DEADLOCKED
Sportswriter Asher Fusco offers his opinion on the depth chart for the upcoming season. Competition remains in numerous positions for the Jayhawks.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
95
PAGE 1B
TRACK AND FIELD
10-part talent Senior finds niche as decathlete
BY TAYLOR BERN
For most people, excelling in one track and field event is more than enough to keep them satisfied. But for Kansas senior Josh Kirk, it took 10.
Kirk, who will compete in the Kansas Relays decathlon that begins today, took a while to find his niche as a decathlete for the Kansas track team because coming out of high school he was unsure which sport he wanted to pursue.
"I kind of wanted to play basketball and soccer as well," Kirk said. "I went to Johnson County which ended both of those for me, but then they suggested the decathlon and I tried it and caught on quick."
Kirk excelled immediately, earning All American honors for finishing second in the decathlon
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Kirk
at the 2004 NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He then followed vertical jumps coach Tom Hays when he made the jump from Johnson County to Kansas.
In his junior season, Kirk finished fifth in the decathlon at the Big 12 Championships and placed 14th in the pole vault at the Kansas Relays. Along with the pole vault, Kirk feels his best events are the 400-meter dash and 1,500-meter run. That variety is what makes the decathlon perfect for him.
"I don't think I could do just one event, I think I'd get bored with it," Kirk said. "Being able to practice several different things everyday is very appealing."
The 10 decathlon events are the 100, 400, 1500, 110 hurdles, long jump, high jump, javelin,
SEE KIRK ON PAGE 3B
BASEBALL
The Jayhawks will face No. 10 Wichita State at 7 tonight at Eck Stadium in Wichita. The Shockers defeated the Jayhawks 18-3 last month.
Jayhawks face rematch
BY ALISSA BAUER
It was April 1992 the last time Kansas endured a 15-run beating at the hands of Wichita State.
Until last month's 18-3 loss to the Shockers, the Jayhawks (19-22) have held their own against the state's most historic baseball program. In the Ritch Price era, Kansas was dead even with No. 10 Wichita State (30-8) until the loss March 14, giving Wichita State the steal 6-5 advantage. The Jayhawks will travel to Wichita for a rematch against the Shockers at 7 tonight.
"Obviously we need to get that game under our belt then have some momentum for the weekend," Price said. "We've just got to keep playing. Our guys are playing as good as they can play."
The Shockers not only have Eck Stadium's nearly 8,000 fan capacity advantage, but the hosts are also the hotter team. Earning their top 10 in the nation status, the Shockers are 7-3 in their last 10 contests. They've
also taken their last six straight, including a weekend sweep against Missouri Valley Conference opponent Southern Illinois.
In sharp contrast, the lajahwaks are 3-7 in their last 10 games. While Wichita State was sweeping a conference nemesis, Baylor was handling Kansas its fifth straight Big 12 series loss.
"I still think when they're done, they'll finish fifth." Price said of Baylor. "They opened the season in the Top 25 and that's the best pitching that we've seen all year in our conference."
Albeit young, the layhawks will likely see more quality pitching tonight in Wichita, a club known more for its pitching than its offense that put up 18 runs against the layhawks a month ago.
Freshman lefty Tyson Fugett (0-0, 3.12) is scheduled to take the mound for the Shockers. Fuget has thrown just 8 2/3 innings in five appearances but has struck out nine.
junior right-hander Andres Esquibel (5-3, 5.76) will look to hold the run count to a much slimmer number than the teams' last match-up. In 45 1/3 innings of work, the midweek starter has sat 45 opponents down on strikes.
Esquibel has also allowed just five home runs this season, which could prove quite helpful. Although they've only knocked 14 out this season, the Shockers tallied three home runs against Kansas in their last outing.
On the other side of the ball,
The layhawks, however, love the long ball and have 36 home runs as a team. Nevertheless, Wichita State still carries the offensive edge heading into tonight's game.
Before taking on Oral Roberts on Tuesday night, eight of Wichita State's staring nine position players were hitting .300 or better. Last week's MVC player of the week, Conor Gillaspie, had an outstanding week going 8-15 with seven runs, four doubles, a triple and five RBL.
Yet, the sophomore third baseman ranks third on the team with a .353 average.
The jayhawks are bringing a hot bat with them, as well. Freshman third baseman Roby Price went 6-for-12 with a pair of RBI this weekend against Baylor, tallying a hit in each game of the series.
One more testament to the Jahvayhins being down, but not out.
"It's big," Erik Morrison, junior shortstop said, referring to Kansas' sole ownership of the Big 12's last place. "The top eight teams get a chance to go to the Big 12 tournament and that's our goal as of right now. We've got our work cut out for us."
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
Edited by Stacey Couch
SOFTBALL
Kansas looks to rebound
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
The Jayhawks have dropped six of their last seven conference games in a league that features four ranked teams. The team was outscored 20-0 last weekend by No. 5 Texas A&M.
Kansas' young softball team is getting quite the welcome to Big 12 Conference play.
Kansas (27-16-1, 3-6) hopes to break its three-game losing streak today against Missouri (30-18, 6-1). The Tigers are in town for a doubleheader at Arrocha Ballpark. Game one will begin at 3 p.m., followed by game two.
"This league is not forgiving and there are no breaks," coach Tracy Bunge said. "When you're playing as good of competition as the Big 12 as you are and we're not playing
Coming into the season, senior pitcher Kassie Humphreys was expected to be one of the Big 12's best. While she boasts a 13-9 record and 162 strikeouts, Humphreys struggled in her last start, giving up four runs. That outing was uncharacteristic considering Humphreys gives up less than three runs a game.
The Kansas softball team hosts Missouri this afternoon for a doubleheader at Arrochio Ballpark. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Bunge said she and her coaching staff were staying positive with the young group because they saw the effort, but maybe that effort was too high, adding extra pressure.
the team split a series against No. 4
Oklahoma last week.
really well on defense and we're not getting the pitching and people are struggling offensively, its tough."
The Tigers win with offense, ranking third in the Big 12 in team batting average (.297), second in runs scored (284) and first in doubles (76). The Tigers average 5.92 runs per game.
Pitching has been the trouble for the Tigers this season. They rank last in the conference with a 3.88 team ERA.
"We got to go out and we got to battle and we got to keep working to get better and we just have to stay positive because they're beating themse'ves up." Bunge said. "This is a group that we're not going to get down on."
The layhawks have won the last two games against the Tigers and hope they can extend that streak today.
"We're just trying to put up W's now," senior first baseman Nicole Washburn said. "Especially big ones against Missouri."
Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.
Edited by Ryan Schneider
Missouri is 6-1 in the Big 12 and
》 GO ROYALS?
Rush will benefit from one more year
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
KANSAN COLUMNIST
SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
As a Jayhawk next season, Rush will be a preseason All-American and ultimately a consensus first team All-American at the end of the season, which would earn him the right to have his jersey retired.
If Brandon Rush returns next basketball season, his jersey will be hanging in the Allen Fieldhouse rafters in five years.
By staying at Kansas, he'll be put in the role as the go-to guy again, but he'll have one less person to compete with for possessions. I really believe next season he will come around and as the super talent everyone says he can be. He's been really good, if not great as a Jayhawk. But he can be elite next season.
If Rush leaves now, he'll wind up a lost soul in the NBA. He'll see few minutes, and when he does it will be roaming the perimeter as a spot-up three-point shooter, but nothing much more than that.
Unlike Wright, what Rush needs to work on he can't do while riding the bench in the NBA. Rush needs to work on his assertiveness and his willingness to take a game over in the clutch. Those are intangibles you can't learn watching games from the sideline.
Rush has been moderately close to earning the All-American title but hasn't yet achieved it. As a junior he would finally get over the hump, earn first-team honors and stand at center court and watch as the Athletics Department unveils his retired jersey, after the mandatory five-year waiting period.
V
However, this is all contingent on Rush returning for his junior year. If Rush decides to leave for the NBA, he will probably fall somewhere in the second round, especially considering the amount of talented players declaring everyday. Rush can truly benefit from another year of college ball.
Julian Wright is never going to be a go-to shooter like Rush. They both have the potential to be great players in the league, but they will be different types of players — Wright a Marvin Williams-like player and Rush a Shawn Marion-like player. Wright can work on his shot while being a bench player in the NBA.
Rush can bring it all together, make a run at a national championship and have a shot at national player of the year. He likely would have made a run at a player of the year award next season regardless of early departures by players to the NBA this offseason.
Next season his only competition will be North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson, UCLA point guard Darren Collison, possibly Marquette guard Dominic James and then whatever sleep-
SEE JORGENSEN ON PAGE 3B