Husker baseball squad
attempts cellar stair climb
by Kent Sea crest
One thing nice about being last is that there is only one way
to move --up.
That's the position the Nebraska baseball team finds itself
in after getting off to a poor 0-3 start in Big Eight play.
Nebraska is not only in the cellar in league standings, but also
at the bottom of the conference in hitting with a ,163 average
and pitching with a 6.3 earned run average.
The Huskers hope to begin moving up this weekend when
they host Kansas in a three -game home series at Sherman
Field. A double-header is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday followed by
a single game Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Jayhawks go into the series against the Huskers with a
2-1 conference mark and with the best overall record in the
league at 9-2.
The Huskers started their 1972 season by winning four and
losing six in their first two series against Oral Roberts and
Houston. During a double-header against Houston Husker
Coach Tony Sharp and Houston Coach lovette Hill did the
improbable in the world of college baseball when both won
their 300th career victory. They split the double-header by
identical 4-3 margins.
The Huskers then started their Big Eight campaign against
Oklahoma State last week on the wrong foot by scoring only
two runs and losing all three games.
"We're hoping the team will lift themselves up after a bad
Big Eight start," Sharpe said. "We played very well at Oral
Roberts and Houston, but two bad innings against Oklahoma
State killed us."
To help get the Huskers on the winning track, Sharpe is
going to employ a new pitching rotation. "Gene Stohs who
had been pitching and playing outfield for us is strictly an
outfielder from here on," Sharpe said.
"Ryan Kurosaki will take over the first spot in the pitching
rotation. Denny O'Ooherty, a freshman from Creighton Prep,
will pitch the second game against Kansas Friday, with
Saturday's start up for grabs between Chad Seymour, Terry
Redler and Glenn Gilmore."
Kansas pitchers Steve Corder and Bob Cox, two juniors who
both have 3-0 records and earned run averages of 0.00, are
expected to start in Friday's double-header. Three times this
year Corder and Cox have combined to pitch the Jayhawks to
twinbill victories.
Netters return for home matches
After four straight road matches, the Nebraska tennis team
returns this weekend for two matches on the varsity courts.
The Huskers, who own a 4-2 season record, meet Nebraska
Wesleyan Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Northwest Missouri
Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The UNL tennis team this season has recorded easy wins
over Doane, Luther College, Oklahoma Baptist and the
Univerity of Nebraska at Omaha. But the Huskers on a recent
southern road trip lost to Big Eight powers Oklahoma, 9-0,
and Oklahoma State, 8-1 .
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Sports are becoming a microcosm of
American society and a good example of this
is the recent strike by major league baseball
players in order to obtain a 17 per cent
increase in their already rich pension fund.
Two long standing features of American
society are greed and the labor strike. But
many sports fans are becoming concerned
because baseball players are now exhibiting
greed and going on strike.
However it seems baseball fans across the
nation are mad at the players because
baseball is failing at its main task-to provide
an emotional release from the unpleasant
things of life.
The current issue of Sports Illustrated
noted that sports are no longer providing the
fan an "escape into vicarious
accomplishments and triumph." The
magazine said, "'Now the fan, beset by
withholding taxes, sales taxes, school taxes,
busing crises, shameless politicians, rising
" prices, endless debts, turns to his favorite
sports and gets-rising prices, shameless
owners, 'greedy athletes, franchise switching,
contract jumping, lawsuits, haggling, arguing,
disputes,, everything but the fun and
enjoyment he is seeking."
Sports are definitely hurting themselves
by failing to satisfy the needs of the fan.
Instead of showing the best in American
society, sports are increasingly showing the
worst.
The first Nebraska football game is still
five months away, but the Huskers are
already making headlines as well as drawing
fans to their spring practices. Interest in the
spring drills is amazing.
Unfortunately, many people in displaying
their love for Husker football forget that
there are other spring sports on campus that
deserve recognition and support. The
interest in the football drills proves that
football is king in Nebraska anytime of the
year.
News stories concerning spring practice
leave the impression the Huskers face major
difficulties and are undergoing a rebuilding
year in Bob Devaney's last season as head
coach.
True, Nebraska did lose such great players
as Jerry Tagge, Jeff Kinney, Larry Jacobson
and Dick Rupert and do not have an
experienced quarterback returning. But
there are many indications that the Huskers
have a solid team and might have a good
chance to win an unprecedented third
straight national championship.
Biggest reasons for optimism include: (1)
three returning Air-Americans in flanker
Johnny Rodgers, defensive end Willie Harper
and middle guard Rich Glover, plus All-Big
Eight defensive back Joe Blahak; (2) five
offensive and five defensive starters returning
from the 1971 national championship squad;
and 3) the momentum gained from going
undefeated in 32 straight games.
Knowing Devaney he plans to go out in
style when he retires.
Remember all those boring Big' Eight
basketball games this season in which the
winner was the team that could build a lead
and then stall the rest of the game? Such
slow-down games may soon become a thing
of the past.
Big Eight Commissioner Chuck Neinas
recently said the conference is considering a
30-second clock during the next basketball
season. Under the proposal, a team would
have 30 seconds from the time it gains
possession of the ball to take a shot.
Nebraska Coach Joe Cipriano and
Missouri Coach Norm Stewart have said they
favor the use of the clock. "'I think there's
no question about it improving the game
from a defensive standpoint too,' Cipriano
said. "'I think it'll help the whole game.
Cipriano is right. After all, a basketball
was designed to be put through a hoop, not
deflated.
K-State leads
golf meet
Kansas State jumped into the opening
round lead in the first annual Cornhusker
Invitational Golf Tournament being played
at Holmes Park Golf Course.
The Wildcats total of 307 is one stroke
better than Nebraska's first team and six
shots ahead of the Huskers' second squad.
Bob Philbrick of Kansas State had
metalist honors in Thursday's round with a
one over par 73. The Huskers' Rick Schultz
followed with a 74.
Friday's concluding round in the
tournament will get under way at 12:30
p.m.
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PAGE 12
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1972