THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
1.
FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2006
1B
PAGE
WWW.KANSAN.COM
DOWN THE HALL
KU-OU could be riveting
TIM HALL
thall@kansan.com
The Kansas City Royals had to face former Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana last night at Kauffman Stadium. Things didn't go too well for the home team.
But why in the world would you even think of leaving the KU premises with the series the KU baseball team will open tonight at Hogund Ballpark?
The 30th-ranked Jayhawks welcome the hottest team in all of college baseball to town. The No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners have won 11 games in a row dating back to April 9. These guys have lost only two games in the month of April, once to Texas and once to Texas A&M. And I thought the Chicago White Sox were hot.
We stat-keeping people generally don't look a whole lot at fielding percentages. Almost every single team will have a percentage between 960 and 980. There isn't enough of a difference for any normal fan to know the difference.
When you minimize the fielding and throwing errors, you will have a better chance to win the close ones. OU is proving that.
The interesting thing about this Oklahoma team is that it doesn't win through outstanding hitting, it doesn't throw shutouts every day, but it does play mistake-free, consistent baseball.
But OU is leading the Big 12 conference in fielding percentage at .984. For those who don't know don't keep such a close eye on defense, that is a very high average, especially for a team who has played 43 games so far. The Sooners have committed only 26 errors the entire season. They have the slight advantage against KU in that category - the Jayhawks have 62.
During their current 11-game winning streak, seven of the victories have come by three runs or less. Three of those seven came by only one run.
This series is an important one for KU. They have remained strong, posting a 9-9 conference record and a 14-2 home mark this year. But this weekend they face a tough and consistent team that simply knows how to win.
NFL calls for position swap
My best advice for the KU hitters this weekend is to hit the ball where the Sooners ain't, because they ain't gonna drop it.
Hall is a Woodbridge, Va., senior in journalism.
▼ NFL DRAFT
Justin O'Neal/XANSAN
Senior defensive end Charlton Keith hurries Missouri quarterback Brad Smith out of the pocket during Kansas' 13-3 victory against Missouri at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 29, 2005. Keith and his former teammate Charles Gordon are eligible for the NFL draft this Saturday.
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
If Charlton Keith wants to play in the NFL on Sundays, he will have to make the transition from playing defensive end to outside linebacker.
The NFL Draft will take place in Radio City Music Hall in New York on Saturday and Sunday. Keith has been projected to be a seventh-round pick by espn.com and The Sporting News. ESPN had the Houston Texans taking Keith with pick No. 251, while The Sporting News had the Seattle Seahawks taking him with pick No. 249.
Keith said he did not look at mock drafts. He also said it was difficult to get a vibe on teams that were interested in drafting him.
To prepare for the NFL, Keith has bulked up to 243 pounds, about 20 pounds more than last season. His target weight is 260 pounds.
"I need to continue to lift weights, eat and stay in shape," Keith said. "I'm continuing to work on technique for playing linebacker."
Keith already has some experience playing the position, having been a linebacker in high school.
SOFTBALL
SEE DRAFT ON PAGE 4B
"The combine went great," Keith said. "It was a great experience for me. It helped me to show my athleticism."
Keith was invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis earlier this spring to show his skills in front of NFL scouts.
'Hawks looking for big wins in Norman
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
rschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SWITTERWRI
The Kansas softball team will travel to Norman, Okla., to face No. 23 Oklahoma this weekend. Despite the Sooners' ranking, the Jayhawks are fifth in the Big 12 Conference, while the Sooners are sixth. On the season, Oklahoma is 30-18-1 and 6-10 in the Big 12, while Kansas is 27-21 and 6-7 in the conference.
Match-up to watch:
One of the weekend's most interesting match-ups will pit Oklahoma's offense, ranked best in the Big 12, against Kansas' pitching, ranked second in the Big 12. KU pitchers give up fewer than two runs a game on
the season, while Oklahoma hitters average five runs a contest. If Kansas' pitchers can dominate hitters like they did last weekend against Texas, all the Jayhawks need to do is score a few runs to ensure the victory.
Kansas Quick Hits:
- Junior pitcher Kassie Humpheys and senior pitcher Serena Settlemier both rank in the top of three of the Big 12 in numerous pitching categories. While Settlemier owns the best record at 15-5, Humpheys averages more than
eight strikeouts and gives up fewer than two runs per game.
♦ A threat on the mound and at the plate, Settlemier ranks third in the nation with 20 home runs on the season.
After being no-hit by Nebraska on Wednesday night, Kansas' overall batting dropped to ninth out of the 10 Big 12 softball teams. The Jayhawks are now batting .321 on the season.
- In last year's series against the Sooners, the Jayhawks won the season series for the first time since the 1993 season.
♦ Senior second baseman Jessica Moppin has recorded a hit in four of five games last week. For the week, Moppin went 7-for-15, batting .466.
Settlemier recorded a victory against the Sooners last season in the first of a two-game series.
KU Postseason Outlook:
In its final road series of the season, Kansas has an opportunity to solidify the fifth seed in the upcoming Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City. The Jayhawks are four victories away from tying their total of 31 last season. Those 31 victories were good enough to earn Kansas a spot in the NCAA Regionals. If the Jayhawks hope to make it back to the postseason, a sweep of a ranked opponent late in the season is crucial.
Oklahoma Quick Hits:
month of April.
♦ The Sooners team batting average is .311, good enough for 17th in the nation.
♦ While not necessarily a power team, Oklahoma boasts the Big 12's top two hits leaders. Third baseman Traci Dickensen leads the conference with 71 hits on the season, while center fielder Kristin Vesely has 67.
♦ Shortstop Norelle Dickson leads the Big 12 with 51 RBI on the season. By comparison, Kansas' RBI leader, Settierem, has 31.
♦ The Sooners' three pitchers all rank in the bottom of half of the conference, each allowing nearly three runs per game.
- Oklahoma is just 5-7 in the — Edited by Matt Wilson
BASEBALL
Junior pitcher Brendan McNemara throws against Missouri State in the fourth inning on April 18 at Hoogland Ballpark. McNamara and the Jayhawks lead the Big 12 Conference in games played now that they've finished their 47th game of the season with a victory against Creighton on Wednesday night.
Kansan file photo
Tight schedule leads to fatigue
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAER STAFF WRITER
Last season, the Kansas football team played 11 regular season games. Counting exhibition, Kansas basketball played 31 regular season games.
Kansas baseball will play 61 games this season — before the Big 12 tournament.
Kansas leads the Big 12 Conference in games played now that it's played its 47th game of the season Wednesday night, winning against Creighton 9-1.
As players get more than 60 games into the regular season, they are left with miniscule amounts of time off. In the past five weeks, the Jayhawks have suited up for 20 games.
"I can't say I'm getting tired," said senior outfielder Gus Milner. "It's a lot better than practicing that's for sure. Practice gets a little boring and repetitive sometimes. Playing against other teams is always good for you and it gets other guys into the game."
Even though the team has most of its Mondays off, pretty much any allotted free time gets wrapped up without even adding schoolwork into the mix. Throw in a little homework, and the players have one rigorous schedule.
"I actually think baseball players like to play every day," Kansas coach Ritch Price said. "I think you see the ball better and you're at better rhythm at the plate. I think the more you play, the better you are."
In that way, the 60-plus game strategy is working. The Jayhawks have won nine of their past 12 games, outscoring opponents by more than 30 runs, 97-66.
Two of those, Oklahoma and A&M, will be in the comforts of Hoglund Ballpark, now complete with a video board.
Sitting at the fourth spot in the Big 12, Kansas only has three conference series remaining before the Big 12 tournament starts in the last week of May. The Jayhawks will take on No. 14 Oklahoma, No. 9 Texas and Texas A&M.
Although news of the installment sounds like front-page material, Associate Athletic Director Jim Marchiony said the actual debut of the working
video board was a couple weeks away. It still has quite a few electrical and mechanical issues to iron out, he said.
"When it's fully operational though, it'll add a lot to the baseball experience here," Marchiony said.
In the meantime, the Jay hawks will continue to use whatever resources necessary to stay on the winning road they've turned on to, with or without a break.
"I think it's kind of good for us right now since we're playing good," Junior right-hander Brendan McNamara said. "It keeps our bats and our pitching going. Everything is kind of coming together right now."
Edited by Jodl Ann Holloway
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