WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2005
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
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BIG 12 BASEBALL
Department
BY MATT WILSON
49-5067
BY NATVIL WILSON
AND ALISSA BAUER
sports@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITERS
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Bavlor stays on top of Big 12 Conference
Editors note: University Daily Kansan sportswriters Matt Wilson and Alissa Bauer will provide updates on the Big 12 Conference baseball season every Wednesday throughout the semester. Colorado and Iowa State do not have varsity baseball programs.
Baylor
27-16 overall, 13-5 Big 12 (No)
1 Big 12, ranked No. 11 in
Baseball
America)
Last week: No. 1.
in Big 12,
ranked No. 8 in
Baseball
America)
April 22-24: Lost two of three to Nebraska (4-8, 4-1, 3-4)
Highlight players:
against Baylor (8-4, 1-4, 4-3)
- Senior infielder Josh Ford recently ended his 37-game streak of reaching base. He is hitting .321 with 26 RBI.
Junior right-hander Mark McCormick (6-2) threw 6.2 innings, allowing only one run on four hits while striking out nine in game two of the series. He has a 2.85 ERA and leads team with 68 strikeouts.
Next Up:
Three-game series against Texas Tech this weekend
Highlight players:
Nebraska
34-8 overall, 10-5 Big 12 (No. 2
Big 12, ranked No. 8 in
Baseball
America)
Last week:
No. 2 Big 12,
No. 11 in
Baseball
America)
- Sophomore right-hander Joba Chamberlain (6-0) struck out 10 batters in his eight innings of work in game one against the Bears. He lowered his ERA to 1.84 in the process and has racked up a team leading 83 strikeouts.
- Freshman infielder Ryan Wehrle has exploded hitting .385, driving in eight runs in Nebraska's last 10 games.
Next Up:
Nebraska will head to Wichita to take on the Shockers tonight
30-10 overall, 10-5 Big 12 (No.
3 Big 12, ranked 14. In
Missouri
Baseball
America)
last week:
No. 3 Big 12
ranked No.
17 in
Baseball
America
April 22-24: Won two of three
MISSOURI
April 21: Won 13-4 at St. Louis
April 22: Won two of three against Oklahoma (1-2 (10 innings), 10-6, 6-4)
Highlight Players:
- Junior first baseman Derek Chambers was 3-for-4 with four RBI in Missouri's victory Saturday. He raised his batting average to .286 in the series against Oklahoma.
Texas
♦ Sophomore pitcher Max Scherzer was outstanding again for Missouri in the first game Saturday against Oklahoma. He pitched six innings and allowed only one run on one hit. He picked up his third straight no-decision after the Tigers lost in extra innings.
35-7 overall. 11-6 Big 12 (No. 4.
Big In 12
Conference.
ranked No.
1 in
Next up:
Missouri three-game series at Texas this weekend
1in Baseball America) last week: No. 4 in Big Balloon Am
No. 4 in Big 12, ranked No. 1 in Baseball America
April 20: Defeated Rice, 7-6
 April 22: Won 2 of 3 against Oklahoma State (4-3, 12-8, 2-3)
Highlight players:
♦ Sophomore outfielder Drew Stubbs hit his team-leading 10th home run in game two against Oklahoma State. He went 4-13 with two RBI in the series and is hitting .318. Stubbs was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Oklahoma State
The Longhorns face Texas State tonight
29-16 overall. 9-9 Big 12 (No. 5)
Big 12)
Last week:
No. 5 Big
12
April 20:
Won 9-6 vs.
Dallas
Baptist
april 22-24: Dropped two of three games to Texas (3-4, 8-12, 3-2)
Highlight Players:
◆ Junior pitcher Rick Rivas sal vaged the final game against Texas. He lasted eight innings, allowed two runs on six hits and struck
- Senior third baseman Rusty Ryal was 6-for-11 with three RBI in a three-game series against Texas. He is now batting, 326 with 40 RBI on the season.
Oklahoma State will play a weekend series at Texas A&M
out six to earn his third victory of the season.
Next up:
Texas Tech
25-14 overall, 7-9 Big 12 (No. 6
25-14 overall,
Big 12)
Last week: No.
6 Big 12)
April 22-23: The Red Raiders split with the Jayhawks in a shortened series because rainy (9-7, 7)
series because of a game three rainout (9-7, 7-13).
Senior catcher Cooper Fouts led the Red Raiders in their game one victory, going 3-4 with two RBI and two runs scored
Highlight players:
Senior infielder Carey
- Senior infielder Carey Avants' eighth-inning double drove in Texas Tech's winning run in the series opener. He went 3-9 with two RBI in the series and is hitting .357 with 28 RBI on the year.
Next up:
A three-game series at Baylor this weekend
Oklahoma
22-17 overall, 6-9 Big 12 (No.7
Big 12
Last week: No.
7 Big 12
April 20: Won
11-6 vs. Texas-
Arlington
April 22-24:
Won one of
Highlight players:
SOONERS
Sophomore outfitier Aaron Ivey was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and three RBI in the second game of a double-header Saturday against
three at Missouri (2-1(10 innings),6-10,4-6)
eighth start of the game.
Junior right-hander Daniel McCutchen was effective in the first game of a double-header Saturday at Mizzou.
He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed four hits and gave up no earned runs. He was left with a no-decision after OU won in extra innings.
Missouri. It was just his
eighth start of the season.
Next up:
The Sooners will have a weekend series against the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Kansas State
20-18 overall, 6-12 Big 12 (No.
Big 12)
8 Big 12)
Last week:
No. 9 Big
12
April 19:
Won 4-2 at Wichita
State
April 22-24: Won two of three against Texas A&M (5-3, 4-2, 5-6)
Highlight players:
Senior outfielder Terry Blunt went 3-for-5 Saturday and helped the Wildcats to win. He hit two doubles and drove in a run as well.
♦ Junior pitcher Chase Mitchell got the victory Friday night against Texas A&M. He held the Aggies to three runs in 5 1/3 innings and struck out five.
Next up;
Kansas State will play New Mexico State today in Kansas City, Kan
Texas A&M
26-18 overall, 6-12 Big 12 (No.
Big 12).
9 Big 12
Last week: No.
8 in Big 12
April 20: Won against Texas Southern, 8-0
April 22: Lost 4
two of three to Kansas State (3-5, 2-4, 6-5)
Highlight players:
Junior shortstop Cliff
♦ Sophomore third baseman Austin Boggs went 4-11 with four RBI in the Kansas State series. He connected on two home runs in its game-three victory.
Next up:
- Junior shortstop Clim
  Pennington hit 6-15, scoring twice and knocking in a run.
  Pennington leads the team with a .351 and 35 RBI.
The Aggies will face Oklahoma State this weekend
Kansas
10 Big 12
Last week:
No. 10 Big 12
25-20 overall, 4-10 Big 12 (No.
April 20: Lost
9-11 against
Wichita State
April 22-23:
Won one gf
two against Texas Tech the third game of the series was rained out
Highlight Plavers:
- Junior outfielder A.J. Van Slyke was named Big 12 Player of the Week after his performance in games against Wichita State and Texas Tech. He went 6-for-11 with two home runs and six RBI to earn the award for the second time this season.
Freshman pitcher Tyson Corley earned a victory in his first career start Saturday. He allowed three earned runs and struck out two in seven strong innings of work.
Next up:
Kansas will play Sacramento State this afternoon in Kansas City, Kan.
Edited by Kim Sweet Rubenstein
BY R.B. FALLSTROM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cardinals pitcher in form again after shoulder rehabs
ST. LOUIS — It's a big relief for Matt Morris, given the luxury of concentrating on his pitches instead of that dull ache in his shoulder.
The St. Louis Cardinals' former ace has made two starts since beginning the season on the 15-day disabled list while rehabbing from offseason surgery. Both have been big successes, giving the NL champions perhaps the best fifth starter around. In 11 innings he's allowed three earned runs with 11 strikeouts and two walks.
"This is the best I've felt physically in a long time." Morris said after working five effective innings on Sunday to help the Cardinals sweep the Astros. "It's been a gradual process, and the last two games I couldn't ask for anything better.
"All in all, it's night and day difference."
Morris won 15 games last year, but with a career worst 4.72 ERA as he battled mechanical woes brought on by his balky shoulder, patching together a decent year despite reduced velocity. He had been expected to test the free agent market before it was determined he needed arthroscopic surgery, and instead ended up re-signing with the team that
drafted him in the first round back in 1995.
Morris made such a rapid recovery he might have been able to start the season on time, way ahead of schedule considering the surgery was in November. But he wasn't needed until April 19 due to days off in a rotation that is the first since the 1932 Cubs to feature five 15-game winners.
So far, Morris is more like the pitcher who won 22 games in
2001 and 17 in 2002 than the guy who's fallen off elite status the last two years. That's good news for a staff already bolstered in the offseason by lefthander Mark Mulder, who threw a 10-inning shutout to beat Roger Clemens and the Astros on Saturday.
"As a team, I always had faith in what they were going to do." Morris said. "Myself, I had questions just because I'm trying to feel it and find it.
"I'm glad I'm able to step up. You're mentally challenged as well as physically."
The wait at the start of the season was worth it for Morris. He'll get an extra day off before his next start on Saturday at Atlanta, but not as a concession to his operation. There's a day off on Thursday that will push everybody back.
"I know I'll feel 91 pitches, but I'd feel 70," Morris said. "It's just part of it."
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