THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006
senior infielder Jared Schweitzer, right, is congratulated by coach Ritch Price after his two-run home run in the third inning of the Jayhawks' 9-6 victory o
unday against the Tigers in Hoogland Ballpark. Schweitzer contributed three RBI to the
Randall Sanders/KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Jayhawks defeat Tigers
BASEBALL
PAGE 1B
Third game seals victory for Kansas
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Sophomore third baseman Erik Morrison jogged to first base. In the bottom half of the eighth, Morrison was the third batter hit by a pitch and the fifth walk of the four-run Missouri meltdown.
Besides a top of the ninth mini-rally, the 9-6 series decisive victory in the Border Showdown series was nothing like the dramatic game two that tied it at a game apiece on Saturday.
It did, however, start that wav.
Three innings later, Kansas (20-11, 4-5) used strong winds and heavy swinging to take the lead back.
Two batters into the series finale, No. 29 Missouri (16-11, 6-3) already had the lead. Senior left fielder Zane Taylor cleared the trees in center field with his first homer of the year.
"We got ahead early and obviously we were able to expand on our lead," coach Ritch Price said. "Sometimes those games can scare you, especially in these kind of conditions. If you don't pitch good at the end of the game, somebody else can come back and put up four or five runs late, as well."
Before Kansas got into the scoring rally, Missouri tacked on run number two off the bat of shortstop Gary Arndt. Arndt's sacrifice飞 score first baseman Derek Chambers, who led off the inning with a single down the first base line.
With senior right-hander Kodiak Quick humming on
wind definitely helped a lot, because mine was basically a pop fly. They're all home runs in the book so I'll take it."
Morrison turned on his second homer of the series, cutting
the mound, the Jayhawks began chipping away in the bottom of the second with bats of fire.
weitzer sent a two-run shot to left field, giving Kansas a lead it would never surrender.
"The wind was definitely a factor today," Schweitzer said. "We just hit the ball well. The
Using gusts toward left field,
senior first baseman Seh-
ch
the lead in half. The offense took a short rest while Quick mowed down the Tigers during the next four innings.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 4B
THE COLUMN
Opening day gives teams hope
JIMMY CHAVEZ
jchavez@kansan.com
Times have surely changed today.
Once upon a time, people of all ages would eagerly anticipate the first week in April. Dads played hooky from work and their children played hooky from school for just this day. On this day, winter seems to truly end with the opening day of Major League Baseball.
Today, in many Major League parks, is opening day. It's a day of celebration. A day when ballparks across the country are decorated in the same kind of enjoyment usually reserved for the playoff games in October.
For many small market teams like the Kansas City Royals, it's the closest that they will come to the feel of October baseball.
It will always be this way, until things change in the Major Leagues to allow teams to compete on a more level playing field, similar to that of just 15 to 20 years ago.
For those teams that will not make it to the playoffs, opening day has the whole package to pretend that it's October. The ballparks are full and everything has a feel of celebration and hope.
The next day and usually night, most teams play their second game, many times on a very cold night. The hope of opening day for teams like the Royals, and others small market clubs disappear like the warmth of opening day.
SEE HOPE ON PAGE 6B
FOOTBALL
Players set high goals
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Nick Reid earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year last season after leading the No. 3 rush defense in the nation to a bowl victory.
TOPEKA — Mike Rivera knows that KU linebackers set the bar high last season.
Rivera, sophomore linebacker who took a redshirt, said this year's linebackers weren't trying to fill the shoes of former linebackers Reid, Kevin Kane or Banks Floodman.
During a scrimage on Saturday at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka, Rivera and sophomores James Holt and Joe Mortensen will replace Reid, Kane and Floodman.
"We're trying to make new shoes," Rivera, a Shawnee Mission native, said. "We're trying to make our own names."
Hoit moved from the safety position to play linebacker last season.
"I liked the way the linebackers played downhill." Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "On the defensive side, we're going to be pretty decent."
About 2,500 fans showed up to the scremmage.
the leading candidate to start at quarterback next season. Meier, who has been playing with the first team all spring, will compete with senior Adam Barmann and freshman Todd Reesing for the starting job for next season.
On the offensive side, freshman Kerry Meier appears to be
"Kerry looked sharp today, considering the amount of plays he was given," Mangino said. "I'm real pleased with how he recognized things."
Junior fight end Derek Fine said that Meier had done a solid job this spring of spreading the football around to different receivers.
"I'm going to do whatever I can to put my best stuff out there so the coaches can make their choice easier." Meier said.
Meier, a Pittsburg native, took a redshirt last season.
"I might be real nice to him once in a while, buy him lunch, so he'll throw to me more," Fine said jokingly.
Fine, a Sallisaw, Okla., native, caught 22 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown for the Jayhawks last season.
The 300th time is a charm
Mangino said the team was about where he thought they would be at this point in the year.
"I really liked the way our kids practiced," he said. "It was intense."
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 6B
Joshua Bickel/KANSAN
Coach Tracy Bunge and senior pitcher Serena Settlemier talk during a break in the first of two games against Oklahoma State Saturday at Arrocha Ballpark. Kansas lost the first game 1-0 then won the second 12-0, giving Bunge her 300th victory at Kansas. The Jayhawks will play Nebraska at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Gault displays power, skill
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Holly Gault's stat line in the Kansas soccer team's 7-2 victory against Yale on Saturday might have seemed like someone was playing a joke. After all, it was April Fools' Day.
Gault, junior defender,
scored five goals and notched
two assists.
"Scoring five goals is a huge accomplishment for Holly," Kansas coach Mark Francis said. "It's especially good considering that was only her second game playing up front after spending her last three years as a defender."
Gault's five goals would have been a Kansas record but since this game was a spring exhibition game, the record would not count. The most goals scored by an individual during a game in the regular season is three. Also, Gault's seven points, since she added two assists, have had tie a regular season record that is held by Caroline Smith.
Gault's offensive fireworks were more than enough to beat Yale and moved Kansas's spring season record to 1-0-1.
From the beginning of the game, the Jayhawks took control. Junior midfielder/forward Lacey Novak opened the match with a goal to put the Jayhawks on top 1-0. They never looked back.
"coring five goals is
Mark Francis Kansas coach
A huge accomplishment for Holly. It's especially good considering that was only her second game playing up front after spending her last three years as a defender."
Gault responded with three of her goals in the first half to give the Jayhawks a 4-1 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Kansas continued to dominate the game on both ends. Gault added the Jayhawks fifth and seventh goals of the match and Novak scored her second goal for Kansas' sixth goal.
"I was a little bit surprised at how easily we beat Yale since they had almost all of their players back from a 15-win season," Francis said. "I felt we played much better than our last game against Minnesota."
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE GB