BASEBALL
Baltimore beat the Royals 5-3 yesterday, Page 3. MEN'S TENNIS Kansas prepares to play Nebraska on Sunday, Page 3.
SPORTS
U N I V E R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N S A N
FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1996
PROFILE
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
Kansas second baseman Josh Kilner dives safely into second base, Kilner, whose career goal is to be an anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, is on pace to break the NCAA record for doubles in a season. Kilner has belted 18 doubles this season, and the NCAA record is 34.
Klinershines at baseball
Second baseman leads Jayhawks in doubles, batting average,RBI
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
"I would love the opportunity to be on ESPN and be a broadcaster," he said. "I would love to pursue something like that."
Ask Josh Kliner what his SportsCenter fantasy is and his answer isn't about his on-the-field exploits.
Meanwhile, Kliner is biding his time as the Kansas baseball team's second baseman.
That includes going after the NCAA single-season doubles record or vying for the Big Eight Conference batting crown.
If that happens, Kliner may be on Sports-Center sooner than he thinks.
SECTION B
This year, Kliner has enjoyed a breakthrough season. He has exceeded expectations and has developed into the premier second baseman in the conference.
"I knew I was a better player than what I had shown in the past," Kliner said. "But did I think I'd be hitting, 400 this late in the season? Not really. But I'm happy I am."
And so are the rest of the Jayhawks. Kliner leads the squad in batting average (422, second in the conference), doubles (18), RBI (43), hit by a pitch (10) and slugging percentage .725). The school record for doubles is 22 by Jeff Niemeyer in 1993.
He knew a season like this could be possible if he could get his game together.
But Kliner is even on pace to break the NCAA record of 34 set in 1987.
But more important is his durability. He has yet to miss a game since coming to Kansas, playing in all 86.
"Baseball is going to have to quit on me.I'm not going to quit on baseball."
Joeh Kliner Kansas senior second baseman
Kliner has taken one of the longer roads to Lawrence. After graduating high school, he spent his freshman year as a walk-on at California State-Fullerton.
After not playing, he transferred to Cypress Community College in California where he played for two years.
In 1994 Kliner, along with current Jayhawks Josh Belovsky and Mario Opipari, led Cypress to the California State Championship.
"I loved it there, it was great," he said.
"That last year was the greatest year of my life. Everybody was close and we enjoyed so much success."
He was then recruited by Kansas and Virginia. He chose Kansas because of the success of the baseball team.
But there were uncertainties for both Kliner and Kansas upon his arrival. He was playing for a coach, Ding Bingham, who had little idea of his abilities.
"I don't think he expected all that much from me," he said. "They didn't even know
where they were going to play me for a while. They were thinking about short or putting me at first or third."
Although his numbers last year were modest — a .298 batting average, seven home runs and 35 RBI — it was enough to be named a second team All-Big Eight selection.
This year, Kliner was named co-captain by Kansas' new coach, Bobby Randall.
"I'm more of a leader by example," Kliner said. "I'm not the kind of player that's big on the rah-rah kind of
stuff. I think I'm a little more vocal than perhaps I've been, but I still try to set an example by the way I play."
Randall said he was pleased with the way his second baseman goes about the game.
"He has great bat speed," Randall said.
"He's done some things with the ball that are exceptional. He's very patient and aggressive at the same time."
But most of all, it's Kliner's will to win and succeed that impresses Randall.
"He brings a desire for excellence that may be unmatched," Randall said. "There's no compromise with him. He goes all out every time and I think his approach is what makes him such a leader by example."
As his collegiate career winds down, Kliner said it's natural to have been thinking about professional baseball.
"Baseball is going to have to quit on me.
I'm not going to quit on baseball," he said.
'Hawks serving up wins
No.18 women's tennis team is ready to play this weekend at home
By Spencer Duncan
Kansan sportswriter
The No. 18 Kansas women's tennis team finally feels good about itself. After struggling earlier in the season, the Jayhawks believe they are playing good tennis.
Kansas will face off against Iowa State at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Allen Field House tennis courts and at 2 p.m. Sunday the team will meet Nebraska, also at the Allen Field House tennis courts. If the weather is bad the matches will be moved to Alvamar Racquet Club.
The Jayhawks are 8-7 overall, and 1-0 in the Big Eight Conference after beating rival Missouri on Tuesday, 6-1. Kansas is searching for its fourth straight conference title.
"We feel the best we have felt all year," Kansas women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher said. "I am proud of the way this team has improved."
The Jayhawks are favored to beat both teams during the weekend, said Merzbacher, but that does not mean the team will take the competition lightly.
"We are picked to beat these teams." Merzbacher said.
"But we still have to get geared up. We are ready and anxious to play these teams."
The team may be ready to play this week, but Merzbacher is already looking forward to the rest of the Big Eight competition.
The Jayhawks hope they play well this week and can use the matches as tune-ups for the rest of the Big Eight matches.
"We play K-State after this and they have one of the best teams they have had in years," Merzbacher said. "Really the toughest part of the Big Eight is after this weekend."
While Merzbacher worries about the competition, his players have always said it is not who they play, but how they are playing that is important.
But the team has turned around their doubles woes in these last few weeks winning points in competitions.
"We want to beat everyone we play," Kansas sophomore Christie Sim said. "We just work hard and try not to think about who we are playing next."
Early in the season the Jayhawks struggled in doubles competition.
Overall the team is pleased with the way things have gone the past two weeks and hopes that the improvements will continue.
"That is something we have worked on a lot."
"We had problems in doubles," junior Kylie Hunt said.
"We are just playing smarter." Merzbacher said. "We are on a mission and we have goals to accomplish. That's what we want to do."
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Crew heads to Iowa
Kansas women's crew will hit the water tomorrow with one of its busiest weekends of the spring season.
Jayhawks will face tough competition in teams at Iowa Cup
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Kansas will race Drake University on tomorrow,
and the University of Iowa on Sunday at Lake Macbride.
The Jahayhans will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for the Iowa Cup.
at their dual last weekend against Tulaa, the Jayhawks hope to keep their momentum.
After winning three of the four events
Rob Catloth
"We'll really find out where we're at this weekend," Kansas women's crew coach Rob Catloth said. "Iowa is going to be big competition."
The Hawkeyes are in their second season of varsity competition, and the Iowa Cup will be their first event of the spring season.
Kansas and Iowa won't be strangers when they square off
this weekend.
The Jayhawks took first in three events and the Hawkeyes were victorious in two events.
The two faced each other in the fall season on Oct. 29 at the Head of the Iowa regatta.
Both teams also competed on Oct. 22 at the Head of the Charles regatta in Boston.
Unlike most spring competitions, the Iowa Cup will be a round-robin event with 14 head races.
In head races,
the boats run at 15-second intervals and
navigate through a three or four mile course.
The boat that
Palge Gelger
Softball slugger small but strong
Kansas sophomore holds leadoff spot and doubles record
completes the course in the shortest amount of time wins.
Normally, the spring season consists of sprint-style racing on a 2,000-meter course.
Kansas senior rower Paige Geiger said that now that the Jayhawks have the nervousness of their first spring race out of the way, they're ready to challenge the Hawkeyes.
"Iowa has a really strong program," Gelger said.
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
"They're going to be a real test for us."
Sara Holland sits cross-legged on the artificial turf at Anschutz Sports Pavilion.
She appears calm and throughtening as she watches her teammates take hitting practice in the batting cages.
Don't let that demeanor, Holland's 5-foot-4 frame or the school-girl braids she wears on game days be deceiving.
Laying next to the sophomore right fielder on the Anschutz turf is her weapon — an aluminum Louisville Slugger softball bat.
Holland has been on a tear against opposing pitchers this season, carrying a team-leading .378 batting average after 32 games and improving more than 150 points on her .210 average last season.
"I didn't hit awful last year, but I didn't hit consistently," Holland said. "I think I'm more relaxed this year."
Intermingled in her 42 hits are 15 doubles that Holland has pounded out. The latest came against Creighton on Wednesday and broke the Kansas single-season record for doubles that was held by Cherie Wickam.
"I don't go up there with the intention of hitting doubles," Holland said.
"But I've got to continue it. I can't stop with 15."
Holland will have a chance to build on the record tomorrow and Sunday as the Jayhawks travel to Lincoln, Neb.
They will face Nebraska in a doubleheader tomorrow and a single game on Sunday.
Kansas softball coach Gayle Luedke hopes Holland continues her torrid hitting, too. Luedke is expecting it, whether it be doubles or anything else, especially after she bumped Holland into the lead-off position.
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Holland hit leadoff in high school but moved down in the lineup last season.
"When I spoke to her before the season started and said, 'Sara, I want you to be our leadoff hitter,' she got really excited about that," Luedke said. "A lot of players, when you talk to them about batting leadoff, they really don't want to do that. It's a spot she's really comfortable with."
"And the pitches she selects to hit, she's able to hit hard." Luedke said.
In fact, Holland has some criteria for pitches she'll hit.
Holland's level of comfort at the plate should make opposing pitchers extremely uncomfortable. Luedke said Holland hit only the pitches she wanted to hit.
No matter what the count, though Holland stays away from outside pitches because that's not where her strength lies.
During an at bat, she will only swing the first time if the pitch is right down the middle. That zone expands a little if Holland has one strike in the count.
"But the main thing is that I focus on one thing. It's got to be almost a meat pitch before I swing at it," Holland said.
What may have led to Holland's offensive explosion this season, though, is her year of Division I experience.
Coming out of Bixby High School in Bixby, Okla., which has a population of about 9,000, Holland expected to encounter an entirely different game at Kansas.
All the pitchers were going to be 6-feet tall and throw heat that no one could touch.
Holland has discovered that isn't the case. Not even close.
"It's not any different," she said. "I feel that no pitcher can really beat me. I'm the one who can get her."
If Holland maintains that attitude, she may break the NCAA doubles record. Coastal Carolina's Sherry Johnson owns the record after hitting 27 doubles in 1994.
To break the record, Holland would need 13 doubles in Kansas' remaining 20 games, which does not include any postseason play.
Even with this proposition looming, Luedke does not anticipate a change in Holland's attitude.
"Her focus is going to be the same as it always is when she steps up to the plate — just hit the ball hard for us and good things will happen after that," Luedke said.
Brian Flink / KANBAN
Sara Holland steps up to bat during the Jayhawks' game against the Creighton Blue Jays on Wednesday. Holland has a .378 batting average this year, which is up more than 150 points from last year.