Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1994)
Sports Thursday, September 1, 1994 Page 9 New face will hit baseball coaching staff By Tim Pearson Senior Editor Nebraska baseball coach John Sanders coached Mike Ashman in 1980 when he was a member of the USA All-Star team. Fourteen years later, Ashman will join |^■H■■■■■■Sanders, coaching staff. banders announced on Wednesday that Ashman would replace full-time assistant Paul Meyers. The decision on the second as sistant coach to replace Tim Seaton will be an nounced on Friday, Sand ers said. 1 Meyers, who had Sanders coached at Nebraska for eight years, resigned for personal reasons, and Tim Seaton, who joined the staff in 1992, also left the team. Ashman, who has coached at Riverside Community College for the last five years, will begin the job on Monday. Ashman had been the associate head coach at Riverside the past three years. Sanders said Ashman would be supervis ing the Cornhusker hitters, inficldcrs and catchers, while also serving as secondary pitching coach. “His baseball background will bring us a high level of baseball knowledge,” Sanders said. “Mike brings a real strong aware ness for academic advancement as well with his mas ter’s degree.” Ashman holds a bachelor’s degree in busi ness administration from Cal-Poly Pomona and a master’s degree in management from National University in San Diego. Nebraska has six players—Scott Wulfing, DavidCrain, Sergio Betancourt, James“Gus” Castro, Justin Gomes and Mel Motley—who went to Riverside. But Sanders said that didn’t come up in the consideration of Ashman for the job. “It’s a nice bonus,” he said. In 1989, Ashman was an assistant at Cal State Fullerton undercurrent Oklahoma coach Larry Cochell. While Ashman coached at Riverside, he helped the Tigers to a 160-74 record. Includ ed in that record were fourth-place finishes in 1990 and 1991 and a sixth-place finish last year at the California State Junior College Regionals. Before becoming a coach. Ashman spent six years in professional baseball. Ashman played for the Oakland A’s from 1981 to 1985 and spent one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sanders said Meyers and Seaton would be lough to replace, but he was thankful for the years they put in with Nebraska. “Paul and Tim were great friends,” he said. “Sure we’re sorry to see them go, but “His (Mike Ashman s) baseball background will bring us a high level of baseball knowledge. ” ,u JOHN SANDERS NU baseball coach they’re Comhuskers forever. “I sure hate to see them go.” Seventy candidates contacted Sanders about the two open coaching jobs, he said. Sanders said the decision to hire Ashman was finalized 1 1/2 weeks ago. “He’s fired up to come here,” he said. “But we’ve got to get him through the winters.” Extra time to be usedforpractice, not recovering By Derek Samson Senior Reporter Just when Nebraska has some extra time to recover from injuries, it doesn’t need it. After defeating West Virginia 31 -0 on Sunday and escaping without any injuries, the Huskers have a week off before meeting Texas Tech in Lub bock, Texas, on Sept. 8. Because Coach Tom Osborne doesn’t have to worry about players trying to heal between games, he can move onto the next order of business — Texas Tech. “As far as 1 can remember, this (West Virginia game) was one of the lightest injury reports we’ve ever had,” he said. “Now we’ve got a little extra time. One of the main things is to be sure we don’t slip backwards. “We’ll try to work fairly hard this week. But at the same time, we’re not going to beat them to death.” The extra time will give Osborne added preparation for the third game of the season—a Sept. 17 showdown with UCLA in Lincoln. However, Nebraska still will have nine days after playing Texas Tech to prepare for the Bruins. “I really wouldn’t have wanted a full two weeks (off) at this time of year,” Osborne said. “As it is. it’s a week and a half, so its not too bad. It also gives you a little over a week for UCLA. “We’ve put all our energy into pre See REST on 11 Michelle Paulman/DN Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier tosses the ball around before practice Tuesday. The Huskers have a week off to recover from last week’s 31-0 win over West Virginia. The team will practice the remainder of the week in preparation for its Sept. 8 game against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. To win Heisman, NU’s Frazier must avoid ‘Jones-itis’ Might as well jump on the band wagon now. The hype is already starting. Will Tommie Frazier win the Heisman Trophy? Is he the leading candidate? Can we start calling him Tommie Heisman? After Sunday’s performance against West Virginia in the Kickoff Classic, Frazier has put visions of Heisman in everybody’s minds. Stop it now. Too often the hype is just hype and nothing else. Sure, Charlie Ward may have won the Heisman last year. Ward started his run with a less than-sparkling performance in the Scminoles’ routof Kansas in last year’s Kickoff Classic. But Ward got belter and belter as the season went on, and he was basically a shoo-in for the folks at the Downtown Athletic Club. But Ward is one of only a handful of prcscason Heisman favorites ever to win. Or so it seems. Remember Calvin Jones last year? At the Nebraska media day, the talk was Heisman, Heisman, Heisman. But Jones came nowhere near winning college football's most coveted tro phy. A ftcr Jones strained his knee against North Texas and missed the next two games, his hopes of taking home the trophy had gone up in smoke. Now M ichigan ’ s T yronc W heatlcy has a severe ease of Jones- itis. But the Wolverines’ star running back was injured before the season started. Wheatley may miss a month of the season, which means Joncs-itis has claimed yet another victim. Who will be next? Comhusker fans arc praying that it Tim Pearson won’t be Frazier. IfFfazicr goes, Husk cr fans could be in for a long season. And that would be a season with no Heisman Trophies—or, for that mat ter, no national championship trophies. Huskcr coach Tom Osborne would be without a national title again. But the issue is Frazier’s run toward glory. The Huskcrs have had their fair share of candidates for the Heisman. Johnny Rodgers won the trophy in 1972, and Mike Rozicr won it in 1983. But others haven’t won it. However, Frazier doesn’t have his eye set on the Heisman. He’s thinking bigger. He’s thinking national title. And he almost got that title last season against Florida Slate in the Orange Bowl. Frazier may have outplayed Ward in the game that de cided the national title. Just look at the statistics. Ward was 24 of 43 for 286 yards, and he had 36 yards rushing. Frazier, on the other hand, was 13 of 24 for 206 yards. The Husker quarterback also ran for 77 yards. Frazier was Nebraska’s Most Valu able Player with 283 total offense yards. But it was Ward who came through in the end to win it for the Seminolcs. Tommie Frazier is bound not to let that happen again. He wants the na tional title first and foremost. If a Heisman comes his way, put it in the trophy ease for viewing later. Frazier has h is eyes dead sc t on w inn ing—th is year. And this could be the year Frazier and his huge ofTensive line win it. West Virginia coach Don Nchlen said Frazier was too quick for his Mountaineer defense to handle. And that West Virginia defense was supposed to be quick. Now what docs that mean for future Husker opponents? West Virginia is at least one of the top 30 teams in the country, and its defense is much better than itsoficnsc. So watch what Frazier will do against defenses like Texas Tech’s, Pacific’s and Wyoming’s. Watch out. You may be in for a fun ride here in Hcismanville. That is, unless Frazier contracts Jones-itis. But as long as Frazier concentrates on winning the national title, the Heisman eventually will come. Pearson li a Junior news-editorial major and the Daily Nebraskan sports editor.