THE UNIVERSITY OF DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007
MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007
SPORTS
7B
weekend recap
GAME ONE
Oklahoma 8 Kansa
As coach Ritch Price predicted after last Wednesday's game was rained out, the Jayhawks' bats were cold in the opening game of the series. They came up with just six hits to the Sooners 13 en route to Oklahoma's eight-run routing of Kansas.
Sophomore lefty Andy Marks (3-6) was lifted in the sixth, down just two runs. Entering the fifth inning, the onslaught of Sooner runs had not even begun. Junior right-hander Andres Esquibel took over for Marks but with little success.
Esquibel surrendered four runs in 1 1/3 inning of work. Sooner starter Stephen Porlier (6-4) did just the opposite, shutting the Jayhawks down through seven innings.
Price moved into the tied spot for third all-time coaching victories at Kansas with former coach Bobby Randall, after taking gam two of the series against Oklahoma.
GAME TWO Kansas 6. Oklahoma 3
The jayhawks got on the board much earlier in round two, chalking up three in their second at
bat of the afternoon, Sophomore catcher Buck Afenir and junior second baseman Ryne Price led off the inning with walks before junior right fielder Brock Simpson knocked them both in with a triple to right-center. Designated hitter Joe Servais drove in the third run of the inning and increased the lead to 3-0.
The run support allowed sophomore lefty Nick Czyz (3-6) to earn his first conference victory of the season. Czyz gave up just two runs on six hits in his six-inning start.
Alissa Bauer
FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
In the past year, some Kansas coaches have achieved milestone victories.
Price has Kansas on track
Men's basketball coach Bill Self collected his 300th career victory and his 100th at Kansas while women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson ended Kansas' 12-game losing streak against Kansas State. And any time football coach Mark Mangino musters a victory, it's a cause for celebration.
This weekend, yet another Kansas coach earned a landmark victory at baseball coach Ritch Price surpassed Bobby Randall for third place on Kansas' all-time wins list with a 167-138-1 record. The accomplishment is just one of many for Price since he came to Kansas in 2003.
Price also reached the 100- and 150-victory plateaus at Kansas faster than all of his predecessors. His .546 winning percentage at Kansas is the highest among Jayhawk coaches with at least 100 games coached.
When he wins his 250th game at Kansas, he will move into second place on Kansas's all-time wins list. Floyd Temple holds the all-time record with 438 victories at Kansas.
BY SHAWN SHROYER
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
SSHROYER@KANSAN.COM
"I hope I'm here long enough to get that accomplishment — second place or that first-place spot — but with an accomplishment like this, it's something I owe to my players," Price said.
With the help of his players, Price's victory against Oklahoma on Sunday was significant for another reason. It clinched Kansas' first Big
12 Conference series victory of the season as the Jayhawks (22-26, 8-13) climbed out of last place in the conference standings and inched closer to claiming a spot in the Big 12 Tournament.
To be one of the top eight teams in the Big 12, Kansas needs to finish ahead of two of three other teams battling to reach the tournament — Texas Tech (7-13), Baylor (8-13) and Kansas State (7-11).
With 10 baseball schools in the Big 12, the top eight qualify for the conference tournament. Although it took the Jayhawks seven tries to win their first Big 12 series, their ability to avoid being swept during conference play has them in a tie for eighth place and thousandths of percentage points out of seventh.
The Red Raiders, Bears and Wildcats did the Jayhawks a few favors this weekend. Texas Tech was swept and Baylor and Kansas State lost their series. The remaining series for these three schools won't get much easier, either.
Texas Tech has two more Big 12 series remaining with No. 12 Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. However, Texas Tech benefited from
the cancellation of one of its games with Texas A&M earlier this season. The Red Raiders likely would have lost that game and they're just behind Kansas and Baylor in Big 12 winning percentage as a result.
Baylor also has two more Big 12 series left with Nebraska and Kansas State. The Bears' series with the Wildcats will be pivotal in deciding who makes the tournament.
It'd be surprising if Texas Tech, Baylor and Kansas State navigated those remaining games with winning records to separate themselves from Kansas, but Kansas can't leave its tournament hopes in their hands.
With three series remaining, Kansas State can cement its place in the tournament or fall by the wayside. Kansas State will play Kansas this weekend, then No. 18 Texas A&M before taking on Baylor.
Kansas must follow its series victory against Oklahoma with another one against Kansas State. Then if Kansas can avoid a sweep at home against Nebraska and finish its Big 12 slate with, at worst, an 11-16 record, it could finish as high as seventh in the conference.
If the Jayhawks solidify a spot in the Big 12 Tournament with a late-season rally, it will speak even louder to what Price can do at Kansas than his record.
Shroyer is a Mound City junior in journalism.
Edited by Ryan Schneider
BASEBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Center fielder Aaron Ivey led off the game with a single to center. The Sooners' leadoff man destroyed the majority of the jayhawks' staff, collecting three hits in each contest.
Second baseman Alaj Davis followed his lead with a single of his own to center field. After facing just two batters, Marcel and the jayhawks were down 1-0.
The freshman lefty struggled again in the Sooners next at bat, giving up three quick singles and another RBI in the bottom of the second. But while the Sooners were racking up hits, Marciel wasn't quite as reticent to give up runs.
Oklahoma tallied six hits in the first two innings but left three on as Marcel coaxed double-play ground outs in the first and third innings. Although he held the Sooners at bay for the most part, his four-inning outing proved fairly stressful.
Junior left fielder John Allman led off the inning with a single to left. Fellow junior Erik Morrison put him out at second base when he reached on a fielder's choice. Morrison also left the bases quickly, but for a more javhawk-friendly reason.
His offense eased the stress in top of the fourth.
With one on and one out, sophomore catcher Buck Afenir crushed a home run to left field, tying the game 2-2.
Afenir shifted a game looking to be dominated by a rolling Sooner offense and reset the momentum.
"It was huge," Price said. "With
Kansas 9, Oklahoma 4
Kansas 000 303 120 — 9 11 1
Oklahoma 110 010 001 — 4 13 1
Wally Marciel, Andres Esquibel (5), Pam Smyth (8) and Buck Afern; Nich Conaway, Garrett Richards (6), Matt Loveland (9) and William Jackson.
W — Esquibel 6-3. L — Conaway 4-3. 2B — KU: Kyle Murphy, Erik Morrison; OU: Aaron Baker. HR — KU: Murphy, John Allman, Afenir.
"With the bases loaded, he gets out of it in the fifth." Price said. "Then he gets the double plays in the sixth and seventh. He was absolutely fabulous. Wally did a nice job, too."
Records Kansas 22-26, 8-13 Big 12 Conference, Oklahoma 28-17, 8-10
Junior right-hander Andres Esquibel came in and shut down the Sooner threat to give his offense room to work. Taking full advantage, Kansas put up another three-spot in its half of the sixth.
one swing you tie the game."
The run that Ivey scored in the bottom of the fifth after the Sooners loaded the bases before Marceli could record an out almost swung the momentum back in Oklahoma direction.
The Esquibel who struggled in Friday's game one in Norman, Okla., was nowhere to be found as he refused to let the Sooners creep closer. He threw into another set of
Almost.
Allman again led off with a hit in the seventh. This time it was a solo blast to deep center field, putting the Jayhawks up, 7-3. In the bottom of the seventh, the Jayhawk defense's fourth double play of the afternoon, the most turned in a game under Price, put Kansas back at the plate to further extend its lead.
double plays in the sixth and seventh before Kansas blew the game wide open.
The 9-3 game was out of reach by the time the Sooners chalked one more up in the bottom of the ninth. Entering the weekend 19-4 at home, the Jayhawks not only stole the show at L. Dale Mitchell Park, but they've also pulled the glimmers of the Big 12 Tournament into a clearer focus.
Senior center fielder Kyle Murphy was happy to do so. Down to the last out of the eighth, Murphy combined his power with the wind to tag his third and fourth RBI of the afternoon when he sent the long ball to left.
With no time to rest, Kansas will play host to Saint Mary at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
"Now it puts us in position where we can control our own destiny," Price said. "It won't be easy, but at least we can control our own destiny."
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
- Edited by Carissa Pedigo
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Sophomore catcher Elie Potterf hit a home run in the fourth inning of Sundav's game. Potterf added one run and an RBI for the Jayhawks.
SOFTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Kansas was able to close the gap to 8-2 in the fourth inning with sophomore catcher Elle Pottorf's lead-off home run that soared over the right-field fence.
Humphreys followed with a walk and advanced to third on a double by sophomore third baseman Val Chapple. With two outs, junior left fielder Betsy Wilson singled up the middle to bring in sophomore 'Erika Simington, who pinch ran for Humphreys.
Oklahoma answered in the top of the fifth with two solo home runs. The Sooners offense got four home runs from four different batters and had 14 hits.
Bunge said she was pleased with the team's relentless play in the past six games and said the team wasplaying with more confidence, energy and intensity.
"We continue to fight, no matter what the score is," Bunge said. "Our kids do not quit and I'm proud of them for hanging in there."
"It was a tough day and a tough loss on Senior Day, but I'm proud of the way we're playing," she said.
Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.
Kassie  Humphreys,  Valerie George (2), Sarah Vertelká (6) and Tiffany Craner. Lauren Eckerman, D.J Mathis (6) and Lindsey Vandever. W — Eckerman (31-1). L — Humphreys (18-11). S — None. 2B — OU: Amber Flores, Jaime Fox (2). KU — Stevie Crisosto Valerie Chapple, HR
Edited by Ryan Schneider
Oklahoma,206 0 02 3 —1314 0
Kansas 000 211 —4 8 2
OU: Traci Dickson, Samantha Ricketts, Fox, Vandever. KU — Amanda Jobe, Elle Pottert.
No. 3.Oklahoma 13.Kansas4
NASCAR
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Dan Whelldon has seen too many close finishes at Kansas Speedway — from just behind the winner.
But for one of them, he might be a two-time defending IndyCar Series champion.
NASCAR
Racer wins Kansas Lottery
Indy 300 by 10 seconds
Wheldon is no longer 0-for-Kansas, though. After finish second in 2005 and 2006, both times by less than a second, he made Sunday's race a rare vanner
Whelden was 10 seconds
"It was a very different race for Kansas;" Wheldon said. "Kansas is normally a producer of close finishes: I have to say I much prefer the much wider margins than the shortest, because I lost the shortest."
ahead of Dario Franchitti late in the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 and won on caution when Scott Sharp crashed with two laps to go.
"We're ready to go for the big one now," said Wheldon, who won at Indy in 2005 on his way to the season points title.
It was Wheldon's second victory in four races this year and the 13th of his career. The victory gave him a shot of momentum for the race that matters most to him — the Indianapolis 500.
Milka Duno, whose debut Sunday made the race the first North American open-wheel series event with three women in the field, stayed out of trouble all day and finished 14th. Sarah Fisher was 12th.
Wheldon led 111 laps in each of his two previous Kansas City races but eventually lost both races.
Associated Press
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