B
Section:
The University Daily Kansan
Flashback:
Sports
1911 The Kansas men's tennis team played in its first season as a varsity sport at the University.
Inside: The Kansas men's tennis team played in its final home match at the University. The Jayhawks defeated Nebraska 5-2.
SEE PAGE 3B
Inside: Major League Baseball wrapped up its first week of the season.
KANSAS TENNIS
SEE PAGE 5B
MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2001 For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
'Hawks end 10-game losing streak
Win against Aggies was team's first since March 21
By Ryan Malashock sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
Texas A&M (24-13, 9-6) took two victories, 8-0 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday, before Kansas (15-21, 3-15) noticed its streak-breaking 5-2 victory yesterday at Olsen Field in College Station, Texas. Yesterday's victory was Kansas' first win
After losing its first two games of the weekend to extend its losing streak to 10 games, the Kansas baseball team finally tasted victory yesterday.
since defeating Southwest Missouri State 11-4 on March 21.
Junior Doug Lantz threw a complete game and earned his second win of the season in the Kansas win. Lantz scattered two runs and eight hits, while striking out eight Aggie batters.
"Pitching there was a lot of fun." Lantz
said. "I know a lot of people at A&M, and most of them came out to the game. It was very special."
Lantz: threw a complete game to earn second win
Kansas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when sophomore Kevin Wheeler singled in sophomore Jason Appuhn, and senior Jesse Gremminger scored on an error. The Aggies rallied with one run in both the third and fifth innings.
The Jayhawks grabbed back the lead in top of the seventh on senior John Nelson's solo home run over the wall in left-center field. Appuhn then reached base on an error, and junior Ryan Kloksenis followed with a two-run blast to left.
Nelson said he wasn't necessarily thinking about putting Kansas in the lead before hitting his fourth home run of the season.
"I went up here just trying to start a rally," Nelson said. "When you get the
leadoff guy on base, it makes a rally so much easier. I was looking fastball, and that's what he threw."
"Those strikeouts really saved us," Randall said. "They were one big hit from being in the game, but Doug came up with the strikeouts. He had a lot of big strike-outs today."
Texas A&M started the weekend off
See BASEBALL on page 3B
Softball team drops two to Texas Tech
By Brent Briggeman
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas softball team traveled to Texas Tech this weekend. Apparently, the team's bats stayed at home.
Although she wasn't pleased with the offensive performance, Kansas coach Tracy Bunge showed more concern with the team's defense. She pointed specifically to the fifth inning of the first game.
The Jayhawks managed only three runs in the two games, dropping the first game 5-3 Saturday and losing in a shutout yesterday 1-0. The losses dropped Kansas to 20-19 on the season (4-4 in the Big 12 Conference), while Tech improved to 27-15 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12.
Kansas committed three errors in the inning, blowing a three-run lead in surrendering five unearned runs.
"Today was a continuation of some problems that we have been having of late." Bunge said. "We played well defensively other than the one inning, but one inning kills you."
Senior right fielder Erin Garvey, who returned to the lineup after missing two games last week because of illness, was disappointed with the team's inability to hold a lead.
"We should have shut the door," Garvey said. "We let them come back after we scored, and they took advantage of our mistakes."
Kansas made two more errors in the second game, but neither directly led to a run. Of the six runs the 'Hawks surrendered in the two games, only two were earned.
Ultimately, it was Kansas' inability to score runs that cost the team the series and its third-place standing in the conference.
A big part of that was Texas Tech pitcher Amanda Renfro. The senior hurler went the distance in both games, holding the Jayhawks to 14 combined hits and striking out nine.
Renfro has a 0.64 ERA in nine career outings against Kansas.
The best opportunity for Kansas to get on the scoreboard came in the fifth inning.
The 'Hawks had opportunities to score in the second game. The team collected eight hits and drew two walks but failed to bring anyone around the bases; nine Kansas baserunners were stranded in the game.
Kansas sophomore Kirsten Milhoan was the hard-luck loser in both games. The El Paso Community College transfer now stands at 6-9 on the season.
Kansas has only one day off before returning to the diamond Tuesday with a twin bill at Wichita State. They return to conference action next weekend as Baylor comes to Lawrence for a two-game weekend series.
The Jayhawks started with a double by Kansas left fielder Christi Musser. Renfro responded by retiring Leah Tabb and Shelly Musser. Megan Urquhart made the final out of the inning, bouncing into a fielder's choice after a two-out walk to Garvey.
Edited by Melissa Cooley
Kansas senior outfielder Erin Garvey beats out a throw to first base against Missouri-Kansas City. The Kansas softball team lost two games at Texas Tech this weekend. Photo by Katie Moore/KANSAN
Bowling team rolls into championship tourney
Kansas' Tom Partridge bowls practice frames at the Kansas Union Jaybowl. Partridge, the bowling team's only senior, will lead the Jayhawks into the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships on April 18-22.
By Brandon Stinnett sports@kansan.com Kansan writerspiriter
The Jayhawks, heavy underdogs heading into the sectional qualifier, blistered the competition. Kansas scored 12,537 points, nearly 200 more than second place finisher Wichita State.
The bowlers rolled through competition at the Intercollegiate Bowling Midwest sectional qualifier March 24 and 25 in North Kansas City and earned a spot in the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships April 18-22 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The Kansas men's bowling team might be the University's last shot at a national championship this year.
"We had a very solid tournament," said coach Mike Fine.
It was quite an achievement in a tournament that pitted six of the nation's top 18 teams against each other.
"The way they separated out, it was a very difficult section and it made
"We were very consistent," Fine said. "We communicated well as a team. We held it together mentally when it became very challenging."
The victory, however improbable it seemed, didn't catch Fine or any of the Kansas bowlers off-guard.
our victory all the sweeter." Fine said.
"We weren't necessarily surprised because we felt like everyone on the team was throwing the ball real well," Fine said. "I think we certainly surprised some of the other teams that didn't expect that we would do as well as we did."
Fine said the Jayhawks, ranked 18th, did it with teamwork.
Fine hopes the same thing happens at the national tournament, which will be scored using the Baker format, the same format that was used at the sectional qualifier.
Five bowlers from each team bowl two frames each and those scores are combined into one team score.
"I think we have a very good chance," Fine said. "The format favors our style of bowling. We feel because of the way we communicate and the philosophy of our program, it tends to make us very successful in the Baker program."
Although many teams focus on individual bowlers, the Kansas bowling team emphasizes team play.
"For one thing, we bowl together a lot," Partridge said. "We know each other's game and as the lane conditions change, I know my teammates well enough to convey how they're going to move or what kind of ball changes they need to make. Also, we like each other a lot."
Fine said that format benefited Kansas.
Senior Tom Partridge said the team's cohesiveness will help out at the championships.
Partridge said the key for the Jayhawks is maintaining their composure.
"We need to stay calm," he said.
"We're going to have the best of seven matches and they are really intense."
— Edited by Jay Pillaren
Edited by Jay Pilgreen
Sports Columnist
As far as funerals go, the Kansas men's tennis team had a simple one yesterday.
Little fanfare at final home tennis match
"It's sad," said junior Rodrigo Echagaray, an engaging and talented tennis player from Juarez, Mexico. "But I'm sick of being sad. I just want to stop thinking about it."
Sure, there were solemn faces and there was the proverbial "sorry we're ruining your lives" banquet that the athletics department threw the Jayhawks afterwards, but there was no large crowd, only one member of the media and very little looking back.
When freshman Andrew Metzler finished his match at around 2 p.m., the Jayhawks simply walked off the courts at Alvamar Racquet Club and looked forward to a four-match road trip from which they will never return. Budget woes, coupled with the heavy weight of Title IX, led to the axing of the program — along with men's swimming — after this season.
It's a shame, too, because these players deserve more.
So he'll stay here in Lawrence next year, go to class and graduate with degrees in sociology and political science. The last three years, in which Blakeney played some of the best tennis of his life, are all for naught.
For example, Quentin Blakeney, a bright, lanky right-hander who came all the way from Charlotte, N.C., to play for Kansas, knows his tennis career is winding down. For all his time and success in the sport of tennis, Blakeney just doesn't want to play for anybody else besides Kansas.
Nebraska called him and offered him a scholarship. But instead, Blakeney will just wrap up his career.
"Transferring would be a good idea if I wanted to turn pro out of college." Blakeney said. "But I have no interest in doing that."
"I don't really want to talk about resentment," Stroer said. "But the fact is that it happened to us. I don't know if it was a budget issue or a Title IX issue, but I'm just trying to look towards the future."
Just more than a month ago, athletics director Bob Frederick announced the cuts. In the last month, the Jayhawks have had to deal with their usual schedule, as well as decide what they'll be doing next year.
I couldn't imagine what I'd do if I heard the news, "Kansas to drop School of Journalism next fall."
In the tennis media guide, players were asked what was the best advice that they could give young children.
The image of Art Modell trying to dodge the entire city of Cleveland after he announced the Browns were moving to Baltimore popped into my head
There's also Pete Stroer, a Salina native who lurks over his competition at 6-foot-2. Stroer, who plans to transfer to Texas with Echagaray, said he's trying not to hate the athletics department for the slicing of his sport.
"Do something because you enjoy doing it, not because someone forces you."
Noticeably absent from the 50 or so people who were in attendance was Frederick, the man bearing most of the burden for the cuts. Apparently, he hasn't been at a match all season.
Still, life goes on for the team. The Jayhawks still have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament if they do well in their next four matches on the road, and then compete well in the Big 12 Tournament.
What did Blakeney say?
We can only imagine what these players are going through.
It's hard to think of a more ironic statement.
And making the tennis version of the "Big Dance" would be gravy for this team. Because the Jayhawks deserve more than the sad send-off they received on a windy afternoon at Alvamar.
Rigg is a Greenwood Village, Colo. junior in broadcast journalism.
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