Thursday, April 8, 1982
Page 12
Daily Nebraskan
Sports.
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Cornhusker slugger's assets keep him on deck
By Tom Sliclton
Combining home run hitting power with a stellar
batting average, Nebraska's Steve Stanicck has been
among the most feared batters in the Big Fight this
season.
Stanicck, batting a team-leading .484 for the lluskers,
has smacked nine round-trippers, and is on his way to
new Huskcr records in homers and KBIs.
Despite his tendency to hit the long ball, Stanicck said
he is a selective hitter, not intentionally swinging for the
fences on every pitch.
"I'm more selective at the plate," Stanicck said. "I try
to hit the ball hard, and if they (home runs) come, they
come."
Like most batters, Stanicck prefers to hit fast balls. He
said sliders are the most difficult pitches to deposit over
the fence.
Stai icck has not always had the ability to hit tape
measure bombs. His sophomore year in high school at
Park Forest, III., he only hit one home run, bin his junior
year saw him hit six and he hit nine his senior season. The
6-0, l(H)-pound Stanicck said his increased power at the
plate can be attributed mainly to weight training.
Notion false
The feeling of many about weight lifting is that it
makes players muscle-bound and unable to whip the bat
around fast enough to catch the fast ball. Stanicck has
proven that notion false, at least in his case.
"If you do the right kind of stretching exercises along
with weight training, you won t lose your bat speed.
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Photo by Dave Bentz
Junior Steve Stanicck steps into a pitch against UNO Tuesday. Stanicck lends the llusker offensive attack with a
.484 batting average.
Tennis coach says team unity needed
By Dirk Maley
Frustrating is the word that best describes Coach Kerrv
McDermott's feelings regarding t He men's tenuis team's in
ability to win the close matches so fat this season.
The lluskers have lost a number of thtee-set matches
this season, most recently at last weekend's Regional
Team Tournament in Kansas City. Ivms. In j 5 i loss to
Southern Illinois, the lluskers dropped ai! but two
matches in three sets.
Nebraska's first-year coach cites vouth and inexperi
ence as part of the problem, nother factor is menial.
"We're match tough right now. but we'ie lacking
mental toughness and team unity." McDeimott said. "We
can never all play together as a team on a given day."
McDermott said this should change when the lluskers
begin conference play Friday in Lincoln against Iowa
State. The lluskers also will play Kansas State Saturday
and Oklahoma Sunday. Weather permitting, the team will
play at the varsity courts.
The team's main goal entering the season was to finish
in the top three teams in the league. That hasn't changed
and McDermott said it's a realistic and attainable goal.
The Oklahoma Sooners are probably the team to beat
this year, McDermott said. The Sooners defeated Okla
homa State, last year's Big Eight champion, at the regional
tournament. Experience and maturity are Oklahoma's
strong points, McDermott said, indicating that the team
consists primarily of juniors and seniors.
In contrast, Nebraska may be, with the possible except
ion of Colorado, the youngest team in the league. With
only one senioi. McDermott has had to rel heavily on
freshmen and sophomores. Craig Johnson and Jim Carson
are two llusker uetteis who have proved e!fectic m theii
fust veai ol competition.
Johnson. Nebraska's top singles plaver. lias a S-5
record, pkium! against top-notch competition. Johnson
lost to all-inerican Scott Johnson ol Oklahoma State.
2-o. 1-o.in the Regional tournament.
Johnson has combined with ( aisoii. Nebraska's No. 2
singles player, to !oim a strong doubles team. I he !wo
possess a d-2 lecoul m doubles competition. In smi'lc-.
play. Carson has beaten six opponents and lost to five.
Nebraska's overall record entering league plav is 5-o
McDermott said he is somewhat disappointed with that
mark but thinks it will improve dining conference plav.
"All Big Fight play will take place outdoors with the
weather permitting." he said. "The slower courts should
help us by giving our baseline players more time to react
and get to the ball. On a faster court, there's very little
reaction time.
McDermott said team spirit remains high and that's
essential if Nebraska hopes to Finish high in the league
standings.
"The team has been working hard and their attitudes
remain real good," McDermott said. "We've worked too
hard to quit now and I don't see any team in the confer
ence working harder than we do. We need to win and to
pull those close ones out. It's time for our kids to put
those close losses behind them and to go out and prove
they can play with the best."
Booster banquet tribute to gymnasts
The Nebraska Gymnastics Booster Club will have its
annual banquet Monday at the Nebraska Center for Con
tinuing Education, 33rd and Holdrege streets. The cock
tail and autograph session will begin at 6:30 pam. with the
dinner beginning at 7 pjn. The public is invited to attend.
Members of the UNL men's and women's gymnastics
teams and the Nebraska School of Gymnastics will be
honored. Special tribute will be paid to the seniors, in
cluding all-Americans Jim Hartung and Steve Elliott.
Gov. Charles Thone and UNL Athletic Director Bob
Devaney will attend and Coach Francis Allen will show
the 1982 NCAA gymnastics Film. Herbie llusker will
attend and there will be posters available for autographs.
Tickets may be requested from the gymnastics office
today and they will be available at the door Monday.
Prices are SIO for adults in advance and SI 2 at the door.
Children's tickets are $4.50 in advance and $5 at the door.
Stanicck said. "I here are a lot ol myitis anou. mai.
John Sanders. Stanicck 's coach, said Stanicck's power
does not stem from any secret formula.
"lie just gets it from hard work. Mis main assets are his
techniques, sie. strength, and quickness." Sanders said.
Sanders said Stanicck's chances of making it as a pro
fessional ball player arc looking better all the time because
of consistent improvement. Stanicck was drafted out of
high school by the St. Louis Cardinals in the I 2th round
of the 1979 draft, and will he eligible to receive offers
from pro teams at the end of this, his junior year.
Stanicck himself said the major leagues are definitely on
his list of possibilities.
"I'm pretty interested now," Stanicck said, "but
they'll have to make it worth my while to skip my senior
year."
Defense, offense
No slouch on defense, Stanicck said he has worked
hard to make sure he doesn't sacrifice home runs at the
expense of errors.
"I've worked as hard on offense as I have on defense,"
he said. "I'm pretty good defensively."
Sanders saiil the tendency of some players to let their
defensive skills slide while working to improve their offen
sive output is not a problem with Stanicck.
Stanicck's increased selectivity at the plate has re
sulted in more walks and less strikeouts. Sanders said.
"lie's been up between SO and 0 times this season and
has struck out onl six or seven times," Sanders said.
"That's amaiiig."
"Steve will load up when the situation calls for it, but
otheiwise he'll wait for a good pitch, lie's got a good
ihythmic swing ami natural power." he said.
Sanders said Stanicck's sie, strength and powci make
it inevitable that some of his swings will result in the ball
s'oing ohm the fence.
Stanicck said hi-, stiikeoiits have been cut down some
what by his opting for a lighter bat fioina 31- to a 30
ounce. "I've found I have more cont rol with a smaller bat ." he
said.
Stanicck said he gets the most satisfaction out of
putting his opponents pitches into orbit.
"Knowing you beat the pitcher is the best part of the
uame," he said.
Fool ball lickel sale
will begin April 26;
application required
By Larry Sparks
The spring sale of 1 .S2 student football tickets
will be April 26 through 29 at the Athletic Ticket
Wfi. South Stadium 117. The office is open 9
a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
I 'NT. Ticket Manager Helen Ruth Wagner said
notices have been posted on campus, and she limed
students to read them carefully because several
changes have been made in the lickel poljcv.
Students apphing foi tickets this yeai aie being
asked to bun an application caul that ilie have al
cady filled out. Hie cards will he available
beginning Mondav at the Student ccomits Office
in Administiaiion 204. die inhumation desk ol the
Last I moil and the ticket office.
When buying the tickets, students must present
'he application caul along with a student ID card
and cash or a peisonal check for S3(. Checks must
show a Lincoln address add phone number.
Students will draw a lottery number, and he
ticket orders will be filled using these numbers. The
tickets may be picked up Sept. 7 through JO upon
presentation of a current student ID showing full
time student status.
Married students may purchase a ticket for their
spouse if they present proof of marriage. Spouse
tickets will cost $72 this year.
Students still may request tickets in blocks, but
those sections will be limited to 100 tickets this
year. A representative of the group should present a
completed application form, student ID and in
dividual payment for each person in the block Each
student will be required to pick up his or her own
ticket in the fall.
Students who purchase tickets in the spring but
do not attend UNL in the fall will be permitted a
full refund if the ticket office is notified in writing
by Sept. 1 . No refunds will be given after that date
Wagner said the ticket office will have a
computer system m the fall. The ID numbers of all
students purchasing tickets will be entered into the
system, which should prevent students fr pu
2 tlnaI s after obtaining duplicate
who I v ' ,SyStCm aIs Wil1 1rcvct students
