FRIDAY. APRIL 21, 2006
BASEBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
SPORTS
Kansas State stars strikingly similar
By SHANN SHROYER
sshroyer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Kansas pitchers will face a two-headed monster this weekend against Kansas State. Senior outfielders Barrett Rice and Joe Roundy will likely hit
and Joe Round
back-to-back in the heart of the Kansas State batting lineup.
On the stat sheet, Rice and Roundy boast similar numbers. On the field, the two give pitchers a sense of déjà vu, hitting one after the other from the right side of the plate, sporting similar goates and shaggy hair.
Rice
Roundy
"I couldn't tell you." Roundy said, when
asked what differences he could find in his and Rice's playing styles. "I honestly couldn't tell you that."
Rice and Roundy have combined to lead the team in eight offensive categories. Rice leads with a .424 batting average and 15 doubles, which are also tops in the Big 12. Roundy has a team best 55 hits, six home runs, 44 RBI, 89 total bases and a .664 slugging percentage. The two are tied for the team lead in triples with two each.
Even their coach, Brad Hill, has noticed similarities in the two. The only difference he noticed was that Roundy struggled a bit when he first arrived, but through hard work became the hitter he was. As for Rice, Hill said he made the transition nearly flawlessly.
"Barrett, it took him about
three or four weeks last year and he got in a pretty good groove," Hill said. "He was a pretty natural hitter when he came to us."
Their backgrounds are fairly similar as well. Rice transferred to Kansas State as a junior after playing two seasons at El Paso Community College. Roundy also transferred in after two years of fuco ball in the south-west. He played at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona.
Roundy said the two actually played against one another while at their junior colleges, but they never met until they arrived at Kansas State. When it came time to transfer, though, the two were obviously on the same page.
"They were both fairly heavily recruited and my guys who recruited them did a great job of bringing them in and showing them exactly what Kansas State was all about," Hill said. "They liked what they saw and so we got them."
Rice and Roundy continued to play together after last season. Roundy said the two ended up playing ball together last summer in the Northwoods League in Waterloo, Iowa. In addition to working well together on the field, the two get along off the field.
"We're pretty good buddies, we hang out a lot," Roundy said.
Although the two are close friends, both are aware which player is producing better numbers. But the competition is friendly.
"We actually joke with each other at the end of the day," Roundy said. "He'll come up to me — he's done this the last few weeks — and say 'What'd you go for today?' just as a little joke and it's been fun."
— Edited by Hayley Travis
Lacrosse players receive honors
CLUB SPORTS
BY ALEX ROSE
arose@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIETER
It has been a week to remember for the Kansas women's lacrosse team. While the team prepared for its upcoming playoff game this weekend against Lindenwood, it learned that several players had been recognized with postseason honors for their work this season.
Lisa Allen and Bitz Marohl were both named to the inaugural Central Plains Women's Lacrosse League All-League first team. It was the highest level of recognition awarded by the league.
Lisa Allen, leading scorer and team captain for the Jayhawks,
was excited after receiving the All-League decoration.
"Being recognized personally is an honor. I put a lot of hard work into lacrosse, and it is always rewarding to see the results," the Highland Ranch, Colo., sophomore said.
Marhol, Wahpeton, N.D., freshman, expressed her gratitude for the All-League honor and thanked her teammates for the successful season.
"Our team could not have done this without everyone's contribution, and especially our dedicated coaches. It takes more than just the select few that got voted for this honor; it is the whole team that deserves to be recognized," Marhol said.
Kansas coach David Wiley praised Marhol's ability to acquire the skills of lacrosse so quickly, because she began playing competitively last August. "She has a very unorthodox stick style, leading many opponents to believe she's an easy mark to steal the ball from, but her speed and field sense quickly makes it clear that getting the ball away from her will be a difficult task." Wiley said.
Allen and Marhof were also named to the 1st Team All-West Division along with Crystal Thomas, a freshman midfielder from Highlands Ranch, Colo. Allen and Thomas provided a lethal combination for the Jayhawks on offense this season,
finishing first and second respectively in goals scored.
Other Jayhawks receiving postseason recognition included Emily Ratzlaff, Kristen Sheahen, and Celie Wall, who were all named to the Second Team All-West Division.
The Jayhawks will travel to St. Charles, Mo., to take on Lindenwood University, but the players and coaches are optimistic about their chances. Allen said a positive attitude would be crucial for success against the talented Lindenwood squad, but said that if Kansas brought the mindset to take care of business the team felt it could win.
- Edited by Gabriella Souza
DOWN THE HALL
Goldzone II impressive even to casual fans
For one weekend, track and field will come out from the shadows and get the credit and publicity it deserves. Tomorrow's Goldzone II will be one of the most outstanding events in its sport since the Olympics in Athens.
Thirty-six Olympians and more than 100 major champions will compete in the second-ever Goldzone Saturday from 2-5 p.m. in Memorial Stadium. This event attracted more than 30,000 fans last year and is expected to attract way more Saturday.
the 1500 meters. I'd say that Prefontaine guad, and I be wrong.
$ P _ {1} $
Before I go on, I will admit that I am not as schooled in the sport of track and field as I am in football, baseball, basketball, golf and badminton. I am not the guy to ask if you want to know the name of the Olympic record-holder in
about for the normal human. The athletes in Saturday afternoon's events stopped being human when they became freaks-of-athletes. People who can run 100 meters in 10 seconds aren't human. People who can run 110 meters while repeatedly jumping over metal objects aren't human either.
The first thing that amazes me about these athletes is how athletic they are. When was the last time you ran a mile in less than four minutes? It just insane to think
But this is my point exactly: I am not spilling over with knowledge of track and field, but I am still primed and ready to go out and watch the Goldzone II. Judging by how many people went last year, I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way.
But the true appreciation for what these athletes can do is something that's more visible live on TV. When I watched the Olympics on TV I didn't appreciate the speed and athleticism of the athletes. But when you go to an event with world-class track stars, you really get an idea of how quick they are.
Even though I am not a guy who knows oodles about track and field, meet director Tim
Weaver did a great job in getting the best-known track stars in the world to come to Lawrence. He got Maurice Greene, Justin Gatlin, Shawn Crawford, Allyson Felix, Muna Lee and Allen Johnson.
The men's 100-meter dash will be as good as it gets. The 2000 gold medalist at Sydney, Greene, will face off against the 2004 gold medalist at Athens, Galin. It will last only 10 seconds, but that's the race everyone is waiting to see. So whether you're a track fan, or even if you don't know anything about it, you won't want to miss a meet that has 36 Olympic athletes competing in it. If you do miss this one, the next best one isn't until Beijing.
Hall is a Woodbridge, Va., senior in journalism.
Relays
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1E
"Winning would make me happy," Tarasova said, "But I'm staying consistent which is good." Kokhanovsky said Tarasova was well-prepared for the Relays.
"She has been competing against the best in the nation in the Kansas State and Oklahoma State throwers," Kokhanovsky said. "Being consistent and throwing over 190 feet is what's important."
"Shelldon and Cody have made throwing a lot better with
their advice and competition," Agafonov said of Battle and Cody Rogers.
"They'll both be back next year," Kokhanovsky said about Agafonov and Tarasova. "But they'll take first place."
— Edited by Hayley Travis
"They'll both be back next year," Kokhanovsky said about Agafonov and Tarasova. "But they'll take first place."
Andy Kokhanovsky HammerThrow Coach