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Smith brings toughness to field
BtMkeKluck
Senior Reporter
Nebraska softball catcher Jenny
Smith has two very distinct sides.
One side of the junior from Fort
Collins, Colo., is a
person who enjoys
sitting down at the
piano or with a
guitar composing
music. She also
finds enjoyment
from sitting at The
Mill in the
Haymarket drink
ing hazelnut cof
fee while drawing,
and watching people.
At her 20-year college reunion,
this Jenny Smith hopes to be a suc
cessful computer graphics designer for
an advertising agency.
But then there’s the other Jenny
Smith.
The one who enjoys outdoor activi
ties like hiking, mountain biking, fish
ing and camping. This Smith would
be an ideal candidate for a Mountain
Dew commercial.
This is the one who wanted to be a
police officer when she graduated but
had to be talked out of it by her mother.
Now Smith plans on fighting fires af
ter college.
A combination of the two Smiths
is what made the right-hander a first
team All-Big 12 member last season
and a strong candidate to repeat this
year.
The rugged Smith has challenged
herself to the near impossible feat of
not allowing any balls to pass this sea
son. It’s that same type of personality
and pride Smith takes in blocking
home plate and all the bases when
she’s playing.
“When I’m playing I feel really
territorial about the plate and even
about the bases,” Smith said. “1 like
to play little mind games with myself
when a runner gets on first base. It’s
like that’s my base, and if they get off
too far then they’re dead.
“I feel that way with every base,
but especially home. I know as a hit
ter how important it is to score. So as
a defender, I know that it is my posi
tion and that it is my plate and I have
to defend it. I take real pride in pro
tecting the plate and I take it real hard
when someone squeaks by.”
It’s that pride that evolved last sea
son when Smith improved from be
ing a good athlete to becoming a good
catcher, Comhusker Coach Rhonda
Revelle said.
After hitting just .297 in her fresh
man season, Smith improved to fin
ish second for the Huskers last season
batting .353 while playing in all 65
games and earning first-team All
Midwest Region.
“I just really think she has worked
hard and has taken a lot of things per
sonally,” Revelle said. “You get your
self to the highest level when you take
it so personally.
“She understands what it means if
the opponent touches her area. That’s
been gigantic. In the last year, she has
increased her intensity in taking pride
in stuff like that and it has really
shown. She needs to have that kind of
attitude.”
But it’s also the quiet Smith who
has helped the young Huskers (7-9).
this season.
As a catcher she has acted in the
u
I take real
pride in protecting
the plate, and I
take it real hard
when someone
squeaks by.”
Jenny Smith
NU catcher
role of field general communicating
between the players and coaches and
making sure NU is in the proper de
fensive alignments.
With the youth of the Huskers, es
pecially in the infield, Smith has had
an added challenge.
“I feel like she is soothing to the
pitchers, yet demanding,” Revelle
said. “Last season, she saw the light
as far as what it takes to be a catcher,
to be a field general, to work with your
coach on the sidelines and communi
cate with what’s going on and still
maintain your hitting.”
But Smith has started slow this
season in the batter’s box. She is hit
ting just .173 with two home runs.
Smith—who is fourth on the Ne
braska career home run list with 18
—said she is not concerned about her
early-season hitting slump.
“I need to keep hitting well but I’m
sort of like a late bloomer,” Smith said.
“I’m not worried about that.”
Tennis teams
look to improve
By Jay Saunders
Staff Reporter
The Nebraska men’s and women's
tennis teams both have a weekend full
of important matches, but for entirely
different reasons.
The women’s team, who just re
turned from a 3-0 trip to Fullerton,
Calif., last weekend, heads west again
to compete in the Boise Tournament
in Boise, Idaho.
Last weekend, Women’s Coach
Scott Jacobson said his team took a
step in the right direction after sweep
ing three duals. The Cornhuskers
notched wins against Cal State-Ful
lerton, Fairfield and Indiana State to
improve to 8-3.
“That was good preparation for our
trip to Boise,” Jacobson said. “Those
matches will be great competition for
us.”
NU will play against three regional
foes this weekend. The Huskers will
play Montana State, Idaho and host
team Boise State. Jacobson said his
team is focusing on these regional
matches because of their impact later
in the season.
The men’s team isn’t playing a re
gional match, but the team does con
tinue its Big 12 Conference schedule.
NU dropped a disappointing 5-2
decision to Baylor last weekend. The
Huskers are looking for their first con
ference win at Texas this weekend.
The Longhorns play host to Nebraska
on Friday, and the Huskers will then
travel to College Station, Tbxas, to face
Texas A&M.
Harris
selected
to team
From Staff Reports
Nebraska men’s gymnast Ted
Harris was named to the CoSIDA
District 7 1997 GTE All-American
Winter At-Large Team.
Harris, a former walk-on from
Kearney, finished third in the still
rings at the 1996 NCAA Champi
onships and carries a 3.91 grade
point average in finance.
He was named to the 1996 Big
12 Academic Honor Roll and
earned academic medallions in
199S and 1996. Harris is also a
member of the NCAA Student
Athlete Advisory Board for 1996
97.
Semmoles get NU-UCorm winner
Florida State and
Arkansas advance to
NIT Final Four with
wins over WVU, UNLY
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP)—
James Collins scored 24 points and
injury-plagued Corey Louis came off
the bench for 14 as Florida State beat
West Virginia 76-71 Wednesday night
in the third round of the National In
vitation Iburnament.
The Seminoles advanced to the
NTT Final Four joining Arkansas, an
86-73 winner over UNLV. The Final
Four starts Thesday at Madison Square
Garden in New York.
The Mountaineers (21-10) lost a
last chance when Brent Solheim was
called far an intentional foul with 2.9
seconds remaining. Randell Jackson,
who finished with 19 points, made two
free throws as the Seminoles held the
ball until time expired.
Florida State (19-11), planting in
the postseason for the first time in four
years, advanced to face the winner of
Friday's Cannecticut-Nebraska game
next week in the semifinals at New
York.
In Fayetteville, Ark., Tfcrik Wallace
and Pat Bradley combined for 21
points early in the second half as the
Razorbacks opened an ll^oint lead
on the way to an 86-73 victory over
the Runnin' Rebels.
UNLV (22-10) led by six with a
minute left in the half, but Arkansas
(18-12) outscored the Rebels 32-15
duringthe next eijhtminute8. The run
included three 3-pointers by Wallace,
two by Bradley and one by Glendon
Alexander. Hie spurt ended with two
baskets by Kareon Reid making the
score 63-52.
Hie Rebels got as close as six four
times in the final seven minutes. Only
once did they have a chance to get it
below six, and on that occasion, Kean
Gaik lost the ball out of bounds.
Hie threats ended when Rod got
into the lane for a basket, Wallace beat
the shot clock after Reid’s steal, Reid
made both aids of a one and one and
Bradley did the same.
Hie Razorbacks advanced to New
York to play either Notre Dame or
Michigan.
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