tend to forget the core values in sports sometimes.
Schools have to promote student athletes for their respective sports so they can go pro. They have to do whatever they can to sell their product, their logo.
Most of you know how the atmosphere in Allen Fieldhouse can get. That feeling takes 16,000 fans, a dramatic introduction video and a nationally ranked Division 1 basketball team.
However, not all sports are this way. The Kansas softball team doesn't have to deal with this aspect of college athletics. And you can tell. The softball team has the most fun out of any sports team at the University.
At Arrocha, everything comes from the team itself and that makes the experience just as desirable.
At this point in the season, the Jayhawks have scored more runs than all of last season. And there is still more than a month of ball to be played. The team has a swagger about it that resonates with the crowd. Fans aren't at the mercy of distant seating or inattentive athletes.
"For us," coach Megan Smith said, "it's about teaching them the game, loving the game and enjoying the game when they're out here."
"Last year we didn't have the season that we wanted to." senior pitcher Allie Clark said. "So this year we're like, 'We have nothing to lose.'"
Watching this team is what sports is all about. Even after a strikeout, the players give the batter emotional support. That "rah-rah-rah" mentality is present for the entire game, even when the situation seems bleak. Like Smith said, it's about enjoying the game in the moment.
The team hasn't won yet this season at home, but the positive chatter from the dugout, engagement with the fans and an overall successful season makes the Jayhawks entertaining to watch. It also helps that softball moves along faster than most other sports.
In between Hoglund Ballpark and the Jayhawk Soccer Complex you will find Arrocha Ballpark, where the softball team consistently overflows the bleachers. In the past two home games this weekend, the Jayhawks attracted an average of 700 fans, which is rather impressive given the team's history.
"We like having fun," Clark said. "That's just what we do."
Since there are only four professional softball teams, most of the players won't play professionally after college and sophomore outfieldier Rosie Hull isn't taking any of this for granted, "This is the dream for a lot of us," Hull said.
—Edited by Jacque Weber
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