SPRING FOOTBALL REVIEW
Kansas State and Missouri held their spring football games on Saturday. Josh Freeman struggled for the Wildcats, while Missouri's offense hopes to improve.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
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BASEBALL
The Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers will meet for the fourth time this season. The game will be considered a nonconference game because of the neutral field, which will be Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Kansas, Missouri face off again
Border rivals meet as nonconference opponents at Kauffman Stadium
BY ALISSA BAUER
First pitch at the "K", in Kansas City, Mo., is at 7 p.m.
Tonight Kauffman Stadium will serve as more than simply the home of the Kansas City Royals. The major league ballpark will provide neutral ground for border rivals Kansas and Missouri, this time as nonconference opponents. It will be considered a nonconference game because of its neutral site.
The jayhawks (20-25, 6-12 Big 12 Conference) were one out away from taking the Big 12 series in Columbia, Mo., earlier this month when Tiger center fielder Evan Frey belted a two-run walk-off shot to center off sophomore closer Paul Smyth. Frey's
winning homer was just his second of the season, and he hit one since.
Smyth hasn't surrendered a home run since that game either.
Although the right-handed closer took the loss a week ago today against No. 10 Wichita State, his teammates have faith in the hurler that could be called upon to close in tonight's match-up.
"He's still the same Paul," junior right-hander Andres Esquibel said after the Wichita State game. "They just got little hits, nothing too major. We could've had a couple of those falling for us, but they just didn't go our way."
game info
Frey, however, has had plenty going his way. Leading the Tigers (28-12, 9-6) in their series victory against
Kansas vs. Missouri
Where: Kauffman Stadium
When: 7 p.m. tonight
How much: $10 all tickets,
free parking
Baylor last weekend, Missouri's center fielder went 9-for-14 against the Bears. Frey went a perfect 5-for-5, even though Missouri missed the series sweep on Sunday.
Holding down the third spot in the Big 12 standings, Missouri has hit a hot streak by winning three of its last five. Kansas, on the other hand, is still in pursuit of consistency
as the team has dropped four of its last five, which included its fifthstraight Big 12 series loss to Texas Tech last weekend.
"I don't think they were down," Price said about his team during last weekend. "But they were obviously disappointed."
Nevertheless, the Jayhawks enter tonight coming off a victory, and the Tigers enter the pair's fourth contest of the season after a loss. Missouri holds a higher standing in the Big 12 and this season's series advantage against Kansas, but the Tigers are hitting just .282 compare to the Jayhawks' .278. The Jayhawks failed to homer this weekend, but their 36 home runs this season nearly doubled the
Tigers' 19.
An inconsistent weekend for his team had little effect on senior center fielder Kyle Murphy. Murphy had a hit in each game against the Red Raiders last weekend, going 5-for-13 for the series. He ranks second on the team with a .315 average and went 5-for-13 with four RBI against Missouri last month.
Junior lefty Zach Ashwood (3-4, 5.88) will try his hand at the mid-week starting spot, shifting out of his usual weekend slot.
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
Edited by James Pinick
SOFTBALL
Home away from home
The Kansas softball team continues its road trip today against Nebraska. The Jayhawks also play Creighton on Thursday in Omaha, Neb.
Jayhawks look to continue road success tonight at Nebraska
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS
Opposing ballparks have been comfortable for the Kansas softball team this season. The Jayhawks have a 22-9-1 record away from Arrocha Ballpark.
Kansas (29-18-1, 5-8 Big 12 Conference) will take its road-winning ways north to square off against Nebraska (34-15, 7-6) tonight at 6:30. The road trip continues with a double-header against Creighton (32-10-1, 14-3-1 Missouri Valley Conference) on Thursday.
Both Nebraska and Creighton could have RPIs in the top 50 by
the end of the season, so victories this week would look good on the jayhawks' postseason resume.
The Cornhuskers sit fifth in the Big 12, the Jayhawks, are in sixth place.
The last time these two met in early April at Arrocha Ballpark, the Cornhuskers walked away with a 3-0 victory, which started a downward
Team finishes 10th, sophomore ties for 9th
Kansas falls short at Big 12 tourney
BY DANIEL MOLINA
Positioned in the middle of the pack after day one of competition, the Kansas men's golf team looked poised to make a run in the second and final day of action at the Big 12 Championship on Tuesday.
However, the course got the best of them. The Jayhawk golfers finished a combined 77 strokes over par, good for 10th place. Oklahoma State won the tournament.
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 6B
》 MEN'S GOLF
in the second day of the event. The performance allowed him to jump 19 spots on the leader board and finish in a tie for ninth overall.
His effort garnered him a place on the all-tournament team, a feat accomplished by 10 other Kansas golfers during the 11-year history of the Big 12 Tournament.
Sophomore Walt Koelbel and his career-best round of 69 proved to be one of only a few highlights
The sophomore's outing was even more impressive considering the unforgiving qualities of the course. Not a single Big 12 golfer finished at par or better for the event.
SEE GOLF ON PAGE 6B
COMMENTARY
NBA playoffs offer even casual fans excitement
BY KAYVON SARRAF
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
KSARRAF@KANSAN.COM
Fortunately, now is the time the real NBA season begins. This year's NBA playoffs offers plenty to whet the appetite of the casual sports fan even though the amount of professional basketball interest in Lawrence lies somewhere between NASCAR and Kansas men's basketball recruiting.
As a naive young child, I once asked my dad, "What does NBA stand for?" The wise elder told me, "Not before April, son."
The fourth ex-Jayhawk in the playoffs, and the one with the best chance to walk away with a ring, is Jacque Vaughn with the San Antonio Spurs. The veteran point guard who headlined the powerful Kansas teams of the mid-'90s has somehow not learned how to make an open jump shot after 10 years in the league. Regardless, Vaughn gives the Spurs 11 solid minutes per game while starting point guard Tony Parker whispers sweet nothings to fiancée Eva Longoria on the bench.
Nevertheless, Gooden knows his role with the Cavaliers: rebound, play defense and make layups when James gives him the ball under the basket. He has done just that to the tune of 11 points and 8.5 rebounds, which makes him one of the league's rebounding leaders, per game. Also when watching Cavalier games, one can find another ex-Jayhawk in Scot Pollard simply by looking for the goofy haircut on the bench.
Three of the eight first-round playoff series include former Kansas Jayhawks, and each team has a legitimate chance to reach the NBA Finals.
While this year's regular season was full of teams openly trying to lose games in order to improve their lottery position
Kirk Hinrich is the heart and soul of the Chicago Bulls, which is one of the league's most entertaining teams. Hinrich became a fan favorite in Chicago and Lawrence because of his gritty play. It was always fun to see him routinely beat everyone down the court and then hear coaches afterward call him "deceptively athletic." The Dwyane Wade and Hinrick match-up is always exciting, with Hinrich having a history of frustrating Wade, the reigning Finals MVP.
Drew Gooden is one of the league's most fortunate big men in that he gets to play in Cleveland with LeBron James. Gooden the professional pales in comparison to Gooden the Jayhawk. It is rare to see Gooden consistently bring the effort, like many NBA players, that made him the No.4 pick of the 2002 draft.
SEE SARRAF ON PAGE 6B