Sports
University Daily Kansan / Friday, February 24, 1989
13
Jayhawks to open season with doubleheader
E. Joseph Zurga/KANSAN
Taking a large stride forward, Curtis Shaw, Bartlesville, Okla. sophomore, tags out Steve Dowling, Tucson, Ariz., senior, during a pick-off drill. The Kansas baseball team was practicing yesterday at Anschutz Sports Pavilion in preparation for its season opener this weekend against Arkansas.
by Mike Considine Kansan sportswriter
Kansas baseball coach Dave Bingham knows his team's undefeated fall record was evidence of progress. He said that he will have equal success this spring.
"You're dealing with a team that every year has a chance to challenge for the Southwest Conference championship." Bingham said. "I expect to compete with them, but our chances of winning are slim and none. But we can develop a point of reference as to where our team is right now."
"There's actually no correlation." Bingham said. "The only thing we look at is a year ago. We're finally at the point where we should be. We should be able to beat junior college programs at home all the time."
Senior Craig Mulcahy will be the startling pitcher in Saturday's first game. Mulcahy has a 5-1 record and a 6.79 earned run average in 1988.
Kansas opens its spring season tomorrow with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Arkansas, ranked 17th in the ESPN/Baseball America poll. The teams also will play a game at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Bingham said the fall season was an evaluation period. The Jayhaws were 10-0 against junior college teams.
"We were very successful in the fall in the sense that the players knew a lot better how to win," the second-year Kansas coach said. " Their confidence level grew and their ability increased, our experience. This is a very teamer."
Kansas had a 25-34 overall record last year. The Jayhawks finished seventh in the Big Eight Conference with a 5-19 record.
"Ultimately, our goal is to get into the Big Eight (Tournament), and that means we have to finish in the ten four." he said.
Bingham said he agreed with the Baseball America poll, which picked the Jayhawks fifth in the Big Eight this season.
Two returning players, senior first baseman Tom Buchanan and senior second baseman Steve Dowling, were awarded All-Big Eight honors last spring. Dowling, who batted .346 and stole 34 base, was named to the all-conference second team. Buchanan, who had a team-high 377 batting average, was named honorable mention.
A pair of junior college transfers will start on the left side of the infield. Lane Leiner from the College of Southern Idaho will play shortstop, and Mark Hummel of Arizona Western College will play
third base Last year's starting shortstop, Pete Simmerson, will back up Leitner and Dowling.
Bingham said his top outfielders were senior right fielder Dan Bennghoff, junior center fielder Pat Coulter and junior left fielder Spazio Mattio and senior杰米 Mentel.
"Offense was our strength a year ago," Bingham said. "We established the fact that we can be an offensive force in the Big Eight. We should be able to put up some numbers this year."
Kansas has two experienced catchers in seniors Jarrett Boeschen and Troy Mentzer.
Mentel, junior Jeff Spencer and senior Mike Byrn will be Kansas' designated hitters.
"We're pretty firm on who we're playing this weekend, but that doesn't mean that's the combination we'll use all year." Bingham said.
Bingham said the two weaknesses from last season that he wanted to improve were pitching and defense. He also had more KA and a 381 team fielding average.
The starting rotation will be sophomore Darin Harris, junior Brad Hinkle, junior Steve Renko, and Mulcaby. The top relievers will be junior Craig Stoppel and senior Craig Houfek.
Kansas tennis team begins as underdog against Arkansas
by Laurie Whitten Kansan sportswriter
Kansas women's tennis coach Eric Hayes said in January that he didn't want his team to be combined with the team as the spring season progressed.
"The younger girls may be nervous about facing top-ranked teams, but the experience will be good for them," Hayes said before the season's first match against California-Irvine on Jan. 27. "We need to concentrate on playing our best, and the wins will come."
After a month of competition, Hayes said Wednesday he was ready for a few more victories. The Jayahawks, who have a 5-5 dual record, will play Arkansas tonight and Iowa tomorrow night at the Valley Racquet Club in Topeka. The matches will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Kansas returned home after participating in the New Mexico Quadruangular in Albuquerque, N.M., last weekend. In their first outdoor meet of the season, the Jayhawks defeated Texas-Esl Paso 9-0, lost to New Mexico 6-3 and defeated New Mexico State 5-1.
Arkansas enters tonight's match at 5-1. Hayes said the Razorbacks would be as tough as any team Kansas had faced this season.
"Arkansas is very tough," he said. "They come from the South." Arkansas was strong, and they traditionally finish third or fourth every year.
"I understand that they picked up some new players over (winter) break, so I'm not familiar with them," she should match up with them well."
Hayes said some of the Jaya hawks were victorious against Arkansas players in a Harvard tournament last fall.
"We played a couple of Arkansas girls in that tournament, and we beat them head on," he said. "The men that means they're out for revenge."
Arkansas’ Rose Barakat, who is 54 in singles, will play Kansas’ No. 1 player Eveline Hamers, and Topeka native Linda Norris will play Kansas’ No. 4 player Stacy Stotts.
Kansas freshman Renee Raychaudih, who has not played since Jan. 27 because of a back injury, will play No. 3 doubles with sophomore Mindy Pelz. Hayes said Raychaudih had not recovered fully, so she needed to be worked into the lineup slowly.
Hayes said he didn't want to worry about tomorrow's match against Iowa until tonight's match was over.
"Iowa has played Texas Tech, a team that we beat a couple of weeks ago, and Iowa State, a Big Eight (Conference) team, so they should be kind of a barometer for us." Hayes said.
"But I'm not thinking about them until we get past Arkansas."
Coming close falls short for coach Williams plans new attitude Game 28 when 'Hawks play Colorado
by Mike Considine Kansan sportswriter
Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams said the Jayhawks have a new attitude when they took the p. m. tion against Colorado.
Williams said many of the losses in the team's eight-game loss streak, the longest Kansas has had since 1948, have followed a familiar pattern. He said losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Nebraska could have been reversed with a timely play by the Jayhawks.
"We need to be more positive in what we're doing out there and do the things that it takes to win." Williams said. "Even though we've been gettin' better, we're not making sure we have to make sure we're not doing just enough to come close.
"I think if you're satisfied with coming close, you're always going to come close."
The Jayhawks, 16-11 overall and 3-8 in the Big Eight Conference, dropped into a seventh-place tie with Nebraska Wednesday night with a 97-89 win. The state defeated eighth place Colorado 97-58 Wednesday night.
"I think Nebraska is starting to play a little better, but I was surprised at the margin of the game," he said. "Usually, at this time of the year, there are very confident teams and teams that are struggling."
Williams said he was surprised that the Buffaloos, 7-17 and 2-9, had lost by such a large margin.
The Jayhawks eight-game winless streak includes four straight losses in Allen Field House. Three of those were decided by six points or less.
Like the Jayhawks, Colorado has a pair of losing streaks. The Buffaloes have lost three straight games and 43 consecutive Big Eight road games.
Kansas junior Jeff Gueldner said the Jayhawks had made too many errors at the end of recent games.
"A lot of times we try to get (the lead) back on offense instead of (on defense)." Gueldner said.
Williams said his team sometimes tried to be too fancy and committed turnovers.
"We try to do things we're not capable of doing," he said. "We try to make a great play and get if all back too quick."
Williams said the Jayhawks to first-half turnovers were the biggest problem against Iowa State. The Jayhawks committed just four turnovers, unable to close the Cyclones' lead to three points in the final minute.
"There are two keys for us," Williams said. "One is rebounding, and the other is turnovers. When we box turnovers, turnovers, we're as good as any anybody."
Kansas defeated the Buffaloes 89-74 on Jan. 21 in Boulder.
"At Colorado, we did a great job of putting on defensive pressure man-to-man," Williams said. "We executed well on offense and took good care of the ball. We're hoping we can squeeze the same thing out of our
The Jayhawks led from the beginning to the end of that game. Seven unanswered passes by junior guard Kevin Pritchard midway through the first half broke the game open for the Jayhawks. Kansas led 49-34 at halftime but had to hold off a late Colorado rally to secure the victory.
Kansas Jayhawks
Coach: Roy Williams
Record: 16-11 (3-8)
Colorado Buffaloes
Coach: Tom Miller
Record: 7-17 (2-9)
PROBABLE STARTERS
Player Ht. PPG
F-Mike Maddox 6-1 10.5
F-Milt Newton 6-4 17.1
C-Mark Randall 6-9 16.4
G-Jeff Gueldner 6-6 5.0
G-Kevin Pritchard 6-3 15.0
Player Ht. PPG
F-Dan Becker 6-7 8.2
F-Rodell Guest 6-5 6.1
C-Shaund Vandiver 6-10 18.8
G-Stve Wise 6-2 10.1
G-Reggle Morton 6-1 8.2
Game notes: Kansas leads the series 73-37. The Jayhawks have a 8-17 record in Allen Field House. The game is number 14 on the student ticket package. It will be telecast on the Big Eight Conference/RayCom network (channels 13 and 41). The game will be broadcast on KJHK 90-7-FM and KLZR 106-FM. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. at the field house.
limitations (tomorrow)."
The Jayhawks may be without starting guard Scooter Barry, who hurt his right knee during Wednesday's game, and backup guard Lincoln Minor, who injured his right knee during practice Monday.
Colorado is led by 6 foot,10, 220 pound center Sean Vandiver, who averages 18.8 points and 10.8 rebounds a game. Senior forward Jordan Wiley averaged more guard Steve Wise (10.1) also have double-factor scoring averages
"Since coach (Tom) Miller has been there, they've always been physical, and you said, 'They're a hard team, and they play a hard, physical game.'
not be intimidated. We have to execute and keep executing every time down the floor."
Notes
"We just have to play smart and
Trainer Mark Cairns said Scooter Barry would not play tomorrow and Lincoln Minor was questionable.
"It will depend on whether he has his full range of motion and there is no swelling in that knee," Cairns said of Minor's injury.
Despite the Jayhawks' slump, Kansas leads the Big Eight in field goal percentage for conference games. In statistics released Monday, Kansas scored 800 of its field goal goals (percent). Missouri was second at 51.9 percent.
Track teams prepare to compete in indoor Nebraska championship Pentathlon competitor says she's psyched to go
by Cynthia L. Smith Kansan sportswriter
Some athletes listen to music or jump around to get mentally prepared before competing.
"Not KansasJunk Tom Hudbler:
'My nevch comes from within'" she said.
Hutoefer said she was more mentally and physically prepared than in previous years to compete in the pentathlon at the big Eight meet. The team also won Championships this weekend in Lincoln, Neb.
"Always in a pentathlon, you have weak events." Hutheofer said. "But I'm more all-around ready to go. Rather than being ready to go in one event. I am ready to go in five."
The pentathlon composes the 55-meter hurdles, 60-meters, the shot put and the long and high jump.
Huthoefer's first two attempts in the pentathlon were at the The Athletic Congress national meet the summers before and after her senior year at Tucson High School in Tucson, Ariz.
XXX
"I knew that I didn't have the speed to be a really good colleague, but I knew my other potential." she said.
"Athletes that are more spirit-hard oriented make the most of the coaching track coach Gary Schwartz said.
Hutoefer is eight in the conference in the 55-
meter hurdles with a time of 8.21 seconds.
she has suffered because she had a stress fracture in a vertebrae in her back.
Hutoefer said the jumping events used to be her strong point, but her performance in those events
"Jumps seems to irritate it the most so we've been shying away from them in practice and the meets," she said.
would come from mississippi's ten population.
"Kim's not at that caliber yet, but I think she'll
Schwartz said Hutoefer's strongest competition would come from Missouri's Teri Blanc.
Schwartz said that Huthoefer would be competitive in the pentathlon and in the hurdles and that sophomore Jance Turner would be competitive in the 600-vard run.
Schwartz said the Missouri women could challenge the Nebraska woman but the Nebraska men's and women's teams probably would win the team championships.
Nebraska took both team titles last year. The men won with 114 points. Kansas fifth, but the only other team to win was St. Louis State.
Turner is third in the Big Eight in the 600 in 1:24.83.
The Cornhuskers won the women's title with 156 points. Kansas placed fifth behind Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma.
LeBlanc is third in the Big Eight in the 55-meter burdles in 7.94.
"As far as the (women's) team score, there no way we can get above eighth," Schwartz said. "We have to be careful."
Schwartz said Oklahoma, Iowa State, Kansas State and Kansas would battle for second among
the men's teams.
"If we can go in there and do what we've been doing all season, I think we can get as high as second." Schwartz said. "We really shouldn't be below-fifth."
below that
Schwartz said the Big Eight meet was the most important indoor event because it tested the overall programs.
overall programs.
"This is our Olympics," he said. "This is what we've been shooting for since everybody came back in the fall."
He also said junior Steve Hefferman and senior Craig Leavitt and a chance to place high in final events.
Watcke is seeded first in the 5,000 with a time of 14:06.83 and fourth in the 3,000 with a time of 2:27.59. He placed second in the mile and the 3,000 last year.
Heferman is fourth in the conference in the 1,000 with a time of 2:27.59.
Brackins is second in the triple jump with a season's best 52 feet and is fifth in both the 200 with a time of 21.77 and in the long jump at $24\cdot 3^{1/2}$.
Senior triple jumper Bond Dion is first in the conference with a leap of 52.5½.
Junior Pat Manson leads the conference with a valuation of $58 million at 17-45%, and cushion is in fundil at 16-6.
Manson, Miller and Bond have qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10-12 in Indianapolis. Bond's 52-5½ also qualified him for the NCA championships
KANSAN file photo
Record breaker
Kansas junior Joria Braddy, pictured playing against Iowa State in last year's game, tied the Big Eight Conference career assist record against Iowa State on Wednesday night. Braddy is tied with former Jayhawk All-American Lynette Woodard at 502. Kansas plays 10th-ranked Colorado at 12:10 p.m. tomorrow in Allen Field House. See related story page 14.