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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1996)
Shepherd throws in pros i By David Wilson Staff Reporter Most people can only dream of being paid to play the sport they love. For former Nebraska pitcher Alvie Shepherd, the dream has become real ity. After striking out 42 batters in 38 innings as the closer on the Comhusker baseball team last season, Shepherd was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the First round of the amateur base ball draft in June. Shepherd, whose fastball has been clocked at 97 miles per hour, was tabbed by scouts as a power pitcher with one of the best arms in the coun try. The 21st selection overall, Shep herd did not sign a professional con tract until he improved his stock by putting up impressive numbers in the Alaska Amateur League. Shepherd signed with the Orioles on Aug. 17 and received a $650,000 signing bonus. The average signing bonus for first-round picks in 1995 was $913,000. Former Husker out fielder Darin Erstad led the way, re ceiving more than $1.5 million, the second-largest bonus ever. Because Shepherd signed too late to play rookie league baseball with most of the other Oriole picks, he played winter ball for the Maui Stin grays with a group of Japanese League “On a college team, you have a feiv real good players. Now, it’s more like everybody is as good. ” ALVIE SHEPHERD former Nebraska pitcher players and major league prospects. Teaming up with two other Oriole prospects in Maui and pitching coach John O’Donogue, Shepherd served as the primary closer, helping the Stin grays to a second-place 30-22 record. “I sent him to Maui with one of our minor-league pitching coaches so he would be supervised,” said Syd Thrift, the Orioles’ director of player devel opment. “We were very pleased with his performance.” Despite a much higher level of com petition in a professional league, Shep herd said he went to Hawaii looking for a challenge. “On a college team, you have a few real good players,” Shepherd said. “Now, it’s more like everybody is as good. It’s a higher level for sure.” Shepherd said the transition from college to pro baseball had been smooth. “Getting to be a full-time pitcher is the thing that has helped me the most,” Shepherd said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I went up there, and I had complete confidence, and I did well.” Shepherd’s confidence, along with | his blazing fastball, earned him a spot | on the Hawaiian Winter League all star team. “We take statistics on other play- I ers, and we get to look them over,” Shepherd said. “You get to know who can hit and who struggles with what pitches. And with the wooden bats, you can get inside a little easier.” Shepherd said he would attend the minor league spring training camp, which begins Feb. 16 in Sarasota, Fla., and expects to start the season in high Class A ball with the Orioles in Fredrick, Md. Shepherd probably will be a relief pitcher in Maryland, Thrift said. Fredrick, a full-season Class A club, finished last out of eight teams in the Carolina League last summer. Although Thrift said he was not sure how fast Shepherd was expected to move up the system, he did say Shepherd had the right attitude toward learning. “He has a very bright future,” Thrift said. “He’s got the right stuff.” Gym team | to compete I atOklahoma By Gregg Madsen Staff Reporter The Nebraska men’s gymnastics team travels to Norman, Okla., Sun day for a 2 p.m. triangular meet with Brigham Young and Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center. It will be the first time the Comhuskers have seen action since their season-opening third-place fin ish at the Rocky Mountain Open on Jan. 19-20. Missing from the Nebraska lineup will be true freshman J.D. Reive. As sistant coach Jim Howard said he was unsure when Reive, who is suffering from chronic back problems, would return to action for tne Huskers. Nebraska coach Francis Allen has labeled Reive as the next Jim Hartung, referring to the former Nebraska gym nast who won an Olympic gold medal in 1984. But Howard said another freshman, Marshall Nelson, would make his ca reer debut this weekend. Nelson, who has been recovering from knee sur gery, will compete on the pommel horse, using a simplified dismount to reduce stress on the knee. “Primarily, pommel horse will be better for us this week,” Howard said. “Nelson will definitely help us there. The Huskers scored a 220.475 to defeat Oklahoma and BYU at the Rocky Mountain Open. But Howard said Oklahoma would be a different team this weekend because of the re turn of two key performers, Casey Bryan and Jeremy Killen. Howard said the long layoff be tween meets had helped the Huskers perfect their routines. “We haven’t made any major changes,” Howard said. “Wejust spent a little more time performing.” Husker tennis travels to start spring season By Vince D’Adamo Staff Reporter The Nebraska men ’ s tennis team hopes to start its season on the right foot this weekend. The Comhuskers take on Texas A&M and Southern Alabama to day at College Station, Texas, fol lowed by Texas El-Paso on Satur day. Nebraska will conclude the gru eling weekend in Waco, Texas, against Baylor on Sunday morning. Husker coach Kerry McDermott said ninth-ranked Southern Ala bama would be Nebraska’s most challenging foe. These are the first matches of the season that will count in the win-loss column. Texas A&M is ranked 28th in the nation. McDermott said he expected a dif ficult match with the Aggies, but was confident the Huskers would perform well. “It’ll be pretty tough. But if we play well, I think we could pull off the upset,” McDermott said. “But I think we got a good shot at winning a couple of them.” UTEP is ranked 64th in the coun try. Baylor is not ranked in the top 100. V Nebraska sophomore Markus Bergerheim enters this weekend as the Huskers’ top-seeded singles player. Bergerheim is still battling back from a foot injury suffered last season. “Markus has shown me thathe’s playing better than most of the guys on this team,” McDermott said. Fredrik Riesbeck was Nebraska’s best performer in the Big Eight Indoor Championships two weeks ago. He advanced to the consolation championship round before losing in straight sets. “He’s serving better,” McDermott said. “He’s hitting big first serves. I think he expects more from himself, and he’s showing more leadership.” Henrik Andersson and Dino Teppara won the doubles champi onship in the consolation bracket of the Big Eight Indoor Champion ships. McDermott said he hoped the team’s indoor success would carry into this weekend. Swimmers earn honors From Staff Reports Two members of the Nebraska swimming and diving team have been honored for their efforts in January. Seniors Travis Niemeyer and Melanie Dodd were named Big Eight swimmers of the month for January. In his first dual meet this season, Niemeyer took first in the 1- and 3 meter diving events. He set a Nebraska record in the 1 -meter dive with a score of 278.150. Later in the month, he set a Comhusker record in the 3-meter event with 348.75 points against Iowa State With those two records, Niemeyer mel the NCAA zone qualifications. Dodd notched eight individua freestyle wins and six first-place fin ishes as a relay-team member. Dodd who is ranked among the top perform ers in the nation, recorded at least tw< victories in each meet. She is listed 12th in the nation in th( 50-meter freestyle, eighth in the 100 meter freestyle and ninth in the 200 meter freestyle. She is also a membe of four Husker relay teams that ar< nationally ranked. KU Continued fipm Page 9 ers 85-75 on Feb. 3. Iowa State coach Tim Floyd said before the season that he thought this would be a rebuilding year for the Cyclones. He said Iowa State would be hard pressed to meet last season's record. With a win Saturday, Iowa State would equal its win total in the Big Eight from a year ago. The Cyclones are led by newcom ers Kenny Pratt ana Dedric Willoughby, both of whom are jun iors. Pratt scored 24 points, and Willoughby contributed 20 in the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Huskers played that game with out guard Jaron Boone, who was sus pended for disciplinary reasons. Against Missouri, Boone scored 20 points and showed signs of coming out of a three-game slump by making 7-of 10 shots and 4-of-5 3-pointers. Strickland said he thought the run desperately needed by Nebraska could begin in Ames, where the Huskers have won three out of their past foui games. “A lot of guy s are feeling very good right now,” Strickland said. “The loss hurt a little bit, but I don’t think any body is down at all.” rjf? Friday Might Live/ ™ for 20eomethinge! ^ Are you looking to meet others and make new friends in a new and fun environment? Come enjoy pizza, pop, and an exciting evening at Friday Might Live! Tonight • 7:30 pm ^^Thame: Mala/Female Friendships Sponsored by the "20something" Ministry at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church 70th and Vine Streets • 4S9-SS35 'X-V • Lecture Notes : v j '.^■.■•Course.Packets C Resume Services y:J • Copy & Bindery r:. •,.:"f • Pax Services " : •. , > Lahunatmg j.'•V: FAX St! $400 ! lOFF Receive $1.00 off any (ax service with this coupon. One coupon per customer. Expires 4/1/96. Grade A Notes at Nebraska Bookstore Lower Level • 13th & Q Street • 477-7400 UNL Theatre Arts and Dance presents 1 Tennessee Williams9 memorable masterpiece The Glass Menagerie February 15-17 & February 20-24 8 p.m. Howell Theatre * Temple Bldg, 12th & R Ph: 472-2073 When you buy a Valentine's Day personal you automatically get 1 another personal FREE (to use at any time this semester), plus you ( will get your name entered into the Daily Nebraskan Valentine's | Day Sweetheart Contest where you oan win fabulous Hurry & Enter Deadline; Feb. 13 at 2pm i PRIZES New Set 5 Nails from Tlps& Toes { Dinner for 2 from Spaghetti Works ( Delicious Cookies from Brown Baggers Valentine Bouquet from Attic Treasures Hair Care Product from Hair Care Place i 3 Sweatshirts from the University Bookstore ( $30.00 Q ^Certificate from JT.G.L Fridays ^ Komantic Evening Gift Basket from The Romantic 2 $10.00 Gift Certificates from The Flicker Shoppe 1 5 Pair of Theater Tickets from Douglas Theater Co. ( Heart Bracelet from Lincoln Jewerly Co. | $25.00 Gift Certificate from Individualist! One Desert & 2 House Specials from LibasbyYousuf" Beautiful Heart Box from India from HelpingHands ( $20.00 Gift Certificate from Jabrisco ( $25.00 Gift Certificate from Vincenzo's 18" Valentine Mylars Hearts & other assorted sty Ies f Hearts & other assortedsty le? filled wi th helium & tied with ribbon. Reg. Warehouse & tied with ribbon. Reg. Warehouse Priced 50^ each. HOW i )f Exp. 2/14/961 Valentine Balloon Bouquets Pre-designedfor your convenience. Exp. 2/14/96 Edgewood I Shoeing Center (behind Blockba*ter Video) 5500 So. 56th St. 421-7510 621 No. 48th St. (near Albertson's) 464-8201
