SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
A. J. A.
COLLINS RECOVERING FROM SURGERY
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ROWING TEAM ADVANCES
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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2008
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FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Junior quarterback Todd Reesing drops back while red-shirt freshman offensive lineman Sal Capra blocks in the spring football game April 14 at Memorial Stadium. Mangino made significant changes in the offensive line.
Offensive duo shows progress
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
After watching his team's usually efficient offense trudge up and down the field against the second-string defense in last week's spring game, Mark Mangino wasn't visibly upset. In fact, the Kansas coach seemed fairly pleased with one development: Two starting offensive tackles, freshman Jeff Spikes and senior Matt Darton, may have finally emerged for the Jayhawks.
"I think the way we finished the scrimmage with the blue team, with Spikes at left tackle and Darton at right tackle, protected the quarterback better," Mangino said. "Certainly with three new faces on the offensive line, we knew that would be a little bit of an issue tonight, but we may have found the right combination, and that's something that we're pleased with."
Jake Sharp and provided time in the pocket for junior quarterback Todd Reesing.
Mangino made several adjustments at halftime of the spring scrimmage. He moved Spikes to the first squad and shifted Darton to the right side of the realignment. This helped open up holes for junior running backs Angus Quigley and
"We've used all different types of combinations," Mangino said. "We've moved them around a little bit. We feel really good about Spikes right now at left tackle and Darton at right tackle."
The new bookends of the Kansas line are faced with the task of replacing two of the most heralded players of the Mark Mangino era. Former left tackle Anthony Collins, who left for the NFL Draft after his junior season, earned unanimous first team All-America honors. Former right tackle Cesar Rodriguez, who graduated, started 28 consecutive games.
Spikes, the projected starter at left tackle, is a 6-foot-6, 314 pound, carbon copy of Collins. The Painesville, Ohio, native earned praise from Mangino for his effort in bowl-season practices, and helped pave the way for the Blue offense's only touchdown of the spring game early in the fourth quarter.
"He is going to make some mistakes, because he's a freshman, but he's competitive," Mangino said. "He's a big, strong guy for a guy who's just a freshman. He will give you everything he has. He's going to
Left tackle
projected offensive line depth chart
Jeff Spikes, freshman, 6-foot-6, 314 Nathan D'Cunha, junior, 6-foot-6, 307
Left guard
Adrian Mayes, senior, 6-foot-3, 305 Jeremiah Hatch, freshman, 6-foot-3, 311
Chet Hartley, senior, 6-foot-4, 310 Carl Wilson, sophomore, 6-foot-4, 286
Right guard
Right tackle
Matt Darton, senior, 6-foot-6, 310
lan Wolf, sophomore, 6-foot-5, 283
Center
Ryan Cantrell, senior, 6-foot-3, 295
Sal Capra, sophomore, 6-foot-3, 290
fight and scratch and claw — and that's part of the tackle position."
Darton is a fifth-year senior who started one game last season in place of Collins. The 6-foot-6, 310 pound, San Diego native has steadily worked his way up the depth chart during his time at Kansas, and could finally have a shot at a steady starting job.
"Darton, since he has been here, has worked both sides," Mangino said. "I think he's more comfortable at right - I
think he belongs there."
Kansas returns all three starters on the interior of its offensive line. Senior center Ryan Cantrell, who started all of last season, missed spring practices because of a leg injury but should be healthy by fall. Senior guards Adrian Mayes and Chet Hartley each had a starting spot last season and excelled as run-blockers.
-Edited by Patrick De Oliveira
BASEBALL PREVIEW
Wretched Wichita streak continues
BY SHAWN SHROYER sshroyer@kansan.com
What was becoming an in-state rivalry is on the verge of turning into an in-state monopoly.
After going 4-5 against Kansas the first nine meetings after Ritch Price became the Jayhawks' coach, No.14 Wichita State (30-7) has reeled off four straight victories against Kansas (25-18).
Wichita State won the first game of this year's two-game season series, 7-3, on April 1 at Hoglund Ballpark. But Kansas gets its chance at revenge tonight at 7 p.m. at Eck Stadium.
"We've got to beat them at their place," senior shortstop Erik Morrison said. "We're down a game under .500 with them in my four years here and I've got to go out on top with at least a four-year split with them."
In the first meeting of the season, Kansas jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning, but was shut out the final eight innings while Wichita State scored seven runs during the final seven innings.
The Shockers had eight hits in the game, but third baseman Connor Gillaspie didn't need any to drive in runs. Although he went 1-for-4, his three RBI came on three groundouts. Gillaspie leads the Shockers with a .393 average, 43 RBI and a .600 slugging percentage.
Kansas totaled only five hits in the game. One was a two-run home run by senior right fielder Ryne Price. Price had another hit in the game to account for most of the Kansas offense. He has not been alone on offense though.
Morrison and senior left fielder John Allman both had two hits apiece in each game of last weekend's series with No. 8 Nebraska. Junior catcher Buck Afenir also had at least one hit in each game of the
series, going a combined 6-for-9 with three runs, four RBI and his sixth home run of the season.
In its first meeting with Wichita State, Kansas struggled to adjust to the Shockers' pitching strategy. Throughout the night, Shocker pitchers used offspeed pitches and breaking balls early in the count and fast-balls later in the count. The result was 14 strikeouts for the Wichita State staff.
Fleming's counterpart will be sophomore left-hander Shaeffer Hall, who started against the Shockers the first time around. That night he was roughed up for three runs in four innings on three hits and three walks. Hall (2-1) enters tonight's game with a 5.40 ERA and 3 strikeouts to 12 walks.
Kansas scored 18 runs during the weekend and used only two pitchers to take the final game of the weekend. So, with his offense up and running and his bullpen fresh, Price realizes now is the time to revive the rivalry between the Jayhawks and Shockers.
Right-hander Tyler Fleming came in to close the game and he struck out three of the five Jayhawks he faced, allowing a hit and earning the save. But tonight, Fleming (2-1) will get the start for Wichita State. He has a 2.32 ERA on the season and 19 strikeouts to five walks.
"It's important that we stop that streak and set some momentum for the weekend," Price said.
KANSAS SCHEDULES MAKE UP GAMES
To make up for the games that were rained out in the Florida Spring Classic, Kansas has added two midweek games to its schedule.
Sophomore second baseman Robby Price turns a double play assisted by short stop Erik Monterson Tuesday night against Wichita State University. The Jayhawks lost 7-3 to the Shockers Tuesday giving up eight hits.
This Wednesday at 6 p.m. Kansas will play host to Kansas Wesleyan and April 30,
Weston White/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
it will welcome Ottawa University for a 1 p.m. game.
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— Edited by Nick Mangiaracina
COMMENTARY
Spring game brings no worries for Mangino
- making two tackles after throwing interceptions. Reesing's corps of receivers didn't help him out by dropping several catchable passes, and the team's running backs didn't do much in the way of blocking.
At first glance, Kansas looked downright shoddy in last week's spring game. The offensive line that routinely bowled over opponents last season leaked like a sieve. The Jayhawks' normally-swash-buckling junior quarterback Todd Reesing made his most impressive plays on defense
But what sportswriters and fans interpreted as four quarters of ugliness, Kansas coach Mark Mangino seemed to like. Mangino, intense even on the best of days, didn't condemn his starting offense's 17-point, hit-or-miss effort. Instead, he quietly gave credit where credit was due.
"Defensively, we looked sharp - as I've said all along, we have a chance to have a pretty doggone good defense again," Mangino said. "We're looking for depth on defense, and I think we're finding that in several kids who are going to play a lot."
Heading into a season in which the Jayhawks will attempt to replace first-team All-American cornerback Aqib Talib and second-team All-American defensive tackle James McClinton, the defense's strong showing against a proven offense is reason for optimism.
Best of all, Kansas' new defensive coordinator, Clint Bowen, didn't give the defense much of a makeover. Just like last year, the Jayhawks lined up in a 4-3 set for most of the scrimmage. Just like last year, Kansas filled gaps and flawlessly executed the fundamentals. And just like last year, Kansas shut its opponent down – only this time, it held serve against the offense that led the Big 12 in scoring last season.
"We have been grooming Clint to take over as defensive coordinator here because we knew that eventually Bill Young was getting close to retirement," Mangino said. "A lot of the things you saw on the field last year were not only Bill Young's stuff, but Clint Bowen's, too. He's had a major influence on our defense - schemes, everything. I think the transition has gone very well."
That Kansas' defense has displayed continuity even after losing former defensive coordinator Bill Young shouldn't come as a surprise. Bowen spent the last two seasons as the team's co-defensive coordinator and has coached the Jayhawk safeties for five years.
In the absence of senior linebacker Joe Mortensen and junior safety Justin Thornton, each a projected starter, youngsters Justin Springer and Phillip Strozier played capably. Springer, a sophomore linebacker, probably won't pry Mortensen's starting job away this season, but his 6-foot-4, 232-pound frame should give Kansas fans something to look forward to. Strozier, a sophomore safety, seemed comfortable and didn't make any major miscues - the mark of a good defensive back.
Senior cornerback Kendrick Harper, the favorite to step into Talib's spot, made one of the most important plays of the spring scrimmage when he returned a fumble recovery 23 yards for a touchdown. Freshman defensive tackle Richard Johnson, jr., proved why he was the frontrunner to inherit McClinton's job by making three tackles and displaying impressive strength for a player just shy of 280 pounds.
Senior linebacker Mike Rivera echoed Mangino's sentiments and said that Bowen's youth - he graduated from Kansas in 1994 - helped him connect with the players on a personal level. With the same basic schemes, an infusion of new players at several positions and fresh blood at defensive coordinator, the 2008 Kansas defense could be special.
The slugfest of a spring game may have been tough for casual observers to stomach, but if Mangino wasn't worried, there probably isn't much to get worked up about. With last year's 12-1 record as a witness, the man knows a thing or two about football.
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Edited by Mandy Earles
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