Tuesday, September 9, 1986
Page 6
Daily Nebraskan
Sjo
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New Nebraska pitching coach
plans to build top-notch staff
By Jeff Apel
First Down Editor
A two-month wait for Cornhusker
baseball coach John Sanders ended
recently with the announcement that
Tom Pratt had been named pitching
coach-recruiting coordinator at Neb
raska. Pratt, a former assistant coach at
Arizona State University in Tempe,
Ariz., suceeds Mike Evans, who resigned
his position as the Husker's pitching
coach following the Cornhuskers 35-25
season last year.
Sanders said he chose Pratt from 75
ot her applications because of the former
minor league pitcher's experience and
his strong coaching background.
Prior to serving as the Sun Devil's
pitching coach last year, Pratt was the
baseball coach at Bradshaw Mountain
High School in Dewey, Ariz., from 1981
85. During his tenure, Pratt was twice
selected as the B-West division coach
of the year and was also chosen to
coach the Arizona coaches association
North-South all-star game in 1984.
Pratt also spent a year as the assistant
baseball coach at Yavapai Community
College in Prescott, Ariz., prior to
beginning his baseball coaching career
as an assistant varsity baseball coach
at Arizona's Westwood High School.
Sanders said Pratt comes to Nebraska
highly recommended by Arizona State
baseball coach Jim Brock and Jerry
Kindall, the baseball coach of the
national-champion Arizona Wildcats.
"We look at Tom as not only an asset
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to our program but the entire athletic
program," Sanders said. "He comes as
a real people-oriented person he
will handle adversity."
Pratt said one of the main reasons he
initially chose to leave Arizona State
for Nebraska is because he hopes to
use his four-year minor league pitching
experience to build a top pitching pro
gram at Nebraska.
During his minor-league career with
the California Angels and the Kansas
City Royals, Pratt said he faced such
current major leaguers as Gorman
Thomas of the Milwaukee Brewers, Bill
Buckner of the Boston Red Sox and
Darrell Porter of the Texas Rangers.
Those experiences, Pratt said, will
help him in his quest to build a' top
notch pitching program at Nebraska.
'We look at Thomas
as not only an asset
to our program but
the entire athletic
program.'
Sanders
"The kids need to be taught by
someone who has been around it all,"
Pratt said. "I want to tell them about
bus rides and what it's like to be a part
of a professional baseball organization."
Pratt said he is looking forward to
the challenge of trying to build a
nationally ranked baseball program in
a predominantly cold-weather state.
While he was at Arizona State, Pratt
said the Sun Devils used their geogra
phical climate to their advantage dur
ing the recruiting process.
But at Nebraska, Pratt said the
Husker baseball program will try to
take advantage of the university's image
created by the Husker football program.
"This is not a typical Midwest school,"
Pratt said. "We get a lot more exposure
than most Midwest schools because of
the football program."
Pratt said when he and Sanders
begin to recruit for the 1988 baseball
season, he expects to see an increase
in the talent level of the Cornhuskers'
recruits since Nebraska will be ex
panding its recruiting base.
After drawing a list of names from
baseball coaches and professional
scouts throughout the country, Pratt
said the Huskers will check with the
individual to see if he is interested in
becoming a Cornhusker.
If an individual wants to come to
Nebraska, Pratt said, he and Sanders
will let the recruiting process snowball.
"Recruiting is a tremendous amount
of hard work. It requires a tremendous
amount of research," Pratt said. "But
I'm excited about it because I feel
there is a tremendous amount of
potential."
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Andrea HoyDaily Nebraskan
Florida State tailback Keith Ross, 20, is stopped for no gain on fourth-and-one by Nebraska in
the second quarter of Saturdays 34-17 Cornhusker victory.
NCAA call to decide NU's fate
By Bob Asmussen
Night News Editor
Nebraska officials will join in a con
ference call today with the National
Collegiate Athletic Association Com
mittee on Eligibility Appeals to decide
the university's request not to suspend
60 Nebraka players from at least one
game.
Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne
said at practice Monday that he would
be joined in the call by Nebraska
faculty representative James O'Hanlon,
university attorney Richard Wood and
Lincoln attorney Fred Kauffman.
"I don't know how it works," Osborne
said of the conference call. "It may be
relatively brief or it might be a long
time. They're supposed to let you know
in 24 hours."
Osborne said he will still be going to
Maine late in September to meet with
the NCAA.
"I don't exactly know what we're
dealing with now," Osborne said. "With
Doug (DuBose) being injured, I don't
know what we're going to meet about."
The team practiced on the grass
field at Ed Weir track Monday. Osborne
said the practice went well and the
team has few injured players.
Osborne said the team will scrim
mage on Friday or Saturday. The team's
next game is Sept. 20 at Illinois.
Osborne said the team will try and
work on the Illinois' attack in the
scrimmage.
"I've just read a few things indicat
ing they're trying to emphasize the
running game more," Osborne said.
After Saturday's game, Nebraska
players talked about showing more
emotion on the field. Osborne said tlw
players had thought in the past that
they weren't allowed to show emotion
on the field.
"In the past what I've come down on
is anything that could lead to a penalty,
like taunting," Osborne said. "I don't
mind the players showing emotion if its
positive. I've never tried to discourage
positive support. I guess I've tried to
discourage any displays that were individualistic."
Rookie announcer comfortable with starting role
By Bob Asmussen
Night News Editor
There were 10 new starters in Nebraska's
lineup Saturday against Florida State. There was
one new announcer in the starting lineup for
ABC television's coverage of the game.
Tim Brant has replaced Arkansas Athletic
Director Frank Broyles on ABC's No. 1 college
football broadcast team. He joins Keith Jackson
as ABC's first team without a former coach. Brant
said ABC has a new philosophy in regards to
game coverage.
"ABC wants to put two professional announcers
in the booth," Brant said before Saturday's game.
"They want people who can handle any situation
that might come up."
Former coaching greats Bud Wilkinson, Duffy
Daugherty and Ara Parseghian preceeded Broyles
as ABC color commentators.
"One guy asked me if I was in awe of my new
position because of the people that have had this
job in the past," Brant said. "I told him 'I was the
most penalized player in ABC football history.'
We all get our experience somewhere."
Brant said he is glad to have the opportunity
to announce for ABC's No. 1 college football
broadcast team.
"I think Frank was very good," Brant said.
"It's just the nature of the business. One day
you're at the top and the next day you're looking
for work."
Brant has spent the past four seasons prepar
ing for his newjob by being the sideline reporter
for college football games. Brant said his work as
sideline announcer will help him in the broad
cast booth.
"I think it gives me an advantage sitting in the
chair," Brant said. "I've had to deal with some
difficult situations on the sidelines. It was a very
good learning experience."
Brant said he enjoyed being sideline reporter
for ABC.
"I had fun doing it," Brant said. "My pride was
that I never missed a coach. I almost had to
tackle (Ohio State coach) Earle Bruce one time.
It wasn't that he was trying to avoid me, it's just
that in the heat of the action he forgot about
me.
Maybe Bruce should have been worried to
know that Brant almost had to tackle him. Brant
played linebacker and was defensive co-captain
for Jerry Claiborne's Maryland Terrapins in the
early 70s.
"I used to hide behind Randy White and let
him make the play and then pile on to get the
assist," Brant said.
Brant said his career at Maryland helps him as
a broadcaster.
"I think I can offer the insight of an athlete
and the experience of a journalist," Brant said.
As the new guy in the booth, Brant said, he will
be closely scrutinized. He said people will be
looking for him to mess up.
"I'm under a microscope," Brant said. "Not
from ABC, they've made their decision about me,
but from the television critics and from other
media. A fear factor comes into my mind at all
times. I want to be ready for anything that might
come up."
Brant said he thought the NCAA made a poor
decision in suspending 60 Nebraska players for
one game. He said he didn't think the punish
ment fit the crime.
"I think it's appalling," Brant said. "I feel a
tremendous empathy for the players. They're the
ones who will really suffer."
A forfeit of the game by Nebraska would have
meant problems for ABC, Brant said. The game
was nationally televised in prime time.
"I don't think cancelling the game was ever
really a viable alternative," Brant said. "Had
there been sixty players suspended, ABC would
have had to take a hard look at the game."
Brant said he didn't know how the appeal by
Nebraska on the ruling would work out.
"It'shard to tell," Brant said. "Tennessee and
Texas apparently have the same situation. The
NCAA has pretty much committed itself to the
suspensions."
Brant said he thought the fact that the game
was on national television helped Nebraska to
get a stay of the penalty.
"It may not have been the major reason for the
stay, but I think it was one of the reasons," he
said.
Nebraska might not have gotten the stay if
NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers hadn't
interceded on its behalf, Brant said.
"One question I have is 'What if Walter Byers
is out of the country and can't be reached?' "
Brant said.