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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1998)
Sports Tuesday, April 21,1998 IfiSai _Page 7 The No. 5 Texas women's ten nis team clinched the Big 12 regu lar season championship with a 7 2 win Sunday over No. 13 Kansas. The win marked the 95th consecu tive conference dual win for the Longhorns. Texas will be the No. 1 seed in this weekend's conference tournament, which will be April 23-26 in Lincoln. m Texas A&M just found a new men's basketball coach. Now' the Aggies have to search for a new women’s coach to replace Candi Harvey. After four seasons at A&M, Harvey has resigned as women’s basketball coach. Harvey is leav ing A&M to take a head coaching position in the American Basketball League. Harvey will coach the expansion team in Nashville, Term. In her four years as Aggie coach, Harvey compiled a 59-58 record. In 1994, the Aggies won the women’s National Invitation Tournament. Before coaching at Texas A&M, Harvey spent three years as the coach at Tulane. This is the second straight sea son the Big 12 Conference has lost a coach to the ABL. Last season, former Nebraska Coach Angela Beck left the Cornhuskers to become coach and general manag er of the San Jose Lasers. ■ Texas Tech catcher Josh Bard was named Big 12 Baseball Player of the Week. Bard, from Englewood Colo., had a .714 bat ting average in three games last week. Bard reached base 16 of the 20 times he was at bat, including knocking two home runs, driving in five and scoring nine. Oklahoma State’s Matt Smith was named Pitcher of the Week for his shutout of then-No. 5 Baylor. Smith allowed four hits and walked one batter while striking out 10 Bear batters. m Twenty-seven players from the Big 12 were selected in this year’s NFL Draft. Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter of Nebraska and R.W. McQuarters of Oklahoma State were all picked in the first round. Wistrom was selected No. 6 by the St. Louis Rams, Peter was No. 14 to the Carolina Panthers, and McQuarters went to the San Francisco 49ers with the 27th pick. Colorado had six players selected - the most of any Big 12 school. Nebraska was next with five players selected. Only two league teams did not have players drafted. Big 12 Notebook compiled by Assignment Reporter Jay Saunders Matt Miller/DN NU BOWLER Jennifer Daugherty, who finished second individually at the NCAAs last weekend, will be the only senior returning to the Huskers next fall. Bowler rolls into leadership role By Sarah Dose Staff Reporter Next year, Jennifer Daugherty will be the only senior on the NU women’s bowling team. But she’s already had one year to prepare for that leadership position, and although next year will be a different kind of team, Daugherty said she is ready to challenge herself agam. Daugherty, who finished second individually at nationals, said she saw herself as the team’s leader this season to the new athletes on the team. “A lot of my teammates looked to me to commu nicate with coach,” she said. “That was evident this season with all our new players." As a three-time first-team All-American, Daugherty said she'd had plenty of time to learn how to speak up in front of NU Coach Bill Straub. The Comhuskers finished third at nationals last weekend. “I didn't say much as a freshman.” Daugherty said about being the lone freshman on the team three years ago. “But it's interesting to watch a team evolve through the years. I knew I’d be the only senior some day. I guess I really stepped up.” 1 _ She described her relationship with Straub as relaxed, personable and honest, and she said he would probably say the same thing. “She's a good student, a good person, and is on her way to becoming the best student athlete she can be,” Straub said. Daugherty has been on that road for a long time. She started bowling as a youngster after her parents put her in leagues. "My parents bowled leagues, too,” she said. “After that, 1 got hooked up with some great coaches, and they helped me form a love for the game.” Daugherty said her league play in high school got more competitive. Her team traveled to other schools to compete. “It's a different kind of competition than any other sport,” said Daugherty, who has played many differ ent sports. “Even after it got competitive, it was still fun to be around all my friends.” Straub said Daugherty found some great coaches in her pre-collegiate days, which is one reason Daugherty has found so much success. “She very much believes in herself,” Straub said. “She would have been successful regardless of her natural abilities because of her positive attitude.” Even though Daugherty’s third season with Nebraska may be over, she said she will still compete this summer with Team USA, a team of eight colle giate men and women who will travel to Korea to compete in a youth world tournament. Daugherty competed on the same team last year, but she said she feels more confident about compet ing for the team this year." ■ . “It’s always been a dream of mine to compete for Team USA,” she said. “I guess I think of it as a way to get my foot m the door.” Daugherty said she is friends with the other three women on the team, and that will make the transition easier. Not only has Daugherty' thought about this sum mer and next season, but she also has thought about her professional options, even though she hasn't made any plans yet. “I don’t really want to go on tour right after I grad uate,” she said. “But it’s something I will definitely try in the future ” Even with those kinds of plans and options. Daugherty hasn’t forgotten about next season or what her team accomplished this season. “We really gelled as a team - on and off the lanes,” she said. “Next year we should be an even stronger team.” NU needs win to make tournament Huskers hope to continue climb up Big 12 standings By Andrew Strnad Staff Reporter Fresh off of a three-game sweep of then-14th-ranked Oklahoma, the Nebraska baseball team finds itself in the middle of a race to qualify for the postsea son. Since only the top six league teams advance to the Big 12 Conference _u_ Tournament, the VanHorn Cornhuskers hope to continue their winning ways as they play host to 25th-ranked Texas Tech in a doubleheader today at Buck Beltzer Field. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Huskers (19-14 overall and 5-7 in the conference), winners of five straight, are currently in sev enth place in the conference and are chasing Oklahoma State (30-12 and 9-7) for the sixth seed in the Big 12 tournament. “We’re right back in it,” Nebraska right fielder Donny Starkins said. “Our guys are pitch ing well, and we are getting timely hitting, which is what it’s all about.” Before the Huskers get a chance to play the Cowboys this weekend, they will have to deal with the Red Raiders. Texas Tech is 32-14 overall and 12-8 in the Big 12 and, like Oklahoma, boasts one of the best offensive teams in the conference. “Were not done with these offen sive clubs,” NU Head Coach Dave Van Horn said. “(Texas) A&M, Oklahoma and Texas Tech all hit the ball well.” Texas Tech enters today’s double dip hitting a league-best .346, while the Huskers’ team average is .299. In the Red Raiders’ 20 confer ence games sophomore catcher Josh Bard is batting .439 with nine home runs. On the mound, the Red Raiders have a team earned-run average of 4.43, and senior right-handed starter Shane Wright owns an 8-1 mark to go along with a 2.59 ERA and eight complete games. Meanwhile, the Husker bats have come alive recently. NU has averaged just over 13 runs through its past five games. Husker hitters also have slugged out 10 home runs in the last three games. Prior to the OU series, the Huskers had only 23 homers in their first 30 games. While Nebraska is playing its best offensive baseball of the sea son, it’s easy for the Huskers to get u Our guys are pitching well, and we are getting timely hitting, which is what its all about.” Donny Starkins right fielder excited, but understanding the task at hand is what Van Horn wants his players to focus on. “I’m real excited, but I don’t want to show it,” Van Horn said after sweeping Oklahoma. “You have to feel good anytime you can sweep OU, but Texas Tech comes in here and we have to be ready for them.”