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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1993)
Kansas sweeps Husker women Struggling team looks to future By Derek Samson Staff Reporter After being swept last weekend by Kansas and dropping to 0-8 in Big Eight play, the Nebraska softball team is looking for positives. And a fresh start. “I think it starts at the top. We’re going tostartall over again,” assistant coach Lori Sippcl said. “We’re not going to make any big changes or anything. This is not a panic situation by any means.” I he Jayhawks, ranked No. 13 in the nation, beat the Comhuskers 7-0, 4,-3 and 7-0 Sunday to complete the four-game sweep. Kansas won Saturday’s contest 5-0. “I think Kansas came out and hit the ball really well. They scored early and we had to play catch-up ball in all but the third game,” Sippcl said. Nebraska has been disadvantaged, Sippel said, because of its schedule, which slated the HuskcrsagainstOkla homa State and Kansas—the top two teams in the Big Eight — in back-to back four-game scries. “Our downfall was that we had to play the number one and number two teams in the region right off,” Sippcl said. “I’m looking forward to sec what happens when they play. I would give a slight edge to Oklahoma State.” In Sunday’s three games, the Jayhawks’ bats were alive, as they outhit Nebraska 29-9. Huskcr pitcher Jody Splichal took losses in two of those games, with her record falling to 6-8. Although the Huskcr offense only mustered six runs in the final three games, Sippcl said the lack of hitting wasn’t the team’s only problem. “I think that overall, talking about performances and not w ins and losses, it was very disheartening,’’Sippel said. “We just can’t let the losses weigh us down for the future.” Sippel said she couldn’t pick out any aspect of Nebraska’s play that hurt the Huskcrs the most against Kansas. “We definitely have some things we have to improve upon. I’m not going to point my finger at one par ticular thing and say that caused us to lose four games,” she said. “Every part of our game hurt us at sometime this weekend.” The most important thing now for the Huskers, according to Sippel, is that they keep the confidence up so they can bounce back in the upcoming games. “We can’t let it affect us so much that we don’t sec the light at the end of the tunnel,” Sippel said. “What we have to do is focus on ourselves and on the teams coming up.” Nebraska dropped to 11-16 after the losses, but have had many games washed away because of rainouts. The Huskers were to play a double header at 3 p.m Tuesday against Creighton in Omaha and then play two at Wichita State on Wednesday. Nebraska will return to conference play for doublchcadcrs against Iowa State Saturday and Sunday. The games arc set for 1 and 3 p.m. at the Nebraska Softball Complex. But with the forecast again rainy for this week, Sippel said the Huskers just want to gel back onto the field. “It’s possible for us to get back above .500 soon if we can quit getting rained out,” Sippel said. “It’s not near as frustrating when we aren’t playing our best on the field as it is when we can’t even get on the field because of the rain.” 1 Tennis Continued from Page 8 McDermott said the match showed how Davis has matured as a player. “(The OU match) was too close for comfort, but Andy came through for us and he has come through in the clutch before,” McDermott said. “He has learned how to compete even when he is not playing well.” McDermott said the Huskers would need that competitive edge as they approach the Big Eight Tournament. The winner of the tournament will advance to the NCAA team champi onships. Nebraska will open tournament competition against Oklahoma State. McDermott said that at this point in the season, there is nothing new to tell the team, and they already know what they have to do. McDermott said he was hesitant to predict a Husker victory, but did say he was confident about team’s chances. “If we play well, we can win the tournament,” McDermott said. “The whole idea (of the season) is to win the tournament and we’re going in with the altitude that if we win, we’re going to the NCAAs and if we don’t, we’re not.” The Big Eight Tournament will be held in Kansas City beginning Friday and running through Sunday after noon. Notes: • Nebraska finished one vote be hind Colorado in a poll among Big Eight men’s coaches to predict the winner of the conference tournament. Kansas finished third and Iowa State finished fourth. Oklahoma, the de fending champion, was picked to fin ish fifth. Alberts Continued from Page 8 they’re great and I’m not stupid to say I don’t want them, but what I really do want us to do well as a team.” Nebraska has gone 27-8-1 in Alberts’ three seasons as a Husker, but is 0-3 in bowl games over that same period. Alberts said he wants to change that. “I want to really see us go undefeated, go into U?e Orange Bowl and I really want to win the Orange Bowl this year — that’s my only goal,” he said. “You can have a terrible team and geta lot of honors, but itdoesn’t really mean anything, because things that stick with you are Big Eight Champi onships and national championships.” The team attitude is what has im pressed so many people around the I want to really see us go undefeated, go Into the Orange Bowl and I really want to win the Orange Bowl this year — that’s my only goah —Alberts NU linebacker Nebraska program, including McBride. “He probably is the real true vet eran of the team,”, McBride said. “When we have a bad day, he gets upset about it and he’s the kind of guy who will talk to the players about it. When we have a good day, he’s the guy that’s usually involved in it. “He’s the kind of kid that’s really never satisfied, and he’s always try ing to do better.” Alberts said his abilities and desire are rooted in what he has learned from Nebraska outside linebackers coach Tony Samuel. “He’s taught me everything I know. I come from a small town in Iowa, and I didn’t know anything when I came here,” Alberts said. “He just stuck with me, and he’s the whole reason that I am where I am — I really believe that.” Even though the 6-foot-4, 230 pound Alberts has received some pub licity this spring, defensive players have traditionally taken a back seal to their counterparts on the offense for the majority of the headlines. But, Alberts said, letting such play ers as Heisman Trophy candidate Calvin Jones and freshman phenom enon Tommie Frazier get most of the attention doesn’t bother him or his blackshirt teammates. “That’s part of the game; wc don’t score touchdowns or those sort of things,” he said. “Those are certainly great players and they deserve all the attention they gel, and I guess if you were a person that was only worried about your own personal honors, then that might bother you. “But it doesn’t bother me, and I don’t think it bothers the rest of the guys, either.” ■ RUSSELLOTHLETIC I TEES & SHORTS ■ University & Resort Logos $799 I From I NATIONAL NAME BRANDS SAVE 50%-70%| MEN’S TEES NIKE • REEBOK • O.P. i FAMOUS MAKER ESPRIT ESPRIT SPORTSWEAR FROM UMBRO SHORTS A ■ — I ESPRIT I TEE r SHIRTS POCKET TEE’S & SPORTSWEAR MEN’S LEVI’S PRE-WASHED JEANS & JEAN E W SHORTS $4 099 SILVER TABS Imperfects *19” SPRING COTTON LEGGINGS -