I Nebraskan
Thursday, March 31,1988
I Softball coach says it’s time for basics
I By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter_
It is time for thq Nebraska softball
team to go back to the basics, accord
ing to Nebraska coach Ron Wolforth.
Wolforth said
the Cornhuskers
have run into prob
lems throughout
the early part of
their season be
cause of the specu
lation derived
from their No. 2
prescason ranking.
Hcsaidthcdistrac- Wolda
tion of being touted as a strong candi
date for the national champion hurt
Nebraska during ns nine-day trip to
Texas and California, where the
Huskers compiled a 12-5 record.
“A lot of people were telling us we
were a shoe-in lor the national title,’'
Wolforth said. “Our players started
listening to them and forgot that u
lakes hard work and intensity.”
Nebraska opened its trip by shui
ting out Bowling Green, Southwest
Texas State, Baylor and North Texas
State in the Houston Classic, but
dropped a 1-0 decision to Iowa State
in 10 innings. Nebraska then earned a
third-place finish by shutting out
Indiana and Bowling Green in the
tournament’s consolation round.
Wolforth said he wasn’t disap
pointed by the Huskcrs’ loss to Iowa
State because they played well defen
sively. He said Nebraska had the ef
fort and determination to beat the
Cyclones, who were the tournament’s
champions, but couldn't score any
runs.
Wolforth said Nebraska’s victo
ries m Houston were glimpses of how
good the Huskcrs could be this year.
"We started to sec some changes
with our team,’’ Wolforth said. “It was
a good confidence-gaining period ol
lime.”
Nebraska defeated Texas A&M 4
1 in Houston, and then avenged a 3 -1
loss to Northwestern in Stockton,
Cali! , by defeating Pacific 6-0.
Wolforth said the losses to Texas
A&M and Northwestern occurred
because the Huskers didn’t have the
intensity they needed.
“In those two games we seemed
just to go through the motions,”
Wol forth said. “Those two games
were the most non-intense I have seen
us play in the last two years.
“I feel personally responsible for
several of our losses because our team
wasn’t up to the level we needed to
play at. This is a reflection on me
somehow, but I need to get out of
them what is needed to get us where
we need to be "
Nebraska finished its trip by trav
eling to San Jose, Calif., to compete in
the San Jose State-Bud Light Invita
tional. The Huskers wrapped up a
second-place finish in the tournament
by dropping a 9-0 decision to No. 1
ranked UCLA.
Wolforth said the UCLA score was
not a proper indicator of how the
Bruins and Nebraska compared on the
field.
“UCLA is not anywhere close to
nine runs better than Nebraska,”
Wolforth said. “I wasn’t upset with
the game because we fought hard to
get into the championship.”
Wollorth said the San Jose Slate
tournament wasn’t a total loss even
though Nebraska loss to UCLA and
dropped a 2-1 decision to Illinois
State. He said the Huskers defeated
New Mexico, a squad which beat
Nebraska earlier this season, and
posted wins against Santa Clara,
Creighton, and top-20 powers Ari
zona Stale and Central Michigan.
Wolforth saiu Nebraska's five
victories in San Jose gave him a good
feeling for the rest of the season. He
said the Huskers would be assured of
a repeat trip to the College World
Series il they play at the level they
played at in San Jose
“Everyone of our starting nine had
a hand in at least one of our victories,”
Wolforth said. “It was a good team
effort on both defense and of fense
We had some solid games with good
intensity, and we played with good
team unity We re going to take those
five games and springboard from
them for the rest of the season.”
Wolforth said Nebraska was
spurred by the play of third baseman
Katy Wolda, who was named to the
All-Tournament team in San Jose
Junior shortstop Jane Kremer, who
broke a Husker record when she
knocked in five runs against Santa
Clara was named the offensive
player of the tournament.
Wolforth said that although Kre
mer was honored for her offensive
play, her eiefensive skills were more
impressive.
“1 have never seen he> play betlei
defense at the shortstop position
Wolforth said. “If she continues te
play like that, she coulti be the best
defensive shortstop in the Big Elgin
She iex)k her first step forward ir
becoming a complete player.”
Woltorth said Nebraska is “going
in iherighi direction after compiling
a 17-8 record this season. He said the
Huskers are looking forward to open
mg then home season ai p.m Satui
da> against Eastern ‘llinois at tin
Nebraska Softball Complex.
Huskers gain exposure at Tennis Classic
i
Ky Nick Hodge
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska men’s and women’s
tennis teams were given a rewarding
experience during their spring-break
trip to California.
Nebraska tennis coach Kerry
McDermott said he was pleased with
the trip to the West Coast even though
the Comhusker men had a more suc
cessful spring break than the Huskcr
women. The Nebraska men compiled
a6-2 record, while the Huskcr women
earned a 1-5 mark.
McDermott said the trip provided
the Nebraska program with good
exposure.
“We re playing a better schedule
and better matches, which will make
our program belter and improve re
cruiting,” McDermott said. “Our
program has improved a great deal
already”
McDermott said the level oi com
petition throughout the trip will help
the Huskers in the long run.
“There were lots of close matches,
which always brings out the best of
your game," McDermott said "We
had a good spring break "
The Nebraska men opened their
portion of the trip by finishing second
at the San Diego Team Tourney in
San Diego March 18-20. The Huskers
had reached the finals of the three-day
tournament by defeating Northern
Arizona and Dartmouth, but lost to
San Diego 5-3.
Nebraska warmed up for the Cali
fomia-Irvine Marriott Tennis Classic
March 24-27 in Irvine, Calif., by
defeating U.S. International 7-2
Monday in Irvine
The Buskers then earned a fifth
place finish in the 16 team Marriott
Classic by defeating Mississippi 5-3.
Nebraska opened the tournament by
defeating Harvard 5-4 anu then
avenged a 5-3 loss to Minnesota by
defeating Chapman, the No. i ranked
team in Division II, 6-0
McDermott said Nebraska has
made great strides since participating
in the Marriott Classic last season.
“We had a good tournament by
finishing fifth out of 16 teams when
you look back at last yeai when w<
lost in the first round McDermot
said.
The Nebraska women defeats
Loyola Marymount in the Marrioe
Classic, its lone victor) of the irij
McDermott said he was disappoints
with the Huskcr women bcCausi hi
felt they could win three matche
entering the trip.
“I’m disappointed bui h was gooc
to get outdoors ano lace the eU
mcnis.’ McDermott said It was aJs<
good to get some match experience
Competition surges as Olympic hoperuls come to Lincoln
By Richard Cooper
Staff Reporter
When the NCAA Men’s Gymnas
tics Championships come to Lincoln
April 14-16, Nebraska will carry the
No. 2 national ranking into the meet.
The Comhuskers, who have fin
ished second at the NCAA Gymnas
tics Championships in the last three
consecutive years, are the No. 1 seed
in the Midwest region.
Dave Mickelson, chairman of the
NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Commit
tee, said 10 teams will be selected
Tuesday to compete in the champion
ships. The lop teams in the four re
gions — East, Midcast, Midwest and
West—will receive automatic berths
and the next six teams will receive at
large berths.
Mickclson said teams will be se
lected on the basis of final NCAA
regular season ranking, head-to-head
competition and latc-season perform
ances.
The final rankings and scoring
averages were released Monday by
the NCAA. Illinois is the No. 1
ranked team with a 285.25 scoring
average, followed by Nebraska with a
284.18 average. Oklahoma is ranked
No. 3 with a 283.55 average, followed
by No. 4 Iowa with a 283.09 average.
No. 5 Ohio State with a 282.77 aver
age, and No. 6 Stanford with a 282.26
average. Houston Baptist, Minne
sota, UCLA, Arizona State and Penn
State fill out the top 11 teams.
Mickclson said Arizona Slate will
probably not be selected because
Penn State is the No. 1 -ranked team in
the East region. The No. 1-ranked
team in the Mideast region is Big Ten
champion Illinois.
Mickelson said the NCAA Gym
nastics Committee gives an auto
matic berth to the Big Ten Champion
because it is the only “legitimate
conference” in the NCAA with seven
teams.
Nebraska is the top seed in the
Midwest, and Stanford has qualified
as the No. 1 seed in the West region.
The Cardinals were the Pac 10 run
ners-up this year.
Mickelson said six teams arc ca
pable of winning the NCAA Champi
onship. He said the meet promises to
be the mostcompetitiveone in NCAA
history.
“The great thing about these
championships is we are finally get
ting the 10 best teams in the country
on the same floor,” Mickelson said.
“This is the most wide-open champi
onship I have ever been associated
with. It should be a great meet.”
Team competition will begin
April 14. and the top three teams from
the preliminary round will advance to
the finals April 15. The all-around
and individual event finals will be
decided on April 16.
UCLA gymnastics coach Art
Shurlock said the three teams that
qualify for the final round will have to
score a 286 or better Nebraska tallied
a 286.75, the highest score in the
NCAA this year earlier this season
against Oklahoma and Iowa State.
Shurlock said the NCAA cham
pion could break the national scoring
record of 287.80, which was set by
Nebraska in 1983.
Mickelson said this year s all
round title will be just as competitive
as the team title because 1988 is an
Olympic year. He said five gymnasts
— including Alfonso Rodriguez of
Houston Baptist, Nebraska’s Tom
Schlesingei and Kevin Davis, Illi
nois’ Davia Zcddics, and UCLA s
Curtis Holdsworth — have a chance
at winning the all-around title.
The premcet favorite is Ro
drigue/, Mickclson said. Schlesingcr
and Davis, who finished first and
second in last year’s all-around
competition, arc also strong contend
ers for the title, he said.
Mickclson said the NCAA cham
pionships will give fans an opportu
nity to look at potential 1988 U.S
Olympic Team members.
“This year is a special year for the
NCAA’s because gymnastics fans
will be watching gymnasts who will
compete in the Olympics this year,’
he said. “Every four years the
NCAA’s are very competitive be
cause of the Olympics, and every time
the level of competition goes up a
notch.”
Seven Cornhuskers held out of spring football practice
Nebraska wingback Dana Brinson and cor
nerback Charles Fryar— both starters from last
year's team — topped the list of seven Corn
huskers now being held out of spring football
drills which Coach Tom Osborne announced
Wednesday.
Osborne said I-back Ken Clark, linemen
Chris O’Gara and Ray Valladao, defensive
tackle Kent Wells and fullback Randy Wil
liams will be held out in addition to Brinson and
Fryar.
“One or two of those guys may miss the
whole spring, and the majority of them will
probably be out about two weeks,” Osborne
said Wednesday. ‘‘Most of that is academics
Osborne wouldn’t elaborate on the discipli
nary reasons behind the suspensions, but said
that most players were being held out for
“precautionary reasons because of academics.”
In addition. Osborne said, safely Mark
Blazek, tight end Dan Lohmeier and lineman
Scan Putnam will likely miss most or all spring
drills with injuries. Tight end Todd Millikan
and quarterback Steve Taylor, he said, may
return for part of the spring practices.
Osborne said he was stillunable to judge the
team effectively after only three days of prac
tice, but said the first- and second-team of
fenses and most of the defensive units per
formed well Wednesday.
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