Sports
University Daily Kansan / Friday, April 5, 1991
11
Fired-up Kansas in winning spirit facing Cowboys
Bv Mark Spencer
Kansan sportswriter
The Oklahoma State baseball team has won 10 consecutive Big Eight Conference championships and last year won runner-up in the College World Series.
That was then. this is now
"We're not scared of them anymore," Kansas catcher Garry Schmidt said. "We've got lots of ours out there, and we have to come in here." Bring 'em on".
In the past, nine baseball teams have served up victory after victory and home run after home run to the team, while accepting it without resistance.
The Jayhawks and the 15th-ranked Cowboys square off in the first game of their four-game series at 7 onight at Hogwnd Stadium. The two teams face a doubleheader at 2 p.m. tomorrow, and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Kansas coach Dave Bingham said, "This is a great time to be playing them. We've won seven in a row, and we're in first place."
The Cowboys' recent play also provides an opportune time for Kansas.
"They're going to be a good pitching team with a good middle infield I'm told," Bingham said. "But, they're not hitting like the Oklahoma Cardinals they're hitting. 280. Usually, they're up around .320 or aaron of ten with
Baseball
home runs."
After 27 games, the Cowboys are hitting 286 as a team with 43 home runs. The Jayhawks enter tonight with 28 home runs after 33 games.
The home run totals may be deceiving, as the Cowbys play on a field home with considerably shorter fences than Holland-Maupin.
Regardless of what happens offensively, the Cowboys' best player will never touch a bat.
He happens to be their coach.
"Their hardest gun to beat is Gary Ward." Bingham said. "He cannot become a dominant factor in the game for us to win."
Kansas right-hander Curtis Schmidt will start tonight's game, but Bingham said he was unsure of the weekend pitching rotation.
Bingham hesitated in describing the series as crucial to KU's Big Eight title hopes. Nevertheless, he said victories this weekend would make the rest of the season a bit easier.
"They are the measuring stick of the conference, but we're in first place right now." Bingham said. "They have to take it away from us."
This weekend's series is the first of the season for the Cowboys and the third for the Jayhawks.
'Hawks prepared for Big 8 tourney
Bv Lana Smith
Kansan snortwriter
Kansas softball coach Kalum Haack expects the Jayhaws to build their confidence through their games against Missouri and Iowa State in the Big Eight Conference Round Robin tournament.
Kansas will play tomorrow and Sunday in Norman, Okla.
Haack said that the Big Eight teams had reached their peak.
"It's a feather in their caps to get into the rankings, if not nationally then regionally, by beating us."
"When we get to Big Eight play, everybody's leveling out," Haack said. "Iowa State, which we play first, hasn't the best season so far." We'll need more than ready to get out and play us. Missouri is a little bit stronger.
Haack said Kansas, now ranked 13th in the nation, was focused and had practiced hard this week.
The team knows what they have to do to win, he said.
The Jayhawks practices have been geared for the game against Missouri because the Tigers like to run.
Softball
"We've been focusing on base runn-
ing," Haack said. "With the team's
speed we can really make a lot
happen."
Kansas junior pitcher Shelly Sack said the Jayhaws practiced against Missouri when they participated in the bat Light Invitational in San Diego.
"They're always tough, but we know how to do everything." Sack said.
Kansas junior third baseman Camille Spitaleri said two victories against Missouri would move Kansas up in the rankings.
"Their pitcher has a good rise ball," Spalatiera said. "Some games he hit really well, and some games we really scatter."
Spitaleri said the Jayhawks needed to concentrate on hitting to beat the Tigers.
Sack and Spitalieri agreed that Kansas should not have any problems defeating Iowa State, if the game played as they were capable of doing.
Chris Bowers. of Englewood. Colo... practices for Sundav's Big Eight match against Colorado.
Team seeks revenge on Buffs
By Mark Spencer
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's and women's tennis teams will play host to Big Eight Conference foe Colorado at the Field House tennis courts audition.
Matches begin at 9 a.m. for the women and at 2 p.m. for the men.
Kansas men's coach Scott Perelman said thoughts of the Buffalos brought revenge to the minds of the Javhaws.
"They beat us 5-4 last year at Colorado," he said. "That was kind of the beginning of our downfall, so there's some motivation there."
half of the conference," he said "They're much improved and very well coached"
The Jayhawks are currently ranked 14th in the country, the highest in the program's history. The Jayhawks' pass rush could not look past Colorado.
"They should finish in the upper
In Big Eight play, every match that is won counts as a point toward the overall conference championship. Players who were ready to accept the challenge.
"With such a veteran team, everyone has been through the conference before," he said. "Everyone is well aware what each match means. It will definitely be on our minds."
The Kansas women's team will enter Sunday's match with a 1-0 record in the Big Eight after its 7-2 defeat of Kansas State last week.
Kansas women's coach Michael Center said he was expecting a much tougher match from Colorado
stronger than they are in doubles, but they're definitely an improved team."
"They're very deep with six good players," he said. "I think we're
At yesterday's practice, Center said Kansas junior Eveline Hamers was questionable for Sunday's match.
Hamers, the KU women's record-holder for career singles victories, has been sidelined with an injured knee for about a month.
"Eveline's obviously a big part of our lineup." Center said. "She is looking better each day, so maybe she'll be ready for Sunday."
Center, mirroring Perelman's thoughts, said that he had also stressed to his players the importance of winning every Big Eight match.
"Every match counts as a point," he said. "It's extremely hard to recover from a bad weekend at the end of the year."
Jobless Bo finds work in Chicago
The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Seventy years after Shoeless Joe Jackson, the White Sox on Wednesday gave Jobless Bo Jackson work.
Chicago baseball fans are skeptical about the deal.
"He a heck of a ballplayer if he's healthy," said Ted Kramer, 54, an accountant and White Sox fan from the Comiskey Park neighborhood.
Kramer hopes Bo will be healthy enough to play.
"It would be hard to see a 28-year old have his career end," he said.
The Kansas City Royals announced March 18 that they were putting Jackson on waivers after Royals team physician Steve Joyce said the outfielder's hip injury was career-threatening.
Jackson, promising to return from the injury that also threatens his football career, signed a free-agent contract Wednesday with the Chicago White Sox. Some doctors have speculated that Jackson, still on crutches, will never play football or baseball again.
Kramer likes Jackson.
"He seems like a nice guy. Some guys want too much." he said.
Ray Janisch, 35, said he didn't understand where Jackson would play.
"What is he going to do?" Janisch said. "Our outfield is set. But he should be good if they use him as a DH."
Dan O'Neill, another White Sox
fan-accountant, said Bad Judd mustlude-
d the other players.
"I was worried over the winter about (outfielders) Cory Snyder and Dan Pasqua getting playing time." "Now, we get another outfielder."
Yet, fans expect Jackson to help the White Sox if he can play.
That's the uncertainty — when Jackson will be ready to go to bat.
Realistically, we don't expect him to be the general manager Ron Schuler said.
The one-year contract with options for 1992 and 1993 pays Jackson eye if he returns.
Boe's signishing highlighted quite a day for the White Sox. A wrecking ball began tearing down the walls of old Camisey Park, where Sheoiless Joe played before the 1919 Black Six team to be banned him from baseball.
Also Wednesday, the Sox beat Toronto 7-1 in a Florida exhibition game, and a media open house was held at new Comiskey Park.
Terry Saravise, White Sox vice president for stadium operations, told reporters on the tour that he hoped the new exploding scoreboard, set off by homers from Chicago hitters, would get a lot of use.
"It depends when Bo is ready to play," he added.
Some Chicago sportswriters think that the White Sox landing Bo was a great public relations stroke.
"It's good public relations even if he never plays an inning," said Southtown Economist columnist Bill Gleason.
Although the swimming season is over, Krista Cordsen, Rome, N.Y., freshman, practices the breaststroke in Robinson Center. Brad Wells, assistant coach, said that the swimmers were forced to practice intensely during the off-season because of the competitive nature of collegiate swimming.
Spring training
Lacrosse club will play in Alabama tournament
The Kansas men's lacrosse club is traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala., today where they will play in the 6th annual April Fool's Lacrosse tournament.
Other teams in the tournament include Mississippi State University, Rhodes College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The team's first game will be tomorrow morning against Tulane. The tournament will conclude Sunday.
Two weeks ago Kansas lost to Tulsa 13-12. Last week it beat Wichita State 12-4
This weekend's tournament is the first of this semester for the team.
Chiefs grab former Browns LB, 3 others
KANAS CITY. Mo. — Former first-round draft choice Clifford Charlton was among four players when by the Kansas City Chiefs
Charlton, a linebacker, was a No. 1 pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1988 and played in 31 games before he was waived at the start of the 1909 season. He made five tackles on defense and 23 on special teams.
Sports briefs
Also signed by the Chiefs were Titus Dixon, Willie Fears and Michael Owens.
Dixon was a sixth-round pick of the New York Jets in 1989. A wide receiver, Dixon played in three games with the Jets, was waived and played in a game for the Indiana Pacers with the Atlanta Falcons last year but was
waived before the start of the season.
Fears played in the Canadian Football League before he was signed by the Green Bay Packers preseason last year. He was released in the preseason and played in two games for the Minnesota Vikings.
Owens was a ninth-round choice of the Chiefs last year. He was released before the start of the regular season.
Royals release player reach opening day limit
If he is not claimed on waivers, de los Santos, 24, will become a free agent as a six-year minor leager. The Royals offered to send him back to their Omaha farm club for a fifth year there, but he turned them down.
HAINES CITY, Fla. — The release of first baseman Luis de los Santos after seven years in the Kansas City team led to a recommendation to the opening day roster limit of 25.
"I've been here since I was 17," he said. "I did everything they asked me to do. I just couldn't work it out for them."
De los Santos, a Dominican Republic native who now lives in New York, was Kansas City's second-round pick in the 1844 June free-agent draft. He started out at Eugene, Ore. moving to Memphis and then to Temn., before coming to Omaha in 1987. In his seven minor-league seasons, he hit 289 and drove in 452 runs.
De los Santos spent the entire 1990 season at Omaha, where he was used mostly at third base. He hit .280 with five home runs and 74 RBIs. The year before he hit .297 at Omaha and .253 in 28 games with Kansas City. He appeared in 11 games for the Royals in 1988 and hit .091.
Kentucky assistant new Tulsa basketball coach
TULSA, Okla. — Kentucky assistant Orlando "Tubby" Smith was named head basketball coach yesterday at Tulsa and promised the uptempo style he learned under Rick Pitino.
Smith, 39, replaces J. D. Barnett, who was fired two weeks ago when university officials blamed him for unfair fan support, among other things.
Smith's appointment was announced about five hours after Nolan Richardson said the Tulsa job was not appealing enough for him to leave Arkansas, where he has coached since leaving Tulsa in 1985.
Athletic Director Rick Dickson said Smith was on the initial list of "need-to-pursue" candidates from the onset. Dickson admitted that the put on hold when talks with Richard increased over the past few days.
"We were able to move quickly" when Richardson indicated he would stay at Arkansas. Dickson said.
"Tulsa's presentation was very good, but in what I am looking for in coaching and administration, I'm convinced Arkansas is where I will be." Richardson said yesterday morning.
Smith said he was not discouraged to hear reports that Richardson was interested in returning to Tulsa.
"I felt honored that a guy of his stature was interested," he said. "That indicated to me the interest in commitment in Tulsa basketball."
From staff and wire reports