THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY, MAY 1, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
SOFTBALL
PAGE 12A
Sooners defeat Jayhawks
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Nothing went right for Kansas this weekend.
There was rain. There was unusually bad hitting. But worst of all, Kassie Humphreys didn't have one of her outstanding performances that has become routine for the Kansas soffball team during the last month.
"I felt like I struggled more than usual," Humphreys said. "I wasn't able to get ahead in the count. It seemed like I was playing their game rather than playing my own."
The junior pitcher's struggles on the mound allowed Oklahoma to hit the way to a 4-1 victory in the second game of a double-header on Sunday. Kansas dropped
wasn't able to
wash it able to get ahead in the count. It seemed like I was playing their game rather than playing my own."
Kasie Humphreys junior pitcher
the first game of the double header to the Sooners, 2-0.
For Kansas, the losses could prove costly for postseason play. Before the game the Jayhawks (27-24, 6-10) were fifth place in the conference.
With Sunday's two losses, Kansas dropped to seventh place behind Missouri and Oklahoma.
If the Jayhawks remain in seventh, they will play an elimination game on the first day of the Big 12 Tournament, and play the second place team if they win their first game.
"This loss really hurt us," Humphreys said. "It puts a lot of pressure on us for postseason opportunities."
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 8A
BASEBALL
Senior pitcher Kodiak Quick delivers against Oklahoma in the second game at Hoglund Ballpark on Sunday. Quick helped the Jayhawks avoid a sweep at the hands of the Sooners by pitching six and one-third innings, allowing two runs on six hits, walking one batter and striking out two.
'Hawks rained out
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The tarp made a two-minute appearance in the midst of a 15-minute rain delay to break up the sixth inning in Sunday's 7-5 series finale victory against Oklahoma.
It was the tarp's shortest outing of the series.
"I think we're going to be the best tarp team in America after this season," freshman catcher Andrew Spitzfaden, who went 3-for-6 with a pair of triples on Sunday, said.
The heavy rainfall that pushed game one, scheduled for Friday, to be the first game of a Saturday doubleheader and that eventually forced games two and three to a Sunday doubleheader as the rain came down again on Sunday afternoon.
Rain fell hard enough that the umpires and coaches decided to call the rain delay, but just minutes later, it let up. The Jayhawk players and grounds crew pulled the tarp back off the field and resumed play.
But as the rain stopped, the lavihawk offense didn't.
The Jayhawks (32-18, 10-11) eventually snapped the Sooners' (35-11, 13-5) 13-game win streak in the process.
"That's a huge game for us," coach Ritch Price said. "As far as I'm concerned it saved our season. That gives us the chance to go to Texas. We win the series we're back to .500. Or if we just avoid getting swept at Texas, we're right in the NCAA tournament."
For the first time in the series, Kansas was able to step to the plate without facing a deficit. Oklahoma right fielder Chuckie Caufield led off the top of the first, tagging senior right-hander Kodiak Quick's (8-3) first pitch of the game for a double to left, but he would stay at second.
Taking advantage of Oklahoma's scoring lull, Kansas exploded in the fifth. Although the Sooner pitching staff kept the Jayhawks off the board for the first game, the Jayhawks figured it out.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 6A
BOX SCORE
Oklahoma Sooners (35-10, 13-4 Big 12 Conference)
AB H R RBI
Chuckie Caufield, rf 5 3 1 2
Aaron Reza, 2b 4 0 0 0
Kody Kaiser, lf 3 0 0 0
Ryan Rohlinger, 3b 4 1 1 1
Kevin Smith, 1b 4 2 0 0
Freddy Rodriguez, ss 3 0 0 0
Jackson Williams, c 3 1 2 1
Joe Dunigan, dh 3 1 1 1
Aaron Ivey, cf 4 1 0 0
TOTALS 33 9 5 5
Kansas Jayhawks (31-18, 9-11 Big 12)
AB H R RBI
Brock Simpson, dh 3 1 1 2
Ritchie Price, ss 4 2 0 1
Matt Baty, cf 4 0 0 1
Kyle Mcfey, cf 0 0 0 0
Gus Milner, rf 4 0 0 0
Jared Schweitzer, 2b 4 2 1 0
John Allman, lf 3 2 2 2
Erik Morrison, 3b 4 2 1 1
Preston Land, 1b 3 0 0 0
Matt Berner, 2b 1 0 0 0
Andrew Spitzaden, c 3 2 2 1
TOTALS 33 11 7 7
TOTALS
Win: Kodiak Quick (8-3)
Loss: P.J. Sandoval (6-2)
Source: kuathletics.com
FOOTBALL
Players sign free agent contracts
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITHER
It was a disappointing weekend for all Kansas football players looking for an opportunity to play in the NFL. Charles Gordon, Charlton Keith, Nick Reid and Mark Simmons all went undrafted in the 2006 NFL draft, which took place Saturday and Sunday.
Gordon, projected as high as a fourth round pick, never got a phone call from an NFL team during the draft. However, he did sign as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings after the draft Sunday.
f he ran a 4.49 instead of a 4.59, he would have been drafted on day one."
Kenny Zuckerman Charles Gordon's agent
According to the Kansas City Star, Simmons signed Sunday with the San Diego Chargers and Reid said he expected to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs as soon as his agent could work out a deal with the team. Keith also signed Sunday, joining the Cleveland Browns. He turned down an offer from the Kansas City Chiefs so he could be closer to his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Gordon, a cornerback and wide receiver for the Jayhawks, decided to forgo his senior season and enter the draft.
enter the draft His agent, Kenny Zuckerman, said Sunday that he still thought Gordon made the right decision to enter the draft.
"A lot of people make a big deal about leaving early," Zuckerman said. "But he was ready for the next challenge."
Zuckerman said Gordon's 40-yard dash time was the main reason Gordon's stock fell.
“If he ran a 4.49 instead of a 4.59, he would have been drafted on day one,” Zuckerman said. “He was going to be the same speed next year.”
The question of where Gordon would play — offense or defense — was another factor in his decision to forgo his senior season.
Zuckerman said it was frustrating for Gordon to switch back and forth between wide receiver, cornerback and special teams at Kansas.
"He felt if he played one position,he would be able to get to a much higher level," Zuckerman said.
Zuckerman said after the fifth round, it was probably better to go undrafted and sign with a team whose roster the player had a better opportunity to make.
SEE DRAFT ON PAGE 8A
Ian Halperin/Big 12 Conference
TENNIS
Liza Avdeewa, Obninaka, Russia, sophomore, returns a hit against Baylor during the Big 12 Tennis Championships at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco, Texas, on Friday.
BY ANTONIO MENDOZA
amendoza@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Jayhawks drop Big 12 Tourney
The Big 12 Tournament must have seemed like deja vu for the Kansas tennis team this weekend.
Kansas defeated Colorado,
but lost to No. 5 Baylor in
Waco, Texas.
Kansas did not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships and will have to wait and see if their 14-11 regular season record was enough to gain one of the 33 at-large spots.
The Jayhawks defeated the Buffalooes and lost to the Bears in the regular season as well.
Ksenia Bukine, Ohninsk, Russia, freshman, goes after the ball during the match in the Big 12 Tennis Championships against Baylor at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco. Texas.
Both teams had the same Big 12 Conference record of 4-7, but the Jayhawks held the tiebreaker when they defeated the Buffaloes, 4-3, on
Kansas came into the Big 12 Tournament holding the No. 8 seed. Kansas faced Colorado, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, on Thursday.
April 15. The Jayhawks were down 3-0, facing elimination, but victories in singles matches by freshman Edina Horvath, sophomore Liza Avdeeva and senior Christine Skoda tied up the match at 3-3. This set up the final match between freshman Stephanie Smith and Martina Sedivec to determine the winner.
Ian Halperin/Big 12 Conference
Smith won her match in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, to give Kansas the victory.
"We came out slow in doubles, but we hung in there." Kansas coach Amy Hall-Holt said. "We had a lot of fight and guts, and it paid off. It's what we've been working for all semester."
Smith said she welcomed the pressure of playing in the deciding singles match.
"It was awesome, it's fun playing when your whole team gets out there and cheers for you and it comes down to your match," Smith said.
Kansas then faced Baylor in the quarterfinals. Because
of the threat of severe weather, the match was moved to noon. The format of the match was changed as well. Instead of playing the doubles matches first, the singles matches were played first.
match was called as soon as Baylor jumped out to a 4-0 lead because the other matches would not have changed the outcome.
All six singles matches started at the same time. The
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"Our goal was just to get past Colorado and see how well we could do against Baylor, so I think it went
pretty well," Smith said
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Kansas ended the regular season with a record of 14-11, and 5-8 in the Big 12. The team had a combined 11 victories overall in the past two seasons.
— Edited by Lindsey Gold
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