Nebraskan
Tuesday, February 21,1989
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NU coaches avoid problems with NCAA
By Jeff A pel
Senior Hduor
A series of allegations and actions that have
rocked the athletic departments at three Big
Eight schools have not caused Nebraska ath
letic director Bob Devaney to change the focus
of the Comhusker athletic department.
Devaney said Monday that he does not plan
on making any changes even though the Kan
sas basketball and the Oklahoma and Okla
homa State football programs are on NCAA
probation. The Oklahoma football program
has also been hampered by reports of an al
leged gang rape, an alleged shooting, and the
arrest of quarterback Charles Thompson for
allegedly selling cocaine.
The trouble in Norman, Okla., began when
the Oklahoma football program was barred
from television next season and placed on
NCAA probation for two years for recruiting
violations.
Oklahoma defensive back Jerry Parks was
then suspended from school and from the team
tor allegedly shooting teammate Zarak Peters
following an argument. Three players — Glen
Bell, Nigel Clay and Bernard Hall -- were
arrested and subsequently suspended for an
alleged rape, and Thompson was arrested for
allegedly selling 17 grams of cocaine to an
undercover FBI agent.
The Oklahoma State football program was
barred from television for two years and placed
on probation for three years, while the Kansas
basketball team was barred from post-season
play this season and had its scholarships re
duced because of recruiting violations that
occurred under former Coach Larry Brown.
Devaney said the Nebraska athletic depart
ment holds regular meetings with all of its
coaches in an attempt to avoid problems with
the NCAA.
It’s difficult keeping up with all the rules,
but we just try to keep track,” Devaney said.
Devaney said the meetings are beneficial
because they are designed to prevent trouble
before it starts. He said Barb Hibner, the assis
tant athletic director in charge of women’s
athletics, met with the Nebraska women’s
coaches last week.
Devaney said the meetings are especially
important now because of the NCAA sanctions
leveled against Kansas, Oklahoma and Okla
homa State. Gary Fouraker, the assistant ath
letic director for business affairs, estimates the
sanctions will cost Nebraska $500,000 annu
ally in television and other revenues.
That figure could increase if the NCAA
imposes sanctions against the Missourynen’s
basketball program. Missouri came under Fire
earlier this year after the mother of former
Tiger guard P.J. Mays revealed a tape-recorded
conversation that allegedly disclosed a recruit
ing violation. Missouri assistant coach Bob
Sundvold has since been suspended from the
team with pay.
Devaney said Nebraska also lakes steps to
try and make sure athletes do not get into
trouble once their Husker career begins. He
said those steps include a detailed background
check of all prospective student-athletes and a
strict enforcement of all disciplinary rules.
But, Devaney said, even the best plans can
not determine how a person is going to act in a
certain situation.
“Nobody can control their behavior to a
great extent off the field,” he said. “But what
we try to do is tell our athletes to stay clear.”
Devaney said part of the problem that the
Oklahoma football program is encountering
may come from its policy of housing all of its
athletes in the same dormitory. He said he
housed all of his players in an athletic dormi
tory when he was coaching at Wyoming from
1957-62 and during his first two years at Ne
braska.
Devaney said he does not like athletic dor
mitories.
Nebraska’s Beau Reid shoots over Missouri’s Doug
Smith and Mika Sandbothe.
Nee: Week is life or death,
sink or swim for Huskers
By Steve Sipple
Staff Rcportf__
Nebraska basketball coach
Danny Nee doesn't sound like a
coach with a 7th-placc team that
has a 2-8 Big Eight record with
four regular-season games left.
“It’s a critical week - with two
c’s,” Nee said Monday at his
weekly press conference. “This is
a week of the season that’s critical.
Life or death. Sink or swim.’’
Nebraska, which is 14-12 over
all. is tied in the league standings
with Colorado. The Comhuskers
will face Colorado Wednesday at
the Bob Devancy Sports Center.
The Buffaloes are 2-8 in the Big
Bight and 7-16 overall.
The Buskers will Dlav Iowa
Suue, 13-9 overall and 4-6 in the
Big Eight, Saturday at the Sports
Center. Wednesday's game begins
at 7:35 p.m., Saturday's at 1:07
p.m.
\ pair of wins would help Ne
braska’s bid to gain its 15th win
ning season in 16 years. With road
games against Kansas and top
ranked Oklahoma facing the Husk
ers next week, this week’s games
appear even more unpuruun.
Bui for now, Nee said he’s just
preparing his team for its final
home stint, barring post-season
P ^They’re home games,” Nee
said, ‘‘games that we’re trying to
be competitive in. Now’s pur
chance to control our own destiny
at the end of the year.”
Nee was asked how many wins
it would lake for Nebraska to gain
a post-season tournament bid.
'i honestly don’t know,” Nee
said. “What do you think?”
Nee flinched at the mention of
the term “post-season.”
“You couldn’t get me to say
Inal WOril iui « uiiim*«
Nee said.
The Huskers failed 10 gam a
post-season bid last season - the
first lime since 1983.
Nee had no problem stressing
the importance of this week s
games. He said it may be more
difficult to keep the attention ol his
nlaycrs. It’s not inconceivable that
a seventh-place team could lose
intensity at this time of year, he
See NEE on 10 (
4 _ , _
Former Husker infielder says transfer
improved the caliber of his opposition
By Steve Sipple
Staff Reporter
Former Nebraska infielder Male’
Borgogno likes good competition
and warm weather.
Borgogno said he didn’t get
enough of those things last year at
Nebraska. But he said he’s getting
plenty of both this season at Califor
nia State-Fullerton.
Borgogno,
who transferred to
Fullerton this sea
son, said Thurs
day that he made
the right move.
‘‘I love it,”
said Borgogno,
who lives in Borgogno
Chino Hills, Calif., which is 15 min
utes from Fullerton’s campus. ‘‘We
play 10 limes better competition than
we played at Nebraska. I really ap
precialc me warm weamcr ana top
notch teams.”
Borgogno, a second baseman, has
compiled a team-high .448 batting
average for the 5-3 Titans. Fullerton
is ranked No. 6 by Collegiate Base
ball magazine.
The Titans have lost to the Univcr
sily of Southern California, Arizom
and Stanford. The game against the
Cardinals was televised nationwide
by ESPN.
Borgogno said he prefers playing
that caliber of competition to playing
non-Division I schools, which make
up a portion of Nebraska’s mid-week
schedule.
“At Nebraska, I didn’t think we
played the caliber of teams I
should ve been playing, said Bor
gogno, who stands 5-foot-8 and
weighs 155 pounds. “You would go
out and beat a school 17-5 and you
would go 0-for-4. and you’d be like,
‘Damn, how can I go 0-for-4 against
this pitching.’”
Borgogno didn’t go hiiless all the
time. He hit .360 with four home runs
and 50 runs batted in last season
while starling 54 games at second
base. He also stole six bases in seven
attempts.
Borgogno said baseball in Cali
fornia is more competitive than in
Nebraska.
‘ ‘To be honest, l could lake any of
| the lop five junior colleges in Cali
1 fomia and beat Nebraska,” Bor
gogno said.
Nebraska coach John Sanders re
fused to comment about last season’s
schedule. This season’s schedule
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Last season, Nebraska’s mid-week
schedule included traditional powers
Wichita State, Oral Roberts and
Creighton.
Sanders said he released Bor
gogno from his scholarship and if he
had not granted the release, Bor
gogno would have had to sit out a
year before playing Division I base
ball again.
‘‘Mate’ is yet to call us and ac
knowledge us for it,” Sanders said.
Sanders then refused further com
ment.
Borgogno said another reason he
transferred was because the Titans
had openings in their middle infield.
He said he was playing in a Califor
nia summer baseball league when the
Titans coach Larry Locnen in
formed him he needed inficlders.
The Titans' middle infield from
last year -- second baseman Mike
Ross and shortstop Mark Razook -
was drafted by major league baseball
teams. Ross was a third-round draft
choice of Jthe St. Louis Cardinals;
Razook went in the 12th round to the
Seattle Mariners.
When Borgogno learned that
Sanders would release him from his
scholarship, he said his decision to
transfer was made.
“After that, I was history,” Bor
gogno said.
Borgogno said that as a high
school senior he choseffcbra^ o*er
Fullerton because he fell he could
contribute immediately to the Corn
huskers’ lineup. But he said when he
learned of the Titans’ openings at
shortstop and second base, he
couldn’t resist.
LJaim caiH nlavina in C'nlifnmii)
will enhance his chances of playing
professional baseball. He said that
15-20 scouts watch the Titans’
games. A lot of scouts attend their
practices, he said.
“I think that if I would’ve stayed
at Nebraska for four years, I wouldn’t
have had much of a chance to play
pro ball,” Borgogno said. “I know
I’ll get a chance out here.”
The Titans’ assistant coach Den
nis Rogers said he’s glad Borgogno
transferred.
“We’ve been very pleased with
him,” Rogers said. “He’s batting
seventh, he’s got an on-base percent
age of .560 and he plays sound de
fense.”
Softball team places 3rd at tournament
By Darran Fowler
Suff Reporter
Despite a rough start, the Ne
braska softball team finished 3rd at
the Arizona Invitational.
Nebraska softball coach Ron
Wolforth said he was pleased with
his team’s performance in the 16
team tournament because the Corn
huskers overcame key setbacks^ the
four-day competition in Tucson,
Ariz. Nebraska’s problems began
when it compiled a 1-3 mark during
the first two days of the tournament,
caused in part by the absence of
shortstop Jane Kremer and pitcher
Krcnier missed the tournament
because her father died, while
Skegas was sidelined with a swollen
ankle.
Wolforth said those problems
mounted early for the 8th-rankcd
Huskers, as they capped off their
rough start by dropping a 9-0 deci
sion to 8th-ranked California State
Fullcrton. The game was (.ailed in the
fifth inning because of the eight-run
{ule.
‘4 Wc were (he talk ol (he t?uma-;
mcnt because everyone saw now
awful we were,” Wolforlh said.
But Nebraska regrouped on Satur
day and Sunday to finish with a 5-4
record, including a 1-0 victory over
3rd-ranked California Statc
Bcrkclcy.
“We went right back and saw that
we were pretty awful,” Wolforlh
said. “We realized there was only
one way to turn it around and that was
to go the other way.”
Wolforlh said Kremer’s absence
hurt Nebraska. Three Husker players
who filled in at shortstop committed
a combined 16 errors, he said.
“They all gave a good effort,”
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place someone of Kremer’s caliber.
Wolforth said he wasn’t going to
risk playing Skegas until the swelling
in her ankle subsided.
“We didn’t want to lose our most
experienced pitcher in early Febru
ary,” Wolforth said.
Skegas pitched on Saturday and
finished the tournament with a 5-1
record. Her only loss was a 2-1 set
back to Oregon, which went on to
‘ cla&i the tournament title.
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meant freshman Marie Bowie was
forced to handle all the pitching du
ties in Nebraska’s first four games.
“She was under so much pressure
and she handled it really well,”
Wolforth said.
Nebraska opened the tournament
by using a grand slam by outfielder
Janellc Frcsc to post a 7-4 victory
against Hawaii The Huskers then
suffered a 7-0 loss to Arizona, a 4-3
loss to Toledo and their setback to
Cal-Statc Fullerton.,
Nebraska came back to defeat
U.S. International 3-2 and North
western 6-3. The Huskers then dc
feated U.S. International again by a
5-2 score prior to upsetting Cal-Statc
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Wollorth said he was pleased v. ith
the way his players responded to ihc
early adversity.
‘ ‘We came together as a unit alter
all the diversity,” he said. ‘‘The
freshmen really came on and the
senior* were a good stabilizing force.
They all showed a lot of charade;
“To win at this level takes a lot ol
guts and heart, and they showed
that.”
i
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