THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
DOWN THE HALL
PAGE 1B
Catch the excitement at Hoglund
TIM HALL
thall@kansan.con
Let's be honest. For men's sports, baseball has always ranked third on the list at Kansas. There's the famed basketball team, the football team, and then the baseball team.
College baseball might not ever have the popularity that happen
and football does. What I saw Wednesday night at Hoglund Ballpark, though, as Kansas defeated No. 13 Wichita State 8-2, was a Kan- don't know what better way to spend my time on a spring day than to head to the ballpark and watch baseball.
that's getting excited about its team and about baseball.
I don't know what better way to spend my time on a spring day than to head to the ballpark and watch baseball. Our generation has been filled with distaste of the sport and complaints about the games lasting too long and not enough action taking place.
It'd be tough to deduce that from Wednesday in Lawrence.
I never saw a crowd like it in my three years of attending ballgames at Hoglund Ballpark. People continued to file in to the ballpark after every seat was filled. Then it came to my attention that no one else ever saw a crowd like that at Hoglund either. It was the largest crowd — 2,324 fans — to ever watch a KU baseball game in the park's history.
Maybe people are excited about the Jayhawks' 18-10 record. Maybe they like the new scoreboard at Hoglund, which was damaged by the microburst. Or maybe they are remembering how fun it is to go to the ballpark and watch live baseball.
And you can't beat the price free for KU students and less than $10 a ticket for the general public.
Tonight the Jayhawks start a three-game series against the Missouri Tigers. It's the baseball edition of the Border Showdown and Missouri was in the Baseball America poll early in the year.
The Jayhawks always need fans to help beat the archival Tigers, so what better way to spend a Friday night? The weather should provide a perfect night to spend at the ballpark.
I just know more than 2,324 fans can fit into that ballpark. If not, maybe it's time to expand.
Hall is a Woodbridge, Va., senior in journalism.
MU ace heats up for KU
BASEBALL
BY SHAWN SHROYER
sshroyer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
He has started an NCAA Regional game. He pitched for the USA National Team last summer. He could be pitching in major league ballparks as soon as this fall. But right now, there's only one game on Max Scherzer's mind — his next one.
After missing two starts because of shoulder tendinitis, Missouri's ace and junior pitcher will toe the rubber again for Missouri on Saturday opposite senior pitcher Ricky Fairchild for Kansas.
"I wasn't looking at Kansas and saying, 'I've got to be back,'" Scherzer said. "I wanted to get back as soon as I could throw."
In 2005 Scherzer set a new school record for strikeouts in a season with 131. His strikeout numbers led the Big 12 Conference, along with his 1.86 ERA.
He was named 2005 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year.
Scherzer's regular season was highlighted by a combined no-hitter on April 1, against Texas Tech. Scherzer pitched the first seven innings of the no-hitter, striking out 14 Red Raider batters.
Kansas experienced Scherzer up-close and personal on May 13 last season. The Jayhawks were fighting for position in the Big 12 and a NCAA Regional bid, but Scherzer had other plans. No Jayhawk batter crossed the plate, while 10 went down on strikes in Scherzer's seven innings on the mound. Scherzer picked up his eighth victory of the season that day.
Sophomore third baseman Erik Morrison is the only returning Jayhawk who struck out multiple times against Scherzer last year. He went 0-3 in the
game and both of his strikeouts came against Scherzer.
"He's probably the most live fastball I've ever seen," Morrison said. "He knows that he can attack guys with his fastball when he's throwing it at 96 MPH into the seventh inning. He's got guys just looking stupid in the box."
After the season, Scherzer received an honor that he said he was most proud of when he was named to the USA National Team. Scherzer traveled around the world for more than a month during the summer donning the red, white and blue.
"Getting to put on a USA jersey and lace up the cleats and looking down and seeing 'USA' on your shirt, that was a pretty cool thing to do," Scherzer said. "That experience in itself was the best thing that's happened."
SEE SCHERZER ON PAGE 4B
Missouri's Max Scherzer readies to hurl a pitch off the mound. Scherzer will pitch against Kansas in Saturday's game.
THE KANSAS CITY STAR
I've got my eye on you
Randall Sanders/KANSAN
Casey Millstein, Baldwin senior, plays Ping-Pong against a friend at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center Thursday. The tables are among the most frequently used equipment at the recreation center.
BASEBALL
Cheap hot dogs, karaoke part of marketing plan for record draw
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
ejorgensen@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
With basketball on the back burner, the Kansas Athletics Department and sports fans will turn their attention to spring baseball.
Wednesday's game against instate foe Wichita State produced 2,324 fans crowding the bleachers for Jayhawks' 8-2 victory. It was the largest attendance ever for a home KU baseball game, according to Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director. Almost 1,000 of those fans were KU students.
One of the reasons for excitement from the fans could be the increasing success of the team. Last year's team, which finished 36-28, had the best record since the 1994 team that made it to the College World Series. This year's squad, at 18-10, along with careful marketing from the Athletics Department, has led to a resurgence in baseball interest.
Students get in free with a KUID, but Assistant Director of Athletics for Marketing Andrew Steinberg said the department would offer new promotions.
For example, the home game Saturday against Missouri will feature the first ever karoke contest. Other promotions will feature the 25 cent-hot dog night.
Steinberg said he considered the
Wichita State game a huge success.
"It was a Wednesday night, the weather was beautiful and we had an in-state rival," Steinberg said. "We were tremendously thrilled with the support from the students last night."
Steinberg said he credited most of that excitement and fan attendance to Kansas coach Ritch Price and his work getting the team to such a hot start.
One goal of the department was to have the largest attendance ever for one game and for the season. They met one of those goals last night and will look to accomplish the other by season's end.
"Judging by last night, I think it's going to be a great season fan wise," Marchiony said.
As both Steinberg and Marchiony pointed out, one major factor to attendance is weather. In a sport where all the games are outside, any cold weather or rain in the air could lead to decreased fan support.
Regardless of weather, this year's team has seen an increase in student and general attendance. Through success from the team, and 25 centhot dog nights, the Jayhawks could have plenty of backing as they head into conference play.
— Edited by John Jordan
TENNIS
Weekend important in hunt for conference championship
BY ANTONIO MENDOZA
amendoa@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
This weekend could determine if the Kansas tennis team still has a chance to win the Big 12 Championship, when the team plays conference opponents Oklahoma and Iowa State.
Kansas will face Oklahoma on Saturday and Iowa State Sunday at the Robinson Courts.
Both matches are set for 11 a.m.
The Jayhawks come into the two matches winless in the Big 12 Conference at 0-3. They are 9-6 overall
Currently, there are eight teams with three conference
victories or fewer in the Big 12, so this weekend will have the potential to put Kansas in the middle of the conference standings.
All eight remaining matches for Kansas will be against conference opponents. Senior Christine Skoda said there was no real difference in preparation between non-conference and conference matches.
"You prepare all year. Preparation starts in the fall, so I don't think there is any specific preparation, just keep working hard and training." Skoda said.
Oklahoma and Iowa State also come in with unimpressive conference records. Oklahoma will come into the match with a record of 7-9 (1-3 Big 12). The lone conference victory for Oklahoma came against Missouri (6-6, 0-5 Big 12).
Last season, Kansas defeated Oklahoma, 4-3, in Norman, Okla.
"It's going to be a tough battle with them as it always is," Kansas coach Amy Hall-Holt. "We just have to be ready to come out and play."
Iowa State comes into Sunday's match winless in the Big 12 at 0-5. The Cyclones have only three total victories on the season. Last season, Kansas swept Iowa State, 7-0.
"We are looking forward to trying to get ourselves some wins in the Big 12," Hall-Holt said. "With Oklahoma and Iowa State, it would be huge wins for us this weekend."
If there is bad weather, the matches this weekend will be moved to First Serve.
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- Edited by Meghan Miller
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