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itcher on to
Randy Benish, a 6 ft. 1 in. 190 lb. junior from
Norfolk, attends UNL on a four year full-ride
football scholarship. Most people however, don't
associate him with Cornhusker football. In fact,
Benish's name doesn't even appear on a football
roster.
He doesn't practice spring ball with the team
either. He practices west of the football practice
field on the baseball diamond.
Benish is a pitcher on the UNL baseball team
and is probably the only university athlete on
scholarship for a sport he isn't in.
Football scholarship
Benish was offered a football scholarship from
Nebraska when he was a senior at Norfolk High
School in 1972. He played freshman football for
UNL the following fall as a defensive cornerback.
He was red shirted as a freshman, but during
spring football practice a hereditary back
problem was aggravated and it was determined
that he would be unable to play any more
football.
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Benish isn't bothered by not playing football.
"The only time I miss it," he said, "is on
Saturday afternoons. I like baseball better."
"Sure I was disappointed," Benish said. "But I
decided to direct my entire efforts toward
baseball since I'd planned to play some college
baseball anyway."
Remained on scholarship
The following spring Benish went out and
worked his way into the pitching rotation while
remaining on football scholarship.
Technically Benish would be on a baseball
full-ride due to the loss of his football
scholarship.
.. "It was easier not to make the switch," he
said. "It saved a lot of red tape."
Benish is a righthander, throwing a fast ball
most of the. time.
On the team's spring trip to Oklahoma and
Arkansas, Benish pitched eleven innings. He was
credited with a win against Arkansas, and his
record currently stands at 1-1.
Benish would like to play professional
baseball for four or five years after college before
settling down, he said. He is a marketing major.
Playing better
Benish said this year the team is more unified
and played better than last year, especially on
the last leg of the spring tour.
"It really hurt us to get rained out at Kansas
because we were ready to play. I think we could
have swept the (three-game) series. That would
have given our confidence a boost."
"I hope we can take two of three games from
any Big 8 teams we play," he added.
Benish's wish was granted Saturday. Good
pitching and power hitting helped Nebraska
sweep a doubleheader from OSU 3-2 and 7-4.
The two games were played on the UNL
diamond and opened up the Husker's Big 8
season.
Haas triple
In the first game with the score tied 2-2, UNL
centerfielder Paul Haas tripled with one out in
the bottom of the seventh. Third baseman Dick
Anderson followed with a single to score Haas
and gave the Huskers the win.
Boyd Battenhorst, a junior righthander from
Blair, got credit for the win. Battenhorst relieved
fref lan lefthander Nagel in the fourth inning.
He nnished the game without giving up a hit to
Oklahoma State University (OSU).
In the second game, relief pitching by
freshman lefthander Jerry Yingling and two-run
home runs by shortshop Bryant Akisada and
designated hitter Steve McManaman allowed the
Huskers to make up a 4-0 deficit.
Benish started the game for Nebraska giving
up two singles, two walks and three runs in the
first inning. He was relieved by Battenhorst until
the third when Yingling took over.
4-8 record
OSU added another run in the second to make
the score 4-0.
Nebraska scored two runs in their half of the
second inning on Akisada's home run.
The Huskers exploded for three runs in the
bottom of the fourth when Fowler doubled with
one out and scored on a single by Akisada
McManaman, then smashed a pitch over the left
field fence to put Nebraska ahead 6-4.
"We played the way we should," said Tony
Sharpe, head coach. "I don't want to single out
anybody particularly because the whole team
played well."
Nebraska is now 2-0 in the Big 8 and 4-8
overall.
spore's
snorts
UNL's gymnastic team
finished fifth in the NCAA
championships in Terre Haute,
Ind., last weekend. California
won the title.
Top individuals for the
Huskers were all-arounder
Gene Mackie (fourth in the
all-around), Pete Studenski
(fifth in the still rings) and Jim
Unger (fifth in vaulting).
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quoted by the Lincoln Journal
as saying the big thing was
everybody knew the team was
there, and he wondered how
well they could have done if
they hadn't had to compete
late Thursday night after a
snow storm delayed them for
27 hours in Chicago.
The Huskers were almost
disqualified because of the
delay, but coaches at the meet
decided to let the team
they arrived.
After a single game with
Oklahoma State Sunday, the
UNL baseball team hosts
Buena Vista today for a
doubleheader at 1 : 30 p.m.
Play will begin Tuesday in
the UNL intramural horseshoe
doubles and golf.
Play in Co-Rec golf and
archery and women's archery
further information call the
Recreation Office, 472-3467.
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Randy Benish
New linebackers
youngbut talented
By Pete Wegman
At least one thing seems certain about Nebraska's linebackers
'for next fall: the Huskers won't have a linebacking trio like Tom
Ruud, Bob Nelson and John Starkebaum drafted into the pro
football.ranks.
In fact, according to linebacking coach Bill Myles, the Husker
squad going through drills this spring won't have a single linebacker
picked by the pros next year.
However, that is not because of any lack of talent in the
linebacking area, Myles said following Saturday's practice and
scrimmage session in Memorial Stadium.
"We just don't have any senior linebackers; these kids are going
to be around for a while," he said.
Replacing the top three linebackers from last fall's Husker team
will be -quite a task, Myles admits. The 14 or 15 candidates for the
weak- and stro.ig-side linebacker positions are all good athletes
according to Myles.
"The problem is getting the better ones to rise to the top
quickly, so we can start getting them ready to play for us next
fall," Myles said.
Pulled muscle
Sophomore letterman Percy Eichelberger, who has as much
experience as any linebacking candidate, pulled a muscle on the
first play of spring practice last Monday and hasn't played since,
according to Myles. Also, freshman linebacker Joe Dervin was
injured in Saturday's scrimmage.
Following the scrimmage Saturday and the first week of
practice, Myles said the linebacking positions "are still wide open."
H cited Eichelberger and Dervin, .along with freshmen Jeff
Carpenter, Steve lindquist, Jim Wightman and Larry Young; and
sophomores Jim Belka, Randy Lessman and Cletus Pillen as the top
candidates for the two open positions.
Sour note
Saturday's scrimmage began on a sour note for the number one
Blackshirt defensive unit. Last year the longest run for a
touchdown against the Blackshirts was 21 yards.
Saturday, on the Blackshirts' first scrimmage play of spring
practice, second-team offensive back Dave Gillespie burst through
the middle of the Blackshirt defense for what Monte Kiffin, head
defensive coordinator, called "about a 90-yard touchdown."
One bright spot of the scrimmage session was freshman Curtis
Craig. Craig, a high school All-American from Iowa, scored one
touchdown on a pass reception while picking up good yardage on
the ground. Craig operated out of the I-back position while
alternating between the third and fourth teams.
Saturday's session was not entirely a scrimmage as was originally
plnnd, since weather forced cancellation of one practice last
week. The team will run through a full-scale scrimmage session at 3
p.m. today in Memorial Stadium.
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Paid for by Sikyta Re-election Committee, F. Bob Sikyta, 420 Sycamore, Lincoln,
Chairman. Mrs. Harold (Arlene) Sorensen, 7330 A, Lincofn, Treasurer
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