SOFTBALL Four teams will battle for the Big Eight Conference title. Page 3B WORLD U.S. involvement in Haiti ends. Page 5B
SPORTS NIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1995
After stealing two of five games from the No.11 Oklahoma Sooners,the Kansas baseball team will face the No.3 team in the nation
'Hawks to battle powerful'Pokes
Kansas pitcher Jamie Splittorff delivers a pitch during a recent game against Oklahoma. Kansas will open a three game series at 7 tonight against Oklahoma State at Hoover-Lund-Maupin Stadium.
Sean B. Croser / KANSAN
SECTION B
After starting the spring on a bad note, victories against the Sooners to open the Big Eight Conference season gave the Jayhawks a big boost.
By Tom Erickson
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas junior outfielder Brian Turney was planning on having a high school reunion of sorts this weekend.
The Midwest City, Okla., native wanted to visit with Oklahoma State outfielder Brian Aylor, a high school teammate whose No. 3 Cowboys be in town for a three-game series with the Jayhawks. Aylor and Turney are both 1992 graduates of Midwest City High School.
However, an injury to Aylor will keep the two friends from competing against each other. Aylor is not expected to travel with the team.
"He hurt his wrist and is out for the season, from what I hear," Turney said.
Despite being unable to face Aylor, Turner said playing against familiar opponents brought out a hunger to win.
"It makes you want to compete a little bit harder," he said. "Knowing somebody brings out the competition a little more."
Kansas should have a tough time with the Cowboys. Oklahoma State has a 6-1 conference record, a 26-3 overall mark and a perfect 8-0 record in road games.
Swiping two victories out of five games against No. 11 Oklahoma at the beginning of the conference season was a positive thing for Kansas coach Dave Bingham.
"We're two and three in the league, and obviously, it could have been worse than that," he said. "Our play still has some holes in it that we need to improve. But at least we're in a situation in the league where we're not way out of it after facing a club of that caliber."
Kansas senior third baseman Brent Wilhelm also saw signs of improvement in the last few games.
"Winning two out of five, the way we've been playing, is pretty remarkable for this team," Wilhelm said. "I feel we're getting close to turning the corner. We're getting a lot of young pitching, and they're starting to get a little better."
Getting solid relief pitching has been difficult for Kansas all season, especially in the last five games.
A bullpen breakdown occurred in Wednesday's 7-1 loss to No. 11 Oklahoma. The Sooners scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning off sophomore reliever Tim Lyons and freshman reliever Mike Terry. They had scored three in the previous inning off Jayhawk junior starter Jamie Splitterff.
Bingham said inexperienced pitching was a major part of the problem.
"All of the losses are basically one of our inability in the bullpen," he said. "We've got young kids out there, and they're not getting the job done. The only thing we can do is continue to run them out there and start getting the responses we would like to have. We're losing opportunities to win games late because we're not holding things together."
Wilhelm expected Oklahoma State
to have a team similar to that of the Sooners.
"They're probably really close, maybe a few more hitters," he said. "I know we're not playing the best baseball we can play, and hopefully they will help bring it out of us."
The series begins at 7 tonight at Hogland-Maupin Stadium. Junior pitcher Clay Baird (3-3, 4.81 ERA) is expected to start for the Jayhawks.
No.3 Oklahoma State (26-3, 6-1) at Kansas (10-17, 2-3)
Three-game series at Hogland-
Maupin Stadium this weekend
7 tonight, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1
p.m. Sunday
Kansas golf teams go to invitationals
Men's team will get a chance to see the PGA Masters
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
This weekend, the Kansas men's golf team will play on the doorstep of one of golf's greatest tournaments.
After their weekend tournament, the Jayhawks will receive passes to Monday's practice round.
"This is sort of a reward for playing well," Kansas men's golf coach Ross Randall said. "It's just the prettiest golf course in the world. It's like heaven."
Several of the team's members already have plans to search out some of the professional golfers. Kansas junior Alan Stearns said his teammate, junior Dan Rooney, would be looking for Bill Glasson, who also hails from Stillwater, Okla.
Stearns said he hoped to talk with Corey Pavin. Pavin and Stearns are both members of the same country club near Camarillo, Calif.
"I've met Corey a handful of times," Stearns said. "I'm excited to go see the Masters. That's like a golfer's dream. But I'm also looking forward to the tournament."
Kansas will compete in one of the toughest tournaments of its season. Four nationally ranked teams are in the field: Tulsa, Kent State, South Alabama and Fresno State.
In addition to batting the teams, the tournament site will challenge Kansas. The Forest Hills Golf Course features narrow fairways and a different breed of grass than the Jayhawks are accustomed to playing on.
"They'll have to keep the ball in play and be consistent," Randall said.
Consistency has been a problem for the Jayhawks, especially with the No. 5 player. Senior Tyler Shelton, junior Slade Adams, Rooney and Stearns have played solidly all spring, Randall said. But Kansas needs freshman Jacob Fellander to be a steady fifth player this weekend.
Stearns said the fifth spot might seem like a weak link, but it would solidify quickly as the weather improved and practice time increased.
"We're obviously going to get better as the season goes along." Fellbard said.
That was a hope expressed by the Kansas women's golf team as well. The women will play tomorrow and Sunday at the Indiana University Women's Invitational in Bloomington, Ind.
For two Jayhawks, the tournament will be a return home — almost. Sophomore Anne Clark and freshman Bain Reuter are from Illinois. Both plan on having family watching them compete.
"I'm excited to be going because it's kind of a comfort zone," Clark said.
Teams that recruited Clark and Reuter will be in the field, and Clark said she was hoping to play well against them.
"In a way, they might hold a grudge against me," she said. "I think we can do well against them. We all have the talent."
Track team to try to prolong solid start at Arkansas meet
He said that both the Kansas men's and women's teams were running well heading into the outdoor season. Kansas got the season off to a solid start over spring break at the Texas Quadrangular, an event in which the Jayhawks posted several early-season NCAA qualifiers.
"Our focus right now is to progressively improve with every meet, leading into the Relays and then the Big Eight meet," Kansas coach Gary Schwartz said.
The Kansas track team packed its bags for Arkansas today, where it will compete tomorrow in a triangular meet against Arkansas State and Missouri.
Schwartz said junior All-America runner Kristi Kloster underwent surgery on her calves over the break.
Kloster was recovering well and had returned to classes, he said.
Compiled from a Kansan staff report.
Kansas tennis ready for title defenses amid losses
By Robert Moczydlowsky
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas tennis teams will start their Big Eight Conference title defenses tomorrow with their fingers crossed and their hearts on their sleeves.
Both teams have endured some tough breaks lately. The men's team was humiliated by No. 14 New Mexico on Tuesday, and the women's team may be without one of its top players for the remainder of the season.
"That's the way athletics works," Kansas women's coach Chuck Menzbacher said. "This is something that could be dangerous. If we pushed it, we could ruin her career. Right now all we can do is wait to hear what the doctor has to say."
Sim's absence would leave the Jayhawks with a hole at the No. 2 singles spot. Sim has been one of Kansas' most consistent players this season, and her loss would leave an open spot in the doubles lineup as well.
Freshman Christie Sim has a possible stress fracture of her left femur, an injury that would require her to miss the rest of the year. She hasn't practiced since the No. 33 Jayhawks returned from their spring break road trip.
"We're still going to be one of the favorites to win the conference, but we won't be as strong without Christie," he said. "She's been playing very well lately. But we've still got the talent to win it. Someone will just have to really step up. Our goal is still to break into the top 20 or even higher. We can still do that."
For the Kansas men, the problem has a more nebulous nature. Kansas came out flat against
"I think that the strength of the teams we've played will really pay off for us in the Big Eight," Center said. "There aren't any great teams in the Big Eight. There are some good teams, but no great ones. We just need to move forward into the season.
a fiery New Mexico team, losing every match en route to a 5-0 defeat.
"It's time to move forward," he said. "Yesterday, we had what could have been one of the best practices of the year. We've also had some meetings to discuss some things. I'm not going to quit, and neither are any of our players. You'll see some lineup changes this weekend. You'll see a much better, much more intense effort this weekend. I guarantee it."
After the match, Kansas men's coach Michael Center questioned his team's effort. Yesterday, he said that his team had shown signs of improvement in practice.
The men's team, heavily favored to repeat as Big Eight champs, plans to rely on the strength of its schedule as preparation for the Big Eight season. Center admitted that his team was the best in the conference, but he stopped short of saying that the Big Eight would be easy to win.
"Since I've been here, Oklahoma has always been a very competitive match for us. Fortunately, we've always beaten them. That will be a tough match for us, though."
The Kansas men's and women's teams open Big Eight play against Oklahoma State tomorrow at the Allen Field House Courts. The women play at 10 a.m., and the men are scheduled to play at 2 p.m. The teams will follow that same schedule on Sunday when they play Oklahoma.
Lisa Perry / KANSAN
Kansas freshman Enrique Abaroa works on his backhand at Alvamar Racquet Club. The Jayhawks will take on Oklahoma State Saturday and Oklahoma on Sunday at the Allen Field House Courts.
1