Solve woes at plate
Jayhawks invade Wildcat country with hitting muscle carrying hopes
By JAY THOMAS Assistant Sports Editor
It's Rip City time once again at Kansas.
Yes. Spring football practice has started—but that's not all. For the first time in recent memory, the KU baseball team has begun to "whomp" and "whammo" in the best Pepper Rodgers tradition.
Six Jayhawk regulars are hitting over .280, and when you add pitcher Dave Robisch's .429, opposing hurlers no longer see the powder puff bats that last year's KU nine sometimes seemed to be using.
After the recent spring break road trip which saw KU take five while dropping four, Coach Floyd Temple's crew heads into this weekend's series at Kansas State with a chance to better last year's total win mark (7) with a sweep of the three-game set.
Expected to shoulder much of the load is third sacker Paul Womble, who at present tops everybody in just about everything. Womble has built a lofty .A29 mark on 15-for-35 and holds down the fourth spot in the KU batting order and on Big Eight batting charts. He also owns a team-leading four doubles and 10 runs batted-in.
Last year's RBI best for KU was 14, so the Kansas City sophomore could pass that with a good weekend.
Behind Womble (and Robisch,
whose .429 is based on only
Shutout southpaw Rich Slicker
6 KANSAN Apr.11 1969
seven at bats) come shortstop Keith Lieppman at .343.
Nelson tops Bia 8
Centerfielder John Nelson, who has hit safely in all nine games, follows with .342--but his lusty .500 for three
KANSAN Sports
conference games ties him for the league lead with Oklahoma State's Terry Edwards.
Still these figures are not what encourage Temple about this year's Jayhawk edition, although he's not about to junk the Hillerich and Bradsbys in favor of broom handles the rest of the way.
"What I like about our ballclub," said KU's No. 1 tobacco chawer, "is the way we hang in there and don't give games away like we did last year. This goes back to our fielding, which is improved at every position, particularly at short (Lieppman) and third (Womble).
Statistics bear this point out. Although sophomore Lieppman has committed seven errors, his far-ranging glovework has at times approached the spectacular. Womble has bobbled only once and has handled the hot corner in a manner not seen at KU in years.
Second base has been manned by junior Lynn Snelgrove whose keystone copping has allowed only one miscue. In all Kansas rates second in the Big Eight (up seven places from last year) with a .956 fielding mark.
Kansas pitching has at times approached the Koufaxian as KU hurlers have limited the opposition to a stingy 1.97 earned runs per game. In his four outings, righthander Randy Strop has surrendered only two earned runs in 20 innings, and southpaw Rich Slicker is not far behind at three in 18.
In today's doubleheader, lefty Robisch—sporting a 1-0 mark and 2.00 ERA—goes in the first game while Stroup (1-2, 0.90 ERA) works the second. Saturday's single tilt choice is Slicker (2-1, 1.50) who has blanked the opposition in 17 of the 18 innings he has pitched.
Kansas State (6-6) will counter today with righthander Nick Horner and portsider Steve
statistics
PROBABLE JAYHAWK LINE-UP
| | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Tommy Anderson, LF | 35 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 4 | .293 |
| Jonny Lankey, FM | 35 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .293 |
| Keith Lieppman, SS | 35 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4 | .343 |
| Paul Woulde, 3B | 35 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 10 | .423 |
| Bliff Temple, CF | 39 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .282 |
| Lynn Snelgrove, 2B | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Robgger, IB | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Cole Stmson, C | 34 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .118 |
| Dave Robisch, P | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .429 |
PITCHERS-of-RECORD
| | G | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | W-L | ERA |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Randy Stroup | 4 | 20 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 1-2 | .90 |
| Richard Slicker | 3 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 2-0 | 1.50 |
| Dave Robisch | 5 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 1-0 | 2.00 |
| Roger Jackson | 3 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1-1 | 2.00 |
| Clark Ullom | 2 | 4-2/3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 0-1 | 7.20 |
Wood, both 1-1 for the current campaign. Wildcat Coach Bob Brasher has not disclosed his pick for tomorrow.
The 'Cats are led by All-American outfielder Jack Woolsey, whose current .243 slump should see an upward revision as conference play begins.
The defending champion Cowboys, favored to win their fourth straight league title, swept a three-game series from usually potent Missouri during the first weekend of the season.
Oklahoma, picked along with Kansas State to give the Cowboys their stiffest competition, is tied for second at 2-1 with surprising Iowa State.
| | League | All Games |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| | W L | W L |
| Okla. State | 3 | 6 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 8 |
| Iowa State | 2 | 1 |
| Kansas | 1 | 5 |
| Colorado | 1 | 5 |
| Missouri | 0 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 0 | 4 |
| Kansas State | 0 | 6 |
RESULTS LAST WEEK
Freshman sensation and first baseman Charlie Clark has carved a gaudy .364 batting log and has been the surprise of the young K-State season. Shortstop Bob Randall's .359 and second baseman Bill Huisman's .350 have also added offensive punch and generally accounted for KSU's .252 team butting mark.
Kansas 3-0, Oklahoma 0-5; Kansas State at Nebraska (2), canceled, rain; Oklahoma State 8-5, Missouri 7-1 (first game 8 innings); Colorado 4-2, Iowa State 2-5; Oklahoma 3, Kansas State at Nebraska, canceled, wet grounds; Oklahoma State 9, Missouri 1; Iowa State 14, Colorado 3.
GAMES THIS WEEK
Friday—Kansas at Kansas State (2);
College of Missouri (2); Iowa State at
Oklahoan State (2); Oklahoma at
Nebraska (2).
GAMES THIS WEEK
To no one's surprise, Oklahoma State is off to a quick start in the Big Eight baseball race.
Saturday-Kansas at Kansas State;
Colorado at Missouri; Iowa State at
Oklahoma State, Oklahoma at
Nebraska.
Full slate for Big 8