BASEBALL The Royals lost their 1996 regular-season opener to the Orioles yesterday. Page 4.
SPORTS R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1996
SECTION B
Baseball looks for recovery
The sudden death of National League umpire John McSherry on Monday put a dark shroud on what seemed to be a bright start for baseball in 1996.
For the first time since 1993, Major League Baseball teams will play a complete 162-game schedule. Revenue sharing was approved by league
last month. And fans seem to be filling up seats again.
With that, I'd like to give my two cents on who will be contenders this season. Only time will tell if the deep wounds caused by the players' strike will be healed. In the meantime
SPORTS EDITOR
American League East: Baltimore, New York, Boston, Toronto, Detroit.
Here are the picks, from first to last place.
die-hards like yours truly will keep the fire going.
All the hype here seems to revolve around the Orioles, who signed an impressive group of free agents, led by second baseman Roberto Alomar. Baltimore will have enough talent to fend off a charge by the Yankees and Red Sox. The Tigers and Blue Jays should pack it in now.
American League Central: Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota, Milwaukee.
This one was over before it began. If anyone other than the Indians wins this division, it will be one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Look for another three-team race here, with the White Sox and Royals battling for the wild card spot.
American League West: Texas, Seattle, California, Oakland.
The Mariners made history by winning their division for the first time in 1995, and the Rangers should do the same this season. Despite having a questionable bulpen and some poor defense, Texas should reign in what will be the league's weakest division.
The Braves may be to the National League what the Indians are to the American. Give some credit to the Mets for assembling an outstanding pitching staff, but this race could be a rout by June.
National League East: Atlanta, New York, Florida, Philadelphia, Montreal.
National League Central: St. Louis, Chicago, Houston, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh.
Things are truly looking up for the Cardinals, who seem to have a team filled with former Oakland players to join former Athletics manager Tony LaRussa. The Cubs lack a big home run or RBI man, and Houston will spend the season deciding where to play in 1997 instead of making plans for the playoffs.
National League West: Los Angeles, San Diego, Colorado, San Francisco.
Another ho-hum division marked by a talented Rockies team that failed to make any moves in the off season. Even if a team makes the playoffs, there is always room for improvement, and Colorado failed in that respect. Give this division to the Dodgers, who shored up the left side of their infield by signing third baseman Mike Blowers and shortstop Greg Gagne.
Wild card teams: Yankees and Cubs. American League Champion: Cleveland. National League Champion: Atlanta. World Champion: Cleveland.
After spending part of spring break in Dallas, I've heard plenty about Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and his hotel room incident.
All I will say is this: Like it or not, Irvin is a public figure and a role model to the NFL and society as a whole.
Irvin is a married man. The fact that he and former Cowboy Alfredo Roberts were in a room with two topless dancers is bad enough. Add the drugs that were involved and it becomes inexcusable.
This time, I hope the court won't give an athlete the benefit of the doubt.
Jayhawks corral No.16 Cowboys
Clutch pitching a few close calls help in 5-3 victory
By Dan Gelston Kansan sportswriter
Kansas baseball coach Bobby Randall is fond of saying a team can always learn, even from losing.
During their recent losing slide, the Jayhawks learned that it isn't wise get their usually mellow coach upset. He challenged the players to look within themselves and start winning again.
The fire lit under the Jayhawks continued to grow as they rallied from two runs down to defeat No. 16 Oklahoma State 5-3 last night at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium before a season-high 773 fans.
bunting and base running that made Kansas victorious.
"Coach really got to us in his speech," Kansas junior shortstop Joe DeMarco said. "He said we've got to do the little things better. To be fundamentally sound and do things like bunting and base running better."
The Jayhawks trailed 3-1 entering the seventh inning when third baseman Sparky Wilhelm opened the inning with a walk, and advanced to second on Andy Juday's pinch-hit single.
And it was the little things of
DeMarco followed with a sacrifice bunt that advanced the base runners.
First baseman Justin Headley followed with a ground ball that was booted by Cowboy first baseman James Wood. The ball scooted into right field, and Wilhelm and Juday came home to even the score at three.
Kansas right fielder Mike Dean takes a slight lead off first base in last night's game with Oklahoma State. The Jawahks beat the Cowboys, 5-3.
Headley then came around to score on second baseman Josh Kliner's bloop single that fell just beyond the outstretched glove of Cowboy shortstop Trie McKav.
The Jayhawks added another run in the inning when Josh Dimmick's ground out scored Isaac Byrd, who had singled earlier.
involved in it," he said. "It establishes a lot of confidence in what you can do and how you can play.
Randall said it was the performances of role players like Wilhelm and Juday that made him especially pleased with the victory.
"Emotionally, it was a great win,
because so many people were
"Sparky Wilhelm fought it all night. He got on base and made things happen."
Kansas senior Josh Belovsky (4-3) pitched seven innings, giving up three runs.
Belovsky was helped by the double-play combination of DeMarco and Kliner. In the fifth, Belovsky allowed three consecutive singles which loaded the bases with nobody out. But he got Cowboy clean up hitter Wyley Staelmont to hit into a double play, and the Cowboys scored just one run in the inning.
In the seventh, Belovsky opened the inning with a walk and two singles, once again loading the bases with nobody out. Again Staelman was up, and again he hit into a double play. Only one run scored in the inning.
"The two guys up the middle were huge tonight," Belovsky said. "They just jumped all over those balls and really saved us."
Kansas reliever Casey Barrett came in and pitched two shutout innings, earning his seventh save of the season. The save put him second
on the Jayhawks' single-season save mark. He passed Robert Keens, who had six last year.
Kansas improved to 5-5 against ranked teams.
Barrett said he doesn't mind the tough competition if it keeps yielding wins.
"That seems to be the trend this year," he said. "All we have is good teams coming up, so we should be playing well."
Kansas (15-13 overall, 5-7 Big Eight Conference) plays Oklahoma State (21-8, 7-2) again at 3 p.m today at Hogland-Maupin Stadium.
The Tournament Diaries...
Ryan Robertson traces Kansas' postseason run
Editor's note: Kansas freshman guard Ryan Robertson kept a journal of the Jayhawks' postseason games for the Kansan. These are his notes, beginning with the Big Eight tournament.
March 7, 10:58 p.m., Kansas City, Mo.
We got into the Hyatt Crown Center around 7 p.m. and were met by three TV cameras as we were stealing the bus. You can definitely tell it's "tournament time."
We basically spent the night watching TV and doing homework before our final team meeting at 10 p.m. At the meeting, we watched Colorado game tape, had chicken sandwiches, spaghetti and ice cream bars and went over the last minute review of the scouting report.
Kansas freshman Ryan Robertson passes the ball to junior B.J. Williams in the Jayhawks' NCAA tournament game against Syracuse on March 25.
Coach Williams is really fired up about this year's tournament. I think he's tired of everyone asking him why he has only won one championship in seven years.
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
Before the end of our meeting, we were treated to a short highlight film of the team from 1992 which won the tournament last, as well as clips from this year. The video concluded with the words, "Your Tournament, Your Championship!"
Lights out is at midnight, and wake-up is bright and early at 8 a.m.
March 8,4:22 p.m.
My first-ever tournament victory was a very successful one. We ran all over the Buffs, 88-55, and at times played exceptionally well. Jacque played great, as usual, and B.J. really stepped up despite fighting his asthma all day.
One down. Two to go!
Coach told us to enjoy the win until midnight, then start thinking
abouttomorrow'sgame.
We watched tape and talked about the scouting report of K-State for a solid hour. Coach says they will be really fired up to play us, so we need to "set it coil!"
After the game, we enjoyed a steak dinner from the restaurant across the street and headed back to the hotel to watch games on TV the rest of the day.
On the way back up to our rooms.
March 8, 11:19 p.m.
we signed some autographs for a few small kids. We also enjoyed some late night sheenanians from C.B., who was sprinting up and down the hall with his shirt off.
Wake up is at 8:30 a.1
March 9, 6:30 p.m
One more to go. We came to Kansas City to win the tournament, and we're one game away from doing it.
tell us what it feels like to be the best. The key phrase for today's game was that our "want to" had to equal K-State's, because they were playing to go to the NCAA tournament.
Coach wants to cut down those nets really bad, and keeps trying to
I ended with 13 points, a career high, but I owe a lot of it to JV, who got me the ball wide open.
The media was everywhere today. Raef and I got to go to the interview room, and I've never seen so many cameras and
reporters before. There's a lot of interest in this team and this tournament.
I can't remember feeling so good after a basketball game.
March 10, 7:43 p.m., Lawrence
I'd have to describe today with one word—disappointing.
We would have won today if just a few little things, like Jacquee's foul.
See DIARIES, Page 8.
Softball team sweeps doubleheader in Missouri
Kansan staff report
Jayhawks defeat the Tigers 4-2 and 3-0 after slow start
The Kansas softball team swept in and out of Columbia, Mo., yesterday, winning both games of a doubleheader.
The Jayhawks, 20-10 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12 Conference, defeated the Tigers 4-2 in the first game at University Field and 3-0 in the second. The losses drop Missouri to 15-12 and 0-2 in the conference.
In the day's first contest, Kansas senior pitcher Beth Robinson got off to a slow start, surrendering two Missouri runs in the first inning, much like she did against Texas A&M on Sunday.
She gave up back-to-back RBI at-bats to Missouri first baseman Kim Slover and short stop Mary Babb, who went 2 for 3 in the game.
The Jayhawk offense capitalized on four Tiger errors. Kansas scored three runs in the third inning and one in the fourth.
Kansas junior second baseman Heather Richins went 3 for 3 and had a RBI, and sophomore right fielder Sara Holland was 2 for 3. Holland hit her 14th double of the season, which tied the Kansas single-season record set by Cherie Wickam in 1988.
But Robinson settled down, allowing the Tigers no more runs, and picked up the win, her ninth against three losses.
The Jayhawks got another complete-game victory in the second game. Freshman pitcher Sarah Workman (10-5) scattered seven hits, allowing no Tiger runs and striking out four.
Missouri outhit Kansas, but the Jayhawks made the most of their four hits. They scored single runs in the first, fifth and sixth innings, handing Missouri pitcher Barb Wright her eighth loss and second of the day.
Kansas sophomore short stop Michelle Hubler provided the offensive punch. She hit her second home run this season in the sixth inning and had a BRI sacrifice fvv in the first
The Jayhawk will face Creighton (7-8) in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. today at Jayhawk Field.