6B
BASEBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASEBALL
Former Reds catcher
takes position with Royals
SURPRISE, Ariz. — There is competition for Kansas City's starting catching job this spring training after the Royals acquired Jason LaRue in an offseason trade.
LaRue welcomed the trade from the Reds to the Royals, where he has an opportunity to again start. He said he anticipated being traded.
LaRue was the No. 1, catcher for Cincinnati from 2001-2005, but lost his starting job to David Ross after he had knee surgery during spring training last year.
John Buck has been Kansas City's starting catcher for the past 21/2 seasons, but with the acquisition of LaRue, there are no guarantees he'll be the starter when the season rolls around.
"I like them both." Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "Our catching situation is in good hands with either one of them."
Associated Press
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BIG 12 BASEBALL
BY SHAWN SHROYER
SAT MAR 3 REV. HORTON HEAT
w/ Murder By Death
The Tossers
Editor's note: Each week, Big 12 baseball reporter Shawn Shroyer will take a look at the conference baseball race.
Bavlor (4-3)
base hits and a stolen base.
On deck: Baylor plays host to Oral Roberts this weekend for a three-game series.
multiple hits in each game of the series against Stephen E. Austin, going 7-for-12 with five RB, four rushing, four fouls.
Kansas State (3-1)
In the hole. Senior center fielder Chase Gerdes dropped in the Baylor batting order each game of the series and went 2 for 11 with two runs, one walk and six strikeouts.
Up. Freshman right fielder Aaron Miller was the only Bear to collect
and struck out five while allowing only five hits and two walks.
Up. junior right hander Brad Hutt shut out Penn State over 6.2 innings
In the hole:
Alt touch
Kansas State
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Ben Hornbeck didn't do the Wildcats any favors, allowing five runs to Centenary in four innings.
On deck: The Wildcats will travel to Tampa, Fla., this weekend to play in, oddly enough, the Ohio State Buckeye Classic, Kansas State will play Seton Hall, a double header with Ohio State and close the weekend against James Madison.
Up: Sophomore closer Erik Bird earned saves in two of Nebraska's three wins during the weekend, striking out three in two innings, while allowing only one hit and one walk.
Arizona.
Up Sophomore right fielder Ryan Lollis lost 7-for-16 with three RBI.
Missouri (5-2)
two runs, a stolen base and was the only Tiger to hit salty in all four games in
In the hole: Senior shortstop Gary Arndt went 3-for-13 in Arizona with six strikeouts, two runs, and one RBI. On deck: Missouri heads to Millington, Ienn, this weekend to play BYU, Akron, Memphis and Navy in the Service Academy Classic.
In the hole, junior second baseman Jake Opitz went 3-for-15 with
No.19 Nebraska (3-1)
five strikeouts, two runs, and one RBI
On deck:
Nebraska will play in the Rice Invitational this weekend against Texas A&M-
Corpus Christi;
Rice and Florida Atl
Oklahoma (2-4)
On deck:
Oklahoma had last
weekend off and will
play host to Western
Illinois for a three-
game set this week-
end.
Up: Senior second baseman Tyler Mach went 7-for-12 with five RBI five runs and a triple over the weekend.
No.17 Oklahoma State (5-1)
In the hole: Senior right-hander Oliver Odle was named Big 12 Pitcher
runs to Florida Atlantic in only 2.1 innings.
On deck: After playing in Florida last weekend, Oklahoma State heads to the opposite coast to face Cal State Northridge for three games.
senior reliever Randy Boone allowed six runs over three appearances, costing
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No.14 Texas (6-5)
Up. Sophomore right fielder Kyle Russell followed up his Big 12 Player of the Week selection with another solid weekend, going 4-for-11 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs.
In the hole: Although he earned a save in the first game against Stanford,
On deck:
Texas A&M
welcome
- was the only Aggie starter who did not earn a victory over the weekend.
ing Texas the sweep.
On deck:
Texas will
play host to
Washington
State for a three-game series this
weekend.
In the hole: junior left-hander David Newmann - 4.2 innings, three earned runs, five hits and three walks
Jacksonville State to College Station this weekend for a three-game set.
Texas A&M (7-1)
Up: Junior first baseman Darby Brown went 5-for-11 with three RBI and three runs against Texas-Pan American.
Texas Tech (6-3)
Up: The Texas Tech offense – The Red Raiders put up Mike Leach-type points, scoring 38 runs on 39 hits in three games, sweeping the Midland College Classic.
In the hole:
Senior left-handed starters Colt Hynes and Aaron Odom were less than impressive, allowing nine combined
runs (eight earned) on 17 hits in 9.1 innings over the weekend.
Kansan senior sportswriter Shawn
Shroyer can be contacted at
sshroyer@kansan.com
— Edited by Joe Caponio
BASEBALL
(CONTINUED FROM 1B)
had that stigma of holding a backup role.
"Kyle's always had that talent — he's had that confidence," Allman said. "Now he's just out there playing hard. People are feeding off him."
"It's definitely a factor," Murphy said of his ability to relax without the difficulty of competing with Baty. "I'm a little more free to play the game. It kind of takes the monkey off your back."
However, Murphy said the competition and talent pushing him has had a huge beneficial impact on his game. Current teammates like fellow outfielder Casey Larson also push him to be his best and continue the hot streak he has started. In the meantime, Allman and company are getting used to trusting a new starter in center.
No matter what success he's gathered, Murphy knows it took a lot of learning and hard work to get there. Now as a veteran junior college transfer, as Murphy is able to offer advice to this season's five JuCo transfers.
"It's definitely a quicker game, but you have to go out there and still enjoy yourself," Murphy said. "You can't get that tunnel vision of making the game too serious. That'd be the advice I'd give them — play the game you were playing at JaCo and still have the fun you were having at junior college."
As his team prepares for its first doubleheader at home today at 3 p.m., the Beloit, Wis. native is practicing what he preaches.
"I think the main goal for me is just being able to go out and play the game and enjoy myself. That's really been the key to my success so far this season."
Kansan sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
Edited by Sharla Shivers
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