12A The Chicago Cubs defeated Philadelphia twice yesterday at Wrigley Field — the Cubs' first doubleheader sweep since July 19, 1997. See page 9A for complete Major League Baseball standings. Let's play two The University Daily Kansan --- Sports Inside: The Kansas football team is preparing for its spring game on Saturday. SEE PAGE 10A Inside: The Kansas men's and women's golf teams are a superstitious bunch. SEE PAGE 10A For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com KANSAN.COM/SPORTS Current menu of TV sports doesn't offer much drama How is it with three sports television channels, hundreds of sports Web sites and two sports magazine subscriptions at my disposal, my computer screen sat blank at 3:30 yesterday afternoon? A) My mind is more focused on the upcoming weekend's parties than my lame column for the Kansan that probably won't win a Pulitzer, much like the previous ones. B) The NHL playoffs have begun, and like me, most people outside of beat writers, the players or hometown fans don't care. C) The NBA playoffs are about to begin, and like me, most people outside of beat writers, the players or hometown fans don't care. Senior sprinters Jabari Wamble, left, and Andy Morris practice a full-speed baton hand-off to prepare for their sprint medley race Friday at the Kansas Relays. The relays will take place at Memorial Stadium through Saturday. Photo by Matt Daugherty/KANSAN D) It's April and the baseball games played this month will have little impact on the World Series race in October (sorry, Minnesota Twins' fans). While the first does seem true (I'm dying to test drive my new suede-tie pants), the last three have definitely decreased my SportsCenter viewing time. I miss the days of college basketball highlights and updates on the latest football players to be arrested. That was must-see TV. But this month's TV highlights have minimized to last week's *Dawson's Creek* and the Royals blowing a 4-1 lead in the ninth to the Yankees. The NHL seems pretty cut and dry. With Brendan Shanahan out indefinitely with a foot fracture and Steve Yzerman sidelined with a finger fracture, the Red Wings probably won't make it past the second round of the playoffs. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars are shoe-ins to make it a few more rounds. But wouldn't the Sharks and Oilers make it a bit more exciting? Otherwise, yawn. Yippee. No, I mean it. Otherwise, the perennial powerhouse Colorado Avalanche will probably win its first Stanley Cup since 1996. With Joe Sakic on a charge and goalie Patrick Roy in the net, the Avs are under pressure to win with a tightened budget and archrival Red Wings out of the hunt. The NHL playoffs probably won't draw a high Nielsen rating, much like the first few rounds of the NBA playoffs. The Lakers under Phil Jackson's guidance will end up in the finals competing for the crown with Philadelphia. And if Shaq and Kobe can stop fighting about whose car is bigger, L.A. will win in six games. Kaschube is a Flosmoor, IN., senior in journalism. I don't foresee too much drama in the playoffs. Rasheed Wallace's mouth and Kevin Garnett's finger-flipping aside, it will be business as usual as NBC scripts another championship. Only an MJ sighting could boost these games. Onto baseball — the April games won't factor in on another Yankees repeat in October. Tuesday night's activities included Barry Bonds reaching the 500 homerun plateau and Alex Rodriguez playing in front of a less-than-friendly Seattle crowd — can you sense the lack of urgency? Pray for multiple airings of Top Gun and a good party. The Twins' and Blue Jays' hot streak will come to an end, much like the White Sox and Mets will pick it up a notch. With the race too early to call, why watch? why watch. So, what does all of this mundane sports coverage mean for weekend TV lovers? Kansas Relays open with a bang By Michael Sudhalter The Kansas Relays began yesterday at Memorial Stadium with the first round of the women's heptathlon and men's decathlon events. Kansan sportswriter Although no Jayhawks competed in the events, athletes from other universities and clubs still brought excitement to the opening day festivities. Nebraska junior Katherine Livesey leads the heptathlon event with 3,286 points after four events. Livesey ran the 100-meter hurdles in 14.44 seconds, jumped 5-8.75 in the high jump and threw 33-10.75 in the shot put. She also ran the 200-meter dash in 24.84 seconds. Livesey said she was pleased to have the lead with three events left — the long jump, the lavelin and the 800. "What I really wanted to do was come out here and put some solid marks down on the first day and have some good score to go into tomorrow with." Livesey said. "It's a good because it's like having a cushion. If something goes wrong tomorrow then I can still have something to fall back on." livesey said she would take the three remaining events one step at a time. "I'm going to wake up in the morning and think about the long jump, after the long jump just think about javelin, after javelin think about each event as it goes along," she said. Rounding out the top five during day one of the women's heptathlon were Wichita State sophomore Koya Weba (3,004). Marquette senior Megan Kosman (2,933), independent competitor Taylor Cates (2,916) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee sophomore Kristy Naef (2,906). 11. 14 in the 100 and jumped 6.71 meters in the long jump. He threw a 43.9-75 in the shot put and cleared 6.75 in the high jump. Obulski ran a 50.34 in the 400 in the decathlon's fifth and final event of the day. Joe Obulski of Bell Athletics took a large lead against the rest of the pack during the opening round of the men's decathlon with 3,886 points. Obulski ran a Obulski said he was enjoying the competition with the collegiate athletes. "The U.S Championships are in Eugene, Ore., in June and so I'm at the Kansas Relays to qualify for those Championships," Obulski said. "They are young collegians (his competitors), so they are just learning. I have been there before, but I enjoy competing with them." Nebraska sophomore Chris TODAY'S EVENTS 9:30-5 P.M. Second Day of the Womens Heptathlon and Mens Decathlon Events. HAMMER and MIDDLE DISTANCE/DISTANCE CARNIVAL 2 p.m. Women's hammer throw 5 p.m. Bill Penny Men's Hammer Throw 5:12 p.m. Mens 800 meters 5:24 p.m. Womens 1,500 meters 5:38 p.m. Men's 1,500 meters 5:52 p.m. Men's and Women's master's mile 6 p.m. Women's 3,000 meters 6:20 p.m. Mens 3,000-meter steeplechase Richardson trails Obulski by 515 points with a total of 3,371 points. St. Olaf (Minn.) College senior Jon Berg is only a point behind Richardson with 3,370. Concordia College of Moorhead (Minn.) senior Adam Strainer (3,358) and Wisconsin-Lacrosse junior Andy Basler (3,319) have the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Relays Note: 6:36 p.m. Womens 5,000 meters 6:56 p.m. Mens 5,000 meters 7:15 p.m. Womens 10,000 meters 7:50 p.m. Men 10,000 meters The Relays continue to attract Olympic athletes. Melissa Morrison, an Olympic bronze medalist in the 100-meter hurdles, has been added to the weekend's lineup. Morrison will compete in the 100-meter hurdles at 12:54 p.m. Saturday. Morrison, whose personal best of 12.53 seconds is only second among Americans to threetime U.S Indoor Champion Gail Devers, won the U.S. outdoor title in 1997. Edited by Jason McKee Catcher's wit boosts team morale Kansas junior Christi Musser is out in a close play at first base. The Jayhawks swept a doubleheader against Oklahoma City yesterday, 3-0 and 2-1. Photo by Jamie Roper/KANSAN By Brent Briggeman sports@kansan.com Kansas sportswriter The Kansas softball team has a new term Leahis. They come from the unique mind of junior catcher Leah Tabb. When she's on the field, she's as tough as they come. When she's off the field, well... Junior Shelly Musser gives an example. "Leah actually believes that when you get a cherry coke, you have to stir it up to mix the cherry and the coke together. That's a Leahism," she said. Another? Leahisms. Another? "Well." Musser said, sifting through the many Leahisms she's encountered. "Erin Garvey got hit in the head with a softball and got a little cut on her head. Leah was confused. She didn't understand how a ball could make you bleed." Leahms. "Leah keeps things loose, but she doesn't always do it intentionally," said coach Tracy Bunge with a sheepish smile. "She just marches to the beat of a different drummer." TODAY'S GAME TODAY'S GAME Kansas vs. Missouri ■ When: 4 p.m. ■ Where: Jayhawk Field Tabb doesn't mind the label. "I'm pretty laid back and I like to joke around a lot," said Tabb, who leads Kansas with eight home runs and 31 RBI heading into today's 4 p.m. game against Missouri at Jayhawk Field. "Even if we're down in the seventh inning and Coach is getting all nervous, I never get too worried. I know we can take care of it." we can talk Don't think there's not a competitive fire burning inside her. Tabb thrives on the big moments. "shes a scary hitter," Bunge said. "When she's in a zone you just don't get Earlier in the year she erased a three-run deficit with a two-out, sixth-inning grand slam in a preseason tournament against New Mexico. All but two of her home runs have come against ranked teams. Two came in a critical win against No. 23 Baylor last weekend. her out. She's got such quick and strong hands there's not any ball she can't hit out of the ballpark." Tabb has never lacked in power. In high school she set a national single-season record with 22 home runs in 32 games. She is only one home run away from setting a Kansas single-season record, something she says doesn't concern her. "I'll take singles and doubles," she said. "I just like the RBIs." into it. But knowing Leah Tabb means more than knowing her stats and even the Leahisms. You have to understand where she came from. Defensively, Bunge said Tabb isn't spectacular, but works hard to do the little things behind the plate to keep the ball in front of her and the runners from advancing. Her father, Jerry Tabb, was a professional baseball player. He toiled in the minor "As a former pitcher, those are the things you love in a catcher," she said. "When she plays defense she puts her heart and soul into it." See TABB on page 10A By Ryan Malashock Wichita State sneaks past Kansas in 10th Kansan sportswriter WICHITA — Kansas senior Brent Del Chiaro pumped his fist in excitement after tying Wichita State last night with a leadoff home run in the top of the ninth inning. After Kansas (16-24) scored two runs in the 10th inning on senior John Nelson's double and junior Ryan Klocksien's sacrifice fly, Wichita State (30-14) answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and defeated the Jayhawks 5-4 at Eck Stadium. But as has happened so many times this season, that excitement quickly turned to agony as the Kansas bullpen blew another chance for a Jayhawk victory. Wichita State's Justin McCarty led off the bottom of the 10th with a solo homer, and Shockers second baseman Brandon Green later blooped a two-run, two-out single into left field off Kansas junior Randy Strand for the victory. "I knew he had to come at me with two runners in scoring position." Green said. "I was looking for a fast ball, and he threw me one down the middle. I didn't get a lot on the ball, but luckily I got enough of it." Last night's loss marks the second-consecutive game where the Jayhawks needed just three outs for a win, and the bullpen failed to close out the game. The Jayhawks used six pitchers last night, including four relievers in the final two innings. Kansas coach Bobby Randall said last night's loss was even more difficult because of how weak Green's game-winning hit was. "It's too bad that they win on a little bloop hit like that," Randall said. "You almost wish that they would've won on a line drive. It was a tough way to lose the game." "The team effort was tremendous, and everybody contributed," he said. "Sometimes you lose on luck in baseball, and that was a lucky bounce hit." game. A devastated Del Chiaro said although the Jayhawks dropped another one-run game, he was proud that the team never stopped fighting. Senior Jesse Gremminger vaulted Kansas into the early lead with a two-out RBI double in the third inning. Gremminger extended his Big 12 Conference-leading hitting streak to 16 games with the double. The Shockers grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third on Brian Burgamy's two-run home run. "The seniors came through all night for us," Randall said. "Pete, Jesse and Brent inspired us. Pete probably could have Burgamy's home run marked the only runs that Kansas' Pete Smart surrendered on the night. The 6-foot-7 senior struck out five in seven innings. pitched the whole game if we would have jet him." A film. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, Kansas blew a costly opportunity to rally. Sophomore Matt Vann Alsburg walked and opened the inning, but was thrown out at second when sophomore Casey Spanish botched a hit-and-run play. The Jayhawks went down in order after the miscue. "Casey just froze on that play," Randall said. "It was a called hit-and-run, and he knew what was called, but he just made a mistake." Kansas' Dan Olson walked the gamewinning run in the 10th inning and took the loss for Kansas. The Jayhawks return to Big 12 play tomorrow night against No.3 Nebraska at 7 p.m. at Hoglan Ballpark. LINESCORE Kansas 001 000 001 2—4 9 0 Wichita State 002 000 002 3—5 13 2 WP. Haines, 3-1. LP. Olson, 1-3. S. None, 2B. KU: Nelson (6), Tribble (7), Gremminger (7), HR. KU: DelChiaro (8), WSU: McCarty (10), Burgamy (4). Edited by Jacob Roddy 4.