KANSAS SOFTBALL The Jayhawks split a doubleheader with Creighton, Page 2. SPORTS RAP Letters from readers, Page 8.
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SPORTS
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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1996
Readers' responses welcome
SECTION B
I just love a good debate.
A letter to last week's "Sports Rap" has triggered a good one, and even I am eager to join in. A reader said that he was upset with erratic shooting on the part of Kansas guard Jerod Haase this season, and also said that Kansas coach Roy Williams should have put in another player when Haase wasn't doing well.
Given the popularity of Haase on this campus, I knew the sports desk would get plenty of good responses, and we did. Three letters are printed on page eight in today's section.
But something
KANSAS RELAYS
about the responses really bothered me. It was the fact that some readers were upset with the Kansan for running a letter that put a Jayhawk basketball player in a negative light.
SPORTS EDITOR
I created "Sports Rap" so that readers could saw what theywe
want about any sporting topic or something they read in the Kansan. The opinions and views of readers who contribute are not those of myself or anyone else on the sports staff. As long as I have the permission of the writer, I'll publish any letter.
Now it's my turn to respond to the notion that Haase didn't shoot well and should have been benched last season.
I agree that Haase struggled a bit more last season than he did the year before. But he was on fire when it counted most — more specifically, the first three games of the NCAA tournament. Part of the reason I think Haase didn't shoot as well because it was his second time around the Big Eight Conference. opponents had watched enough film to know that he needed to be guarded tightly and sometimes double-teamed.
But my bottom line is—who cares? The season is over, and I have no sympathy for fans who are upset with a Kansas team that gets to the Sweet 16 every year.
Yes, Jayhawk basketball fans are spoiled. A national championship is great, but be thankful for what you have. Otherwise, I suggest transferring to Missouri, where there is plenty more to cry about.
It seems that I left a local sports talk radio show out of my column last Friday, Zach Klein and Larry Libman of "Sports Talk" on KJHK 90.7 FM came into the newsroom on Monday to remind me of that fact. So, I would like to apologize for leaving my fellow student journalists out of my critique of talk shows.
I really haven't had a chance to listen to their show very much. The same time it is on — 4 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday — is one of the busiest hours here in the newsroom. But thanks to Zach, I'll get more than a listen today.
Along with the newsroom visit, I was invited to be a guest on this afternoon's show, which I graciously accepted. So here's a free plug for the show — listen today at 4 p.m. and every afternoon following that.
I'm ready for some ribbing for leaving the show out of the column, so call in and give my best shot.
Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew never had a reputation for being outspoken — until his daughter Michelle, 18, was diagnosed with leukemia seven months ago.
Michelle Carew died yesterday in Orange, Calif., with family at her bedside. The search for a bone marrow transplant to save her life was made more difficult because of her unique bloodlines.
Statistics show that Blacks are under-represented on national donor lists. Her two sisters and parents were incompatible. Carew is of West Indian and Panamanian descent, and her mother, Marilynn, is from a Russian Jewish family.
Carew took a leave of absence from his job as the California Angels' batting instructor and appeared on numerous television programs in the search for a match for Michelle.
Sadly, time finally ran out yesterday. My thoughts and prayers are with the Carews and others who suffer from this terrible disease.
Relays run smooth for Kansas track
Four members place near the top during the first-day events
Every athlete prepares for competition in his own way.
Besides training, Kansas sophomore Travis Perret visualizes himself breaking his personal records in the decathlon.
He also is not afraid to ask for help.
"I go to church on Sunday, and pray," Perret said.
"I just go 'Lord, help me do good in this meet and break my p.r.'s (personal records) and that we have a good day."
Perret said that praying helped him build confidence.
"I know He'll do what He wants, but I'm just kind of asking Him for a little help," he said.
Whatever Perret asked must have worked.
After five events, Perret is in fourth place at the Columbia Healthcare Kansas Relays with 3,450 points in the decathlon. He's just 203 points behind the leader Matt Smoldt from Colorado State.
Trailing Perret by six points and in fifth place is Kansas sophomore Mark Swaim, who is competing unattached to any school.
Swaim set personal records in the 100- meter dash, long jump and high jump.
"Travis and myself just went out today to have a lot of fun, and I think it reflected in our score," Swaim said.
"We both did real well, because I think we were having fun and we were enjoying ourselves."
In the heptathlon, Kansas sophomore
Candy Mason heads into the final day of the decathlon in second place and has an opportunity to win.
"I have a very good chance, because we're all really close," Mason said.
Mason scored 2,995 points, trailing Lisa Wright from Barton County Community College by 141 points.
With three events left, and with 5.075 points, Mason could qualify for the NCAA Outdoor championships.
"That's her best first-day all-around performance of her career," Kansas assistant coach Doug Hedrick said.
"I think she has got a shot for provisionally qualifying."
Kansas junior Amber Mounday is in seventh place with 2,631 points, and Kansas freshman Mandy Schroeder, who also is competing unattached, is in 10th place with 2,336 points.
This was Schroeder's first heptathlon. In high school, she was a high jumper and hurdler.
"This is going to be a learning experience for her. It's a lot different than doing individual events." Hedrick said.
But Herdrick said that he told her just to do her best and not to worry about her score.
Only decathletes and heptathletes competed yesterday at the first day of the Relays. The multi-event performers will resume competition today at 10 a.m.
The women's combined hammer throw begins at 12:15 p.m, and will be the first event that is not part of either the heptathlon nor the decathlon.
The relays will run tomorrow from 10 a.m. until the end of the women's 10,000-meter run, which begins at 5:25 p.m.
Kansas track and field coach Gary Schwartz said that so far the meet had smoothly.
"We got two goals. We want to run well as individuals and as a team, and we want to put on a great meet," Schwartz said.
Kansas sophomore Marc Romito practices the pole vault yesterday at Memorial Stadium. The practice was in preparation for the Columbia Healthcare Kansas Relays pole vault competition, which is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at the stadium.
Steve Punoe/KANSAN
'Hawks hang on, gain sweep of'Huskers
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
After hitting a ball down the line, Kansas right fieldler Les Walrond hesitates on his way to first base. The ball was ruled fair and Walrond was thrown at first. However, the Jayhawks won yesterday 9-8, completing their two-game sweep of Nebraska at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
Baseball team survives two Nebraska rallies for second straight win
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
The Jayhawks completed a two-game sweep of Nebraska with a 9-8 victory yesterday afternoon at Hogland-Maupin Stadium.
There's something about the Kansas closer's role that makes pitchers flourish despite pressure situations.
All year long it's been Casey Barrett, but when he was unavailable, Kansas coach Bobby Randall went to Josh Wingerd.
Like Barrett, Winged made things interesting by putting the tying run on third base in the ninth inning. And like Barrett, he got out of it.
"This was a hard-fought win. We never gave up." Randall said.
"These were two close ball games. We've been losing 'em, now we won 'em."
Kansas, 18-20 overall and 8-12 in the Big Eight Conference, won despite a third consecutive poor performance from starting pitcher Josh Belovsky.
He made it into the sixth inning, but allowed six runs, five of them earned. In the fourth, he allowed a solo home run to 'Husker catcher Scott Schultz, a 182 hitter with no home runs.
"My last three starts I've been struggling," Belovsky said. "I'm not throwing the ball in the zone where it should be.
"But I knew if I kept it close, I'd give us an opportunity to win."
Chris Williams relieved Belovsky in the sixth and left two Nebraska base runners stranded.
The Jayhawks blew 5-1 and 8-6 leads and saw the score tied at eight as the game headed into the Jayhawk seventh.
Second baseman Josh Kliner opened the inning with a walk. He went to third on designated hitter Josh Dimmick's double. After an out, left fielder Justin Headley scored Kliner with a sacrifice fly.
Randall's confidence paid off in the third inning when Headley threw out Nebraska left
Headley is mired in a 7-for-63 slump, but after Tuesday's game Randall said he would stick with Headley because of his defense.
Kansas-Nebraska line score
Nebraska 010 122 200—8 10 2
Kansas 032 010 10X — 9 8 3
Fish, Sirianni (7) and Schultz, Moore; Belovsky,
C. Williams (6), L. Williams (7), Pruett (8),
Winged (9) and Dean, Meadows. W—L.
Williams (20), L—Fish (5-4). HR—Nebraska,
Schultz (1).
"Justin Headley had a good day today and he didn't get any hits," Randall said.
fielder Matt Meyer at home plate with a perfect strike to catcher Mike Dean, which completed a double play.
Headley said he was glad to contribute.
"I know the hits aren't falling, so I have to try and do other things." Headley said.
"The coaches worked with me before the game. They tried to get me to relax."
With Kansas clinging to the 9-8 lead in the ninth, Randall couldn't go to Barrett because he had pitched three innings the night before.
So Wingerd, with one career save and a 5.60 ERA, was brought in to preserve the lead.
The first batter Wingerd faced, "Husker third baseman Pete Jenkins, reached on an error by third baseman Andy Juday.
Nebraska pinch runner Gene Jenkins reached third after a sacrifice bunt and a ground out.
But Wingerd got center fielder Francis Collins to fly out, ending the game.
Linus Williams, who pitched a third of an inning of shutout relief in the seventh, was credited with the victory.
Wingerd, who has made only one start in 17 previous appearances, said that he liked the chance to close out the game.
"It's probably my second favorite besides starting." Winged said.
Wingerd also said he wasn't nervous despite his lack of appearances in crucial, late-inning situations.
"It helps to have these wins," Wingerd said.
"Two in a row is nice, but we can't think this thing is over yet. The (Big Eight) tournament isn't a sure thing, but it's nice to know we control our own destiny. We win and we're in."
Kansas travels to Lincoln this weekend for a three-game series with Nebraska.