Sports
Oklahoma preview
KU
The University Daily Kansan
Sunday the men's basketball team will square off against the Oklahoma Sooners. See Friday's Kansan for a preview of the action.
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Thursday, February 26, 2004
Kansas 17 - Oakland 4
Jayhawks crush Grizzlies
Freshman Ryotaro Hayakawa pitched in the top of the sixth inning, Kansas beat Oakland 17-4, scoring nine of its runs in the first inning.
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
By Ryan Colaiani
rcolaiani@kansan.com
Kansan writer/sportwriter
A nine-run first inning propelled the Kansas baseball team to a 17-4 victory over the Oakland Grizzlies yesterday at Hoglund Ballpark.
The victory was the Jayhawks' fourth one in a row and moved the team to 11-7 1. The Grizzlies dropped to 0-3.
Sophomore infielder Matt Baty led off the game with a hit for the fourth straight game and advanced from first to third after stealing two bases. Baty later scored on an RBI single by junior catcher Sean Richardson.
Richardson scored a double later in the inning to earn two more runs. He played three innings and finished with three hits, three RBI and a stolen base.
"He (Richardson) is about as good as it gets," coach Rich Price said. "I have been really fortunate to have a few catchers play for me that have played in the big leagues and he is as good as anyone I have ever coached."
The Jayhawks stole four bases during the first inning. According to Price, the team wanted to test the Grizzlies' starting pitcher to see if he could control the Jayhawks' running game.
The Grizzlies also committed costly defensive errors during the first inning, which led to four unearned runs. The Grizzlies' starting pitcher, freshman Dan Stinchcombe, lasted one-third of an inning and gave up five earned runs.
The Jayhawks' starting pitcher, junior Clint Schambach, was dominant during his four innings of work. He struck out the first three batters he faced and finished the game with six strike outs. Schambach did not allow a single hit and walked one batter. He had worked seven games in relief prior to receiving his first start yesterday.
"It was good to settle down in the first inning," Schambach said. "It's great to come out firing strikes. Everything was just working for me in that inning."
After the first inning the 'Hawks did
SEE BLOWOUT ON PAGE GB
Kansas looking for a win
With only threegames left, each contest takes on new significance
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Players looked calm as they warmed up for practice at Allen Fieldhouse yesterday. There was laughing, joking and no one appeared worried.
But there was a frenzy of activity below the surface.
Although the body language of players on the Kansas basketball team may not suggest it, there is a feeling of necessity to
win Sunday at home against Oklahoma.
"There should be a sense of urgency regardless," junior guard Keith Langford said. "From the jump start of the season, there should always be a sense of urgency not to lose a game, and that's how good teams separate themselves. When we can start doing that on a consistent basis, we give ourselves a better chance to win."
Time to do that consistently is running out. The Jayhawks are down to their three final regular season games, including the next two at home against Oklahoma and Nebraska.
The Jayhawks may have learned more from their loss Monday at Texas than in any of their other defeats this season. The toughest lessons were dealt to the Kansas post players, who were
pushed and bullied all night by Longhorn forwards James Thomas and Jason Klotz.
"I think I've seen it as physical as it's going to get," freshman forward David Padgett said. "For me, just having this experience, I think it will pay off big time. There wasn't anything like that in high school."
The Jayhawks also learned that if they hope to advance out of the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament next month, something must be done about the team's depth in terms of production. The Kansas bench produced just two points Monday night and will need veterans like senior Jeff Graves and junior Mike Lee to score more points.
sports commentary
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6B
Eric Braem/Kensan
Coach Bill Self gave directions to the men's basketball team in Austin, Texas, Monday. Self said the Jayhawks' bench had been struggling recently, but they are looking to improve.
Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Mangino's Jayhawks out to make an impact
Up until last year, Kansas football was a major whipping boy of the Big 12 Conference.
No longer.
Following a 6-6 regular season that included a trip to the team's first bowl game since 1995, Kansas has the momentum and the personnel to create a stir in the Big 12 North this year.
They might have the team to win it.
They might have the team's chance for success. Normally, this argument would seem like madness, but there are several factors that increase the team's chance for success.
Kansas returns with most of the players who had a major impact on last season's successes and will come back stronger and faster. Chris Dawson is one of the elite strength and conditioning coaches in the nation, and it showed on the field last season. The offensive line wasn't getting blown off the ball, and the wide receivers, running backs and linebackers all showed improved strength and quickness. Dawson will have the players in even better shape for the 2004 season.
They have an embarrassment of riches on offense, particularly at running back and wide receiver, and the best group of returning linebackers in the league except maybe Texas.
Quarterbacks Jason Swanson and Adam Barmann both have the arm, head and legs to run this Kansas offense so that it won't miss a beat. The two should be able to replace Kansas' biggest off-season loss, senior Bill Whittimore.
The defense returns with a healthy Travis Watkins and adds several defensive linemen to last season's struggling unit.
Jermail Ashley and Charlton Keith should make immediate impacts at rushing the passer. Theo Baines is an outstanding cornerback that should also compete for time.
The schedule is a plus, as Kansas will be tested by three bowl teams before it gets into the Big 12 season. The three Big 12 South games against Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech will be tough to win, but look for Kansas to sneak a victory against Texas Tech at Memorial Stadium.
The fact that the Big 12 North is set for a down year could also help.
Kansas State must replace senior quarterback Ell Roberson and senior wide receiver James Terry. Junior Darren Sproles returns, but the Wildcats lost several starters on the offensive line. The defense will be without most of its
SEE FLAHERTY ON PAGE 6B
Committee proposal raises concerns for the KUAC
By Joe Bant and Anna Clovis editor@kansan.com Kansan staff writers
A proposal to restructure the KUAC board of directors has some groups on campus worried they will no longer be represented.
The KUAC board advises the University of Kansas Athletics Department and also has some say in policy decisions.
The proposal would reduce that number to five and would leave out students, alumni and classified and unclassified staff.
It is currently a 23-member board.
Student body President Andy Knopp said it didn't do enough to represent the interests of students. SenEx member Beverly Koerner said it
At Tuesday's Senate Executive Committee meeting, members of the Committee expressed dismay at the plan.
ignored a KUAC obligation to include classified staff in the process.
Reid Holbrook defended the plan. The Kansas City lawyer is chairman of the subcommittee charged with the KUAC restructuring.
"As long as I've been on SenEx, it has been a charge to them, and they haven't acted on it," Koerner said.
He said current KUAC rules held that the board was a policy-making body and consequently it was legally liable for policies made.
He said the plan simply brought the rules up to date with reality.
He said the Athletics Department has used the board primarily in an advisory capacity for some time.
"The way we've operated for the last 10 to 15 years is pretty much what the charter will provide for," Holbrook said.
That was fine, he said, but if the board was only advisory, it shouldn't
He said the new proposal remedied this situation by taking liability from the current board and giving it to a board that would be used as an effective policy making body.
The five people included on the board would be the athletics director, who would serve as chairman, the vice provost for student success, the University's chief business and financial planning officer, a senior University administrator and a faculty representative to the Big 12 Conference.
have had legal responsibility for policies.
"If a mistake is made, they're the ones that need to be held accountable," Holbrook said.
The student body president might also serve as a non-voting member, but Holbrook said that wasn't definite yet.
The modified KUAC board would be responsible for making Athletics Department policy and would report
to the Chancellor.
The current board would become an advisory committee that would also report to the Chancellor.
Knopp said he thought the plan wasn't as fair to students as it could be.
The reason we have athletics is the student body." Knopp said.
He said from athletes to fans to student fees, students were at the core of the program and should be represented by a voting member.
At Tuesday's meeting, SenExpassed a resolution that suggested adding a student and a faculty member appointed by University governance to the board.
"There are all kinds of problems in collegiate athletics," said Ray Davis, SenEx chairman. "Part of the reform effort requires a closer relationship between the academic and athletics side of the University."
Davis said SenEx aimed its suggestions
"Students, faculty and staff are represented now," Marchiony said. "Those are very important constituencies to us, and they will be in the future."
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director for external affairs, said no group needed to worry about representation on the board.
hey will. He said the Athletics Department fully supported the plan, that it did a great deal to define the role of KUAC and place the authority in the Chancellor, where the NCAA required it to be.
towards that purpose, and would present them at the KUAC meeting, tomorrow.
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcomer at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
The subcommittee will present the plan to the KUAC tomorrow for its reaction.
Holbrook said he expected the KUAC to approve the proposal at that time, although if there was discontent approval might be delayed.
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Edited by Guillaume Doane