THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
6B SPORTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2008
BASEBALL
Coach anticipates top five ranking this season
BY SHAWN SHROYER
shroyer@kansan.com
The conference coaches have spoken and, according to the preseason Big 12 Coaches Poll, they anticipate Kansas finishing ninth in the conference for the second straight season.
However, Kansas coach Ritch Price expressed at Kansas Baseball Media Day on Tuesday that he could foresee his Jayhawks cracking the top five in the Big 12.
"Our players understand we play in one of the best leagues in America. If you can finish fifth, you're a Top 25 team," Price said. "That's our goal. Our goal is to be in the top five. We understand we have to overachieve to make that happen."
Despite the conference coaches' low expectations for Kansas, there's reason to believe 2008 won't be a replay of 2007 for the Jayhawks. First and foremost, Kansas returns six position players, all three weekend starters and its closer from last year's squad,
In addition, Price has added depth to his pitching staff with transfers Shaeffer Hall, Sam Freeman and Daniel Manos and signed impressive freshmen such as third baseman Tony Thompson and catcher Jimmy Waters.
which was the youngest in the Big 12.
Nevertheless, the Big 12 won't be a cakewalk for the jayhawks. For the seventh straight season, Texas earned the most votes, including eight first-place votes. Behind Texas were Missouri, Baylor and Texas A&M. All four teams were clubs Price acknowledged on Tuesday as the best in the conference. Missouri and Baylor also received first-place votes.
Oklahoma State was voted fifth, Nebraska came in at sixth and Kansas State and Oklahoma tied in the voting for seventh place. Next came Kansas, which received just two more points in the voting than Texas Tech, which rounded out the poll.
Edited by Madeline Hyden
RAINS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"It's pretty easy on Sundays or Mondays or Thursdays because usually only one league will give me a game on those days." Welmer said. "But then I try to look at it geographically and see if I can stay in the same area for two or three days. Wednesdays and Saturdays are the big days for the coordinators, so I try to split those up evenly or close to even so I can be as fair as possible with everyone."
Welmer pays his wife, a retired
flight attendant from Northwest airlines, to book all of his travel accommodations including airfare, hotels and rental cars. College basketball officials in
Welmer said. "Some guys like to get the extra sleep at night and don't fly out until late morning and get in during the afternoon. For me, it works better to go out early in the morning and then take a two—, three—, four—hour nap."
Welmer then awakes from his nap, showers and heads to the arena for that night's game. Referees are required to arrive 90 minutes prior to tip off each night
After the
"I don't think I ever go onto the court with anything less than a full tank."
STEVE WELMER
Referee
the large conferences are all paid around $1,000 per game plus $200 per diem and coach airfare.
After the game, Welmer grabs a light meal such as chicken strips, heads to bed about 11 or 12, and starts the whole process again the next day.
A normal day for Welmer starts at 4:30 or 5 a.m. when he wakes up to catch the first flight out to assure he gets to his next city on time. He usually arrives by late morning and grabs a bowl of soup for lunch before settling in for a long afternoon nap.
"There's not very many days where I don't get a two to three-hour nap every single day"
"I don't think I ever go onto the court with anything less than a full tank," Welmer said. "I feel as good right now as I did in the first of November."
So the next time you turn on the TV and see Welmer working a game, just think of what he went through just to get there. Or where he might be going tomorrow.
Edited by Mandy Earles
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Despite the solid season, Smyth said he still had room to improve. While he had a miniscule 1.60 ERA last season, he felt he let too many inherited runners score — or at least his teammates did.
BULLPEN (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"If they have me throw a lot of outings, they'll have to limit the innings," said Smyth, "but I'm more than willing to throw Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, Saturday, Sunday, as well."
"Something that the starters push you around about is, 'You gave up my run this day,' and 'You gave up my run that day,' so the ideal thing is to keep a low ERA and keep the runs that you allow as close as possible to the earned runs you allow." Smyth said. "That way you're not cashing other guys' runs in."
Kansas' single season saves record.
The rubber arm Smyth exhibited last season may be especially valuable this season, considering the Jayhawks have 41 games in the first eight weeks of the season. Smyth may be summoned from the bullpen even more often, with less recovery time between games.
However, with the group of pitchers joining Smyth in the bullpen, his workload shouldn't be nearly that rigorous.
Kansas' left-handed specialist will likely be Manos, a transfer from Santa Ana College where he showed impeccable control. In 23.1 innings, Manos struck out 22 and walked just four.
Although he missed part of the season with a muscle strain in his back, Garcia proved to be one of Kansas' top setup men. Only Smyth made more appearances out of the bullpen than Garcia and he was especially dependable down the stretch. In his last five appearances, Garcia allowed only one run.
In his final two appearances, against Kansas Wesleyan and Chicago State respectively, he pitched 2.2 innings, allowing five runs on four hits, three walks and one wild pitch, and he hit three batters.
However, Price said Marcin was on his way to putting his control problems behind him and could soon fulfill the promise he showed early last year.
"He has a true curveball, which is almost unseen anymore in this day and age, but he has the overhand, 12-6 breaking ball!" Price said.
One of Kansas' best pitches at the beginning of 2007 was Marcin. After the first seven innings of his collegiate career, he had yet to allow a run. But, as if a switch had been flipped, Marcin struggled mightly with his command toward the end of the season.
While these six relievers will battle for innings out of the bulpen, there's no question as to who will be collecting the saves again this season. The only question is how many saves Smith will rack up this time around.
Sophomore Wally Marciel, junior Nick Cczyz and, when he returns, Junior Andy Marks are the favorites to claim spots in the weekend rotation. If they do, other candidates for starting jobs — senior Andres Esquibel, junior Sam Freeman
and sophomore Shaeffer Hall would be moved to the midweek and also would be available to pitch out of the bullpen on weekends. Splitting time as a reliever last season, Esquibel compiled a team-best seven victories.
CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT SUCCESS
Bollman took a redshirt last season, but most recently he pitched for the Duluth Huskies during the summer of 2006. With the Huskies, Bollman went 7-1 with a 1.99 ERA, one save, and 36 strikeouts to 10 walks in 49.2 innings.
"Thomas Marcin has an outstanding fastball and, if he continues to improve his command, can be as good as anybody on our staff," Price said. "His bullpins have been better. His command still needs to improve, but he's been significantly better."
starting candidates
complement to his 11-1 record and 1.81 ERA. For a youngster, Walz also has an impressive curveball.
SENATE
Walz is the youngest pitcher who could make an impression out of the bulpen for Kansas. As a senior at Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha, Neb. Walz led the state of Nebraska with 136 strikeouts, which was a fine
"I don't want to pick a number, but however many they give me, that's how many I'd like to take," Smyth said. "I don't want to blow any this year."
>> PGA
BY DOUG FERGUSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tiger rallies late to take tournament
—Edited by Samuel Lamb
MARANA, Ariz. _ Tiger Woods produced another incredible comeback in the desert Wednesday, playing the final five holes in 5-under par to turn what looked like certain defeat into an unlikely victory in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Woods upsets Holmes by playing five under par in final five holes
Tiger Woods hits out of the desert rough inside the gallery onto the seventh green during the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain Wednesday, in Marana, Arizona. WOOLFS defeated L.B. Holmes 1-up.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Woods fell behind J.B. Holmes on the first hole when his tee shot sailed into the desert and out of play, and he was three holes down with five to play after taking another penalty shot from the desert.
But he turned it around quickly, winning the next four holes, capped by a 35-foot eagle putt on the 17th. He escaped with a 1-up victory on the 18th when Holmes missed an 8-foot birdie putt.
It started with a 15-foot birdie on the 14th, followed by a meaningless 18-foot birdie on the 15th, when he only needed two putts to win the hole. The first overhand fist pump came at the 16th when he made a third straight birdie from just over 20 feet to square it for the first time since they shook hands on the tee to start the match.
"I just kept telling myself, even when I was 3 down, there's still a chance to win in regulation," Woods said. "I was just going to have to start playing a hell of a lot better. Then all of a sudden, putts started falling in from everywhere."
The loudest roar came on the par-5 17th, which Woods reached in two with a 5-wood from the rough. He holed his long eagle putt for his first lead of the match, then held on to avoid what would have been a shocking departure.
Holmes, whose big drives kept pressure on Woods the entire match, was helpless at the end.
"I got beat," Holmes said. "Playing the best player in the world, 3 up with five to play, I just said, 'Don't do anything stupid. Make him beat you.' And he did."
Woods shot 30 on the back nine
in his first tournament since he shot 31 on the back nine of the Dubai Desert Classic to overcome a four-shot deficit and win his fourth straight official tournament.
"For some reason, momentum just goes your way," Woods said. "Sometimes the run is early in the round, sometimes middle or late. It just so happened that in the last two rounds, it was late. But at least it happened today. At least I had a run. I wasn't playing good enough to win the match unless I had a run."
None of the top four seeds had an easy time at Dove Mountain.
Ernie Els, the No. 4 seed who changed his mind last week and decided to enter a tournament that has been so vexing, shot 40 on his opening nine and was soundly beaten. 6 and 5, by Jonathan Byrd. It was fourth straight time Els had lost in
the first round.
Second-seeded Phil Mickelson, the winner Sunday at Riviera, held off Pat Perez 1 up. Third-seeded Steve Stricker needed 20 holes to beat Daniel Chopra, a small measure of revenge. Chopra beat him in a four-hole playoff at the Mercedes-Benz Championship last month.
Four of the top eight seeds were gone after the first day of the Match Play, one of the most chaotic days in golf. Jim Furyk (No. 6) continued to struggle with his game, losing to Colin Montgomerie, 3 and 2; Justin Rose (7) fell to Rod Pampling, 2 and 1; and Rory Sabbatini, who played college golf at Arizona, lost to Bradley Dredge, 4 and 3.
Then came a charge that sent cheers resounding across the desert fauna, starting with his birdie on the 14th. Holmes three-putted from the back of the 15th to hand Woods' the next hole, and appeared to have the advantage on the 16th when Woods right foot slipped on his downswing, and his shot spun back 20 feet below the hole.
"You can never really fancy your chances in this format," Lee Westwood said after making eight birds in a 3-and-2 victory over Brandt Snedeker. "This is the kind of week where you unpack, but you don't move stuff too far away from your suitcase."
Woods had to take an unplayable lie in the desert on the 13th, swatting the bag with his driver after taking his drop.
packed.
He had said on Tuesday that when players fall behind two or three holes, they generally lose. That looked certain when Holmes took a 3-up lead through five holes, and he staved off one charge with a birdie on the ninth to stay 2 holes ahead.
"It was just one of those things where everything kind of turned my way," Woods said. "Very, very fortunate to advance."
Next up is Arron Oberholser, who is playing with an injured shoulder. He made his '08 debut by beating Mike Weir, 3 and 1.
Woods appeared to have his bags
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