Sports
University Daily Kansan / Fridav. May 3, 1991
13
Coach: Jayhawks have mathematical chance
Kansas third baseman Gerry Camara fields a ground ball during baseball practice at Hogland-Maupin Stadium. The Jayhawks are preparing for a four-game series this weekend at Missouri.
However, Bingham is computing the Jayhawks' postseason chances entering this weekend's four-game series at Missouri.
Mathematics wasn't in Kansas coach Dave Bingham's job description when he accepted the job as the Javhaws' head man.
"We've looked at some possibilities where two wins could give us a chance," he said. "But, to have the possibility would have to happen with the trot."
By Mark Spencer Kansan sportswriter
Usually, the Big Eight race has three of the four postseason openings locked by now with two teams battling for the fourth spot.
Not this year
In the 32 Big Eight Conference four game baseball series played, there have been only two sweeps and eight split series.
That leaves 22 series that have been split three-and-one. However, no team has been on the three side of the decision more than twice.
The result is an extremely balanced conference race and a multi-option Binham.
"Our best chances are with three or four wins this weekend," he said. "But, if all the top teams spike the rest of their games, I think we'd be told we had Oklahoma State, and they'd win on the breaker."
Further complicating the race is the fact that Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma State have eight wins. That rests the rest of the teams have four
"What you have to depend on is that no team with 12 wins has ever been left out of the tournament."
'Our best chances are with three or four wins this weekend. But, if all the top teams split the rest of their games, I think we're out, too. We'd be tied with Oklahoma State, and they'd win on the tiebreaker.'
Dave Bingham KU baseball coach
Bingham said. "If we can get three,we might get lucky."
Luck also might come in handy for the Jayhawks this weekend as they face the 12th-ranked Tigers.
Missouri boasts a strong pitching staff with a 3:30 team-ERA
Tiger coach Gene McArtor said Missouri pitcher John Dettmer (73, 1.74 ERA) and Mike Munro (83, 1.64 ERA) had paced Missouri all year.
The Jayhawks will counter the Tiger hurriers with a potent offense that has set a school record for hits and runs scored in a season.
"That's been important because of our offensive inconsistency," he said. "We don't have a lot of power."
"I've certainly been impressed with Kansas offensively," McArtor said. "They will be a challenge for our pitchers."
Kansas seniors Garry Schmidt,
Steve McGinness, Mike Bard,
Gerry Camara, Kevin Marozos
and Denald Stewart will be plav-
| | W | L |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Missouri | 10 | 6 |
| Oklahoma State | 9 | 7 |
| Oklahoma | 11 | 9 |
| Iowa State | 10 | 10 |
| Kansas State | 9 | 11 |
| Kansas | 9 | 11 |
| Nebraska | 9 | 10 |
This week's games:
Kansas at Mi
Kansas at Missour
Kansas at Missouri Oklahoma State at Kansas State
Iowa State at Nebraska
Jayhawks kick off Big Eight tourney
Final series the weekend of May 10-11
Missouri at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma at Nebraska
ing in what could be their last Big Eight games.
"I told them they were going to be in there every inning this weekend," he said. "It's their show."
Bingham said the Jayhawk seniors would play a major role in this weekend's series.
By Lana Smith
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas softball team will face Oklahoma in the first round of the Big Eight Conference tournament at 1 p.m. today in Oklahoma City.
The Jayhawks earned the third seed in the tournament after winning last season.
Softball
five of its six conference games
However, Kansas junior third baseman Camille Saileri said tournament seedings did not play a large role in determining how the teams
"Seeding doesn't really matter," Spitaleri said. "If we keep playing ball, I don't think there anyone that
can beat us."
If Kansas defeats the Sooners, the Jayhawks will advance and play Oklahoma State at 5 p.m.
If the Jayhawks lose to Oklahoma,
they will play the loser of the
Nebraska Iowa State game at 11 a.m.
tomorrow.
Kansas, Oklahoma State and Missouri all are ranked in the NCAA's top 20 poll. The Jayhawks hold the 18th spot in the rankings, while
Junior shortstop Christy Arterburn said Kansas would be ready to play.
Cowgirls are ranked 10th and the Tigers are ranked 12th.
She said all of the games the Jayhawks had played this season had been in preparation for the Big Eight tournament. After a split with Oklahoma State last weekend, Arterburn said she knew Kansas would do well.
The Jayhawks' regular season ended with a record of 36-12.
MU players on probation after brawl
The Associated Press
A fourth player suspended from team after arrest for driving while intoxicated
Another player arrested for driving while intoxicated was suspended from the team.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Three University of Missouri football players involved in a weekend tawn brave were placed on prohilation yesterday
According to police, witnesses said VanZant deliberately bumped two rugby players from Southern Illinois
University. A pushing match ensued, with the other Missouri players joining VanZant.
The parties were ordered out of the bar. Pushing and fighting continued on the sidewalk until Columbia police arrived and broke up the skirmish. In a few minutes, Missouri players after the police told them they were at fault, police said.
Jackson and VanZant, arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, were released on $1,000 bonds. He was later indicted on peace disturbance paid $100 bond.
"In every confrontation, whether it's between family members or SIU rugby players and MU football play
Stull said the probation meant the three players could face suspension if they were involved in another such incident. He also said the players would be required to complete 10 hours of community service.
ers, there’s always two sides to every story. “Stull said. “Although it’s unsure as to how things got started, we’re not sure why wrong for been involved, period.”
Cooper, 22, and Jackson, 20, are both considered promising prospects for the Tiger football team. Cooper is a junior from Houston who transferred to Missouri from Coffeilley Community College in Kansas. He
finished spring practice listed as No. 2 at strong-side linebacker.
Jackson, a freshman redshirt from Kirkwood, Mo., is the fastest player on the team and was listed No. 2 at tailback. VanZant, 23, is a fifth-year senior from Hazelwood Central, Mo. He was a top high school prospect who has played sparingly at Missouri because of knee injuries.
Lance Noel, a junior linebacker from Moberly, Mo., was released on bond Saturday after being arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated. He was also charged driving. He was a third-term outside linebacker during spring practice.
Insults fly before fists in boxing rematch
The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS—Seven rounds in the ring together did nothing to bond a friendship between Mike Tyson and Donovan "Razor" Rudock.
"He a moron," Rudduck said. "I don't know why you talk to me like that when you know I'm going to kill you for it." Tyson said.
The fighters traded insults across the country via satellite yesterday to promote the June 28 rematch of their rival in a fight at the Mirage hotel-casino.
But while Rudkudd appeared before a group of writers in New York, Tyson took questions only over the air while sitting with promoter
Don King and Mirage operator Steve Wynn at a studio set up at the hotel. Reporters who thought they were going to a Tyson news conference watched instead on television screens in the hotel's sports room, where they were invited to present written questions.
"What's with this guy coming on TV with sunglasses looking like he's man!" Ruddyck idea of Tyson, who is inoculating in dark glasses and a jumpstick.
Politeness was not the word of the day, particularly on the part of Tyson, who tried to get at Huddock and he ran away. He threatened to "make you my girl."
friend the 28th."
Ruddock and Tyson were separated by some 3,000 miles but still managed to trade enough insults to delight King about the financial possibilities of a fight still two months away.
They even got down to actually discussing the rematch of their March 18 fight, which Tyson won in a controversial decision by referee Richard Steele to stop the bout in the seventh round.
"There's something you can't buy and that's class," Ruddock replied. "And you have none of that."
"I'm going to enjoy this a lot," said the once-beaten Tyson. "What can be
Rudkock, who rocked Tyson in the first and sixth rounds but took a beating himself before the fight was stopped, promised he would add a right hand to the left hook that was his only weapon in the first fight.
do? He can't run. I'll catch him. He's in a lot of trouble."
Ruddock said the first fight gave him confidence that he could beat Tyson, who predicted he would win (Ruddock) even slower this time."
- to go in to use both hands this time.* Ruddock said. "If he thinks I hurt him with one hand, I'm going to hurt him with both."
MacLeod given Notre Dame job
The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — John MacLeod resigned yesterday as coach of the New York Knicks, and Notre Dame said he would be named today as the Irish basketball coach.
"It's no secret. He's going to be our coach," sports information director John Heisler said.
MacLoad said in New York he would leave today for South Bend to sign a five-year deal. He will replace Digger Phelps, who resigned on April 15 after 20 seasons with the Fighting Irish.
"As much as I enjoy pro ball, I always felt that if a good college opportunity came along, I would be receptive to it," MacLead said. "This was a good opportunity and I was receptive."
Heisler said MacLeod would be introduced at Notre Dame at a press conference this morning.
The Notre Dame assignment presents MacLeod with two simultaneous prove again that he can coach college players, and rebuild the Irish.
The Irish post will put him back into college coaching after 18 years with the pros.
The move will leave him in charge of a team that finished the past season 12-20, sometimes played below its ability, and sat out the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984.
All 54 players who finished four years of eligibility under former coach Digger Phelps graduated. Despite that success, Phelps not only his third losing season at Notre Dame, but a year of declining attendance and revenue. The circumstances raised questions
The Notre Dame job also puts MacLeod in an unaccustomed squeeze by forcing him to balance Notre Dame's emphasis on producing a successful squad that draws television money.
among colleagues about the university's priorities.
"I hope that that's not one of the reasons he left — not enough NCAA receipts in the till," said Notre Dame fencing coach Mike Kovacs. "We had to adviseer to the basketball team, after Phelps retired last month."
MacLeod will also re-enter the recruiting wars, which depend on his persuasive talents, rather than on the draft and an owner's pocke- book, to draw high school talent like Duke and North Carolina.
"We recruit the same people." said North Carolina coach Dean Smith. "Duke, us and Notre Dame. Lately, we and Duke seem to have been getting more of them."
Among Notre Dame's returning players, MacLead will find guards Daimon Sweet and Elmer Bennett to be reliable point producers. Sweet led his teammates last season with a 6.3 scoring average. Knox Kerbower averaged seven rebounds and 10.7 points a game.
After that, the question marks outnumber the exclamation points.
Forward LaPhonso Ellis, the team's most talented player, missed most of last season because of bad grades. Ellis, a senior also missed seven games because of academic ineligibility.
The squad's four other returning players are sophomores who saw limited plaving time.
MacLeod will face contentious Irish fans who booed Phelps at home games, and then stopped attending games at all.
MacLead coached at Oklahoma from 1967-73, compiling a 90-69 record and taking his team to three NIT tournaments.
He was 32-38 in his short season with the Knicks and has a 707-657 regular-season NBA record.
The Golden Oldies strike out again
The Associated Press
IRVING, Texas — Give 44-year-old Nolan Ryan an assistant on Tom Watson's first-round 65 yesterday in the Byron Nelson Classic.
"Inspirational, great, wonderful," Watson said of Ryan's seventh no-hitter Wednesday night. "In the locker room, everybody was talking about it, thinking about it. That's inspiration."
"That's what sports is all about," Watson said. "It just shows that in sports anything is possible. I drew inspiration from it — sure I did."
Spoken like a true 41-year-old.
Watson had six birdies and an eagle on the TPC at Las Colinas.
"I was watching my Royals g slaughtered on television and the network switched over to the last two innings of the Rangers' game." Watson said. "It was a wonderful thou so see to watch the way he handled business until it was over. Then he broke into that great big grin."
about 10 miles away from the site of Ryan's epic effort the night before.
Watson, making his first start since a near-miss in the Masters two weeks ago, gained a place among the tournament leaders with an erratic effort that, he said, was similar to his back-nine
scramble at Augusta.
He one-putted 10 times, set up an eagle with a ball that bounced over and engineered what he called the "job" with his career top 10 saves of par.
He couldn't get at the ball with a conventional stance, considered playing one left-handed and finally the other. One left-hand, back-hand shot to the ground.
That came on the ninth hole, where he drove into the rough, then hooked an 8-iron shot behind a tree.
He left that unorthodox effort about 40 feet short of the pin, then made the par-saving putt.
Track teams play host at Jayhawk Invitational
The Kansas men's and women's track teams are staying in Lawrence this weekend for the Jayhawk Invitational.
The meet is Saturday in Memorial Stadium.
Sports briefs
Teams from Kansas State, Colorado, Missouri, Wichita State and other smaller universities will compete at the meet.
He said that the meet would be a good tune-up for the Jayhawks before they travel to Norman, Okla., for the
Meet organizer David Kaiser predicted the Colorado runners would try for qualifying times while in the lower altitude.
Orlando's Skiles named most improved player
Big Eight Conference championships May 18-20.
Those who qualify will travel to Eugene, Ore., May 29-June 1 for the NCAA championships.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando's Scott Skiles, who hit his scoring average by nearly 10 points and helped the Magic improve by 13 victories last season, was named the NBA's most improved player yesterday.
"A as point guard, it's my job to make things happen on the floor," but I was called upon to score. "I am a guard, and I do everything that helps the team."
Skiles, who averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 assists in leading the second-year team to a 31-51 record, edged out Boston's Kevin Gamble and Houston's Kenny Smith for the honor.
The fifth-year pro received 25 votes of the 96 cast by a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, three from each league city and 15 representing the national media.
Skiles was instrumental in the Magic's turnaround from a 10-31 start — the worst record in the NBA at the midpoint of the season. The Magic went 20-18 after Feb. 1, and improved its victory total by an NBA-best 13 games after going 18-64 in its inaugural season.
From staff and wire reports