THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2008
SPORTS
BASEBALL
3B
Errors, extra innings for Jayhawks in Hawaii
Team gets a victory in the first game,but falters in its later games against Vulcans
BY SHAWN SHROYER
shroyer@kansan.com
Kansas departed for Hawaii having won 24 of 31 games all-time against Hawaii.
eganah Hawaii Hilo. By the time the Jayhawks returned home from their five game series with the Vulcans, Kansas had lost its first-ever series to Hawaii Hilo.
Hilo.
Land
In a series that saw both teams combine for 18 errors, it was only fitted that defensive mishaps on the Hawaii-Hilo (4-4) side helped spark the Kansas (2-3) offense to a 16-4 victory. On the mound, junior left-hander Sam Freeman
(1-0) was one of a select few Jayhawk pitchers to tame the Vulcan bats as he cruised to victory.
After three innings of scoreless baseball, Kansas exploded for eight runs in the fourth.
Junior first baseman Preston Land singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on an error by Vulcan pitcher Jesse Moon (0-1), but Land's biggest hit was yet to come while Moon's problems would only multiply.
Moon followed up his error with a walk to senior right fielder Ryne Price and found the bases loaded when senior shortstop Erik Morrison reached on a fielder's choice that failed to net an out. Vulcan third baseman Peter Rodgers didn't do Moon any favors,
committing an error on a ball hit by Kansas freshman third baseman Tony Thompson, letting Land cross the plate for Kansas' first run
Statistics from the first four games
Hawaii Strive-O
**Hitting**
Hits: 18
Strikeouts: 25
**Pitching**
Strikeouts: 17
Walks: 11
**Defense**
Errors: 6
Three Kansas runs later, and Moon handed the ball off to Casey Koizumi. Koizumi faired no better.
weekend.stats
Freeman
In addition to hitting a batter and throwing a passed ball, Koizumi allowed the Kansas offense to bat back around to Land - a mistake the Kansas cleanup hitter made him pay for. With two men on,
Kansas went into Sunday with a 24-31 record against the Hawaii-Hilo. The Jayhawks lost the series.
After sitting through two extra inning losses earlier in the series, Freeman eliminated any chances
Land brought everybody in with a home run to center field. The home run was Land and Kansas' first of the season and gave Freeman a comfy 8-0 lead to work with.
for a Hawaii-
Hilo comeback.
Freeman, who
transferred to
Kansas at seme-
ter, pitched four
scoreless innings
before Hawaii-
Hilo scratched
its first run in
the fifth.
In all,
Freeman threw
six innings, striking out four, while allowing two runs on nine hits and a walk. Not bad, considering Kansas' three previous starting pitchers combined to allow 11 runs on 19 hits and seven walks in 12.2 innings, while striking out eight.
For good measure, Kansas added six runs in the sixth, batting around for a second time, and two runs in the seventh. Six Jayhawks collected hits in the sixth, including senior catcher Joe Southers, who led the inning off with a triple and added a single later on. In the seventh, senior first baseman Justin Ellrich followed Land's lead with a two-run shot of his own to right field.
The Vulcans added a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh off freshman right-hander Brett Bochy, but never threatened to take their fourth game of the series. As part of a doubleheader, the game went seven innings, rather than nine.
Kansas' 16 runs in the series finale surpassed the 10 combined runs the Jayhawks scored the first four games of the weekend. Kansas coach Ritch Price can only hope the 16-run onslaught will kick start his offense with the likes of No. 21 Arkansas, No. 6 Vanderbilt, Xavier and Iowa coming up this week.
Edited by Kaitlyn Syring
Game 1
FRIDAY
Kansas 2, Hawaii-Hilo 1
**Win** - Wally Marcel (1-0)
**Loss** - Clayton Uyechi (0-1)
**Save** - Paul Smyth (1)
After spending the preseason almost exclusively indoors, Kansas showed signs of rust against a Hawaii-Hilo squad that opened its season the week before. However, strong pitching by the Jayhawks left the door open for the Kansas offense to claim the lead.
Hawaii native Wally Marciel got the start for Kansas and didn't disappoint family and friends who witnessed his homecoming.The
lefty pitched six innings, allowed only one run on five hits and a walk, and stuck out four. Before he left the game, though, his offense gave him just enough support to earn the victory.
With two out and right fielder Ryne Price on first, catcher Buck Aferin singled to center field, sending Price home to break the 1-1 tie. With its first lead of the game, the Kansas pitching staff sealed the deal.
Right-hander Brett Bollman took the ball in the seventh and struck out the ball in order. Right-hander Hiarail Garcia followed threw a scoreless inning of his own in the eighth. Closer Paul Smyth entered in the ninth, converting his first save opportunity of the season, but
Offensively, Kansas was stifled most of the game by Hawaii-Hilo's Clayton Uyeyche and Emil DeAndreis, but a couple Jayhawks broke through. Afenir and third baseman Tony Thompson led the team in hits, each going 2-for-4. Price went 1-for-2 with two walks and drove in Kansas' first run of the game. Center fielder Nick Faunce collected Kansas' only hit of the game, going 1-for-3.
not without making it interesting
Dayne Ogawa led off the ninth for Hawai-Hilo and was plunked by a Smyth pitch. A passed ball ushered Ogawa into scoring position and a sacrifice bunt sent him to third base. Smyth settled down thereafter inducing a line out and ground out to end the game.
SATURDAY
Game 2
Kansas 3, Hawaii-Hilo 4 (8 innings)
**Win** – Dustin Gilmore (1-0)
**Loss** – Brett Bollman (0-1)
Game 3
Kansas 4, Hawaii-Hilo 12
On Saturday, Kansas struggled in all areas of its game - pitching, defense and offense - en route to losing both ends of its doubleheader with Hawaii-Hilo.
In game one, Kansas struck first on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Preston Land that drove in center fielder Nick Faunce in the first inning. However, the lead was short-lived. Hawaii-Hilo's Peter Rodgers, Dayne Ogawa, Keoni Manago and Ronel Trias led off the bottom of the second with consecutive doubles off Kansas left-hander Shaefe Hall to assume the lead, 3-1
Kansas crawled back into contention with a run in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game. Land again came through in the fifth with a double, plating Faunce After reaching on a double in the sixth, Kansas catcher Buck Afenir scored the tying run on an infield error.
As part of a doubleheader, game one was scheduled to go seven innings, but with the score still tied, the teams went to extra innings. The Vulcans didn't let the Jayhawks hang around for long, though. With two on and two out, Kansas closer Paul Smyth entered the game looking to squelch Hawaii-Hilo's rally. Instead, Smyth committed an error, allowing the game-winning run to score.
While game one went into extras, for all intents and purposes, game two was over in five.
Through four innings, Kansas left-hander Nick Czyz was rolling, with three strikeouts and only one run surrendered. The Kansas offense was still sputtering, but it still held the lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
SUNDAY
with a two-run fourth inning. Ryne Price, stepping in at catcher for game two, led off the inning with a walk and promptly stole second. Price eventually scored on a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Matt Berner while shortstop Erik Morrison advanced to second. A single by first baseman Justin Ellirch drove Morrison home for the final run Kansas would score for the game.
In the bottom of the fifth, the wheels fell off for Czyz. After letting two of the first three batters he faced reached base, Czyz fought back to get a second out with no harm done. However, he couldn't nail down a third. After walking the bases loaded, he walked home the tying run. He'd be charged with four more runs before the inning ended. Righthander T.J. Walz entered the game for Kansas, but he couldn't put out the flames. By the end of the inning, Hawaii-Hilo held a commanding 8-2 lead that it never lost
The Jayhawks took the lead
Overall, Kansas was outscored 16-7 and outshit 23-12 while committing five errors in the double deuce.
Game 4
Kansas 3, Hawaii-Hilo →
(9 innings)
*Win* – Emil DeAndreis (1-0)
*Loss* – Paul Smyth (0-1)
The error bug struck Kansas again in game one of Sunday's doubleheader as the Jayhawks dropped their second extra innings match of the weekend and the series.
An error by Kansas second baseman Robby Price in the bottom of the third allowed Hawai-Hilo to rally for the first runs of
the game. With two outs, Rodgers singled and Dayne Ogawa doubled off Kansas right-hander Andres Esquibel with runners on to take a 2-0 lead.
Kansas retaliated with a two-out rally of its own in the top of the fourth. First baseman Preston Landi got the rally started with a single to left field. Then defensive woes struck Hawaii-Hilo as an error allowed right fielder Ryne Price to reach base. A single by short-stop Erik Morrison put Kansas' first run on the board and catcher Buck
Afenir followed with a two-run single to flip the advantage in the Jayhawks' favor, 3-2.
Smyth struggled in relief. Smyth entered with a man on and one out and a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth, only to let the Vulcans knot the game at 3-3 on a two-out single by Thomas Brown.
But, once again, closer Paul
The score held at threes until the bottom of the ninth. With Smyth still on the mound, Vulcan Michael Higa singled with one out and advanced to second on an Alvis Satele ground out. Higa wasn't on second long as an error by Kansas third baseman Tony Thompson on a ball hit by Rodgers gave Higa the green light to take home and clinch the series.
football notes
Looking fine
Former Kansas tight end Derek Fine entered this week's NFL combine with a whisper, but went out with a bang. Before the combine, Fine was ranked anywhere from the 16th to 19th best tight end in the 2008 Draft Class according to ESPN.com, NFL-DraftCountdown.com, and NFLDraftScout. com. According to NFL.com, Fine performed 24 bench press repetitions, tied for third best at his position. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound former Jayhawk ran a faster time in the three-cone drill than any other tight end and finished second among tight ends in the 20-yard shuffle. Fine's 4.84 second 40-yard dash time was not one of the 10 best at his position. Fine caught 46 passes and scored four touchdowns last season at Kansas.
Other players
Two other former Jayhawks didn't fare as well at the combine over the weekend. Offensive tackle Anthony Collins, who left Kansas after his junior season for the NFL Draft, and wide receiver Marcus Henry participated in drills Saturday and Sunday. Neither finished in the top 10 among players at their positions.
This week
Defensive tackle James McClinton will work out at the combine today and cornerback Aqib Talib will participate in drills Tuesday. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. slated Talib as the No. 7 pick in the 2008 Draft in his most recent mock draft.
》 MLB
Injuries may allow pitcher to start
ASSOCIATED PRESS
JUPITER, Fla. — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Todd Wellemeyer is vying for one of two early openings at the bottom of the rotation.
He sees the opportunity as Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder recuperate from surgery and Matt Clement rebuilds arm strength after recovering from surgery.
Wellemeyer, 29, made his major-league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2003 and remained a long relief pitcher for a little more than four seasons before the Cardinals claimed him off waivers from Kansas City on May 15.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Todd Wellemeyer throws while coach Dave Duncan looks on during spring training baseball practice, Monday Feb. 18, in Jupiter, Fla.
He had spent three years as a regular starter in the Cubs' minor-league system before his call-up.
Injuries to Cardinal pitches helped him into that position, and now Wellemeyer has to battle with Anthony Reyes and Brad Thompson to fill out the rotation.
St. Louis gave him 11 starts last year. He was 3-1 with a 3.65 earned-run average. The team also won nine of those contests.
"I'm glad I finally got to a manager who actually saw me as a starter," Wellemeyer said. "My three years in Chicago, I had no chance. I'd be primed to get a start, and they would always just bring somebody up if somebody got hurt, and I would just sit there. I got there by being a starter, and since I was there, somebody labeled me as a reliever. I just wanted at least one start."
seam fastball and now has two fastballs, two changeups, a slider and a curveball.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Wellemeyer is very much part of the competition for a start.
The Dole Institute Times
Volume I
www.doleinstitute.org
The Presidential Lecture Series The American Presidency: Past, Present, and Future
Straight From The Trail Part One
Edition I
Featuring Political Reporters:
Steve Kraske Kansas City Star Jill Zuckman Chicago Tribune Joel Mathis RedBlueAmerica.com
7:30 PM
Tuesday February 26
Reagan's Disciple
Featuring:
Featuring:
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Carl Cannon
Co-authors of Reagan's Disciple:
Has George W. Bush Advanced
the Reagan Revolution -
Or Derailed It?
7:30 PM
Thursday February28
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