BASEBALL. Former Major League outfielder Darryl Strawberry is expected to sign a contract with the St. Paul Saints today. Page 3.
SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1996
SECTION B
Semester has been a fun one
Well, I guess this is my last column of the semester, so I'll type while I fight back the tears. It's been a really wild couple of months and I've learned a lot about sports, newspapers and people.
But instead of going quietly into the night, I'd like to go out with a bang. So let me throw out a few miscellaneous parting shots, and I'm setting the trigger on rapid fire
First of all, I'll be back next
believe it or not, I actually got a promotion. So no more associate in my title — there goes the neighborhood.
ASSOCIATE
SPORTS
EDITOR
With the abundance of guards already declaring themselves eligible for the NBA draft, No. 11 will be back to lead the Jayhawks to the promised land
next year. But more importantly, he'll be back to get the degree he's worked so hard for.
There is no finer coach in the college game than Rick Pitino. Look at the record. Look at the results and the programs he has revived. They speak volumes.
Jayhawk middle-distance runner Kristi Kloster is the best role model we have at Kansas.
Glen Mason has injected some pride into a once-lifeless football program. But judging by the attendance at some games last season and the general attitude about Kansas football, few have noticed that this is a top ten program.
We need a new recreation center.
Let me break down our present one
— micro-sized weight rooms, locker
rooms that even rats would refuse to
dwell in, 13 tennis courts and four
(sometimes six) basketball courts.
Former Nevada-Las Vegas forward Stacey Augment once joked about the preferential treatment of athletes at UNLV, saying that he could kill somebody there and get away with it. Hmm ... sounds a lot like Nebraska to me. From woman-beaters getting slaps on the wrists to football players putting their hands in never-never land, Nebraska has certainly set up a double-standard for athletes.
Rules and laws aren't exactly applicable to athletes in 'Husker land. But thumbs up to the New England Patriots for noticing, albeit late, the mistake they made by drafting Christian Peter.
With the exception of Montreal and Kansas City, Major League Baseball is on the comeback. Heck, even Pittsburgh drew 27,000 fans last week to watch the team battle the hapless Florida Marlins.
I would certainly be remiss in not thanking a few people who helped me out along the way. William Blake once wrote, "No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings." And I certainly would have crashed and burned a long time ago if it weren't for the following people:
All of the fellows at the shelter, thanks for all of the feedback, ideas and criticism. I always knew you guys would give it to me straight.
To all of my co-workers, you've been great to work with and I hope none of you "pull a Bill" in the future.
Tom Erickson, thanks for your infinite patience with me, it certainly will never be forgotten. Good luck in Liberal.
All of the sportswriters, Evan,
Spence, Thunder Dan, Adam and
Jen-nay — you put in a lot of time and
effort and it showed in what you
wrote. I look forward to working
with you in the future.
To my best friend in the world, my mom, who keeps playing the hand she's dealt.
My brother John and his lovely fiancée Leigh Ann, thanks for everything you've done and continue to do for me.
Finally, thanks to the greatest influence in my life — my father. Dad gave so much of his heart to me and others that it finally quit on him, and he died two Christmas ages.
But I just know that heaven gets the Kansan, and I hope he's proud of what he reads.
Belovsky familiar with moving
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
Kansas senior Josh Belovsky throws to first base in a pickoff attempt. Belovsky pitched at three other schools before coming to Kansas.
Pitcher has found home at Kansas after playing for three other schools
By Dan Gelston Kansan sportswriter
Josh Belovsky remembers standing on the mound at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium during fall practice and thinking he'd finally found his baseball home.
But his road to Lawrence was long, winding and often frustrating.
While most seniors have trouble accepting the fact they have to move on come season's end, Belovsky will have it easy.
He has grown accustomed to moving on, as his vagabond collegiate base ball career has taken him from California to Texas to Kansas.
"Four teams in four years. It's pretty amazing when you think about it." Belovsky said.
It has been quite a journey for Belovsky. He started at Orange Coast Community College in California. The next year saw him stay in California, but at Cypress Community College.
At Cypress, he played with current Jayhawks Josh Kliner and Mario Opipari and the three of them led Cypress to the California Community College state championship.
"That was a great team we had," Belovsky said. "I really enjoyed the guys and the coaching staff."
But again it was time to move on. Belovsky started considering Division I schools, eventually choosing Southwest Conference powerhouse Texas Tech.
"It looked like the best place as far as pitching at the time," he said. "I knew it would be a good team, which I wanted. I also thought it would be good as far
as coaching and getting a chance to show my abilities in such a strong conference."
He was wrong on both counts.
After making an appearance in the first game of the season, he pitched just twice more.
The Red Raiders won the conference championship, but Belovsky was not a factor. He wasn't injured, he wasn't a malcontent; he just didn't get a chance.
"The coaches never had a specific reason. I just got buried, he said. "I really enjoyed the team, but it just got very frustrating the fact that I wasn't pitching. I didn't feel like a big part of the team at all, I wasn't contributing anything, and it wasn't helping me."
Belovsky asked for, and was granted, his release from Texas Tech, forcing him to again start considering another school.
"This path has been so up and down. When I had to leave Texas Tech I was like 'here we go again.'"
He found that in Kansas, Belovsky stepped up early in the season and assumed the role of staff ace. He has a 5-4 record in 13 starts with a 5.59 earned run average, which swelled after a mid-season slump.
He was also named the Big Eight Conference pitcher of the week.
Kansas baseball coach Bobby Randall said he was pleased with the way Belovsky stepped up.
"Josh came in and really plugged a hole for us," he said. "I know he had a rugged time at Texas Tech, and that may have hurt his development. I think he's really improved during the year; he's been pretty sturdy."
"As the season has gone on, Josh has become more serious about the game. You have to be serious about what you do, but you can't take it seriously, and I think Josh has learned that."
It may have taken some time, but Belovsky is glad he's a Jayhawk.
"I've been able to pitch, and pitch well, and really be a contributor to the team," he said. "This type of season is something I've worked hard to accomplish. I'm glad it's finally happening, and I'm glad it's in Kansas."
Shockers ready for'Hawks
Winner will travel to championships
By Spencer Duncan
Kansan sportswriter
Things have gone fairly well for Bill Nichols this season.
As the Wichita State University men's tennis coach, Nichols has led his team to an 18-8 record and earned a bid to the NCAA Region V Men's Tennis Championships, which begin tomorrow.
Nichols hopes his team's success does not end when the Shockers meet the No.11 Kansas men's tennis team in round one of the regional championship.
"They are certainly the heavy
favorite." Nichols said of the Jayhawks. "Right now I am looking at KU's past performances and noticing they are a great team."
Kansas and Wichita State will meet in the semifinals of the regions at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex in Wichita.
The tournament consists of four teams, and the winner gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Men's Championships on May 18-22, in Athens, Ga.
The Jayhawks, 24-5, enter the tournament as the Big Eight Conference Champions for the third consecutive season. The team hopes its regular season success carries into the post-season.
"We have prepared all year to get to this point," Kansas men's tennis coach Michael Center said. "We just
have to win two more matches to get to Athens."
Playing at home is nice, Nichols said, but not necessarily an advantage.
"Sometimes being at home there are a lot more distractions. Things like girlfriend and not staying focused can be a problem," Nichols said. "Sometimes it's easier to keep your head on the road."
The winner of the match between Kansas and Wichita State will meet the winner of the semifinal between No. 38 Colorado and No. 41 Tulsa, which will be played at 3 p.m. tomorrow.
The championship match will be
placed at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
But Colorado men's tennis coach Ron Smarr knows who he would like to see if his team gets to the finals.
"We'd like to play them one more time because we've got a lot of confidence that we could win," Smarr said after Kansas defeated Colorado in the Big Eight tournament last weekend.
If the Jayhawks keep playing the way
NCAA Men's Tennis Regionals
they have all season, they could win the regional. Center said.
Andy Rohrback/KANSAN
"We have been looking at the NCAA tournament all season," Center said. "The key for us is to play to our abill-
ties and play our style of tennis. If we do that, then we will win."
Fans line up early for basketball team
"It's a good problem," Williams said. "It's good that you have so many pee' be wanting autographs, but it's bad because so many people want autographs. You could spend time every day signing autographs."
Kansas coach Roy Williams estimated that about 1,200 people made their way down the table to get signatures from the Kansas players and coaches.
Mike Morgan and Brooks VonThea drove from Topeka, arriving at the field house two hours before the signing began at 5 p.m. No one else was there, which put them at the head of the line.
Autograph seekers came from Lawrence and beyond, including Topeka and Junction City.
"We've done enough of these things to know it's a lot easier to get here early," Morgan said as he held a Kansas Jayhawks pennant with 19 scribbled signatures.
With the vast number of autograph seekers, Williams was happy to see the end of the line.
"Needless to say, I could do better things with my time," he said. "But once people got into line, they were great to us."
4
Williams has gathered and provided Vaughn with information about where he might be drafted and what team he might go to.
"He's got all the information," Williams said. "He's doing the thinking now."
Al Vermell, the Chicago Bulls' strength and conditioning coach, worked with the Jayhawks on Wednesday.
They spent about an hour working
Tyler Wirken / KANSAN
Fans waited in long lines to get autographs from players yesterday.
on a broad range of drills. One required the Kansas big men to hold medicine balls just under their chin, stand directly below the basket and explode upward for dunks.
Oklahoma athletic director accepts new Big 12 position
The Associated Press
The conference includes the current Big Eight teams, plus Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor from the Southwest Conference.
Duncan will serve as director of football operations for the Big 12, which begins play this fall.
NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma athletic director Donnie Duncan stepped aside Thursday, ending a 10-year run with the school to take a job with the new Big 12 Conference.
Oklahoma has won a national title in men's golf, baseball and men's gymnastics under Duncan, but its marquee sport — football — has become a non-factor in the
The highlights of Duncan's tenure at Oklahoma included his hiring of baseball coach Larry Cochell and men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.
— has become a non-factor in the Big Eight.
But he also hired Howard Schneellenberger, which proved to be a disaster, and in 1990 he disbanded the women's basketball program, only to reinstate it after a public outcry.
The tradition-rich program has gone through back-to-back.500 seasons, and hasn't finished higher than third in the Big Eight since 1988.
The program was placed on NCAA probation in December of that year for recruiting violations. "They wanted us, and they got us," Duncan said at the time.
webLaTeX.org
He hired Gary Gibbs as the football coach in the summer of 1989, after Barry Switzer resigned, and then spent a good part of the next six seasons defending his choice.
Oklahoma's only Big Eight championships since the fall of 1986, when Duncan was hired, have come in men's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's tennis, and men's and women's gymnastics.
Duncan played an important role in the formation of the Big 12 and its football television package, and was heavily involved in the selection of Steve Hatchell as commissioner of the league.
Among the names mentioned as possible successors to Duncan are former Oklahoma football greats Lee Roy Selmon, Steve Owens and Jack Mildren.
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