David Wilson
Soggy weiners
remain part of
baseball lore
They’re plump, juicy and a tra
dition at any baseball game. At
Buck Beltzer Field, Fairbury brand
hot dogs are called for by name.
But as one opens the foil pack
aging, the red-dyed Nebraska^
grown wieners are not very pleas
ing to the eye.
“They look really gross,” said 13
year-old Jenny Whitener, who
downed a dog in NU’s doubleheader
against Kansas State on Saturday,
“but it tastes like a normal hot dog.
Shouldn’t they be brown?”
The red-dyed dogs typically
turn the soggy buns a pinkish color
— but the dye is a good thing said
Beverly Wisehart, the concession
manager at the Buck.
“T think thp Fairhnrv Hnos nrp
just made that way,” Wisehart said.
“But I like to tell the fans that they
are red for Big Red football.”
Not everyone buys her story.
“A lot of people from different
places will open the hot dog and
say, 'Ew, it’s red.’ But almost ev
eryone who tries them agrees that
they’re the best.”
Three years ago, Armor hot
dogs were sold at the Buck, but a
fan survey brought the bark back
from the Fairbury dogs.
Weather greatly affects the sale
of the $ 1.50 meat products, Wisehart
said.
Even the Ultimate Husker Fan,
Kent Johnson, said he likes Fairbury
dogs best. The bushy-bearded
Johnson can be seen at nearly every
NU sporting event loaded down with
Husker memorabilia wearing a
Husker-red cowboy hat topped by a
Nebraska baseball cap.
“At Kansas State I had a hot
dog,” Johnson said, “but it wasn’t
as good as the ones I’ve had here.
Thpv’rp a hasp.hall tradition ”
But fans aren’t the only ones
who eat the wieners. Athletes also
get their go-power from Nebraska
grown Fairbury dogs.
Wisehart said the Comhuskers
are given 50 dogs between games
of a doubleheader. Some players,
she said, come back and buy more.
Nebraska football player
Brendan Zahl stopped by the Buck
to watch some baseball Saturday and
eat some hot dogs. Zahl scarfed
down two dogs in the bottom of the
sixth inning of the first game.
Wisehart said she is positive that
the dogs aren’t left-overs from the
football season, but Zahl isn’t quite
sure.
“I don’t know that they get all
fresh ones at the end of football sea
son,” Zahl said, “but I’m sure
they’re kept well frozen.
“Hot dogs are definitely part of
a baseball game. It’s kind of like
popcorn at the movie theater.”
Wilson is a sophomore news
editorial major and a Daily Ne
braskan staff reporter.
nu nwsnes nun. makes finals
Dillman injures both
knees before NCAA
Midwest Regional.
By Gregg Madsen
Staff Reporter
SALT LAKE CITY — In a frac
tion of a second, the 1997 NCAA Mid
west Regional took on a whole new
meaning for the Nebraska women’s
gymnastics team.
Just 40 minutes before competition
started Saturday night, Nebraska’s
Amie Dillman sprinted down the run
way for a practice vault.
As the sophomore hit the mat, the
growing crowd at the Huntsman Cen
ter gasped in unison.
I
In an instant, Dillman’s legs buck
led underneath her and she fell back,
writhing in excruciating pain from
both knees, which
she dislocated on
the landing.
Tears filled her
teammates’ eyes
as Dillman lay on
the padded floor
for nearly 20 min
utes and Nebraska
Coach Dan
Kendig realized
Dillman would not niiimon
be able to compete
on the floor exercise and the vault.
“We talked in the locker room, and
it was tough to talk about without get
ting choked up,” Kendig said. “You
feel it. You try to rally around it.”
9
The eighth-ranked Comhuskers did
rally around their fallen teammate and
earned third place behind Utah and
Arizona State. Nebraska’s score of
195.15 and ASU’s 195.225 gave both
teams one of seven at-large bids to the
NCAA Championships April 17
through 19 in Gainesville, Fla.
The Utes’ score of 195.7 produced
their 1 lth-consecutive Regional cham
pionship and their 22nd straight trip
to Nationals.
Kendig said the loss of Dillman af
fected Nebraska tremendously.
Utah Coach Greg Marsden said the
effects of Dillman’s injury were more
far reaching.
“I think it was hard for all of us be
cause every one of those athletes and
every one of those coaches know that
threat is out there anytime,” Marsden
said. “When it happens, suddenly it
doesn’t matter anymore whose team
they’re on. Everybody feels it.”
Marsden said the Utes were medio
cre in their victory, scoring a below av
erage mark in each event — including
a dismal 48.55 performance on the
floor exercise.
Kendig described Nebraska’s night
in the same fashion.
“To be able to get to Nationals and
have such a mediocre day by our stan
dards,” Kendig said, “I think it’s a trib
ute to their talent level.”
The Huskers stayed close behind
Utah and ASU throughout the meet
and entered the final rotation trailing
the Sun Devils 146.55-146.3.
But NU struggled to a 48.8 score
Matt Miller/DN
NEBRASKA CATCHER Andrew Sawyers losses the ball as Kansas State’s Jason Bichelmeyer slides into
home during game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Husker bats heat up in wins
By David Wilson
Staff Reporter
An 18-7 loss to Kansas State in
the first game of a doubleheader
on Saturday had the Nebraska
baseball team looking for revenge.
The Comhusker bats went to
work in game two pounding out 18
hits to defeat the Wildcats 12-5.
Nebraska, which downed Kansas
State 8-7 cm Friday, improved to 18
19 overall and 4-8 in the Big 12.
‘We totally supported our play
ers and just got their confidence
back in that 20-minute period,”
NU Coach John Sanders said.
We’re climbing that ladder. We’re
playing a lot better. The turnaround
was because our guys weren’t
down, they were up.”
Junior left-hander Kenny
Duebelbeis (3-1) provided support
on the mound taking a no-hitter
into the seventh inning before al
lowing three runs on four hits.
“The way we got beat in that first
game,” Duebelbeis said, “they kind
of rubbed it in. But we came back
and put it right back in their face.”
Duebelbeis, who pitched seven
complete innings, improved his
eamed-run average to 5.17 while
striking out four.
“Kenny pitched a great game,
and that’s exactly what we
needed,” Sanders said. “We needed
to have someone come out and set
the stage for us on the mound and
give us a chance to score. We did a
great job offensively.”
Junior first baseman Todd
Sears finished the second game 3
for 5 with two home runs, three
runs scored and five RBI. His
wind-aided 420-foot shot to right,
which scored three runs in the first
inning, may have been his most
important hit of the series.
“That first game was a huge let
down,” Sears said. “It was impor
tant for us to get a head start and
jump out in front.”
Sears improved his team-high
average to .446 with six hits in 11 at
bats — including three homers —
against the Wildcats last weekend.
Senior Francis Collins, junior
Kevin Harrington and junior Bryan
Schmidt each added five hits in the
series.
In the first game, Sears collected
three of NU’s nine hits and knocked
in three of the Huskers’ four runs.
But Kansas State rocked the Ne
braska staff for 21 hits and 18 runs.
Senior left-hander Pat Driscoll
(2-4) took the loss for Nebraska af
ter allowing six runs in six innings.
The Wildcats, who had defeated
Nebraska twice earlier this season,
fell to 22-10 and 5-10. Though it lost
the series 2-1, Kansas State
outscored Nebraska 30-27.
“It was really big for us to win two
against these guys,” Sears said. “We
need to be moving up—not down.”
Please see THIRD on 8
Alexander
shines at
new spot
By Vince D’Adamo
Staff Reporter
During another early spring scrim
mage when the defense dominated the
offense, fullback turned temporary I
back Dan _
Alexander be
came the offense’s
enforcer.
Alexander,
thrown into the I
back spot because
or an injury to l
DeAngelo Evans. I
bulled his way for B
46 yards on eight |
carries. The 6- Alexander
foot-1,250-pound
redshirt freshman from Wentzville,
Mo., was one of the bright spots for
an offense that accomplished little
during Saturday’s scrimmage at Me
morial Stadium.
“He’s very powerful,” NU Coach
Tom Osborne said, “and he has just
enough movement to make you miss.”
The offense did show occasional
signs of life only to be turned back by
four turnovers and numerous penalties.
A depleted offensive line didn’t help
matters, Osborne said.
Projected starter Eric Anderson
was not full strength because of a
shoulder strain, and Josh Heskew
missed the scrimmage with a broken
foot. Offensive linemen Adam Julch
and Jeff Clausen also missed the scrim
mage with knee injuries.
Sophomore quarterback Jeff Perino
scored the scrimmage’s lone touch
down on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
Osborne said the offensive problems
are nothing out of the ordinary.
“Usually after four days of practice,”
Osborne said, “it’s hard to look real good
offensively from the stand point of be
ing polished. I wasn’t overly impressed
with our offensive production.”
The lack of scoring was because of
a mixture of poor execution and good
defense, Osborne said. Comhusker
quarterbacks completed ll-of-39
passes for 121 yards and Monte
Christo tossed two interceptions.
Quarterback Scott Frost — who
was 2 of 8 passing for 23 yards — led
all rushers with 54 yards on seven car
ries, including a 35-yard scramble.
Please see DEFENSE on 8