THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
4B SPORTS
MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2008
MLB
Diamondbacks sweep Rockies in home opener
DENVER — For three straight days, the Arizona Diamondbacks had to endure one celebration after another.
First it was the fireworks and frenzy of opening day,next the Colorado Rockies raised their NL championship pennant and finally they held a ring ceremony
The Diamondbacks ruined each one, though.
Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the ninth and Stephen Drew went deep in Arizona's three-run 10th inning, leading the Diamondbacks to a 5-2 win over Colorado on Sunday.
The Rockies received their glittering NL championship rings before the series finale but Arizona completed a three-game sweep that delivered a message after the Rockies beat the Diamondbacks in last year's NLCS.
"This sets the tone for the year, just coming here and winning three games at their place, especially after what they did to us last year," Reynolds said.
Reynolds two-run drive put Arizona ahead 2-1.
The Diamondbacks actually enjoyed all the video tributes, even if they were prominently displayed in the clips.
And to think he was going to bunt. After Conor Jackson started the ninth with a single, Reynolds contemplated laying one down, but hit away and knocked his second homer of the year off Manny Corpas.
"It was fun to watch." Orlando Hudson said. "We're happy for them. They're a damn good team. They play great."
"It felt good to hit that ball," Reynolds said. "I put a good swing on it."
Associated Press
COME SHARE A FEW LAUGHS WITH OTHERS LIKE YOU AT:
THE POWER OF PROCRASTINATION!
LECTURE AND BOOK SIGNING WITH "PHD COMICS" CREATOR JORGE CHAM
5:30pm, TUESDAY, April 8 Spahr Engineering Classroom Room 2, Eaton Hall
MORE INFO AT WWW.PHDCOMICS.COM
Brought to you by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, the Graduate Engineering
Association, Graduate and Professional Association and Student Senate
Kansas fans cheer during the first half of Kansas' game against North Carolina. The fans enjoyed mingling with the other three teams' fans along the River Walk Saturday.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
》 FINAL FOUR
Fans kick back in San Antonio
Final Four enthusiasts take in River Walk festivities
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
SAN ANTONIO — Take the aura of Allen Fieldhouse, throw in a hint of the history of UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, add a dash of North Carolina's Dean Dome legacy and top it off with a bit of Beale Street flair, complements of Memphis.
Those four ingredients came together this weekend to create every college basketball enthusiast's dream — the Final Four in San Antonio.
Fans of Memphis, UCLA, Kansas and North Carolina flocked to San Antonio for the final three games of the college basketball season and a weekend of warm weather and extra-curricular activities.
"San Antonio is a great city for the Final Four," Overland Park freshman Jeff Brown said. "There are lots of activities, and it's just fun to have all of the fans here enjoying the game."
Hoops enthusiasts had more than basketball to keep them entertained along the tree-lined avenues of downtown San Antonio on Final Four weekend. Supporters of all four squads hit the River Walk entertainment district hard on Friday and Saturday night, carousing and chanting past midnight.
"I went down to Rita's on the River Walk," Ryan Robertson, former Kansas guard, said. "It's the official KU bar, and just looking at the crowd, it looks like Jayhawk fans are out in full force."
Friday afternoon each team held open practices at the Alamodome. Friday evening, Fall Out Boy and The Roots played at the AT&T block party in downtown San Antonio.
Saturday morning, ESPN brought its live College GameDay preview show to the RiverCenter Mall along
the River Walk, The Kansas and UCLA cheer squads took turns performing behind the stage as
analysts Dick Vitalie, Digger Phelps and Bob Knight filmed the show.
weather has definitely been the best part of the trip so far"
By the time the show wrapped up midday, it was 80 degrees outside, about 25 degrees warmer than it was in Lawrence at the time.
Because the Alamodome sits
"There are lots of activities, and it's just fun to have all of the fans here enjoying the game."
"The city of San Antonio has been nice — I'm definitely impressed," Eric Rizzuti, a Kansas fan from Kansas City, Mo., said. "But the
JEFF BROWN Overland Park freshman
lostime sits less than a mile from downtown San Antonio, fans streamed from their hotels near the River Walk to the venue early Saturday afternoon. Kansas fans belted "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" and UCLA fans
answered with "U-C-L-A!"
Fans of all four teams turned the plaza outside the Alamodome into a sprawling tailgate party, imbibing beverages and trading friendly
taunts as they waited in line at the venue's security checkpoint.
In addition to playing host to the Final Four, San Antonio held the National Association of Basketball Coaches Convention and the DiGiorno College All-Star Game during the weekend. Fans posed for pictures with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Boston College coach Al Skinner as they strolled the River Walk.
There are plenty of distractions in bustling San Antonio, but basketball remains the main attraction. With their victory Saturday night against North Carolina, the Jayhawks earned a berth in Monday's national title game and earned some fans a few extra days in Texas.
Edited by Sasha Roe
Assurance • Tax • Transactions • Advisory
Discover your growth and success. ey.com/us/careers
Join a company where you'll have the flexibility to reach your goals.
Learn why we were ranked the #1 Ideal Accounting Employer at University of Kansas in the 2007 Universum Survey.
Sign up today for an interview!
On-Campus Interviews Wednesday, April 23 Business Career Services Summerfield Hall
© 2008 ERNST & YOUNG LLP
FORTUNE 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR 2008
ERNST&YOUNG
Quality In Everything We Do
Ernst & Young refers to a global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a member firm serving clients in the U.S.
---