Section:
8A
The University Daily Kansan
Boston pitcher Hideo Nomo became the fourth pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter in both leagues in Boston's 3-0 victory against Baltimore last night.
Nomo says no no
Sports
Inside: The Kansas men's golf team is coming off a third-place finish at the Western Intercollegiate.
SEE PAGE 6A
Inside: Cincinnati pitcher Scott Williamson will miss the remainder of the season because of an elbow injury.
REDS
SEE PAGE 6A
Shockers shut down hapless 'Hawks
Twelve runners left on base in shutout loss
Kansas shortstop John Nelson attempts to make a throw from his knees during a 6-0 loss to the Wichita State Shockers last night at Hoglund Ballpark. Photo by Laurie Sisk/KANSAN
By Ryan Malashock
sports@kansan.com
Kansan writer/sportwriter
Wichita State pitchers Erich Bryan and Reuben Krebs silenced the already dormant Kansas offense in the Shockers' 6-0 victory last night in Hoglund Ballpark.
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Bryan struck out eight Jayhawk batters in his six innings of work and Krebs closed out the game by striking out three in the last three innings. Kansas (14-19) managed only seven singles in the contest.
Kansas coach Bobby Randall said that although the Shockers pitched well, Kansas frequently aided their cause by striking out.
of credit, but you can't win any ball games striking out as much as we did tonight. If we lose and strike out four times, I'm OK with it. But not with 11 times."
"Bryan was good tonight, and Krebs was all right," Randall said. "Those guys deserve a lot
Kansas swept both games from Wichita State in last year's series, and senior John Nelson it said appeared as if the Shockers (21-11) came to Lawrence for revenge.
Wichita State took a 2-0 lead on single runs in both the second and third innings. Kansas mounted its biggest threat in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Jayhawks loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by junior Kevin Farmer and Nelson.
Junior Ryan Klocksien drew a two-out walk, loading the bases for senior Jesse Gremminger. But Bryan struck out Gremminger and ended the
"They came out playing real hard," said Nelson, who singled twice for the Jayhawks. "We knew they would come in gunning for us, especially after what happened last year. I knew those guys had a lot of pride, and they showed it."
Nelson said that leaving 12 men on base was unacceptable and that the team needed to work harder in practice to shake the pressure of hitting with men on base.
inning. Overall, the Jayhawks left 12 runners on base.
"I think there is pressure, there's always pressure," Nelson said. "But you've got to believe in yourself up here, and that comes from getting your confidence in practice."
The Shockers pushed across two runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth, increasing their lead to 6-0.
With last night's loss, Kansas' losing streak stretched to eight games. During those eight games, Kansas is averaging only 2.6 runs and Randall said adjustments must be made quickly.
"We're a little too reluctant to change things that aren't working," Randall said. "We've been saying that if it doesn't work, fix it. If it's broke, fix it. And right now, we got too many
guys that are broke."
Five Kansas pitchers saw action in last night's game, and junior Jeff Davis took the defeat, dropping his record to 22.
Kansas returns to Big 12 Conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Texas A&M.
- Edited by Jason McKee
LINE SCORE
Wichita State          011 021 020 - 61 20
Kansas                     000 000 000 - 0 70
WP- Bryan, 3-0. LP- Davis, 2-2. S- Krebs (2).
2B- WSU: Erstad, Burgamy, Wright, Owen.
3B- WSU: Burgamy.
'Hawks win first softball game, drop second one
The Kansas softball team split a doubleheader with Southwest Missouri State University yesterday at the SMSU Softball Complex in Springfield, Mo.
The Jayhawks (20-17) came out strong in the first game, clustering together three runs in the top of the first inning. After the Bears (7-21) responded back with single runs in both the bottom of the first and third innings, the Jayhawks tacked on a single run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh in a 6-2 Kansas victory
Kansas freshman Kara Pierce (12-7) gained the victory in the first game, while junior Kelly Campbell picked up her first save. The Bears connected on eight hits in seven innings, but committed five errors.
WSU pitchers blank Kansas
Southwest Missouri's Jessica Davis took the loss and dropped to O-8.
But Southwest Missouri pitcher Sarah Nemlwill shut out the Jayhawks during the last three innings, while the Bears' offense scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth and the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh in a 4-3 victory.
The second game was a different story for the Jayhawks. After the Bears tagged Campbell for a run in the bottom of the third, the Jayhawks scored three runs in the next half inning.
Campbell (2-3) took the loss for Kansas, while Niemlwall (4-8) came away with the win.
The Jayhawks are next in action against Texas Tech at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
Bv Brandon Stinnett
— Shawn Hutchinson
Kansan sportswriter
But Bryan looked pretty impressive last night against Kansas.
The redshirt senior dominated Jayhawk hitters, scattering five hits and striking out eight in six scoreless innings. Bryan's excellence powered Wichita State to a 60 victory and added the Shockers (21-11) to a long list of teams to conquer Kansas (14-19) at Hoglund Park this season.
Erich Bryan isn't Wichita State's ace pitcher. He's not the Shockers' second or third best pitcher, either.
Bryan was relieved by Reuben Kerbs in the seventh inning, and he, too, mowed down Kansas hitters. Kerbs surrendered three hits and struck out three batters in three innings.
Ironically, both pitchers claimed to be off their games.
First baseman Kevin Wheeler becomes one of eight strikeout victims for Wichita State hurler Erich Bryan at Hoglund Ballpark last night. Shockers' pitchers shut out the Jayhawks 6-0, striking out 11 KU batters. Photo by Laurie Sisk/KANSAN
"I didn't have the command I needed on the fastball, and I think my change-up could have been a bit better." Bryan said. "What saved我 was my slider."
Bryan, who improved to 3-0 with the win, wasn't even in the starting rotation to begin the season. But he was called on after the Shockers' top pitcher, Adam Peterson, went down with an injury.
His ability to play at all was in question early in the season because of a nagging shoulder injury, but he has been a pillar of consistency for the Shockers.
"Coming off a shoulder surgery and two years of frustration and rehabilitation, we all pull for him so much," said Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson. "He's a great leader and now he's able to lead by example like he wants to."
Despite his dominance, Bryan said Kansas, which dropped its 10th home game of the season, asserted itself as a solid offensive ball club.
"This is a good hitting team," he said. They swung at some good pitches and hit them hard."
Still, the Jayhawks were unable to get on the scoreboard. But they did threaten to break up the shutout in the ninth inning.
With two outs, Kansas senior John Nelson and sophomore Jason Jappon hit back-to-back singles. The next batter, Ryan Klocksien, hit a shot to shallow center field that appeared destined to drop in for a hit. But Wichita State center fielder Dustin Hawkins sprinted up and made a diving catch.
"My stomach dropped for a second," Kerbs said. "I wanted to keep it. Erich Bryan deserved to get the win with a shutout."
Bryan said there was never any doubt.
"I had confidence the whole time," he said. "He's a very good center fielder. It was good to see him make that catch, though. We definitely needed it."
Edited by Melinda Weaver
Davison should lead Jayhawk secondary
By Jeff Denton
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
As Kansas wide receiver Roger Ross cut sharply toward the sideline yesterday, senior cornerback Andrew Davison was in his hip pocket — less than half a foot separated the two competitors.
Both Kansas athletes lunged for the football, but it was Davison, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound defensive back from Detroit, who made the play. After cleanly deflecting the ball with his right hand, the smiling Davison trotted back to the huddle. He nodded his head, clapped his hands, and then approached the line of scrimmage to take on his next victim.
Kansas coach Terry Allen was not surprised by his senior's savvy.
"We are a vastly improved secondary." Allen said last month prior to the first day of spring practice. "I think Andrew Davison will be the leader back there. He
has had a picture perfect offseason who has earned the respect from our football team."
He described his defensive philosophy as aggressive, but simple. The play might occur 20 or 30 yards downfield, but most battles are won and lost at the line of scrimmage, he said.
Davison has been a permanent piece on the Kansas defense since his freshman
"Recievers don't like to get jammed at the line because they got taken away from
season. He has started 27 consecutive games for the Jayhawks.
Davison: he had a tremendous offseason
their routes." Davison said. "Getting up in the receiver's face is a technique that I learned in high school. I'm a quick corner and try to take advantage of that."
Defensive coordinator and secondary coach Tom Haynes last coached college football at Oklahoma in 1994. After Oklahoma, he was employed in the pros as secondary coach for the Washington Redskins.
Davison is also a quick study.
"Coach Hayes points out all my little mistakes," Davison said. "Whether it's learning coverages or working on techniques, he pushes me to be better. He is helping me with all the things I need to get better at for the chance to play in the NFL."
It has been said that when Hayes talks, players listen. Davison takes in every word.
Davison knows he is a long way from playing his favorite game on Sundays, but said he had no fears when it came to his job on Saturdays.
His game is fueled by confidence.
His game is ruled by confidence.
"I respect everyone I go against," he said. "But I don't fear any receiver in the country."
■ Kansas welcomed five fresh faces to its staff in the off season. In the past 48 hours, two familiar ones have left for Northern Iowa. Ex-linebackers coach Mark Harley accepted a five-year contract from his alma mater Tuesday, while Allen announced yesterday ex-running backs coach Bill Salmon would leave for Northern Iowa as well. Salmon starred for the Panthers at quarterback from 1973-75.
Kansas football notes
"It's not the end of the world," Allen said. "The timing is disruptive, but the key players are in place."
■ In yesterday's scrimmage, quarterbacks Zach Dyer, Kevin Long and Mario Kinsey took snaps.
Sports Columnist
"You all saw them do something good, and you all saw them do something bad." Allen said.
— Edited by Brandy Straw
Michael Rigg
sports@kansan.com
ESPN dream demolished after one visit to the studio
BRISTOL, Conn. — So what's your SportsCenter fantasy?
Mine was always to anchor the thing. From the second I first turned on the show, that's what I wanted to do. I had a vision in my head about this sports utopia-like studio in Connecticut, and this dreamy job in which you get to play Jenga with NFL linemen and ride on elevators with mascots.
That search for ESPN glory led me to send a resume out her to Connecticut to the main ESPN Studios for a summer internship. The plan was going to go something like this: One night this summer, when I'm off doing some monkey job such as emptying Linda Cohn's garbage or dusting the satellite dishes, anchor Kenny Mayne would call in sick.
And then, because nobody else would be around, someone would say, "What about the intern?" Followed by, "Rigg, you're on!"
And that would start a 20-something year long career as a SportsCenter anchor, or something like that. Unfortunately, that's not why it went down.
So I flew out here to check out the studios, do my interview and get ready for spending a summer in Connecticut. That's where my idea of this sports paradise started to fade.
Like clockwork, ESPN sent me a reply five months after I submitted my resume, and then yesterday flew me out here to Bristol for an interview. A few hundred applicants applied for the internship, and I was one of 20 finalists — I guess it's amazing what a little bit of lying can do for your job prospects.*
My first observation was that Bristol is the worst town this side of South Bend, Ind. It makes Topea look like Las Vegas, and it makes Lawrence look like Los Angeles. All that's in Bristol is, quite literally, a bowling alley, a hotel and ESPN. I could see why long-time anchor Keith Olbermann would want to leave.
Secondly, I saw that ESPN represents everything that's wrong with sports. The guys at ESPN aren't in it for the love of the games, or for the joy of the athletes. All they care about is the money.
"My townhouse burned down last month,
and I lost everything." I exclaimed.
Instead of seeing this sports-themed Disneyworld like I imagined, I was exposed to miles of cubicles ("This is where the onair talent works," explained my tour guide, as I peered over the partition to see a storic group of talking heads), dark hallways ("We're not cheap, we just don't like turning on the lights around here," she also explained), and one iowless boss.
Then, with a completely emotionless expression, he looked up from his paper and said, "Well, send those to me when you can."
"So Mike, I see you were the basketball writer for the Kansan," he observed, while staring at my resume. "Where are your clips?"
I explained to this guy three times before the interview why I don't have any of my clips. Still, I had to go into it again.
Yeah, I sure will. Just give me some 409
and some Scotch tape, and I'll be at that
pile of ashes I used to call home and clean
them off and tape those together for you.
"When you come out here this summer, you won't have to worry about housing," he then explained. "The local junior colleges are renting us some of their, uh, facilities."
I didn't know what that meant, but the image of sleeping bags on a gym floor immediately popped into my head.
So the point of this is that everything I once thought was perfect is gone. ESPN was that one place that I had a perfect image of in my head, and now it's ruined. As for the internship, they said they'd call me next week to tell me if I had the job.
But whether I'll take it remains to be seen. This summer, I may have better things to do. After all, I have to get started taining all my old clins together.
*Editor's Note: Rigg did not really lie on his resume. But why anyone would want to hire that kid is beyond me.
Rigg is a Greenwood Village, Colo., junior in Broadcast News.
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