2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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SPORTS
THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2006
CALENDAR
TODAY
Softball vs. Baylor in the Big 12
Tournament, 11 a.m., Oklahoma City
Softball at Big 12 Tournament, time
TRA, Oklahoma City
FRIDAY
- Women's golf at NCAA Regionals, time TBA, location TBA
Baseball vs. Bradley in Jayhawk
Campaign 7, Iowa, Hardy and Ralston
Women's golf at NCAA Regionals all day, location TBA
Classic, 7 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
Softball at Big 12 Tournament, time
TBA. Oklahoma City
Player to watch:
Amanda Costner. Costner's performance will be the first for a Kansas player in NCAA regionales since 1993.
Track, Big 12 Outdoor Cham-pionships, all day, Waco, Texas
Kansan file photo
SATURDAY
Baseball vs. Northern Colorado in Jayhawk Classic, 7 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
Softball at Big 12 Tournament, time
TRA, Oklahoma City
Women's golf at NCAA Regionals, time TBA, location TBA
Senior shortstop, Destiny Frankenstein, throws the ball to first for an out during Saturday afternoon's game in Arrocha Ballpark. Frankenstein and the Javahays take on the Baylor Bears today in the Big 12 Tournament.
Track, Big 12 Outdoor Championships all day. Waco, Texas
Rowing, NCAA South/Central Regional, time TBA, Oak Ridge, Tenn
SUNDAY
Baseball vs. Northern Colorado in Jayhawk Classic, 1 p.m., Hoglund Balluark
Track, Big 12 Outdoor Championships, all day. Waco, Texas
Rwiling, NCAA South/Central Re-
Rwing, NCAA South/Central Regional, time TBA, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
NASCAR Hamlin finishes second at Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. — Three days after horseplay following a test session at Lowe's Motor Speedway left Denny Harmlin with a gash in his hand requiring 19 stitches, he duelled with buddy Dale Earnhardt Jr. late and finished a career-best second at Richmond.
Kansas hopes tourney bubble doesn't burst
The Associated Press
SOFTBALL
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
rschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWITHER
Kansas may very well be on the bubble for postseason play entering the Big 12 Tournament.
Just don't tell Tracy Bunge.
"I think that we're in a pretty good place right now," the Kansas coach said. "I think we can obviously help ourselves and make it harder for the committee to not put us in, but I don't think that we're in a must-win situation."
Kansas hopes to work its way off the bubble at the tournament in Oklahoma City, starting with today's game against Baylor. First pitch against the Bears is scheduled for 11 a.m. No matter the outcome of the Baylor game, Kansas will play two games today. If the team wins, it will play at 7:30 p.m. With a loss, Kansas will play in an elimination game at 2 p.m.
Despite Bunge's declaration that the tournament will not make or break the season, Kansas players realize the pressure is on, especially against No. 18 Baylor.
"I don't think they're excited to play us," senior pitcher Serena Settlemier said. "We hit pretty well off their pitching and we're going to see the same pitcher."
Having faced every possible opponent in the tournament, the Jayhawks expect few surprises. For Settlemier and junior pitcher Kassie Humphreys, the disadvantage is that nearly every hitter has already seen their pitches.
"They've now seen you one or two times," Humphreys said. "I think that could work as an advantage or disadvantage."
As was the case in the earlier meeting with Baylor, Bunge said pitching was the key to keeping Kansas in close games.
"Kassie and Serena have been doing such a good job throughout the conference schedule," Bunge said. "We feel
very good about what we're doing on the mound and know that if we can scratch out a few runs here and there that we can be in any ballgame with anybody in the league."
Kansas split the regular season series with Baylor in Waco, Texas. Each team won a game by the score of 2-1.
The Jayhawks won the first game, thanks to Settlemier's home run in the 11th inning. Humphreys recorded the victory, struck out 13 batters and allowed two hits in 11 innings of work.
felt like I had good control over my pitches and I stayed ahead of every batter."
"I felt it was one of the best games I've pitched in conference," Humphreys said. "I really
Baylor won the second game, knocking out Settlemier in four innings. The Jayhawks recorded only two hits in the game, one by Settlemier and one by senior right fielder Heather Stanley.
Offensively, the Jayhawks are as hot as they've been all season. Senior short stop Destiny Frankenstein, freshman center fielder Stevie Crisosto and freshman third baseman Val Chapple each bring a team-high two game hit streak into the tournament.
Tournament
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Edited by Timon Veach
Kansas will face Bradley and Northern Colorado this weekend in the Jayhawk Classic. The two teams hold a 198 and a 245 RPI ranking, respectively. Rankings like those are not particularly helpful in boosting a team's strength of schedule, an aspect helpful to making the tournament. A teams is chosen for the tournament based on its win-loss record and strength of schedule. Sometimes, a team with fewer victories stronger schedule might have a better chance of making it to the tournament than one with more victories and a weaker schedule.
"I haven't really looked at that," senior closer Don Czyz said. "But it seems like in order to get in, from what we've done in years past, like last year we had 38 wins and didn't make the tournament. It seems like we're going to need more than 38, and if we're sitting here at 33, I would say it's probably going to take us winning out and maybe getting a couple of games in the Big 12 tournament."
Kansas can win a maximum of 39 games before heading to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Championship, which would produce a 13-14 conference record.
Last season, the Jayhawks collected 38 victories and an 11-15 conference record, and failed to get a tournament bid.
"I think that we'll get in," Price said. "Based on how good of a schedule we've played and some of the quality wins that we have — especially the quality of wins we have on the road."
Kansas won a series at Stanford in February, and one game against No. 2 Clemson on March 11. However, Kansas lost the other two games against Clemson, which holds a No. 2 RPI ranking.
"No matter how hard we've worked, we've always came up a little short," said Czyz, who pulled a lot of weight in the Jayhawks' stretch of 17 consecutive games versus ranked opponents earlier this season. "I'm hoping that this year the hard work and tough schedule will pay off."
The Big 12 sits behind the ACC and SEC as the No. 3 toughest conference by RPI standards. Although Kansas sits at the No. 7 spot in the conference, four games below .500 in Big 12 action, conference teams are helping out.
Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma each rank in the Top 11 in both the Collegiate Baseball poll and the RPI standings. All three will likely earn national seeds heading into the NCAA tournament.
Only 16 national seeds are awarded. If the Big 12 gets three of them, which has never happened in the conference's 10 years of existence, it is likely the NCAA will take six teams from the Big 12.
If the Jayhawks can win out, they're in line as team number six.
"We've always been the underdogs," Czyz said. "And from here on out I guess you could say we're the underdog in making the Big 12 tournament and a regional appearance. I think we'll do it."
Edited by Cynthia Hernandez
Former KU quarterback returns to coach offense
Bill Whittemore will join the Kansas football program again this time as an offensive graduate assistant.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino announced on Wednesday that the former Kansas quarterback
Whittemore was the defensive graduate assistant last season at Louisiana Monroe.
The Brentwood, Tenn. native, was an All-Big 12 selection in 2003. He was also the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2002.
would join the team
Whittemore holds the Kansas record for most touchdown passes in a season with 18 in 2003.
— Kansan staff reports
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