Sports
12A
The University Daily Kansan
They don't want fame, just a little support
Friday, April 2, 2004
Brent Carter/Kansas
Catcher Dani May, Lawrence senior, prepared her equipment before entering the game yesterday.
Non-revenue-sports players passionate but without active fan base
His name does not adorn the backs of jerseys worn by little kids or sprawl across the front page of newspapers.
By Joe Bant
jbant@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
He is not the subject of household conversation or the banter of sports journalists.
John DiCalogero is a college athlete one of the many at the University of Kansas who compete at the NCAA Division One level without the glamour or fanfare of high-revenue sports such as football and basketball.
Every week the middle-distance runner gives approximately 20 hours to his sport, and in the summers beneath shimmering, cloudless skies he runs about 60 to 70 miles per week to stay in shape.
He and others represent the University with pride, even though their accomplishments are often overlooked. Unlike the University's more famous athletes, they live outside the spotlight. That can be a good and bad, they say.
For DiCalogero, any status he receives because of his sport is secondary. He runs simply because he loves it, he said, and will continue to do so whether fans watch him or not.
"There's no better benefit than running fast," DiCalogero said.
He said fan support could be an important boost to competing, but it was lacking in track and he understood that.
He said track didn't seem to be a very fan-friendly sport at Kansas.
Maegen Himes had the same complaint for swimming.
The senior swimmer has a passion for the sport. She has been doing it before she could walk and will continue long after her days are done at Kansas, she said. She said at the collegiate level, swimming doesn't seem to attract the fans. Himes said the lack of support frustrated her sometimes.
"If I go somewhere with a Kansas swim sweatshirt, I get looks like 'we have
a swim team?""" Himes said.
She said sports such as football and basketball were a contrast. Those sports get constant media and fan attention even in their off-seasons. Meanwhile, she said, swimming gets ignored and is covered half-heartedly by the media even when it's in season.
Himes said it was hard feeling like fans didn't care more about her sport,but she found motivation from other sources, such as her teammates.
"For swimming, you got 33 other girls out there counting on you to perform," Himes said.
Andrew Steinberg, director of marketing for the Athletics Department, said his biggest challenge was finding ways to promote non-ticketed sports, which include swimming, track, cross-country, golf, rowing and tennis.
He said the difficulty was in raising awareness of these sports' events. The majority of the marketing budget was allocated to the high revenue sports such as football and basketball, a decision based on the need to earn revenue and to fill seats in the larger facilities such as Memorial Stadium and Allen Fieldhouse, he said.
Athletes in other sports realize the money and resources aren't exactly tilted in their direction, but they're used to it, they say, and aren't resentful.
"If our sport brought in that much money, I would expect a lot more," said Dani May, a senior center on the softball team.
As it is, she understands the way resources are distributed and thinks the system is pretty fair. She said she
SEE SUPPORT ON PAGE 8A
Jeremy Mims, Iowa City, Iowa, junior and middle-distance track runner, practiced for the Texas Relays Tuesday afternoon inside the Anschutz Sports Pavilion. The relays start Thursday and run until Saturday.
Annie Bernethv/Kansan
Baseball
Kansan file photo
Junior Sean Richardson slid safely into third base against Creighton. The Kansas baseball team defeated Creighton 5-1 on Feb. 22. It takes on Oklahoma tonight at 6.
Big 12 home debut begins against rival
By Shane Kucera
skucera@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
There are two reasons for coming to today's baseball game at Hoglund Baliparic; the Jayhawks' Big 12 Conference home opener against rival Oklahoma, and hot dogs for a quarter.
Kansas (22-11-1, 1-2 Big 12) will attempt to stop Oklahoma's (16-10) four-game winning steak when it opens a three-game series tonight.
Oklahoma will look to its pitching staff for an advantage against Kansas. The Oklahoma staff is led by southpaw David Purcey. As a Roger Clemens Award nominee, Purcey has an ERA of 2.37 in more than eight starts and is averaging more than a strikeout per inning pitched. Junior Jared McAuliff will also be a threat to the 'Hawks from the mound. McAuliff is 5-0 with a 1.10 ERA in more than 32 innings pitched.
Oklahoma has improved its record with a recent sweep of Baylor and three victories against top-10 opponents.
The strength of Oklahoma's pitching staff should be an excellent match up against the Jayhawks' solid offense.
At the plate, Kansas sophomore infielder Matt Baty continues to lead the team with a .416 batting average. Seniors Matt Trible, offense, and Ryan Baty, infielder, will try to carry last weeks' success against Nebraska into the Oklahoma series. In last week's match-up with the Huskers, Tribble batted .545 with two doubles and preseason All-American Ryan Baty went 5-11 with two homers.
With a team batting average of .342 and 40 home runs in the first 34 games of the season, Kansas will pose a threat to the impressive ERAs of the Oklahoma pitching staff.
The home field advantage should help the Hawks improve their Big 12 record and the all-time series record against Oklahoma (78-130-1). Kansas is 14-1 this season at Hoglund Ballpark with a team batting average just below 400.
The first pitch will be thrown at 6 tonight at Hogland Ballpark.
- Edited by Louise Stauffer
More darkness for softball Second day in a row where lack of lights halts game
By Jonathan Kealing
jkealing@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Brent Carter/Kansar
In seven years, Kansas' coach Tracy Bunge has had one game not finish before the sun set. Now, she has had two in two days.
Kansas (21-16-1) played a double-header against Creighton (21-16-1), winning the first game 2-0, and tying the second 1-1 after the game was called in the ninth inning because of darkness.
Why all the darkness? Arrocha Ballpark is a threephase construction process. Phase One is completed, which included building the field and dugouts. Lights are included in Phase Two, which has not started.
Kansas' two runs in the first game were back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Those two homers snapped a 41-inning dry spell, dating back to the team's game against Oregon State, March 21.
Sophomore shortstop Destiny Frankenstein, sophomore, infielder, made contact with a pitch during the first game against Creighton yesterday. Frankenstein sophomore designated play hit the first home run during back-to-back shots in the fourth inning. Serena Settlemier hit the home runs
"Serena and I are trying to tag team it right now, pump each other up," Frankenstein said.
While Settlemier has hit several out of Arrocha, Frankenstein has not.
"It was the first for me in the ballpark," Frankenstein said. "It was awesome."
Game one ended with senior Kara Pierce pitching for the victory, and recording 11 strikeouts. Kansas recorded four hits and one error.
Game two started at 4 p.m.
Because of freshman pitcher Kassie Humphreys' style, the games tend to run long.
"It's been that way all year long," Bunge said. "Hitters get a look at her, but they can't handle her."
Humphreys had a no-hitter going into the fourth inning. At-bats often went 12 or 14 pitches while Humphreys was on the mound, which posed a problem as the game went on.
"She kinda ran out of gas in the fifth, and that's why I yanked her," Bunge said.
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcomer at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
"That's a little frustrating. We were talking about it in the dugout and saying come on guys, we have to get on it, because this is going to be our last at-bat." Destiny Frankenstein Sophomore infielder
Game two lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes, with officials calling the game because of darkness, much like Wednesday, and much to the consternation of Kansas players.
Humphreys faced 18 atbats, striking out 12, in five innings. She gave up two hits and one run.
When Humphreys left, Pierce returned to pitch the final four innings of the game. Humphreys and Pierce recorded 12 and 10 strikeouts, respectively.
"That's a little frustrating," Frankenstein said. "We were talking about it in the dugout and saying it on
guys, we have to get on it, because this is going to be our last at-bat."
Kansas received word from the Big 12 Conference office yesterday that its games Wednesday against Nebraska will be counted as complete.
With that ruling, the Jayhawks' officially lost the game by a score of 3-0.
Bunge reported the league officials went back and forth three times while deciding.
— Edited by Michelle Rodick