BASEBALL Michael Jordan considers becoming a replacement, Page 4B
COLLEGE UCLA doesn't like being No.1, Page 3B
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1995
SECTION B
The Conference tournament is payback time SHOWDOWN IN SALINA Kansas looks to avenge last season's loss to Mizzou
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
Winning the Big Eight Conference Championship is strong motivation.
But earlier this week, the No. 23 Kansas women's basketball team
And under normal circumstances, a team wouldn't need much more motivation than that.
got some unanticipated and unwelcome motivation to win the Big Eight Tournament, which starts tomorrow at the Salina Bicentennial Center.
Kansas'
Angela Aycock
was not voted
as the Big
Eight Player of
the Year, finishing second
to Colorado's
Shelley Sheetz.
KU VS. OSU: Sunday's men's
"That just really gets me pumped and gives me some kind of incentive going into
8 p.m. Tomorrow Bicentennial Center Salina
AU VS. OSU: Sunday's men's game will decide the Big Eight regular season title. Page 1A
the big Eight Tournament," the senior forward said.
"The conference gets to be a really tough series of games," she said. "In many instances, playing outside the conference is a lot easier."
Marian Washington.
Aycock will take both the desire to prove her doubters wrong and a 23.7-points a game scoring average into the Jayhawks' first-round game. Kansas, seeded No. 3 in the tournament, will battle No. 6-seed Missouri at 8 tomorrow night.
The matchup with Missouri will be Kansas' second in nine days. In their final regular-season home game, the Jayhawks downed the Tigers 94-65 as Aycock had the first triple-double of her career. She scored 25 points, had 10 assists and 10 steals.
The Tigers were a team that su
But playing the Tigers again this soon and for the third time this season will not be easy, said Kansas women's basketball coach
a team that surprised many last season by winning the conference tournament. They started their title drive by defeating Kansas 72-66 in the first round. "I don't think that we're going to underestimate them at all," Washington said. "If we're successful, I think that will get the moment u really going for us."
and a possible rematch with No. 25 Oklahoma. The Sooners swept Kansas in the regular season, winning 84-69 in Lawrence and 103-83 in Norman, Okla.
Not a team to look past opponents, Kansas junior guard Charisse Sampson said the Jayhawks would take no game lightly.
"But we do want revenge against Oklahoma because we lost to them twice already," she said.
If Kansas advances to Monday night's championship game, it would play its third game in three days. But Kansas opened the regular season with three games in as many days and won two.
"If we get past the first two games, then I'll get them through the last one," Washington said.
File photo/KANSAN
Kansas sophomore guard Angie Halbleib takes a jump shot in the lane against Connecticut at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., earlier this season. The Jayhawks, ranked No. 23, play their first game in the Big Eight Conference tournament tomorrow in Salina.
Road-tested nine look for home solace
By Tom Erickson
Kansan sportswriter
Mother Nature has decided to keep the Kansas baseball team in the dugout today.
Sunday and 3
Instead, Kansas will begin its home schedule with a 2 p.m. game with the Wildcats (4-2) tomorrow at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium. The teams also will play at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The Jayhawks' home opener with Northwestern, originally scheduled for 3 p.m., has been postponed because of the threat of bad weather.
p.m. Monday.
Improving a 2-8 record will be the focus for the Jayhawks, who will play 10 of their next 11 games at home.
"We have to play better offensively," Kansas coach Dave Bingham said. "Obviously, our strikeouts are a big concern."
Kansas' hitters whiffed seven times Tuesday in a 5-0 loss to Southwest Missouri State. The team was held to only two hits in a game played mostly at below-freezing temperatures.
Kansas junior outfieldder Brian Turney said the key to victory was being ready.
"We just have to prepare the right way," he said. We've had some weak practices early in the year. Lately we've had some better practices."
Junior right-handed pitcher Jamie Splittorff will start the opening game for the Jayhawks tomorrow. Splittorff (0-2) still is searching for his first win this season despite allowing only two unearned runs in nine innings in a no-decision a week ago against Sam Houston State.
Pitching Sunday will be junior left-hander Clay Baird. Baird (1-2) gave up two runs in an inning of relief Tuesday against Southwest Missouri State.
A third junior, Robert Garola, will start Monday. The left-hander allowed only four hits and struck out five in six innings of work against Southwest Texas on Sunday. Garola said he hoped to continue to pitch well Monday.
"I'm continuing to work on my motion and getting better," he said. "I don't see why I shouldn't be successful." The Jayhawks are thrilled to play at home despite having to wait an extra day to do it.
"We've been on the road a long time and everybody is tired of being on the road and ready to get back here," Turney said. "It will be nice to stay at home and have a set schedule for a while."
Garola said the losses made road games even tougher on the Jayhawks.
"It's been a long road trip, and it feels even longer when you lose." he said.
Several Jayhawks are suffering from injuries. Senior first baseman Alex King has a sprained wrist, and senior outfielder Josh Igou continues to suffer from a hamstring pull. Both players will miss the Northwestern series. Junior pitcher Aric Peters is out indefinitely with an elbow injury, and freshman pitcher Linus Williams also is experiencing some problems with his elbow. Williams should begin rehabilitation next week.
Kansas Jayhawks (2-8) vs.
Northwestern Wildcats (4-2)
Hoglund-Maupin Stadium
Date Time Kansas' starring pitcher tomorrow 2 p.m. Jamie Splittorff (0-2, 5.31 ERA) Sunday 5 p.m. Clay Baird (1-2, 3.86 ERA) Monday 3 p.m. Robert Garola (0-0, 6.00 ERA) The event is free for all students with a valid.
Day 5pm Open student (00:00) 00:00
The event is free for all students with a valid
KUID. Reserved seats-$4; General Admission-$3 for adults. $2 for children
Kansas Juniors Reid Slattery and Mike Isroff practice for their match against Drake this weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.
Valerie Crow / KANSAN
This weekend will challenge Kansas tennis
Kansas sophomore Jenny Atkersonpractices for the women's tennis team's home matches against Syracuse and Alabama. Atkerson will face Syracuse's No. 16-ranked Erica O'Neill today.
By Robert Moczydlowsky
Kansan sportswriter
The Jayhawks will play their second and third home matches of the year against No. 41 Syracuse at 6 tonight and No. 28 Alabama at 11:30 Sunday morning.
It's role reversal time for the Kansas tennis teams.
After three consecutive weeks on the road, the women's team finally will get to spend a weekend at home at Alvamar Racquet Club.
The men's team, which already has played three matches at home this season, will pack its bags for a road trip to play Drake in Des Moines, Iowa.
Both weekend matches will offer prime opportunities for the teams to gain some much-needed momentum.
"The key for us is to keep playing hard," said Kansas women's coach Chuck Merzbacher. "It'll be great to be at home. We want to play well for the home crowd."
For the No. 10-ranked women, a couple of home wins would reward their struggles.
After some problems early in the season, the Jayhawks traveled to Madison, Wis., last weekend for the Rolex National Team Indoor Tournament.
After being upset by no. 17 Arizona, Kansas beat no. 6 Duke 5-2.
Merzbacher said that his team needed to continue to play on that level for the remainder of the season.
"Everybody is healthy," he said.
"This weekend, we play two tough teams, and we'll have to come out
focused and use our home court advantage to the fullest."
Today's singles matches will have an NCAA tournament atmosphere, as the top two Syracuse players are ranked nationally in the top 20. Kansas senior Nora Koves, ranked No. 2 nationally, will face No. 11 Jana Stradova, and sophomore Jenny Atkerson will play
No.16 Erica O'Neill.
On Sunday, the 4-6 Jayhawks will face a solid Alabama team, led by No. 50-ranked Lori Smith.
"These teams are tough." Merzbacher said. "We'll have to keep playing well in doubles. We've got pretty good teams now. We need to keep this up for the rest of the schedule."
For the Jayhawk men, this weekend appears to be a test of their team depth.
"We've been close to beating top teams this season," said Michael Center, Kansas men's coach. "Against No. 3 Mississippi State, we really got close. But close is close and we want to win. We need to use our depth day-in and day-out to move up to that level."
Kansas will have to do that without two of its regular players, junior J.P. Vissepo and senior Manny Ortiz, who are playing on the Davis Cup team for their home country of Puerto Rico.
"That's a great opportunity for them to represent their country," Center said. "We'll have to juggle the lineup a little bit. Tim Radoga will play some singles, and we'll get a couple new doubles teams. Drake is a solid team. We'll need to play with intensity and enthusiasm."