THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008
SPORTS
3B
CLUB SPORTS
Kansas faces busy weekend
Soccer team hopes to extend tournament record
BY JOE PREINER
jpreiner@kansan.com
The KU Men's Club Soccer team looks to avenge its national title loss to Missouri in the upcoming Chartrand Memorial Tournament this weekend at Kansas State University.
The last time the Jayhawks and Tigers met was in the finals of the national tournament, which was held last fall in Florida. The title game ended with Missouri winning in dramatic fashion, outscoring KU in a shootout. The Chartrand Memorial Tournament, the only tournament the Jayhawks participate in during their offseason, will showcase the two rivals in KU's first game Saturday. Team president Nick Allen, Boulder, Colo., junior, said the tournament would be tough, as many of the teams had played well against the Jayhawks in the past.
"K-State is really good, but
KU Men's Club Soccer Road to a Repeat:
— 2 p.m. Saturday vs. Missouri
— 8 p.m. Saturday vs. Pittsburg State
- 8 a.m. Sunday vs.Friends University
- All games are played at
- Finals: Sunday, time TBD
All games are played at Memorial Stadium and Anneberg Park in Manhattan
— Semi-finals: Sunday, time TBD
Missouri is definitely the toughest and our biggest rival," Allen said. "We definitely want revenge after our loss to them in the finals at Nationals. It should be a really
fun game."
The Jayhawks seek to extend their winning record at the tournament. In the 28-year history of the event, KU has taken the title 10 times, more than any other team. The Jayhawks are also the defending champions going into the weekend. Allen said the tournament was always a big deal because all of KU's nearby rivals usually participate. Midfielder Casey Aull, Libertyville, III., senior, agreed with Allen that beating your rivals on their own turf was something to strive for.
"As you can imagine, the K-State fans are complete idiots," Aull said. "It's really gratifying to get them to shut up."
Aull, who earned All-Tournament Team honors at Nationals last fall, looks to help KU silence all the opposing fans.
Edited by Jared Duncan
Undefeated Club Baseball team takes on Missouri
BY JOE PREINER
jpreiner@kansan.com
A conference championship is just over the horizon for the undefeated KU Club Baseball team. The team is set to take on a top-ranked Missouri team this weekend in Columbia.
KU currently boasts an 8-0 record and is ranked No. 24 by the National Club Baseball Association. KU has dominated the opposition, outscoring its opponents 66-22 during the course of seven games. Despite the undefeated record and astounding offensive production, the Jayhawks are not alone at the top. The team's biggest rival, Missouri, is also having an impressive season. The Tigers have not lost in conference play and share first place with the Jayhawks. The three-game weekend series looks to decide the conference champion and set the pace for the regional tournament. Team captain Kevin Sterk, Oak Lawn, Ill., first year law student, has great expectations for the team.
"What we really want is to sweep Mizzou, I mean, they're our rivals," Sterk said. "They've won the conference the last few years. We want to go into Columbia and take all three games from them."
If KU is able to pull off a series sweep, it would be one step closer to recording an undefeated season. Sterk said going undefeated into the regional tournament has been a goal for the team from day one. The goal isn't all about pride, the team wants to earn the best seeding it can in the event it makes it to the Club Baseball World Series. That task challenges the Jayhawks, which have one of the smallest rosters in the NCBA with only 18 players.
club baseball
Weekend Game Times:
— Friday: 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
vs. Missouri
— Saturday: 9 a.m. vs. Missouri, 5 p.m. vs. Washington University (home game)
— Sunday: 10 a.m. vs. Washington University (home game)
The KU Men's Club Baseball team plays its home games at ice Field at 27th and Iowa
"We have a smaller roster." Sterk said. "We get past that though, we all go out together and it's definitely helped with the success of the team."
One player who isn't a stranger to success is freshman pitcher Nolan Mansfield. In 12 innings
so far this season, he has recorded 27 strikeouts and has an earned run average of 0.00 per game, which is almost unheard of. Mansfield will start game one against Missouri this weekend in hopes of getting KU off to a winning start. Teammate Jeff Moyer, Overland Park sophomore, is certain Nolan will bring his "A" game for the Missouri series.
"He has been a good surprise for the team this year," Moyer said. "He's proved himself in big games already this season, so I think he'll play well. He can pitch and hit, it really helps."
The Jayhawks hope to avoid a repeat of a Missouri
match up from last season, in which they gave up an 8-0 first inning lead and eventually lost the game. The team said they feel they are deep enough and talented enough this year to avoid any such letdowns.
The only aspect of the series the team can't control is the weather. Rain-outs are a concern for the weekend, and rescheduling the series for the end of the season would be difficult. Regional play starts in three weeks, giving the Jayhawks little time for make-up games. The team hopes to get it done in Columbia this weekend.
Edited by Jared Duncan
Women's lacrosse is top seed for first time in program history
BY JOE PREINER
jpreiner@kansan.com
The Final Four gets underway at Shenk Sports Complex this Saturday for the KU Women's Club Lacrosse
Club Lacrosse team.
T he Jayhawks are undefeated in division play and are a top seed for the first time in the history of the program. KU will play teams from Arkansas
mean, 80 percent of the program's wins have come over the last four years. It's unbelievable how it's all come together."
The team plays in the Central Plains Women's Lacrosse League.
"The first game against Washington should be easy. We are probably going to win that. It's that second game that's going to be tough."
Washington University and Lindenwood in the weekend tournament, Team president Celie Wall, Greensboro, N.C., junior, said that this was the best team the program has had in its 11-year history.
or CPWLL.
It is a league that has been dominated by Lindenwood.
The Lions have been the top team in the league the last five years and are looking strong once again.
Like KU, they
AMY GOLDFINE St. Louis Park, Minn., freshman
"This group has always had a winning record," Wall said. "I
have not lost a game in division play all season. The potential meeting of the two No. 1 seeds in the league final looks to be a near certainty. Amy Goldfine, St. Louis. Park, Minn., freshman, is confident that KU will be able to advance to the championship.
"The first game against
The KU Women's Club Lacrosse team is making this weekend's tournament its last hurrah of the season. The winner of the event advances to the national tournament. The KU team will not be able to attend even if it wins this weekend, as academic finals are scheduled for the same dates. With that in mind, the team views beating the defending champions as the best way to end the season. Wall said that each successive year had been the best year for the team. She said she hoped this year will be no exception.
Washington should be easy," Goldfine said. "We are probably going to win that. It's that second game that's going to be tough."
—Edited by Jared Duncan
Tavlor Miller/KANSAN
Texas troubles continue for tennis team
TENNIS
BY ALEX DUFEK
adufek@kansan.com
Elizaveta Avdeeva hits back a shot during March 30, 2008 match against Oklahoma State at First Serve. The Jawhaws take on Nebraska today.
The Lone Star state has caused plenty of problems for the Kansas tennis team this season.
After falling to No. 3 Baylor and No. 73 Texas Tech two weekends ago, the team dropped matches at No. 21 Texas and No. 32 Texas A&M last weekend and fell to 0-4 against the state of Texas. Coach Amy Hall-Holt said the team met when they returned to Lawrence and talked about its need to play more aggressive down the stretch.
"We talked about how we need to get more aggressive and step up our game to the level we're competing against, instead of shying away," Hall-Holt said. "I think the girls are responding well and they know they need to step up to another level."
With a fifth place finish in the Big 12 still a possibility, the Jayhawks will have a lot at stake when they return to Lawrence to take on No.
Julia Sidorova's 22 career conference victories and move into first place all-time.
Avdeeva said that with both her current partner, junior Edina Horvath, and her ex-partner, Ksenia Bukina, she never thought about setting any type of record.
Kansas hasn't had the easiest schedule this season. When the Jayhawks take the court against the Huskers on Friday, it will mark the $13^{\mathrm{th}}$ time this year the team has competed against a ranked opponent. Hall-Holt believes this season's difficult competition has helped prepare them for this weekend's home finale and the Big 12 Tournament.
"We're winning one match at a time, and I didn't count how many matches we won but I guess it was quite a lot." Avdeeva said. "I'm proud to be here and I'm excited about it."
67 Nebraska on Friday and Iowa State on Sunday.
"Once we go into Big 12's we will have seen the teams and we'll have a hunger to play them again," Hall-Holt said. "We want the chance to compete and to do some things that we needed to before. We're ready to step forward and not back off this time."
Avdeeva, who suffered an ankle injury against Texas Tech, wasn't able to play in last Friday's match against Texas, but was able to return to the lineup against Texas A&M last Sunday. "She's doing well. She is almost back to 100 percent," Hall-Holt said.
For senior Elizaveta Avdeveva there is more at stake this weekend than a possible fifth place finish in the conference. Avdeveva's 21 career Big 12 doubles victories are the second most all-time in the school's history. With two victories this weekend, she would surpass
Kansas will need Avdeeva and the rest of the Jayhawks at full strength when they face the $67^{\mathrm{th}}$ ranked Huskers on Friday at 2 p.m. in Lawrence.
—Edited by Nick Mangiaracina
Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons star quarterback, is serving a 23-month sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth after pleading guilty to federal charges related to dogfighting.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
The Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League will hold Michael Vick "Welcome to the Neighborhood" night on May 28 in an effort to raise awareness about animal abuse and pet adoption.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A minor league baseball team is throwing a welcome party for Michael Vick.
Kansas City T-Bones welcome Vick
"It's just kind of a fun way to take advantage of a current news event that's going on in our area — he's literally right in our backyard — and it's for a good cause," team spokesman Tommy Thrall said.
The event will include the typical zaniness that goes with a minor
league baseball promotion, including spotlights, escape sirens and "Who Let the Dogs Out" blaring from stadium speakers.
The T-Bones' game jerseys will be designed with old black-and-white prison stripes, while the visiting Gary Southshore RailCats will wear orange jumpsuit tops. The players might also act along with the gimmick, possibly even wearing shackles as they take
But the night also is designed to raise awareness to an issue that received so much attention last year when Vick was caught in the middle of a dogfighting ring.
The pregame will feature a dog parade, and at least 10 animal shelters will be outside the stadium showing off dogs that will be available for adoption.
the field.