Softball team will battle
OU, OSU this weekend
By Mike Kluck
Staff Reporter___
A battle between a thoroughbred
and a bulldog will take place when
Nebraska’s softbal
homa and Okla
homa State in a
double round
robin tournament
Saturday and Sun
day in Norman,
Okla.
Nebraska
coach Ron
Wolforth said the
No. 13-ranked
Comhuskers will Kremer
encounter a “bulldog” when they face
No. 4-ranked Oklahoma State at 10
a.m. Saturday. The 26-5 Cowgirls
have been successful even though
they are not quick and graceful, he
said.
“They are really scrappy, and if
they get you down, they can take a bite
out of you,” Wolforth said. “They
have a tad bit of animosity on their
team because they don’t like whoever
they play that day. They’re like a pit
bull because they will bite you and
keep biting you until you bleed.”
woitortn said me i v- / nusicers m
the description of a “thoroughbred”
because they are graceful in all areas
of play. He said Nebraska has the
talent to win most games.
But Wolforth said he wishes the
Huskers would act more li’.e bulldogs
when they need to plry hard and
scrappy to win.
He said Nebraska will be chal
lenged by the Cowgirls because the
Huskers and Oklahoma State are co
favorites to win the Big Eight cham
pionship.
Oklahoma Stale coach Sandy Fis
cher said that although her team ex
pects a tough match against Ne
braska, it will not stray from its usual
aggressive game plan.
“I don’t expect a different game
from them,” Fischer said. “It should
be an equal match. We had a good
recruiting year and have some equal
talent. We’re not doing anything dif
ferent because we treat every game
the same.”
Wolforth said Nebraska and Okla
homa State are equally matched of
fensively, but the Huskers have a
pitching advantage. Seniors Lon
Sippel and Donna Dcardorff will
pitch against the Cowgirls, he said.
“Oklahoma State has the basic
people who get up and get after you,”
Wolforth said. “This is the most
important series of the year until the
Big Eight Tournament. These arc our
biggest four games all year long.”
Fischer said Oklahoma State will
have an emotional advantage in the
games, which will be the conference
opening contest for both teams.
“We have just missed the national
tournament the last three years,” Fis
cher said. “That has built up in the
players’ minds and keeps them going
in the right direction.
“Right now we are just looking to
play the best we can.”
Oklahoma coach Michelle Tho
mas said she is also looking for her 13
lb Sooners to play the best they can.
She said that although Oklahoma is
considered the “sleeper” team in the
tournament, the Sooners arc hoping to
surprise Nebraska.
“It could be a positive turning
point in our season,” Thomas said.
“We feel we can come out of the
round robin at .500. If we play good
ball, we can play with anybody.”
Wolforth said he knows the Soon
ers are the underdog in the tourna
ment, but that they’ll have a good
chance of winning if they are in the
game in the fifth, sixth and seventh
innings.
Oklahoma hits the ball well but
lacks defense and pitching, Wolforth
said, and Nebraska needs to attack the
ball early in hopes of winning the
game.
We need more of a killer in
stinct,” Wolforth said. “The top five
teams are separated from the top 15
teams by being the teams that are able
to pul their opponent away. We have
to play every inning of every game.”
Wolforth said Nebraska will have
to play better than it did during its 2
1 and 4-2 victories against Eastern
Illinois last Saturday at the Nebraska
Softball Complex.
“If we play like we did against
Eastern Illinois, we arc going to get
beat,” Wolforth said. “We have to
play as well as we can mentally. We
need to be as intense as possible and
play both teams well.”
Wolforth said the Huskers will be
aided by the return of shortstop Jane
Kremer. Kremer, a junior from
Lamotte, Iowa, missed most of the
last two weeks of practice because she
was home with her father, who has
cancer.
Kremer said she is trying to sepa
rate her personal problems from her
playing. She said it is critical that she
focus on the games because Nebraska
will receive a tough test from Okla
homa and Oklahoma State.
“We need to believe in our abili
ties, have some confidence and play
together as a team.” Kremer said.
“Our main thing is to play together as
a team.”
Wolforth said Kremer will bring
stability to the Nebraska lineup be
cause she is an experienced shortstop.
Rodeo listed for weekend
Ten colleges from the upper Mid
west will compete as teams and indi
viduals in the University of Ncbraska
Lincoln’s 30th annual rodeo this
weekend at the Slate Fair Park Coli
seum.
Competition begins tonight at
7:30, with Saturday’s action slated for
1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s after
noon session is a special kids’ rodeo,
with admission reduced to $1 for
children and $2 for students.
Pennant forecast ‘in left field’
I’m writing in response to Jeff
Apel’s prediction for the American
League West pennant (Daily Nebras
kan. April 5).
I I’m not sure what type of sports fan
Apel is, but he certainly cannot claim
to be a student of baseball. His predic
tions are not remotely close to home.
Not one of the major sports publica
tions has predicted a finish similar to
Apel’s. About the only similarity
between Apel’s predictions and the
other predictions is Oakland in first
and Chicago in the cellar. I predict
that Apel’s accuracy average will be
a lower average than Bo Jackson’s
batting average.
Take a second to look at your
predictions, Apel. They arc simply
absurd. Kansas City is next to fast
place and 40 games out. Be serious.
The Royals may lack some punch in
their bats and may have a weak bull
Pen, but they ought to be good for at
least a third-place finish (although I
think they will challenge Oakland for
first). More generally, you have pre
dicted that no one will finish closer
than 11 games to Oakland. That’s
absolutely crazy. The A.L. West has
never been dominated by a team to the
degree that you predict Oakland will
dominate in 1988. I’m not sure how to
figure the finishes, but I seriously
doubt that it is mathematically pos
sible to have the A.L. West with
teams that are all as far out as you have
suggested. What happens in the A.L.
East? Do they all finish within a half
game of first? That’s probably what
would have happened to make your
predictions come true. A scenario I
doubt will develop (remember, the
A.L. East has Cleveland).
Apel, I suggest that you do some
homework — read what the experts
are saying about the upcoming sea
son. Your predictions are simply out
in left field.
Michael K. Moore
graduate student
political science
UPC CONCERTS & COFFEEHOUSES COMMITTEE
*
WHERE: CITY UNION PLAZA
WHEN: MONDAY APRIL 11, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
FREE TO THE PUBLIC
-1
bitter?
enweil
adjiisted.