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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1990)
Sports Coach’s view remains ‘cautiously optimistic’ By Darran Fowler Staff Reporter If the Nebraska softball team does not want to let down its coach, then it must win the 23-team Florida State invitational this weekend. Nebraska softball coach Ron Wolforth said ihc three-day tourna ment, which starts today in Tallahas see, Fla., is one the Comhuskers should win. “If we’re going to be a good team we got to start winning tournaments like this,’’ Wolforth said. “If we don’t get one (first place), I’ll be very dis appointed.’’ A first-place finish for sixth-ranked Nebraska won’t be easy, as the tour nament’s field includes ninth-ranked Southwestern Louisiana, 15th-rankcd Missouri and 20th-ranked Florida State. Indiana, Illinois State, Connecti cut, Rhode Island, Stetson, Furman, Northern Iowa, Bradley, New Mex ico, Florida A&M and Georgia State also will compete. The tournament’s field also includes North Carolina, South Florida, Southern Illinois, Nicholls State, Miami of Ohio, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Adelphi Col lege of Garden City, N.Y. Wolforth said his expectations for the weekend are not derived from Nebraska’s second-place finish in a loumament last weekend at Texas A&M. He said they also arc not de rived from the fact that the Huskers went from being ignored in the pre season ratings to being the sixth-ranked team in the country after the Texas A&M competition. Before the season began, Wolforth singled out the Florida State Invita tional as one Nebraska could win. He said the strong showing at Texas A&M has done little to change his outlook for that tournament. How ever, he said he still remains “cau tiously optimistic” about the rest of the season. “Wc need tons and tons of im provement,” he said. To bring home the championship this weekend, Nebraska must hit bet ter and needs strong pitching from Stephanie Skegas and Marie Bowie, Wolforth said. In tournaments last year, Bowie would pitch well while Skegas would be off, or vice versa, he said. “For us to win, both pitchers have to have a solid tournament,” he said. “That’s as big a key as anything, to have both pitchers on at the same time. “We need a balanced pitching staff.” Nebraska won its five games at Texas A&M despite hitting .152. Four of those victories were by 1 -0 scores. Husker opponents hit .220. “That just proves how little stats mean,” Wolforth said. “The most important thing sometimes is that you find a way to win and these kids did.' The Huskers capitalized on 16 errors and 15 stolen bases in posting their 5 2 record. “The only thing we did extremely well was run the bases,” Wolforth said. “That in itself is not going to be enough. We need to do better. We no longer can count on winning games 1-0 like we have been.” NU coach looking for higher score this time By Chuck Green Senior Reporter Dcspitean 10.65-point win against Houston Baptist earlier this season, Nebraska men’s gymnastics coach Francis Allen is expecting a closer match this weekend. And a higher score. Top-ranked Nebraska will travel to Houston on Saturday to face the Huskies, who the Comhuskers beat 278.20-267.55 on Feb. 18. The meet is the final dual for Nebraska before the Big Eight championships on March 23-24 in Norman, Okla. The Midwest Regional Champi onships also will be at Norman on April 7. In the first meeting with Houston Baptist this season, Nebraska senior All-American Patrick Kirkscy posted a 57.60 all-around score to lead the Huskers. Allen said the Huskers need a higher score this weekend to get back into prime form as the championship sea son draws closer. “We plan on going down lo Hous ton and scoring high,” Allen said. “We need to get back up above 282 and 283 (in team scoring). I think we have the ability to be a 283-pacc team.” Nebraska has an 18-0-1 overall record this season, and a 6-0-1 dual mark. Houston Baptist enters the meet facing the Huskers with a 1-5 dual record. # Nebraska’s goal of an undefeated season came to an end Saturday night when No. 2-ranked Minnesota battled to a 281.65 tie in Minneapolis. Despite the lie with the Golden Gophers, the Huskers remained at the No. 1 spot in this week’s NCAA rank ings. Nebraska’s three-score average of its best three meet scores this sea son is 282.54, compared to Minne sota’s 281.83. Houston Baptist’s 265.43 average makes this year’s team the 26th-best in that school’s history. Allen said he isn’t worried about | NU baseball team attempts to heal wounds after loss By Jeff Apel Senior Editor The Nebraska baseball team will try to heal its wounds when it faces a pair of non-Division I foes this weekend. Nebraska coach John Sanders said the Comhuskers are looking forward to their games against Briar Cliff College of Sioux City, Iowa and Tarkio (Mo.) College because they are stinging from their loss to Sl Cloud (Minn.) State. Nebraska, 13-7, concluded a four-game se ries against the Division II Huskies by dropping a 16-14 decision last Sunday. Sanders said the loss may help Nebraska because it shows the Husk ers that they cannot afford to take any opponent lightly. He said Nebraska has to enter its double headers against Briar Cliff and Tarkio in a positive frame of mind. The Huskers will face Briar Cliff at noon Saturday. Nebraska will face Tarkio, who like the Chargers is a member of the National Asso ciation of Intercollegiate Athlet ics, at 1 p.m. Sunday. The action at Buck Beluer Field features free admission for all Uni versity of Nebraska-Lincoln stu dents who present their student ID cards. Sanders said Nebraska has not forgotten about its loss to St. Cloud State. “We were stung in the last game against St. Cloud State,” he said. 4fYou have to say that when you have 21 hits and score 14 runs that shouldn’t happen. ‘‘But it did, and it was a let down.” Sanders said the most suipris ing aspect about the St Cloud S tate loss was its liming. He said losses against non-Division I opponents are more prone to occur during the Big Eight season because teams may suffer a letdown after psych ing themselves up for conference competition. Sanders said Nebraska needs to improve its consistency if it is going to prevent losses like those against St. Cloud State from rcoccurring. The Huskers have been inconsis tent this season, as they have suf fered three losses against non Division I opponents and also de feated top-ranked Wichita State. In addition to losing to St. Cloud State, Nebraska’s losses against in ferior competition were to Hawaii Pacific. The Sea Warriors, who also are NAIA members, defeated Nebraska twice. Sanders said the losses to Ha waii Pacific were part of a difficult Hawaii trip in which Nebraska compiled a 1 -6 record. “The Hawaii trip - that bummed us out,” he said. ,TThal upset us.” Sanders said Nebraska quickly reversed its fate by defeating No. 1-ranked Wichita State 4-2. The Huskers effort against the Shock ______ .1 n.. .1—a I "■» • David Hansen/Daily Nebraskan Nebraska’s Vince Di Grandi chases St. Cloud State’s Paul Remsley. ers was led by pitcher Mike Zaj eski, who hurled seven strong in nings on his way to picking up the win. Sanders said Nebraska cherished its win against Wichita State. Sanders said Nebraska has to avoid psychological pitfalls if it is going to slay away from the peaks and valleys it has encountered. Sanders said Nebraska wiii need that focus against Briar Cliff and Tarkio. He said he expects both teams to provide the Huskers with See STUNG on 10 Tennis team to play Witchita State, Tulsa By Paul Domeier Senior Reporter___ Nebraska men’s tennis coach Kerry McDermott said his team has had a good week of practice according to die vocal-cord meter going into dual matches against Wichita Stale and Tulsa this weekend in Wichita, Kan. “The less I scold, the better prac tice is going,” he said. “It sounds kind of silly, but the less I have to scold them about throwing rackets and telling them to act like adults on the court, the belter I think we’re practicing.” TheComhuskers realize they have a chance to win the Big Eight cham pionship, McDermott said, so they have been practicing hard and putting in extra time. The players have been intense throughout recent practice matches, he said. The Huskers will play Wichita State Friday. McDermott said the Shockers will be much like fellow Missouri Valley team Drake, a team the Husk ers defeated 8-1 last week. “Down the line, we’re better,” he said. McDermott said he wants to win by about 7-2 over Wichita State with fewer three-set matches than Drake offered. Saturday, the Huskers play Tulsa, another Missouri Valley team. “They’re kind of a scary team; they’re good in spots,’’ he said. “As a whole, they don’t have as much depth.’’ McDermott said he will break up his normal No. 1 doubles team of Matthias Mueller and Ken Feuer for the matches. Mueller will stay at No. 1 and play with Anthony Kotarac, he said, and Feuer will team with Dave Moyer at No. 3. Mueller, the 74th ranked player in the country, and Feuer are the top players in the Huskers’ single line-up. 1 hey could make a good learn, bul I don’t think it’s all there,” McDermott said. “I don’t think they jell that well together.” Their singles success may be hold ing them back as a doubles tandem, he said, since both are too willing to take the match onto their shoulders. “I think in doubles, you have to have one feel like the leader,” he said. “Both want to feci the leaders.” He said the leader-follower rela tionship should develop easily be tween Mueller and Kotarac, a Janu ary newcomer to the team, and be tween Feuer, the team’s only senior, and Moyer. this weekend’s competition, especially with the Big Eight and NCAA cham pionships on the horizon. “Houston Baptist has a couple decent all-aroundcrs, but our guys will want to do well,” he said. “We need to start getting ready for Big Eights and rcgionals. This should give us a chance to polish our routines.’’ The 1990 NCAA Men’s Gymnas tics Championships will be in Min neapolis on April 19-21. The Huskers have won the title six times, their most recent coming in 1988. NU golfer Brooks leads team to a sixth place finish By Jefl Apel Senior Editor Nebraska golfer Joanne Brooks broke out of a season-long slump by recording a record-setting perform ance. Nebraska women’s golf coach Robin Scherer said Brooks broke the hex that has plagued her throughout the spring by finishing second at the Peggy Kirk-Bell Invitational in Win ter Park, Fla. Brooks finished second at the three-day competition by re cording a 221 mark, which set a school record. Brooks’ performance helped Ne braska tic Wake Forest for sixth place in the team standings with a 952 total. Brigham Young won the team title with a 920 mark, followed by Duke (925), North Carolina-Wilmington (930), Kansas (932) and North Caro lina (938). Trailing Nebraska and Wake For est were Longwood College of Farmvillc, Va., which finished eighth with a 959 mark, and Jacksonville, which finished ninth with a 965 total. Rollins College of Winter Park, Fla., Penn State, Northern Illinois, Metro College of Denver, Iowa State, Illi nois State and Purdue rounded out the tournament’s field. Scherer said Nebraska used the performance of its top three golfers to tie Wake Forest for sixth. In addition to Brooks’ 221 mark, theComhuskcrs received a 237 total from Susan Dougherty and a 240 mark from Ann Guiberson. “Our first three players played very well,’’ Scherer said. “Overall, we played really well.’’ Scherer said she particularly was pleased by the performances of Brooks and Guiberson. While Brooks was rolling to her record-breaking per formance, Guiberson overcame a back injury that prevented her from com peting in the pre-tournament practice round to finish with her 240 mark. “Even with a bad back,’’ Scherer said, “she did all right.’’ Nebraska’s next competition is March 24, when the Huskers travel to Columbia, S.C., to compete in the three-day South Carolina invitational.