KANSAS SOFTBALL The Kansas softball team will battle Wichita State today in a doubleheader at 2 and 4 p.m. at Jayhawk Field, Page 2.
SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1996
KANSAS BASEBALL
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Kansas junior center fielder Isaac Byrd gets called out on a close play at first base. After defeating No. 7 Arkansas on Monday, the Kansas baseball team lost to Pittsburgh State 1.2-1.4 at Holloum-Maupin Stadium yesterday afternoon.
'Hawks fall to Pittsburg St.
Baseball team fails to overcome eight-run deficit
By Dan Geiston
Kansan sportswriter
No Jayhawk has walked the thin line between success and failure more often this year than closer Casey Barrett.
His propensity for getting into and out of tough jams has become his trademark.
Barrett entered the game in the ninth with the score tied at 12. With one out, he allowed two consecutive singles and a walk to load the bases. He then uncorked a wild pitch that sent in the go-ahead run.
Barrett finally crossed that line into failure when he allowed the two winning runs in the ninth inning of a 14-12 Pittsburg State victory yesterday afternoon at Hoglund-Maunin Stadium.
A sacrifice fly followed to give the Gorillas the 14-12 lead.
But Kauras (12-7) battled back in the ninth.
Kansas shortstop Joe DeMarco led off the inning with an infield single. After center fielder Isaac Byrd followed with a walk, it appeared the Jayhawks would rally again.
But first baseman Justin Headley hit a line drive that was snared by Gorilla first baseman Ryan Darst who stepped on first to double-up Byrd and end the rally.
Second baseman Josh Kliner flew out to end the game.
"It's not the end of the world," Kansas coach Bobby Randall said. "They dominated us with their bats."
While Barrett (0-1) took the loss he couldn't take all the blame.
Kansas starting pitcher Les Walrond was rocked for five hits and five earned runs and left the game after the first inning.
"I felt good in the bullpen but I just didn't have it," Walrond said. "I got behind the hitters early and had to come after them with my fastball."
Pittsburgh State (10-11) led 6-0 before Kansas scored twice in the
"They dominated us with their bats."
SECTION B
Bobby Randall
Kansas baseball coach
third inning. The Gorillas also ree 10-2 after five and scored at least one run in every inning but the seventh and eighth.
The Jayhawks cut the deficit to 12-10 after six innings, but blew a chance for more runs in the seventh.
Wilms was thrown out at the plate and the inning was finished.
With one out, pinch hitter Aaron Wilmes walked and advanced to second on a ground out. Byrd then singled to center and Randall waved in Wilmes even though the heart of the Javhawk lineup was coming up.
"I didn't coach very well," Randall said. "I probably made more
mistakes than any of the players."
makes than any of the players.
Another one of his mistakes was putting Mike Dean, who had yet to play the infield this year, at third base. Dean made a costly error that led to two unearned runs in the sixth.
The Jayhawk loss to the Division II Gorillas came one game after Kansas defeated the No. 7-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks and two days before a crucial three-game series with the Oklahoma Sooners. Looking past the Gorillas might have been a problem.
"There probably might have been some of that," Walrond said. "We might have taken them a little lightly."
Kansas second baseman Josh Kliner went three for five with three runs scored, three doubles and five RBI. Kliner said that it's hard for the team to keep having to come from behind.
“It’s tough to battle all the way back and tie it,” Kliner said. “But there’s no consolation in it at all.”
The Jayhawks will play at 3 p.m. tomorrow when they begin a three-game series with Oldahoma.
Sampson savoring season, Sweet Sixteen
Injured Kansas guard acts as team's emotional leader
By Evan Blackwell
Kansan sportswriter
Sampson has played through the throbbing pain of a left knee injury all season. Even though the lateral meniscus tear in her knee has robbed the Kansas senior guard of much of her quickness, she has continued to play.
This was supposed to be Charisse Sampson's vear, but fate wasn't so kind.
As Kansas junior guard Tamecka Dixon has blossomed into the Jayhawks' go-to player, Sampson has remained on the court as a steadying influence. She has also become the symbol of the team's undying spirit.
"It has really saddened me," Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said. "We wanted this to be Charisse's year."
Now, as her college career draws to a close, that spirit will be put to the ultimate test as Sampson leads the Jayhawks into the Sweet 16 for the first time in Kansas' history.
"She's in constant pain," Washington said. "She has her good days and bad days, but at some points, I wasn't sure we were going to get her back."
The fourth-seeded Jayhawks will play No. 1 seed Tennessee in the East Regional semifinals Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.
In the Jayhawks' first two rounds of NCAA tournament play, Sampson has at times looked like her old self. In the first-round win against Middle Tennessee State, Sampson turned in a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
"This is something that we've all been looking forward to," Sampson said. "Now that we're in it, we're looking forward to going further."
"In that first game, I felt like she simply wasn't going to let us lose," Washington said. "She was so important keeping us in the game."
"It been so tough with all the things that Charisse has faced this season," Trapp said. "She's stayed out there because she wants to help this team. She's been the emotional leader; she has really inspired us."
"Every game is like my last game now," Sampson said. "It's important that I do the best I can to help this team succeed as much as we can."
Sampson said she had been playing with reckless abandon because she knew each game could be her last.
Kansas junior forward Jennifer Trapp said Sampson's mere presence on the court had been an inspiration to the whole team.
In Washington's eyes, the Jayhawks' second-round victory against Texas was more than just a milestone for the basketball program. It also was a personal victory for Sampson.
Staff photographer / KANSAN
"By us winning and making the Sweet Sixteen, I'm hoping all that will now offset all the pain she's gone through this year," Washington said. "This success is going to live with her now."
Stephen Dunn / ALLSPORT
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas senior guard Charisse Sampson lays in two points Saturday against Texas. Sampson scored 14 points for the Jawhaws.
It seems that the Arizona men's basketball coach can't decide what praise to bestow on the Wildcat senior forward first. Would it be his tenacity on the boards? Or his competitive nature? Maybe his maturity?
Arizona's Davis still in contact with men's team
"Everybody on the team — Ben would probably be their favorite," Olson said. "I've never seen a kid come in, and really only play a year and a half, and have the kind of respect and display the kind of leadership Ben has."
Ask Lute Olson about Ben Davis, and it will take him some time to answer.
Jayhawks' foe a familiar face
There is a long road that stretches behind Davis at Arizona, whom Kansas will face at 9:40 p.m. tomorrow at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver in the West Regional semifinals.
Davis will be a familiar face to the Jayhawks because he began his college career at Kansas. Coming out of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., he was one of the country's top recruits.
As a freshman at KU, Davis averaged 6.6 points and 17.6 minutes a game.
Even though he started seven games, the playing time wasn't enough, Davis transferred midway through his sophomore season.
There was talk that Davis also wanted to be closer to his mother, who lived in Fort Pierce, Fla. He originally planned to transfer to Florida but then had second thoughts.
"When you're that highly touted coming out of high school, sometimes it's harder to adjust to not being the man," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "Ben helped us win some games and was going to be extremely important to us."
"It was probably one of the toughest decisions I've ever made," Williams said.
Williams said that he had to put his foot down and that he couldn't be unfair to new recruits who expected that Davis would not be there.
Davis decided that he wanted to come back to Kansas.
Davis never became a Florida Gator and instead came back to Kansas — to play at Hutchinson Junior College. Davis led the Blue Dragons to the Junior College national title and a 35-4 record.
Arizona senior forward Ben Davis will take on his former school when Kansas plays the Wildcats on Friday.
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"I've seen a lot, and I've been in a lot of situations that most people would never be in," Davis said. "It all ended up working out for the best in the end. I don't regret any of it."
Then, he made what would be his final move in the college basketball world, transferring to Arizona.
But Olson said that Davis has admitted that leaving Kansas was the biggest mistake he ever made.
"You realize what you had when you just left," Olson said. "He's also said that as well as he's fit in here, he wished he would have come here right out of high school. I think he feels fortunate, that after that mistake, to have found a place that he really felt at home."
And he's thriving there.
This season Davis led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14 points and almost 10 boards.
Some of the Jayhawks haven't forgotten about Davis, either. Kansas seniors Calvin Rayford and Sean Pearson were members of Davis' recruiting class and maintain regular contact with him.
"He works really hard every day of the week; that's the kind of player we need in this program," Arizona forward Joe McLean said. "He talks about Kansas all the time. He must have loved it there."
For the past two years, Coach Williams has sent a Christmas card to Davis.
"He's still part of our family," Williams said. "Throughout this season whenever I would see a box score with Arizona, I'd be like a parent. I'd look to see what Davis did before I'd even look to see if Arizona won or not."
In the new Rolex Collegiate Tennis Rankings released Tuesday, both the Kansas men's and women's tennis teams improved.
TENNIS BRIEF
Kansas tennis ranked high
Tennis teams climb while top players fall
With a record of 12,5, the men's team went from No. 16 to No. 12, and the women's team, 6-6, went from No. 22 to No. 18.
The Kansas tennis teams have climbed higher in the national rankings.
By Spencer Duncan Kansan sportswriter
The men's No. 12 ranking ties the highest tennis team ranking at Kansas. The Jayhawks also were ranked 12th in 1995.
Kansas women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher also was pleased with his team's move in the poll.
Kansas men's tennis coach Michael Center said the ranking was a significant achievement for a team that has played well in every competition.
"We've played so many good teams," Merbzacher said. "We
have played some of the top ranked teams and played well against them. This team has worked hard for the ranking."
For the women, junior Kylie Hunt dropped to No. 2 after spending two weeks as the No.1 player in the country. Sophomore Christie Sim entered the top 100 at No. 51 after being absent for two weeks.
There were also changes in individual rankings.
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For the men in singles, sophomore Enrique Abaroa dropped from No. 19 to No. 23, and senior Victor Fimbres moved from 78th to a tie for 72nd.
In doubles, the team of Abaroa and senior Michael Isroff moved from No. 21 to No. 18, while Fimbres and freshman Xavier Avila entered the rankings for the first time at No. 48.
Both teams are happy that they are in the top 20 and said it was a goal they both had been working toward.
"Both the men and women's teams have done great," Center said. "I am proud of both of them. It speaks volumes about the tennis program here at Kansas."
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