4B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAIRY KANSAN
JRSDAY MARCH 8 2007
BASEBALL
Marks steps up after Marcin's outing
BY SHAWN SHROYER
With an entirely new weekend rotation this season, Kansas' bullpen will be key to its success.
On Wednesday night, the Kansas bullpen came through to shut down a Baker offense that was surprisingly potent early in the game.
Coach Ritch Price had to turn to his releivers a little earlier than planned after freshman right-hander Thomas Marcin allowed six runs to cross the plate before recording the final out of the second inning. At least only two of the six runs were earned during his 1/23 inning start.
Two key errors didn't help, especially since one of the errors was Marcin's. He also struggled with his command, allowing two walks and hitting a batter. The poor showing from Marcin was a surprise to Price, Marcin had allowed just one run and walked two batters in 11 innings before Wednesday.
"The only thing I was disappointed with in the evening was obviously Thomas Marcin's outing." Price said. "I told him after he came out that four years ago, Donnie Czvz started against Baker College, didn't get out of the inning, we got beat and he picked up the loss. Then he became an All-American.
"Thomas has been absolutely fabulous for us. That's the first bad outing he's had. That's the first time he's not been rock solid."
Senior right-hander Ryotaro Hayakawa, a veteran reliever for Kansas, was the first Jayhawk in from the pen. In his 1 1/3 innings of work, he was able to shut out the Wildcats.
Sophomore left-hander Andy Marks, one of Kansas weekend starters, was the next Kansas reliever and he had the longest outing of any pitcher Wednesday. He lasted three innings, striking out six and allowing one run on three walks and
two hits.
As surprised as Price was at Marcin's performance, Marks was just as surprised that he got into the game.
"I actually didn't expect to get into the game at all." Marks said. "I was expecting to throw a bullpen session after the game"
However, Marks was glad he got the unanticipated game work heading into this weekend.
He is slated to pitch on Sunday against No. 10 Arkansas, but until Wednesday, his last appearance was on Feb. 25 at Stanford because the third game of the Western Illinois series, in which Marks was supposed to start, was cancelled.
After Marks' solid appearance, junior right handers Matt Lane and Hiarali Garcia combined to pitch the seventh and eighth innings. The only blemish on their final lines was a hit allowed apiece.
Despite the shaky start to Kansas
evening, the team was encouraged by the support it received from the bullpen. Although Marks probably won't be making any appearances out of the bullpen any time soon, he might have benefited the most as he earned his third victory of the season.
Game note:
-Junior left fielder John Allman extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a double in the fifth inning.
"It was a good thing to get some guys some work," Marks said. "I really needed some work before I start on Sunday, so I'm glad that I got a couple innings in."
Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@ kansan.com.
Edited by Lisa Tilson
Kansas 24, Baker 7
Baker 1 5 0 1 0 0 0 0
7 9 2
Kansas 4 6 2 2 3 1 6 X
24 23 2
Kaup
Davin (3)
Perkins (5)
Burd (9)
White
Marcin
Hayakawa (2)
Marks, A. (3)
Lane (8)
Garcia (9)
Afenir
W — Marks, A. 3-1. L — Kaup.
1-1.
athletics calendar
TODAY
Swimming and Diving at NCAA Championships, All day, Minneapolis, Minn.
FRIDAY
Track and Field at NCAA Indoor Championships, All day, Fayetteville, Ark
Swimming and Diving at NCAA Championships, All day Minneapolis, Minn.
SATURDAY
Track and Field at NCAA Indoor Championships, All day, Fayetteville, Ark.
Men's basketball vs. TBA 11:30 a.m. Oklahoma City
Baseball vs. Arkansas, 12:35 p.m. Fayetteville, Ark.
Swimming and Diving at NCAA Championships, All day. Minneapolis, Minn;
Softball vs. North Dakota State, 4:15 p.m. Arrocha Ballpark
Softball vs. Drake, 2 p.m. Arrocha Ballpark
Tennis vs. Nebraska, 11 a.m.
Robinson courts
Softball vs. New Mexico, 11:45 a.m. Arrocha Ballpark
Baseball vs. Arkansas, 12:05 p.m. Favetteville, Ark.
SUNDAY
Tennis vs. Louisville, 11 a.m.
Robinson courts
Baseball vs. Arkansas, 1:05 p.m. Fayetteville, Ark.
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SPORTS BRIEF Kansas hires former Army linebacker football coach
Tovar, 36, spent last season as a defensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins. Before that, he was Army's linebackers coach for two years.
LAWRENCE — Kansas hired former NFL linebacker Steve Tovar as its linebackers coach on Wednesday.
After a standout career at Ohio State, Tovar was taken in the third round of the 1993 NFL draft. He played eight seasons in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers and Carolina Panthers.
"Steve coaches with the same drive and intensity he displayed as a player," coach Mark Mangino said in a release announcing Tovar's hiring. "He's very bright and will be an excellent teacher of schemes and fundamentals. We are very pleased to have him join our staff."
Chiefs sign long snapper for four-year contract
Darche, a native of Montreal, played in 97 games over seven seasons with Seattle. An unrestricted ed free agent, he had 18 tackles on special teams and played in five postseason games, including Super Bowl XL.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs signed long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche to a four-year contract Wednesday.
Also Wednesday, the Chiefs hire Brent Salazar to be the assistant strength and conditioning coach.
He likely replaces longtime long snapper Kendall Gammon, an unrestricted free agent.
Salazar spent last season at the University of the Pacific, after working with the Denver Broncos as a strength and conditioning intern during the 2005 offseason. He has also worked with UNLV, New Mexico and at Velocity Sports Performance, which prepares players for the NFL Combine.
Associated Press
BASEBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
Thomas Marcin, freshman pitcher, throws during last nights' game against Baker at Hoglund Ballpark. The Jayhawks beat the Wildcats 24-7.
Unlike Labor, Baker found a surge in their half of the second inning. Only powered by two Wildcat hits and kept alive by two costly jayawk errors, the
exploded with a big bining. A pair of walks put senior center-fielder Kyle Murphy and junior left fielder John Allman on board for a Morrison blast. It was the junior's third of the season, and gave Kansas a quick 4-1 lead.
Cats put up five-runs and retook the lead, 6-4.
Kansas was ready for the task of regaining their lead.
In the bottom of the second, the lajhyaws bat
"That's kind of the motto, we need to be greedy," Morrison said. "We need to be sellish in this game."
The Tabor sequel then resumed. Baker's five-run second was the only true fight the Wildcats scraped together. The NAIA squad scored once more to the Jayhawks' 14-run onslaught.
"That's kind of the motto; we need to be greedy. We need to be selfish in this game."
Sophomore left hander Andy Marks (3-1) picked up the victory in relief. With three even innings,
ERICK MORRISON Junior shortstop
ted around en route to a six-run inning. Instead of helping with errors the way Kansas did, Baker starting pitcher Joe Kaup hit three batters, two of which scored. Kaup (1-1) would take the loss after surviving only a two innning out, surrendering 10 earned runs.
Combined with five Jayhawk hits, highlighted by sophomore Preston Land and junior Brock Simpson's two-RBI singles, swayed the shoot out to 10-6 in the home team's favor.
just a victory.
Marks had the longest outing of all five of the layhawk pitchers.
Making the most of a game that mercifully ended in a run-rule after the eighth. Price used the game for more than
"No. I just feel good that everybody got to play and that everybody got on at bat," Price said. "I feel bad that Max Ellenbacher was supposed to pitch the ninth inning and the game got out of hand in the eighth inning and that was the end."
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
Edited by Mark Vierthaler
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