_:__
—
David Wilson
NU regents need
to give baseball
a fighting chance
The fate of the Nebraska base
ball program partially lies in the
hands of the NU Board of Regents,
who win decide Friday if the turf
at Buck Beltzer Field will be re
placed this fall.
The Comhuskers have been
playing on the current Monsanto
Stadium-8 AstroTurf for 14 sea
sons.
“It’s not a matter of wanting new
turf,” Nebraska Baseball Coach
John Sanders said. “It’s a matter of
need.”
The board will vote Friday on
the proposed $350,000 budget that
would replace the infield turf at
Buck Beltzer.
New turf may not greatly affect
the outcome of the Huskers’ 1997
season,' but it win definitely be a
step in the right direction for the
program. And with the new Big 12
Conference, Nebraska is going to
need all the help it can get.
Last season, the Huskers fin
ished 27-27-1 — dead last in the
Big Eight. And although Sanders
had never finished at the bottom
conference in his 19-year career at
Nebraska, he still managed to turn
three players pro.
“I think our program prepares
players real well for professional
baseball,” Sanders said. “The play
ers know what to expect, and nearly
all of them experience success.”
In just 11/2 seasons, former
Husker Darin Erstad, selected No.
1 overall in the June 1995 draft, has
proven he can play in the major
leagues.
hrstad, now with the Calitomia
Angels, will travel to Kansas City
for a three-game series beginning
Friday at 7:05.
Reduced-price tickets are avail
able at the NU ticket office, but as
of Wednesday, none had been sold
through the university. Remember,
he used to play football too. Maybe
that will sell some tickets.
Another former Husker out
fielder Matt Meyer, who spent the
summer playing A ball with the
Dodgers, had nothing but good
things to say about the way Ne
braska prepared him for the profes
sional level.
“They helped me really get fo
cused on my goals,” Meyer said.
“(Sanders) is a good coach. He
taught me a lot of things that en
abled me to start fast.”
But without proper funding,
there’s only so much the coaching
staff can do. Bock Beltzer Field,
often used as a football-practice fa
lovations
l in 1989. ||
let’fsrad* tteNebraska
program in a new direction.
Wilson is a sophomore news
editorial major and a Daily Ne
braskan staff reporter.
JAIME KRQNDAK, a sophomore on the Nebraska volleyball team, is second among NU players with
89 kills this season. Last season, she had just 32 kills as a reserve.
nronaan anacimaaro
Nlfs newest star works to improve in all areas
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
Jaime Krondak was having a
bad day Tuesday.
As she was stitching a seam in
her sewing class, the machine
broke. Then, after a rough account
ing class, she was glad it was time
for volleyball practice.
' “All day I’ve been thinking, 'I
can’t wait to get to practice,”’
Krondak said. ‘Today, I am so frus
trated, I want to hit the ball. And I
just want to dig any ball that comes
to me. It’s a good place to take my
aggressions out”
Krondak—whose fashion mer
chandising major requires expertise
in sewing and accounting — has
been taking out her pent-up emo
tion on opposing teams all season.
In seven statistical categories,
she is first or second on the fourth
ranked Nebraska squad.
At the State Farm NACWAA/
Classic last month in Normal, 111.,
NU Coach Terry Pettit said
Krondak has the potential to be the
best server in Nebraska history.
U
Once all the seniors left, somebody ^
had to step up. So I figured why not?”
Jaime Krondak
NU outside hitter
In six matches this season, she
leads the Comhuskers with 10 ser
vice aces and has played in each of
5-1 Nebraska’s 23 games. But
Krondak, who graduated from Lin
coln East, said she never realized
she had such a deadly serve.
“I didn’t consider myself a good
server until coach said it,” said
Krondak, a 6-foot sophomore. “So
now I try to maintain what I do,
even though I don’t know what I
do.”
Krondak is second on the team
in total attacks (243), kills per game
(3.87) and set assists (nine).
Playing primarily as a reserve
last year, Krondak had just 32 kills.
This year, she had 34 after the
season’s first two matches, includ
ing a career-best 21 against Illinois
State in the first match of the year.
Though she played in only 47
of 106 games last season, Krondak
said she learned a lot from watch
ing Billie Winsett, Allison Weston
and Christy Johnson.
Krondak, who replaced Winsett
in the NU lineup at outside hitter,
said last spring was also important
in her development.
“Billie wasn’t around,” she said,
“so that was my chance to step up.
I think that is when I matured on
the court a bit more.
“Once all the seniors left, some
body had to step up. So I figured
why not?”
Please see KRONDAK on 10
Fast start
satisfies
Huskers
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
A rebuilding season decimated by
injuries has quickly turned into a year
of optimism for Nebraska Volleyball
Coach lerry Pettit.
After only
three weekends,
the Cornhuskers
— who have nine
freshmen and
sophomores
among their 12
healthy players —
look like a bunch
of veterans.
1 naves t seen
anything yet that *'e**1®
as a coach would make me put limita
tions on them,” Pettit said.
Pettit said he and the players are
aware, of the areas in which NU needs
improvement.
“But I can’t see many situations we
Please see PETTI! on 11
Osborne says
i %
% »
notsenous
By David Wilson
Staff Reporter
Nebraska free safety Eric Stokes
was held out of football practice
Wednesday after jamming his neck at
the end of Tuesday’s workout.
Stokes was running a post-practice
drill when he ran into defensive tackle
Jason Peter, who was walking off the
field. Stokes’ X-rays Wednesday were
negative, Coach Tom Osborne said,
and the senior should be be back in
practice today.
Cornerback Michael Booker
missed practice Wednesday with ten
dinitis in his knees. Fullback Brian
Schuster sat out with the flu.
Jay Sims returned to practice after
leaving Tuesday’s workouts because of
dehydration. Sims was taken to Bryan
Memorial Hospital Tuesday night,
where he was treated and released.
Smith sacks competition in K.C.
JL
By Antons Oseka
r. Kj; Senior Editor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Neil
Smith changed the way Nebraska
looks at defensive linemen.
Smith was one
of the first big,
mobile defenders
who eventually al
lowed Nebraska to
switch from read
and-react 5-2 de
; fense to the attack
ing 4-3 set
Smith has car
ried his success to
the National Foot- ^ '7
ball League.
Now in his ninth season with the
Kansas City Chiefs, Smith is a five
time pro bowler and considered one
of the best defensive linemen in the
league.
While at Nebraska, Smith said, he
took advantage of every opportunity,
earning a starting spot as junior and
senior. He was named a first-team All
American in 1987.
Before that, though, Smith said it
looked like there was little hope for a
professional career.
“I just stuck with it and did the best
1 could,” Smith said. “When my time
came, I stepped up and was one of
those defensive linemen that made
something happen.”
Since then, the 6-foot-4,273-pound
Smith has made a career out of mak
ing something happen on the playing
field. He’s also added a new dimen
sion — rushing the passer — to his
game.
“I learned how to rush the passer
when I was here,” Smith said Sunday
at Arrowhead Stadium after the Chiefs’
19-3 win over Oakland.
Along with Derrick Thomas, Smith
is one-half of the most effective NFL
sack duo this decade. He and Thomas,
the 1988 Butkus Award winner from
Alabama, have recorded 145 M2 sacks
since 1990, 38 mace than the NFL’s
No. 2 tandem.
“Derrick is the pass rusher and I’m
the run stopper,” said Smith, who was
the second pick in the first round of
the 1988 draft after serving as an NU
captain during his senior year.
Smith said he learned to win on the
turf at Memorial Stadium.
“I always remember those college
days,” Smith said. “They were defi
nitely the turning point of my career.
When I look back, it was a good ride.”
