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Clash of the titans? Both Boston and Kansas City are playing their high-profile recruits during tonight's opening game. The Red Sox play the Royals in Kansas City, Mo.
MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
6B
Royals
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 1B
BASEBALL
Dramatic ninth inning comeback not enough for victory
BY ALISSA BAUER
COLUMBIA, Mo. — After falling behind 8-0 in the fourth inning, senior center fielder Kyle Murphy's base hit broke through the left side in the top of the ninth. That hit capped an incredible comeback, putting Kansas up 9-8.
But a celebration never took place.
Murphy's Missouri counterpart, center fielder Evan Frey, made sure of it. With two outs and one on in the bottom of the ninth, Freysted a walk-off home run to left-center field. The 10-9 final score gave Missouri (22-8, 4-2) the game and the series.
"That's about as tough of a loss as I've ever had," coach Ritch Price said. "Especially when you're down 8-0
and you play that hard to get back in the thing. We had some huge clutch hits along the way. Obviously it isn't over until the final guy's out."
Particularly when Frey is the final guy. The junior had multi-hit games for all three games of the series, going 7-for-16 with nine RBI and scoring seven times.
Sophomore closer Saimth (2-1) had the Tigers down to their final
out when he surrendered a base hit to pinch hitter Brock Bond. Frey came up next.
Although Kansas (16-17,3-6) had the lead and the momentum, Price had no intentions of thinking the game was a done deal.
"I didn't think anything like that," Price said. "I knew we would have to keep competing and find a way to close them out. We got the first
two guys out, obviously that was huge. Bond's had a tough series, but he pinch hits and gets a base knock. Then their best hitter put a great swing on the baseball."
After Kansas took the lead in the ninth, the team was on pace to take a series from Missouri at Missouri for the first time since 1983. But even that momentum plus a two-home run effort from junior Ryne Price
wouldn't be enough.
Missouri fans were on Price all weekend. When coach Price's son hit his third home run of the series to tie the game in the top of the ninth, they were relentless.
"One of the things we preach is 'You play every out and you play all nine innings.' Price said. "You know
FOOTBALL
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 3B
McClinton ready to lead Defense short on experience looks to veteran
BY ASHER FUSCO
Jerome Kemp, Paul Como.
Wayne Wilder. Rodney Allen.
Jay hawk football fans might have become familiar with these four names during the past several years. But these answers have
McClinton
all graduated, leaving behind a defense short on experience.
"I've got to be more of a player," McClinton said. "When the game's on the line, I have to be the one making the play."
The members of the graduating class, who combined to make 170 tackles and 11 1/2 sacks last season, leave the defensive reins in the capable hands of senior defensive tackle James McClinton.
Because tackle is not the most flashy or pivotal position in Kansas' 4-3 defensive scheme, his vocal leadership could be even more important than his play on the field. The role of team patriarch is not one McClinton shies away from.
The mature attitude McClinton developed last winter is something the inexperienced defense will need in order to succeed in 2007. Besides clogging the middle of the field and stopping opposing running backs in their tracks, McClinton will be a frequent source of advice and counsel for his younger teammates.
"Last year we had leaders but now they're gone and it seems like I'm taking their role," McClinton
said. "Now I'm the vet and I've got to be the daddy."
If there is one thing the McClinton, from Garland, Texas, has plenty of, it is confidence. Though he stops short of calling himself cocky, he says that he is ready to show his fellow defensive linemen the ropes. McClinton has quite the task ahead of him, considering the fact that he and sophomore defensive end Russell Brorsen are the only defensive linemen on the roster to have started a game in a Kansas uniform.
Behind McClinton, the rest of the defense is a bit more experienced. Sophomore cornerback Aqib Talib is coming off an AllBig 12 First Team season and the linebacking corps is anchored by sophomore linebacker Mike Rivera. Even so, McClinton's outgoing nature has given his veteran teammates a lift.
"He's an awesome player and a great guy," freewind safety Darrrell Stuckey said of McClinton. "If someone makes a big play, he's the first one on the field to celebrate."
Stuckey said McClinton had become a leader both on and off the field. The two are friends and started a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group with the help of sophomore cornerback Gary Green.
Leadership is a quality that can be extremely difficult to find. Kansas football may have stumbled upon 283 pounds worth in the form of James McClinton.
Kansan sportswriter Asher Fusco can be contacted at afusco@ kansan.com.
Edited by Sharla Shivers
SOFTBALL
Senior first baseman, Nicole Washburn, catches a ball at first base in Arrocha Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. Kansas will play host to Arkansas at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
Rally can't save Kansas
Jayhawks third-inning comeback attempt unsuccessful as Baylor Bears win 5-3
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS
The Kansas softball teams'late rally fell short against Baylor Sunday afternoon. The 5-3 loss secured a weekend sweep for the Bears (34-9, 4-0). With the loss the Jayhawks fell to 2-2 in the Big 12 Conference and 25-11 on the season.
defense off guard in a double steal that resulted in a run.
Baylor struck first in the top of the second inning, catching the lajwayk
Senior pitcher Kassie Humphreys started in the circle for the Jayhawks but struggled in the 3 1/3 innings she pitched, giving up five runs on five hits and walked two.
Humphreys did strike out four Bears on the day, and with that surpassed coach Tracy Bunge for fourth
on the Jayhawks all-time career strikeout list with 644 strikeouts.
The achievement was overshadowed in the loss, though.
"Kassie was not sharp and was leaving a lot of stuff out over the plate," Bunge said.
Bunge said that although Humphreys was a little bit off this weekend, she expected her to bounce
back.
The defense was having a tough day, and the offense had its own problems. The offense was held to one hit through five innings of play.
"I really was disappointed with our focus and our intensity, especially on the offensive side of things for the
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 2B
》TENNIS
Kansas tennis drops to 4-11 with its two weekend losses in the Lone Star State against Baylor and Texas Tech. Individual victories came from junior Lauren Hommel, sophomore Yuliana Svistun and the No. 1 doubles team of junior Elizaveeta Avdeeva and sophomore Edina Horvath.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Texas matches too tough
Conference record falls to 2-4 with losses at Baylor and Texas Tech
BY RUSTIN DODD
The Kansas team tennis fell to No. 69 Texas. Tech
69 Texas Tech.
5-2, on Sunday in Lubbock,
Texas, concluding a weekend on the road. Kansas lost 7-0 to No. 16 Baylor on Friday in Waco, Texas. The 0-2 weekend drops Kansas to 4-11 overall and 2-4 in Big 12 Conference play.
Texas Tech. Hommell defeated Kerryn Potgieter, 6-0, 6-3, at the No. 4 singles position, and Svistun won her team-best 10 match of the
The No.1 doubles duo of junior Elizaveta Avdeeva and sophomore Edina Horvath suffered its first conference loss against Texas Tech.
season against
Maria Jose
Andres at the
No. 5 spot.
Junior Lauren Hommell and sophomore Yuliana Swistun recorded the two victories for Kansas against
The No. 1 doubles duo of junior Elizaveta Avdeeva and sophomore Edina Horvath suffered its first conference loss against Texas
Tech, dropping their overall record to 12-4 and conference record to 5-1. The duo recorded its league-leading
fifth conference victory Friday. winning against Baylor's Zuzana Cerna and Zuzana Chmelarova.
Avdeeva experienced a tough weekend at No. 1 singles, falling twice in three-set matches. Avdeeva took No. 38 Cerna of Baylor to three sets on Friday before losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Avdeeva coupled that with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, loss to Samantha van der Drift of Texas Tech on Sunday.
Kansas will hit the road again Saturday when it returns to action at Missouri.
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Kansan sportswriter Rustin Dodd can be contacted at rddd@kansan.com.
-Edited by Ashley Thompson
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