4B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY JANUARY 19.2007
The Jayhawk baseball team practices in its indoor hitting facility during the winter months. Having their own space helps the players keep up with competition from warmer climates.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
BASEBALL
Facility helps team endure practice
When the Jayhawk baseball team reported back to Lawrence on Jan. 11, the temperatures reached the mid-60s and provided a pleasant day to lay the infield at Hoglund Ballpark in preparation for the upcoming season.
BY ALISSA BAUER
When the team arrived for practice the next morning, the Kansas weather arrived. The temperature dropped more than 50 degress overnight and ice storms were underway.
Coach Ritch Price said the indoor- hitting facility, built down the right-field line at Hogglund Ballpark, was a saving grace.
This is the second full year the Jayhawks have used the facility.
Without the burden of snow and ice, opponents such as Hawaii at Hilo, Stanford and the array of Texas teams are practicing outside just as they would in April and May.
Kansas doesn't have it as easy, but the team has used the facility to make the best of its situation.
Prior to the completion of the baseball-only indoor facility, the team's only indoor practice space was the Anschutz Sports Pavilion.
Junior infielder Erik Morrison said the situation wasn't ideal.
"It's so hard to see in there and then you've got to fight to get time with other teams in there," he said. "So this is cool. We can get on a good schedule and come in here whenever we want."
With the early start to its pre-season, Price thinks the team should
be in decent shape.
The team opens its season on Feb 1 at Hawaii at Hilo.
"We're actually about two weeks ahead of most of the teams in the Midwest," he said. "I'm a big believer that January and February are more important than the fall."
Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.
— Edited by Mark Vierthaler
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Donation to fund new clubhouse
BASEBALL
BY SHAWN SHROYER
The first pitch of 2007 has yet to be thrown, but the Kansas baseball team already has a reason to look forward to 2008.
Thanks to a $600,000 donation by two men, coach Ritch Price's ball club will be moved out of its locker room in the Wagnon Student Athlete Center and into a new clubhouse in Hoglund Ballpark this time next year.
"It's just a very generous gift by those two gentlemen and it should allow us to continue to enhance our facilities and continue to help us in the recruiting process," Price said. "I couldn't be more thrilled."
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director of external affairs, said the department had yet to hire a construction company because the scope of the project is unconfirmed.
Marchiony did confirm that construction on the clubhouse was scheduled to begin in May and should be completed around the end of October or early November.
"We're going to be sending out bids to determine which construction company will be used," Marchiony said.
Although it's too early to know the specific amenities of the clubhouse, Price said Lew Perkins, athletics director, and Sean Lester, associate athletics director of internal affairs, have welcomed his ideas on the clubhouse.
"I've been allowed to sit down and talk about what things are important to the players," Price
said. "Lew and Sean Lester have been very, very good about letting me have that input as a baseball guy about what we need, how we can get it to best serve our players and be a first-class facility for 25 years, long after I'm gone and the next head baseball coach takes over."
Last season a video board was installed in the right field scoreboard, and in 2005 a hitting facility was built along the right field foul line.
"That's one of the great things that Lew brings to the table: everything he does, he does first class," Price said. "It's going to be a phenomenal facility."
Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@ kansan.com.
The clubhouse will be built behind the dugout on the first base side of the field, beneath the bleachers.
The donation for the clubhouse was announced at halftime of the Dec. 23 Kansas men's basketball game.
Edited by Trevan McGee
The addition of a clubhouse to Hoglund Ballpark will be the third major upgrade for the stadium in three years.
The donors' identities have remained anonymous, but Price and Marchiony said the men would be recognized at a home baseball game sometime this season. No date has been chosen yet to honor the donors.
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