WINNING RUN WALKED HOME
Cardinals pitcher walks Rockies' Brad Hawpe in the ninth inning with the bases loaded to hand Colorado the 3-2 victory.
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TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 1B
BASEBALL
Tenight's game against Rockhurst was canceled because of a scheduling conflict. This is the fifteenth time this season that the Jayhawks will not be playing when they were scheduled to.
Rockhurst game canceled
BY ALISSA BAUER
Kansas can't catch a break.
The rain stopped, the lights work, but for the 15th time this season, the Jayhawks will not be playing when they were scheduled to be playing. Tonight's game against Rockhurst was cancelled because of a scheduling conflict.
Rockhurst was scheduled to make up an April 3 rain-out game against Quincy, in Quincy, Ill., tonight. Because the Cougars didn't qualify for their conference tournament, Rockhurst thought it would be able to come to Kansas to play instead of traveling to Illinois during finals week to make up the game against
Quincy.
On Monday, Rockhurst coach Gary Burns told Kansas coach Ritch Price that he had been informed that his team would need to go to Quincy to make-up the post-poned game.
Price said Burns also told him that in the years he's been with the program, a make-up game such as this had never happened.
"It's depressing." Price said. "There's no doubt about it."
The cancellation couldn't have come at a worse time. On Sunday, the Jayhawks were forced to take their first conference sweep because the series finale was rained out. On Monday, Rockhurst coach Gary
Burns told Kansas coach Ritch Price that he had been informed that his team would need to go to Quincy to make-up the post-poned game.
"I understand that rule," Price said, referencing how difficult it was for conference teams like Texas to travel. "But that's the one disappointment about the rule. It effects the standings without you being able to decide it on the field."
Big 12 conference standings are decided by winning percentage, so the lajhawks won't suffer by playing fewer games, but the pain of their first Big 12 sweep was much more painful.
"That hurt bad." Price said when the news broke that Sunday's game
was cancelled and would not be made up. "You could feel it in our dugout. It was like somebody fired a shot through the locker room."
But Price won't let the string of cancelled games affect his players' mentality. All he would mention was the difficulty his team has at the plate when trying to follow this consistent inconsistency.
"One of the things you preach to your players is that you can't make excuses," Price said.
Kansan sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
>> NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kansas to go to tourney
The Kansas men's golf team has been selected to play at the NCAA Championships. The team will travel to Sugar Grove, Ill., and compete in the Central Regional on May 17-19.
"We are obviously really excited to be invited to compete," coach Ross Randall said in statement released Monday evening. "We were afraid that we might not make it after our finish at the Big 12 Championship, but we are now looking forward to redeeming ourselves at regionals."
The Jayhawks played in Sugar Grove, Ill., earlier in the season where they finished fifth out of 12 teams. Seniors Gary Woodland and Tyler Docking both had top-20 finishes at the tournament.
Kansas finished 10th last month at the Big 12 Championships.
Kansas didn't qualify as a team for the NCAA Regionals a season ago. Woodland competed individually and finished 75th.
Entering the NCAA Central Regional, the Jayhawks are 20th out of 27 teams. The top 10 teams and top two individuals from each of the three regions will move on to the championship final. That event will be held May 30-June 2 in Williamsburg, Va.
Kansan staff report
BASEBALL
Jayhawks fall back into last place Games could provide pivotal Big 12 Conference matchups
BY SHAWN SHROYER
BAYLOR
ON DECK: After taking last weekend off, Baylor resumes Big 12 play this weekend on the road against Nebraska.
Up: Kansas State right-hander Brad Hutt (8-3) out dueled Kansas left-hander Andy Marks (3-6) Friday night. Although Marks surrendered only one hit in seven innings, Hutt kept the Wildcats in position for a comeback, allowing one run in eight innings, striking out six.
KANSAS (22-28, 8-15) VS.
KANSAS STATE (31-17, 9-11)
Series: Kansas State. 20:00
Series: Kansas State, 2-0; Game
three trained out
In the hole: Kansas. The Jayhawks are back in last place in the Big 12. To jump from 10th place to 8th and qualify for the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas needs to sweep Nebraska two weekends from now and hope a lot of other teams get swept.
On deck: Kansas looks to regain that winning sensation this weekend with four games against Chicago State. The Jayhawks will play once Friday, a doubleheader on Saturday and conclude the series on Sunday. Kansas State will play host to Texas A&M this weekend.
NO. 7 TEXAS (38-14,18-6)
VS. MISSOURI (33-13,14-7)
Up: The Tigers followed catcher Trevor Coleman's lead this weekend. He went 2-for-5 with a solo home run (6) in Missouri's victory on Friday, but 0-for-3 in its loss on Saturday. To help the Tigers clinch the series over the top team in the Big 12, Colemen went 2-for-5 with two more home runs (7,8).
Series: Missouri, 2-1
In the hole: Texas center fielder Nick Peoples was the yin to Coleman's yang as the Longhorns dropped their first Big 12 series of the season. He went 1-for-11 in the series with six strikeouts from the leadoff spot in the order, leaving five men on base.
On deck: Texas has no games scheduled this weekend while Missouri returns home to take on Oklahoma.
NEBRASKA (25-20, 10-11)
VS. COASTAL CAROLINA
(38-9)
Series: Coastal Carolina, 2-0; Game three rained out
Up: Coastal Carolina received a clutch performance from right-hander David Anderson (4-3) on Friday. Anderson threw 103 pitches in six innings of relief for the Chanticleers and allowed only one run. It was his longest relief appearance of the season and he was rewarded with Big South Pitcher of the Week honors.
NO. 19 OKLAHOMA STATE (34-13, 13-8) VS. OKLAHOMA (28-20, 8-13)
On deck: Luckily for Nebraska, its losses against Coastal Carolina won't affect its standing in the Big 12. Nebraska remains at home this weekend and resumes Big 12 play against Baylor.
In the hole: The Cornhuskers were outscored 13-7 in two games and first baseman Andrew Brown was one reason why. Brown went 1-for 9 with only one RBI while leaving three men on base.
Series: Oklahoma State. 3-0
Up: The Oklahoma State offense was running on all cylinders this weekend and shortstop Jordy Mercer was the most productive Cowboy of all. Mercer went 5-for-11 with two home runs (4,5), four RBI and four runs. However, he almost coughed up the sweep, allowing two runs as a relief pitcher on Sunday.
In the hole: Oklahoma starting pitching simply couldn't keep Oklahoma State off the scoreboard. Stephen Porlier (6-4), Heath Taylor (7-3) and Joseph Hughes (5-3) surrendered 14 runs on 24 hits in 13 innings during the weekend.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 2B
>> 'HORN BORN, 'HAWK BRED
Change of 3-point line good for game
Post players to have more freedom
to approve a new rule that will expand the college three-point line by one foot — from 19 feet 9 inches to 20 feet 9 inches — but it won't be implemented until the 2008-09 season, the year after the two seniors graduate.
showcase their moves without being hacked to bits by physical forwards or stingy, double-teaming guards.
This rule would have helped Jackson and Kaun be more productive players. If they could stay around for one more year, their points and assists per game would certainly increase. In a double team situation, they could pass the ball out to an open guard patrolling the perimeter. If they weren't
Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson are out of luck. The NCAA is expected
But why would they care, won't this affect guards more than low-post players? The answer is no. A good shooter is a good shooter from any range. Practice enough from the new spot and there won't be a difference from one line to the other.
The new rule will make the college game a little more like the NBA style of play, even though it will still keep many elements of its own to differentiate itself from the pro level, such as the use of zone defenses.
- now the more likely scenario
- they'd have an easier time scoring.
If shooting isn't a problem, then why is the NCAA changing the rules? To open up the court. Perimeter defenders will be forced to guard players farther out on the floor, leaving more space inside the paint for low-post players to
The expanded three-point line has even been used before in some recent early-season tournaments. The result? Statistics show that three-point-shooting percentages dropped, but by a miniscule amount of less than one percent.
With a more spread-out court, the games will be less physical and more skillful. Teams with more athleticism and talented low-post players should be able to take advantage and win more games. Teams kind of like Kansas.
Robinett is an Austin, Texas senior in journalism.
Overall the new rule should be good for college basketball, or at least for the fans. Games won't be bogged down in the middle as much, and scoring will be more prevalent, which means more entertainment.
— Edited by Joe Caponio
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Forwards and centers like Darlert Arthur will have more room to operate if the NCAA moves the three-point line back one foot next season.