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Baseball team begins season
with 6-game swing into Dixie
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By Bob Hill
Six lettermen, including pitcher Denny
O'Doherty, will start today as the UNL baseball
team opens its 45-game schedule in Waco, Tex.
against Baylor University.
The Huskers will play six doubieheaders at
six Texas institutions in six days. The southern
swing will close at Fort Worth on March 25
against Texas Wesleyan University.
Husker coach Tony Sharpe rated the
schedule "the most challenging spring trip
we've had in many years." -
UNL, which recorded a 1514-1 season a
year ago, opens conference play with a 3-game
set at Kansas State University March 23-30 just
prior to the opening of the home season with a
doubleheader against Morningside College,
April 2.
The first home conference action will bring
the 2-time defending Big 8 champion University
of Oklahoma Sooners to UNL for a 3-game
series April 5-6.
"I'm' pleased with the physical condition of
my squad, everyone appears ready to start the
season. Trie morale of the team has given me
reason for optimism, I really am expecting an
exciting season," Sharpe said.
O'Doherty led the conference last year in
earned run average wtih 0.78 for Big 8 games.
His battery mate will be lettermen catcher
Doak Fowler.
Other Husker team veterans included in the
lineup are third baseman Jim Smith, the top
returning hitter with a .364 batting average last
year; first baseman Sam Sharpe, who last year
tied the UNL fielding record of .991 with two
errors in 234 chances, and left fielder Dick
Anderson, who a year ago as a freshman was a
274 hitter.
"Our infield seems solid, we have some good
arms in the outfield, if our pitching comes
through we will be a certain Big 8 contender,"
Sharpe said.
1974 Schedule:
March-18, at Baylor (2); 19, at Texas Christian
(2); 20, at Southern Methodist (2); 22, at
Hardin-Simmons (21; 23, at Abilene Christian (21; 25,
at Texas Wesleyan (2); 29, at Kansas State (2); 30, at
Kansas State.
April-2, Morningside (2); 5, Oklahoma (2); 6,
Oklahoma; 9, Northwest Missouri (2); 12, at Iowa
State (2); 13, at Iowa State; 16, at Creightort (2); 19,
at Missouri (2); 20, at Missouri; 23, UNO (2); 26,
Colorado (2); 27, Colorado; 30, Drake (2). . '
May -3, Kansas (2); 4, Kansas; 11, Friends, (2); 14,
at Oklahoma State (2!; 15, at Oklahoma State.
Both Husker wrestlers in the
NCAA tournament lost in the
second preliminary round
Thursday in Ames, Iowa. Bill
Hoffman, in the 177 lb. class,
and Bob Johnson, in the 190
lb. class, received byes in the
first round. .
In the second round,
Hoffman fell 3-0 to Bill Hiii
the University of East Carolina,
while Johnson was beaten 2-0
by Rich Molbury of Potsdam
State University.
The new UNL outdoor
track was named the Edwin F.
Weir Memorial Track by the
Board of Regents Saturday.
Weir was a former Husker track
coach and made All-American
as a tackle on the 1924-25
Husker football teams.
Maury Damkroger Saturday
was presented with the Guy
Chamberlin Award, given
annually to a senior football
player for his "play and
contribution to the betterment
of the squad." He also received
the trophy given by the
Lincoln Optimists Club to the
outstanding senior offensive
back.
Other award winners were
Bob Thornton, top defensive
back, Daryl White, top
offensive lineman, and John
Bell, top defensive lineman.
Practices for the UNL Water
Polo Club have begun in the
Coliseum pool. They start at 7
p.m. Monday through
Thursday. Anyone interested
in joining the team should
contact Mark Rinne, 467-2603.
Third baseman Jim Smith is the top returning
hitter with a .364 average.
Big Red
machine
shifting
gears?
After the University of Oklahoma
(OU) football team handcuffed UNL's
every move last November, a frustrated
Tom Osborne hinted there would be
some drastic changes in the Husker
football philosophy. An overhaul of the
Big Red Machine was forecast.
His comments left fans and
sportswriters speculating about whether
the Huskers would switch to the
wishbone offense next season or if they
would fill the air with 40 passes a game.
It's doubtful that the Husker coaching
staff will go to either extreme, but the
Husker system might need a little
corrective surgery if it is to avoid a rerun
of last year's televised loss to OU.
The Oklahoma Sooners will be an
overwhelming favorite to win the Big 8
race this year- They will have one of tha
most lethal backfield In the country, with
Stsva Davis, Waymon Clark and Joe
Washington continuing their wishbone
escapades.
OU was simply too fast for UNL or
any other team last season. Osborne's
changes might be an effort to fight fire
with fire and put more speed into the
lineup.
steve toulor
hat
The one ingredient UNL lacked last
year was offensive speed. There was.no
home run threat. After watching Johnny
Rodgers for three years, UNL's plays
sometimes seemed to develop in slow
motion. .
The Huskers did have one dangerous
player last season: freshman Bobby
1
Thomas. Unfortunately the only people
Thomas endangered were the fans whose
view he blocked while standing on the
bench. The Philadelphia prep star spent
the season learning the Husker system.
Osborne recruited heavily from the
Omaha area and came up with a few
quick candidates for the backfield.
However, the most heralded prospect has
been Curtis Craig, from Davenport, Iowa.
The 5 ft. 10 in. speedster already is being
mentioned as UNL's starting I -back for
1974.
This would mean shifting Tony Davis
to fullback, where could continue
running over, rather than around,
opponents.
if the Huskers do find a fast, elusive
I -back, the backfield will give enemy
defenses reason for alarm.
If not. it miaht be a season of th
yards and a cloud of dust.
'flir Q. Gown
Lincoln's
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page 10
daily riebraskan
monday, march 18, 1974