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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASEBALL
Nationals third baseman readies for season after injury setback
I ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIERA, Fla. — Ryan Zimmerman has already told Nationals manager Davey Johnson that he needs only 50 at-bats in spring training to be ready for the regular season.
Washington's third baseman, who had 48 at-bats coming into Wednesday's game against Atlanta, homered three times to lead a split squad of Nationals to an 11-2 win over the Braves.
"I guess as soon as Zim gets his 50 at-bats, he's ready," Johnson joked.
Zimmerman wasn't the only one to go deep for the Nationals, who got a pair of home runs from catcher Wilson Ramos and another from Tyler Moore. Four of Washington's six homers came against reliever Daniel Rodriguez, who gave up eight runs in two-plus innings.
three-run shot.
Both of Ramos' home runs came against Rodriguez, and both were on the first pitch. The second was a
Ramos and Zimmerman each had four RBIs.
Washington Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, March 27 in Viera, Fla.
Zimmerman led off the fourth inning with a home run against Rodriguez, led off the fifth with one off Christian Martinez and then hit a two-run shot against Dusty Hughes in the seventh.
"I hit the ball good," Zimmerman said. "I'm starting to feel better. It's nice to start getting going."
The Nationals have one game left in Viera on Thursday against the New York Mets before heading to Washington D.C. for an exhibition game against the Yankees on Friday. They open the season Monday at home against Miami.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
While a number of teams have had competition for positions throughout the spring, the Nationals have pretty much known what their opening day roster will look like.
what we were doing last year. .. We have a good team. We just have to keep getting better."
"We've pretty much known all spring what our team is," Zimmerman said. "It's almost the exact same as last year. It's kind of an advantage for us because we get to use this time to get back to doing
Zimmerman may be on track for opening day, but Atlanta catcher Gerald Laird admittedly needed some work after being slowed earlier this spring by a calf injury.
Laird and teammate Evan Gatts hit back-to-back home runs off Washington starter Ross Detwiler in the sixth innning.
"I'm starting to feel good at the right time." Lard said.
It was Laird's second game in a row, but only his 12th of the spring. He has had just 25 at-bats.
"I'm going to try to catch tomorrow, too, so I can go three in a row." Laird said. "It was nice to get back out there and try to get your timing going. The first day, you're kind of excited. .. It was a good all-around day."
Ramiro Pena had three hits for the Braves.
Moore, who followed Ramos' first homer with one of his own, was starting in place of Bryce
Harper, who did not even take batting practice to rest his injured left thumb.
Harper was jammed with a pitch in Tuesday's game against Miami. He had originally experienced pain and swelling in the thumb after getting jammed with a pitch March 22 against Detroit.
The left fielder, who is batting 476 this spring, has reached base in his last 10 plate appearances.
He told reporters Wednesday he would have been able to play if it were a regular-season game.
As it stands, though, Harper's status is up in the air for the final two games — Thursday in Viera and Friday in D.C. — as a precaution before the season opener.
"Whenever you get jammed, it hurts." Harper said. "(Tuesday), I got jammed a little bit. It hurt pretty bad. I woke up this morning and it felt fine. It's just a matter of getting through it and playing through it. I don't think it's going to hold me down or anything. I have a pretty high pain tolerance."
Harper experienced a similar situation in his first season at Class-A Hagerstown, but said this injury isn't nearly as severe. He has been wearing a foam pad on his thumb during batting practice, and may be forced to wear it during a game.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
BASKETBALL
The pep band preforms at the Big 12 Tournament on March 15. Thirty members of the pep band travel with the men's basketball team to play during the tournament.
Band takes pep on the road
EMMA LEGAULT
elegault@kansan.com
As game time approaches in the Fieldhouse, they raise their instruments and prepare to deliver the first few notes of their trademark song, "Sounds of Summer."
Although the basketball players will take center stage, it's showtime for these supporting roles, too.
Throughout the game, the crowd
claps and jumps along to the
However, come tournament time,
the men's basketball pep band adjusts to
new atmospheres.
fight songs, classics like "sweetCaroline" and "Hey Jude," and interpretations of recent hits such as Macklemore's "Thrift Shop."
"There is as much a battle of the bands as there is a battle on the court between the teams."
new crowds and a slightly different job.
"We go from being the entertainment in the Fieldhouse to being the student section for tournament games," Colin Lohrenz said.
Lohrenz, a Lawrence senior, plays tenor trombone for the band. Growing up in Lawrence, he watched as fellow high school classmates gained national exposure during games when they came to play at the University. He followed suit and joined the basketball pep band to mix two of his biggest interests: music and sports.
on distance and focus.
Members of the Marching Jayhawks are able to audition for the pep band before the season starts. While most of the members play together at home games, only 30 members are selected to travel with the team to tournament games based on a point system relating to attendance and section seat placement.
"We usually try not to distract the team and staff if we are fortunate to travel with the team," Lohrenz said. "We've run into the players hanging out around the tournament sites. Kevin Young is always fun to catch up with."
However, it's a relationship built
"The players and coaches usually say hi, but they have a job to do and so do we," said Marina Hague, a junior from Overland Park who plays trumpet.
"We travel with them, but we don't really interact," drummer Chris Carter said. "I think the players and coaches appreciate what we do, but they don't really acknowledge it. They've got more important things to do."
CHRIS CARTER
Pep band drummer
Carter, a junior from Lawrence, was drawn to the band because of his strong musical upbringing. He began playing piano at age three and drums at 13. Thanks to his
"My drum teacher was actually the drummer in the band at the time," he said, "so from the moment I started playing drums, I wanted to be in the basketball band."
Aside from having months to memorize the music and a few rehearsals in the weeks leading up to it, Carter and Hague said they were comfortable going into the Big 12 tournament.
love for Kansas basketball, Allen Fieldhouse and Travis Barker of Blink-182, he was determined to be a part of the basketball band.
Lohrenz the band has a few unorthodox preparation methods to bring the energy before tournament games.
"We know the music, we know the drill, we perform." Hague said.
"We approach each game with the same expectations as we do for any other," Carter said. "That way, when we get to a big game, we're already pretty confident that were going to look and sound great."
The country watches as the rivalries unfold on the court, but Carter said the competition extends
"We have a couple of rituals we have to do, including hog-calling and drinking a lot of cafeine to get us jacked," he said.
beyond that.
"There is as much a battle of the bands as there is a battle on the court between the teams," he said. "We want to prove KU has the best team on the court and the best band off of it. So, we play our best and bring our energy to really amp the place up."
As any Kansas basketball fan knows, tournament time is a frenzy of emotion. As the action escalates, the band must stay in sync with the energy of the game and the crowd while simultaneously concentrating on the music.
"The intensity fuels our fire" Stephen Meiller, a junior from Norman, Okla., who plays mellophone said.
"I actually think close or difficult games improve the band's energy level and playing," he said. "When we know the team needs our help, we take it up a notch."
"That's when the good pep bands really separate themselves from the others," Carter said. "A good pep band can take the energy from the stadium and amplify it for their fans, while a bad pep band can kill the energy of a stadium by playing a song at the wrong time."
Philip Kaul, a freshman from De Soto, said the band benefits from the excitement of power-packed games.
In his first year with the band, Kaul has only had the experience of tournament play close to home at the Sprint Center. He said the change of venue to Arlington, Texas for the Sweet 16 is something he is looking forward to.
"The Big 12 Tournament was a great experience," he said. "There is definitely a different atmosphere than games at the Phog because no venue in the country can compare to that, but Kansas City is close enough, that is almost a de facto home game."
Although a win is desirable, no matter what the score is at the end of the final buzzer, the band is unconditionally supportive.
"Our job is to cheer on the team and provide a great atmosphere," Hague said. "We are huge fans, so we just do our thing and play music."
- Edited by Megan Hinman