Wednesday, April 30, 1986
Daily Nebraskan
Page 7
Sport
J
2
Lira
From staff and wire reports
Nebraska fullback Tom Rathman
was the first Cornhusker picked in the
National Football League draft Tuesday
when the San Francisco 49ers made
him the first pick of the third round.
Two picks later, Nebraska defensive
tackle Jim Skow was picked up by Cin
cinnati. Rathman is from Grand Island
and Skow is from Omaha.
"I thought I had a good chance to go
in the third round," Rathman said.
"They called earlier and said they were
interested in me."
Rathman talked to 49ers' coach Bill
Walsh and said the discussion was a
positive one.
"He said I had a good chance to be
the No. 3 back behind Wendell Tyler
and Roger Craig," he said.
This was the first time since 1976
that a Nebraska player wasn't drafted
in the first round. Rathman, however,
was the 56th pick, which normally
would have come in the second round.
Buffalo forfeited its first pick this year
after a trade with Cleveland, leaving
only 27 first-round picks.
Rathman set a school record for
yards by a fullback last season with 881
yards.
The Associated Press reported that
Bo Jasckson, Auburn's Heisman Trophy
winning running back, was the top
selection in the NFL draft today. But he
said he will wait until next month to
choose between a career in baseball or
football. "My heart" will make the
decision, he said.
As expected, the Tampa Bay Buc
caneers waited only a few minutes after
the start of the draft to pick Jackson,
considered by scouts one of the best
NFL prospects ever. Then, as shouts of
"Bo, Bo, Bo, Bo" rang from the gallery of
about 1,000 fans, he posed for the tradi
tional picture with Commissioner Pete
Rozelle.
But in what is not traditional, Jackson
declined to swear his allegiance to the
NFL and the Bucs.
"I'm sticking by my guns," Jackson
said. "I won't decide until the baseball
draft. If the baseball draft is today, the
NFL people would want me to wait for
their draft.
"When everything is over with, there
won't be people saying, 'Bo didn't give
baseball a chance.' "
Baseball's draft of college and high
school players is June 2-4.
The second pick also went as ex
pected when Atlanta chose Tony Casillas
of Oklahoma, a 277-pound nose tackle
who won the Lombardi Award for top
lineman in the country. "Casillas is
dominating, and enough top football
people around the NFL already have
called him the best nose tackle ever,"
said Falcons President Rankin Smith
Jr.
The Houston Oilers surprised some
people by drafting Jim Everett, the
Purdue quarterback considered the
best at his position. The Oilers had
been ready to trade the pick and still
might trade either Everett or Warren
Moon, their $1 million-a-year starting
quarterback.
The Indianapolis Colts, who had
wanted Everett but traded for Dallas
Cowboys backup quarterback Gary
Hogeboom on Monday, went for Ala
bama defensive end Jon Hand. And St.
Louis, which had wanted Hand, pulled
the first shocker of the draft by taking
Anthony Bell, a little-heralded 230
pound linebacker from Michigan State.
But it was Jackson, the 6-foot-l, 225
pounder, who got most of the attention.
An outstanding baseball prospect,
Jackson did not have a good year in
that sport this spring, striking out 30
times in 69 at-bats and hitting .259
before being ruled ineligible by the
Southeastern Conference after he ac
cepted a trip to Tampa from the Bucs to
undergo a physical.
Still, last week he traveled to Cali
fornia to visit with baseball star Reggie
Jackson and said today he still is con
sidering baseball.
"I played baseball all my life, foot
ball for 8-9 years," he said.
Like Everett, he will step into a posi
tion already well-manned the Bucs
used a one-back offense featuring James
Wilder, who led the NFL in combined
rushing-receiving yardage two years
ago. In a two-back offense, one or both
would be called on to block.
"I love to run," Jackson said. "I like
to block, too. But 1 don't want to block
two-and-a-half to three quarters a game.
"I think James Wilder's a great
back," Jackson said. "He's done a hell
of a lot for Tampa Bay. 1 hope he con
tinues to."
Linemen dominated the first half of
the opening round, with four offensive
linemen, four defensive linemen, two
linebackers, two running backs and
two quarterbacks going in the top 14.
New Orleans, with the sixth pick, took
6-8, 296-pound offensive tackle Jim
Dombrowski of Virginia, and Kansas
City followed with 300-pound offensive
tackle Brian Jozwiak of West Virginia.
Then came San Diego, which tr ided
for Minnesota's No. 8 selection and
took Oklahoma State's Leslie O'Neal, a
248-pound defensive lineman and noted
pass rusher. Pittsburgh chose 278
pound offensive guard John Rienstra of
Temple, the national power lifting
champion.
Philadelphia, under new coach Buddy
Ryan, gambled on Ohio State running
back Keith Byars, who may be unable to
play next season as he recovers from a
twice-broken foot.
Cincinnati took Washington line
backer Joe Kelly No. 11 before Detroit
drafted All-America quarterback Chuck
Long of Iowa, runner-up to Jackson in
the Heisman Trophy voting.
San Diego made Southern Cal's 6
7'2, 280-pound offensive tackle James
Fitzpatrick No. 13, and Minnesota took
253-pound offensive tackle Gerald
Robinson, Jackson's teammate at
Auburn, as the draft reached the mid
point of the first round.
The draft, being held at a midtown
hotel, was expected to go all day and
into the early morning hours of Wed
nesday before the 12 rounds are com
pleted. Each team had 15 minutes to
make its first-round selection, 10 min
utes for the second round and five min
utes for all other picks.
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Dave BentzDaily Nebraskan
Ace in the hole
Nebraska's Jean Gilpen hits a shot at the women's Big Eight Golf Championship at the Country Club
of Lincoln on Tuesday. Gilpen hit a hole in one during her round to help Nebraska rate a third-place
finish behind Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
Nil's .Harrison
out pitches and
out wits hitters
By Jeff Korbelik
Night News Editor
Huskers defeat Tarkio, Bellevue
By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
Nebraska's baseball team improved its record to 30-17 Tuesday
as the Cornhuskers defeated Tarkio, Mo., College 17-9 and Bel
levue College 7-4 at Buck Beltzer Field.
Nebraska wasted no time in disposing of Tarkio in the first
game, scoring nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. Tarkio
answered with three runs in the top-half of the second inning, but
Nebraska added two runs in the bottom of the fourth, putting the
game out of reach. Tarkio scored six runs in the final three
innings, but a six-run sixth inning for the Huskers ended Tarkio's
comeback hopes.
Nebraska out-hit Tarkio 15-12.
Steve Spurgeon recorded the win for Nebraska, raising his
season record to 3-1. Butch Crozier took the loss for Tarkio.
In the second game, Nebraska fell behind early. Bellevue's John
Firmature and Jeff Waters both walked, then scored on an error by
Nebraska's Curtiss Heflin, giving Bellevue College a 2-0 lead in the
top-half of the second inning.
Nebraska tied the score in the bottom of the third inning with
RBI-hits from John Franklin and Jeff Taylor. Bellevue scored two
runs in the top-half of the fourth inning, but the Huskers cut the
lead to one run on Heflin's one-run single in the bottom of the
fourth. Nebraska took the lead for good in the bottom of the
fifth-inning as left-fielder Bruce Wobken hit a two-run single,
scoring Jeff Taylor and Rich King.
Nebraska added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
The winning pitcher for Nebraska was Phil Goguen, raising his
record to 3-0.
Nebraska coach John Sanders said he was pleased with the
performance of his team after finishing a tough schedule last
week.
"It was a good game for us," Sanders said. "It was very up
tempo. We had some tough games last week and it was good to see
the team come out here and play the way they did today."
Nebraska will travel to Omaha today for a double-header with
Creighton at 5 p.m. in Rosenblatt Stadium. The Huskers then
return home Thursday to face Wichita State at 3 p.m. Nebraska's
final home appearance will be this weekend against Oklahoma
State in double-headers Saturday and Sunday.
Two years ago, Nebraska pitcher Phil Harrison would have tried
to force a fastball by an opposing hitter with a 3-2 count. The
result: fewer strikeouts and more walks and hits.
This year, the redshirt sophomore isn't afraid to go to his curve
ball with a 3-2 count. The result: more strikeouts, less walks and a
7-3 record, the best on the team.
"I lacked confidence and would go to my fastball," Harrison
said. "Now I try to mentally outwit the hitter. I have a variety of
pitches."
During his redshirt year, Harrison, from Glendale, Calif., added
a screwball and a change-up to his collection of pitches that
included a fastball and curve. Harrison had the change-up as a
freshman, but used it sparingly.
"I thought they would crush it because the ball comes in
slower. But now I can keep the hitters off balance because they
don't expect it," he said.
Harrison's fastball and curve earned him a 10-3 record, 11
complete games and a 2.66 ERA his freshman year. He struck out
63 batters in 74 innings but walked 64. This year, Harrison's ERA
has increased (3.56), but he already has pitched in 70 innings and
improved his strikeout-to-walks ratio. He has struck out 77 and
walked 51.
Harrison also has earned the respect of baserunners. Pick-offs
are not an official NCAA statistic, but if it had been, Harrison
holds the "record" with 33 at first base, according to Collegiate
Baseball. His accomplishment earned him recognition in Sports
Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd." This season he has picked off
seven base runners.
With a two year record of 17-6, Harrison could be drafted this
year by a major league team.
"My friends think I'll be drafted, and I look at it as being a plus.
It's been my little-boy dream to be drafted, but I don't think this is
the right thing or the right time," he said. "I would like to play a
legitimate three years in college."
Harrison's redshirt season resulted after he broke his foot
during the last week of fall baseball. He said he thought he had a
bone bruise and kept playing, making the fracture worse. He wore
a cast into second semester.
Harrison is expected to start one of the four games with Big
Eight power Oklahoma State. Harrison said that with his renewed
confidence, he looks forward to games like these and facing the
top quality players.
Two years ago, Harrison said he faced Oklahoma State ail
American Pete Incaviglia and USC ail-American Mark McGuire in
separate games and didn't do as well as he would have liked. He
walked McGuire after being ahead with a 1-2 count. He walked
Incavigilia and forced him to ground out. Harrison said the two
intimidated him.
"I psyched myself out. I tried to overpower them," he said. I've
calmed down and I'm using confidence.
"I can't respect them, I've got to go at them."
