Sports
12A
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Baseball seeks end to losing streak
By Shane Kucera
skucera@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Six straight road games have meant six straight losses for the Jayhawks.
Today's match up against the Southwest Missouri State Bears will be
the seventh and final road game before the Kansas Jayhawks return to the friendly confines of Hoglund Ballpark.
At Hoglund, the team has a respectable 16-6 record. Away games have been a different story for the
Baty
Jayhawks. With a 4-14 record on the road the team finds itself with an overall record of 24-22-1 and a ninth place ranking in the Big 12 Conference.
SMS is coming off its best season in school history. The Bears' 40-26 record in 2003 earned them a trip to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series. So far this season, the Bears are 21-19 with an 11-8 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
SMS is being led offensively by junior outfielder Jake Manning. Despite having only 23 starts in 34 games, Manning has a .350 batting average and five home runs.
and five home games.
From the mound, senior Jeff Gray and sophomore Paul Marsala will try to shut down the Jayhawks. Gray has a 5-4 record with a 2.62 ERA and Marsala has picked up five straight victories in conference play to improve his record to 5-2 with a 2.87 ERA. Kansas can look forward to the match-up against Gray and Marsala because both pitchers are right handers. Match-ups against left-handed pitchers have caused the team to struggle at the plate this season according to coach Ritch Price.
Heading into tonight's game, Kansas leads the Big 12 in hits (524), doubles (108), home runs (54) and batting average .318. Sophomore Matt Baty continues to lead the team at the plate with his .365 batting average. He is followed closely by junior Sean Richardson with .352.
The offense may lead the conference in almost all categories, but the team's pitching is dead last. The pitching staff has a combined ERA of 4.95 and opponents are batting .275. In order for the Jayhawks to turn around the six game skid the pitches will need to turn in more dominant performances.
Tonight's starter will be junior Scott Sharpe (2-0, 3.83 ERA). First pitch is set for 7 p.m. in Springfield, Mo.
Golfers tee off from fifth
Kansas men start tournament's final round 15 strokes behind
By Eric Sorrentino
esorrentino@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's golf team is in fifth place after two rounds at the Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson.
Texas and Oklahoma State are tied for first place with two-round totals of 577. Kansas State holds third place after shooting a 579. Oklahoma shot 587 and is in fourth place, and Kansas sits at 592.
Oklahoma State has gained national recognition for the play of freshman Casey Wittenberg of Memphis, Tenn. Wittenberg shot even par and tied for thirteenth place at this year's Masters Tournament. He is tied for 11th in this tournament.
The No. 24 Jayhawks were led on the first day by Andrew Price, Lake Forest, Ill., junior, who shot a two-round total of 147. Price is tied for fourteenth place individually.
Edited by Michelle Rodick
"We were disappointed with how we played today." Kansas coach Ross Randall said. "We played well in the first round, but in the second we had some bad tee shots and didn't play well all-around."
Freshman Tyler Docking, Olathe, is tied for seventh place after shooting a two-round total of 148. Senior Tyler Hall, Wayne, N.J., shot a two-round total of 150. Junior Kevin Ward, Leawood, and freshman Gary Woodland, Berryton, shot identical 151 two-round totals for the Jayhawks.
"Hopefully, we can play better in tomorrow's round," Randall said. "If we can avoid the errant shots we had today, we can move up a few places in the team standings."
Individually, University of Texas senior Jason Hartwick leads all scores at 4-under par after shooting 136 in two rounds of play. Junior Alex Noren of Oklahoma State is in second place at 1-under par after shooting a two-round total of 139. Senior Aaron Watkins of Kansas State is in third place after shooting a 141.
The Jayhawks conclude final-round action today. Tee-time are set for 8 a.m.
The Kansas women held onto eighth place in the Big 12 Women's Golf Championship at Pebble Creek Country Club in College Station, Texas, this weekend. Play was delayed Sunday because lightning and rain. When the weather didn't let up, the final round of the tournament was canceled. Kansas ended the tournament with a two-round score of 617.
Kansas File Photo
Edited by Danielle Hillix
Andrew Price won the Kansas Invitational at Alvamar Country Club earlier this season. The Kansas men's golf team is in action at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson for the Big 12 Conference Championships.
Sidewalk sliding
John Larkin,
Chicago junior.
slid down a Slip
N' Slide set up
outside of Sigma
Alpha Epsilon fraternity Friday afternoon.
Larkin over-shot the pool and ended up on the sidewalk.
Miles could be next big point guard
Whenever anyone thinks of point guards, the conversation always tilts to the Atlantic Coast Conference, and with good reason. Raymond Felton, Chris Paul and Jarrett Jack are all among the nation's best, and Duke churns out a fine point guard every year.
While Aaron Miles may not play in the ACC, he does play in the Big 12 Conference, where the point guard talent certainly isn't lacking. And Miles has the chance to be just as good as any of those ACC guards.
sports commentary
After the Missouri game, Wayne Simien said that Miles was the "heart and soul of the team." Even with the play of Simien, Miles will remain the most important cog in the Jayhawks' title-searching machine.
Miles had a great junior season, averaging 9.1 points per game, 7.3 assists per game and almost two steals per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio was close to a staggering 3:1, and he showed major improvements as an outside shooter. After struggling from the arc to
Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
start the year, Miles turned it up in Big 12 season and finished the season hitting 33 percent of his three-pointers. In the four NCAA tournament games, he was just short of dominant, getting to the basket and averaging 8.5 assists per game. In the last two games, he averaged 12 points, 9 assists and three steals per game.
The games showed a glimpse into Miles' vast potential. As a senior, Miles could turn into a monster...he could turn into Jamaal Tinsley.
Tinsley was a pass-first point guard who led a team void of major talent to
a number two seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Along the way, Tinsley averaged 14.3 points, 6 assists and 2.5 steals per game. He was named first team All-American by several publications and finished second to Duke's Shane Battier in the running for Associated Press Player of the Year. He was a devastating force on offense that required teams to build their defenses around him for one reason — Tinsley could get to the basket.
The one talent that Iowa State had that season was that the Cyclones were definitely not short on outside shooters. Tinsley, a lightning quick player with strong ball-handling skills, could get into the lane at will and collapse a defense. When the defense surrounded Tinsley, he would kick it out to the open man, who would either make the shot, or find somebody else left open by the defense's movements.
Miles could be that player. During the tournament, Miles showed the ability to leave opposing point guards in
the dust and move toward the basket. When he did, it often left wing players open for shots, or opened up the baseline for Simien and the other post players. With the talent surrounding Miles coming into next season, his ability to take the ball to the basket and make plays could make this team unstopable on offense. All he has to do is take more initiative.
The similarities don't stop there. Tinsley had a questionable outside shot, but always seemed to hit the big ones when the game was on the line. Like Miles, he was also more comfortable taking the ball to the basket and floating the ball off the backboard. If Miles improves between his junior and senior year, he could be better than Tinsley in this category.
Both players are tough defenders with the potential to steal the ball whenever the other point guard puts it in sight. Tinsley was named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team as a senior. Miles puts great pressure on the ball and makes it
The major difference between the two is that Tinsley was surrounded with talent his junior year with an All-American power forward in Marcus Fizer. Miles has the talent this year, with a potential All-American power forward in Simien, and Keith Langford and J.R. Giddens on the wings. All three players could be deadly should Miles drive more often and earn them some room.
While Miles prepares for his senior season, Tinsley will be working before his fourth NBA season as the starting point guard of the Indiana Pacers. He was the 27th overall pick in the 2001 draft.
difficult for the other team to start its offense. Miles has the ability to average 2.5-3 steals per game as Tinsley did.
If Miles takes more initiative, drives to the basket more, and play up to his talent-level, he could find himself going a little bit earlier in 2004.
Flaherty is a Lenoxa senior in journalism
净
4
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcome; at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
---
9