SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2005
PAGE 1B
BASEBALL
T-Bones' park on menu
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
A rare mid-week tournament will bring the Jayhawks to the T-Bones' Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan., today and tomorrow.
Kansas (25-20, 4-10 Big 12)
will face New Mexico State at 7
tonight and Sacramento State at
noon tomorrow.
The Best of the Midwest tournament will be the first tournament held at the T-Bones' complex since the ballpark's completion in 2003.
"I think it will be real exciting for our program to be involved with this," coach Ritch Price said. "It's a beautiful facility. I hope in the future we'll go over
there and the place will be sold out."
Price said he hoped this year's tournament would build its popularity and attract more teams in years to come.
WWW.KANSAN.COM
"It's nice to get out of the Big 12 and play in a tournament," said Jared Schweitzer, junior first baseman.
This year, the Best of the Midwest tournament will consist of four teams, two of which are actually from the Midwest.
+ What: Kansas vs. New Mexico State
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Kansas State is the only other Big 12 team playing, although Kansas will not face them in the two days of competition.
Schweitzer is one of the offensive leaders for Kansas.
Hitting .333, Schweitzer enters the tournament on a 14-game hitting streak.
- **Where:** Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, Kan.
- **Starting Pitchers:** Senior Mike Zagurski (4-4, 4.74 ERA)
  (Kansas), TBA (New Mexico State)
"Hopefully, I do well," Schweitzer said. "I don't pay attention to the streak. I just go one at bat at a time."
Also providing offense for the Jayhawks are junior outfielders Matt Baty and A.J. Van Slyke.
Baty went 5-11 with four RBI and four runs scored in the Texas Tech series. He is hitting .320 on the season with 36 runs scored.
in game one against Texas Tech.
Van Slyke leads the team with
42 RBI while hitting .318 this
season.
"I'm feeling pretty good at the plate right now and just am trying to help us get some runs," Van Slake said
Van Slyke connected on his eighth home run of the season
Kansas will take on New Mexico State (22-17, 7-5 Sun Belt Conference) in game one of the tournament.
"The players will really enjoy tomorrow night and the
atmosphere," Price said. "They're excited about the opportunity to play multiple days in a row. If you're a baseball player, the more days you swing is usually the better you swing the bat."
New Mexico State is hitting 341 as a team and boasts a line-up of power hitters.
Sophomore infielder Adam Harvey led the team in its second consecutive conference sweep, against Arkansas State this weekend.
Harvey went 9-12 last weekend with seven RBI and eight runs scored.
Junior left fielder Derek Maytubby also dominated at the plate, hitting 6-13 in their last
SEE T-BONES' ON PAGE 6B
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Teams end season with honors
BY KELLY REYNOLDS
hreynolds@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The 2004-2005 women's swimming and diving season officially came to a close this weekend with the postseason awards banquet.
At the ceremony held Sunday afternoon, four swimmers were recognized with individual awards. Following the awards presentation, coach Clark Campbell named juniors Gina Gnatzig and Emily Rusch the 2005-2006 team captains.
It was a bittersweet day for current senior co-captain Miranda Isaac, who received the Karen Dionne award. The banquet was her last event as a lavhawk swimmer.
"It was an appropriate goodbye," Isaac said. "It was a great time to reflect on what swimming has been to us for the last four years."
The Karen Dionne award is given annually to the most inspirational member of the team in memory of Karen Dionne, a Kansas swimmer whose career was halted after a car accident following her individual conference championship in the 100 breaststroke in 1985. Isaac was also a breaststroke swimmer during her tenure at Kansas.
"I was shocked and honored at the same time," Isaac said. "I don't think anyone can accept
SEE HONORS ON PAGE 6B
Rachel Seymour/KANSAN
Amy Gruber, Bigelow, Ark., senior, introduces her great uncle, Bob Stoddart, Overland Park resident, to coach Clark Campbell late Sunday morning before the women's swimming and diving awards banquet at the Springhill Suites. Gruber's uncle has attended nearly every home meet because her parents, who live in North Carolina, were unable to.
INSIDE THE PARK
JACK WEINSTEIN
iweinstein@kansan.com
Kansas offense looking anemic
There is much optimism surrounding the prospects for Kansas football next season. The Big 12 North is as wide open as it was a season ago. There is no clear favorite for the league title. That bodies well for Kansas, but it won't matter. Kansas will not win the Big 12 North title next year.
Anchored by senior linebackers Nick Reid, Banks Floodman and Kevin Kane, the Jayhawks return the fourth-ranked rushing defense and the fifth-ranked overall defense in the Big 12 from a season ago. Junior Charles Gordon returns at cornerback to try and repeat last season's performance in which he led the Big 12 in interceptions and tied for the NCAA lead. The only major loss to the defense is the departure of defensive end David McMillan, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of last weekend's draft.
The defense shouldn't miss a beat. I entirely expect it to be in the top half of the conference team leaders in all defensive categories. It won't be enough, though.
Without a consistent offensive attack, the Jayhawk season will play out much the way it did a season ago. After impressive wins against Tulsa and Toledo last year, Kansas fizzled, only beating Kansas State and Missouri the rest of the season.
Again the Jayhawks open the season with cupcakes in Florida Atlantic, Appalachian State, and Louisiana Tech at Memorial Stadium, before going on the road for the next four conference games.
Kansas will likely win convincingly against its first three opponents before facing real competition in the conference. Conference opponents will expose a Jayhawk offense that will have overachieved in its first three games, just as it did a
RECREATIONAL SPORTS
SEE WEINSTEIN ON PAGE 6B
Garage roof doubles as coliseum
Brett Cantrell, Shawnee senior, member of the Mountain Dewds, slams the ball during a game of kickball. The Mountain Dewds try to get together and play every couple of weeks.
BY C.J. MOORE
correspondent@kansan.com
KANSAN CORRESPONDENT
John Tran/KANSAN
The Mountain Dewds, an informal student group, occasionally like to turn the clock back to the elementary school days and play a little kickball.
Sometime last year the Dewds were bored and looking for something to do on a Saturday night. Senior Nick Williamson suggested that they play kickball. Their first game took place inside Anschutz Sports Pavilion, but they decided to take future games outdoors. They now play on top of the Allen Fieldhouse parking garage, or, as they like to call it, the Lawrence International Kickball Coliseum.
The Dewds play about twice a month on a Friday or Saturday night when the weather is nice. Usually game dates are not planned, but played at "random" times around 10 p.m. when the Dewds are bored, according to senior Brett
Cantrell, one of the self-proclaimed masterminds behind the kickball games.
The number of participants ranges from 14 to 50 people. Just like in elementary school, they start by picking captains and then chose teams. Cantrell, Williamson and Evan Toren all agreed that they prefer smaller, more competitive games.
Williamson, however, said that sometimes he enjoyed the more light-hearted games. Two Saturdays ago, the kickballers had just that, a light-hearted contest that featured the first ever battle of the sexes. There were special rules introduced for the game to even the playing field, including girls getting four outs as opposed to two for the
"When there is a lot of people, it is hard to get the game started because people choose not to listen." Williamson said.
Toren agreed and chimed in,
"Everyone sits around and
talks. The girls mostly do that."
SEE COLISEUM ON PAGE 6B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Bahe plans transfer
Nick Bahe, a walk-on sophomore guard, has decided to transfer to Creighton University.
Bah,e a Lincoln, Neb., native, said the decision was difficult, but he wanted to play more.
"It just bubbles down to the fact that I am a competitive guy and I miss playing." Bahe said.
Bahre said he had been contemplating transferring since the season ended. Bahre played 12 minutes last season.
"It's tough," Bae said. "You come to practice every day and you play defense for an hour and a half. I guess it has just been building for a little bit."
After the season ended Kansas coach Bill Self met with all of his players.
Self said Bahe's situation was unique because he turned down several scholarship offers from Ohio, Bowling Green and Cal Poly to be an invited walk-on at Kansas.
"I encouraged Nick to explore any opportunities because he wants to have a chance to, impact a major college program from a playing time standpoint." Self said.
"We talked about the opportunity for impact minutes in the future," Self said. "With the young guards we have, it's something that cannot be guaranteed."
Bahé visited Creighton last weekend. He said after speaking with Creighton coach Dana Altman, he made the decision to transfer.
NCAA rules require Bahe sit out next year. He has not been guaranteed a scholarship.
"They haven't made any promises," Bahe said. "But coach Altman and his staff told me that if I am working my butt off then he thinks there is a good chance I can get a scholarship."
Babe will finish the semester at the University, but hasn't made specific plans about when he would join the Creighton team.
"I've got some lifelong friends here," Bahe said. "I have the utmost respect for coach Self, but I go to war with these guys every day. I am really going to miss them."
Miranda Lenning