L1
David Wilson
Long balls
don’t bring
game back
My roommate will be the first to
tell you Sammy Sosa and Mark
McGwire brought him back to base
ball.
As a long-time baseball fan, I
couldn’t have been happier. 1 felt a
certain closeness to my roommate -
like we had finally, truly bonded.
Then, I realized something.
Wednesday night, while chilling
at our sweet pad, Weeks, my room
mate, flipped on ESPN to find a
matchup between Texas and
Anaheim - two teams battling neck
and neck for the American League
West pennant.
“What?” he shrilled. “Where the
heck is Sammy ‘Baseball Has Been
Very, Very Good To Me' Sosa and
Mark McGwire? 1 don’t want to
watch this.”
Though he might have been kid
ding. there was a certain honesty in
his voice.
Suddenly, I was saddened.
Baseball isn't back.
My roommate isn’t the only one
to proclaim the home run race
between Sosa and McGwire - both
of whom have surpassed Roger
Maris’ single-season record of 61
dingers - has brought fans back to
baseball.
It may have sparked more inter
est in the game, but a McGwire fan, a
Sosa fan or a home run fan isn’t nec
essarily a baseball fan.
li b an hum cinuaiia^ing iu tung
time fans of the sport. Hometown
crowds are booing their pitchers for
pitching around McGwire or Sosa.
Those aren't baseball fans.
And am I the only one outside of
Fargo, N.D.(hometown of Maris),
who feels that two players having
surpassed 61 long balls cheapens a
record that stood for 37 years?
Attendance is up ... where Sosa
and McGwire play. More people are
watching baseball onT.V. ... when
Sosa and McGwire play. And lots of
folks are generally excited about
Sosa and McGwire - not baseball.
That’s super.
But what about the sacrifice fly?
What about the beauty of a smoothly
turned double play? What about
gomg the other way with a 1-2 fast
ball?
Do you know what I’m talking
about, self-proclaimed born-again
baseball fans?
I didn’t think so.
A broadcasting major, doing
some sort of McGwire/Sosa project,
came down to the Daily Nebraskan
Tuesday and asked, “Do you think
we’ll see larger crowds for Nebraska
baseball games in the spring?”
Not unless they give a scholar
ship to Sosa or McGwire.
The interest may be back, but it’s
for all the wrong reasons.
David Wilson is a senior news
editorial major and a Daily
Nebraskan senior staff writer.
Injuries test wills of quarterbacks
Crouch, Newcombe and Christo
discover success despite setbacks
By Christopher Heine
Staff writer
There's a saying that whatever
doesn't kill you can only make you
stronger.
Despite a rash of injuries,
Nebraska has survived three closer
than-expected games and, in the
process, has found that the team has
three talented quarterbacks -- the
saying rings true.
All three signal-callers - Bobby
Newcombe, Eric Crouch and Monte
Christo - know what it’s like to be
injured.
Newcombe, who started the first
game of the season, suffered a knee
injury against Louisiana Tech in the
second half of NU’s 56-27 win.
The sophomore from
Albuquerque, N.M., said his injury
could benefit the team in the long
run.
“1 think it s good the other guys
have done well,” Newcombe said.
“The coaches have a lot of confi
dence in Eric and Monte.”
Crouch is one of the signal
callers who recently has earned his
stripes. He has started the last two
games in Newcombe’s absence.
Through those games, he too has
experienced injury trouble. He got a
cramp in his left leg during the sec
ond half of the Alabama
Birnungham game. He left the game,
and then returned, scoring a 59-yard
touchdown.
The redshirt freshman then start
ed the following California game,
producing two first-half touchdown
runs. Crouch left the game in the
third quarter and acknowledged
afterwards that his hamstring was
only 75 percent healed entering the
contest.
NU Quarterbacks Coach Turner
Gill said his position players have
proved they are physically and men
tally tough.
“I think all three have risen to the
occasion,” he said. “Em very satis
fied with the way they've dealt with
this season's adversity."
Of Nebraska's top three quarter
backs. no one has had to overcome
the injuries that Christo has amassed
in his five years on campus.
Jerry Weber, NU's head athletic
trainer, said Christo has needed
surgery on his back, thumb (twice),
knee and shoulder.
“He’s gone through about every
thing a guy could go through,”
Weber said. “It has taken a lot of
rehabilitation to get back from those
injuries.”
Finally, the painful work is begin
ning to pay dividends for Christo.
Last Saturday against California,
the senior from Kearney directed the
Husker offense on a critical, nine
play, 70-yard fourth-quarter touch
down drive.
Because of his history of set
backs, Christo said, being involved
in a close game meant something
special.
“1 had a lot of emotions after the
game,” he said.
Newcombe said it hasn’t been
easy watching the other two quarter
backs while nursing his injury. The
former wingback ran for two touch
downs and threw for another against
Louisiana Tech.
“After about the fifth play (of
each game) it gets really hard to
watch,” he said. “I’ve just been try
ing to focus on every play to stay
mentally sharp.”
Despite the three quarterbacks
combining equally to complete an
impressive 40 of 62 passes this sea
son, Gill said there is not a contro
versy if Newcombe is healthy. He
will start.
“Bobby's the No. 1 guy,” Gill
said. “Although they have all played
very well."
Crouch said even though some
NU fans have doubts because of the
close games, the Huskers know what
the most important score is.
“I think the big picture is the fact
that we’re 3-0,” he said.
% ■■ -
Mike Warren/DN
SECOND STRING quarterback Eric Crouch has seen two consecutive starts
since starting quarterback Bobby Newcombe sustained a knee injury.
Crouch and walk-on quarterback Monte Christo both saw extensive playing
time against Alabama-Birmingham and California.
Comparing Quarterbacks
Rushing Stats Passing Stats
Att Yds TD Comp/Att Yds. TD Rating
Bobby Newcombe 12 12 2 9-10 168 1 264.12
Eric Crouch 24 134 4 18-36 206 1 101.68
Monte Christo 16 43 0 13-16 187 2 220.67
Depth key for NU going into tourney
By Shannon Heffelfinger
Senior staff writer
As his team warmed up for its
match with Nebraska at the Ohio State
Tournament, OSU Volleyball Coach
Jim Stone specu
lated on the inten
sity of NU’s prac
tices.
“Before we
played, Jim Stone
said, ‘Boy, I bet
your scrimmages
are pretty interest
ing,’” Nebraska
Volleyball Coach
Pettit Terry Pettit said.
“And I’m looking
down there on the bench and there was
(Mandy) Monson, (Jenny) Kropp,
(Katie) Jahnke and (Kim) Behrends.
Those are pretty nice players to have on
the bench.”
The No. 3 Comhuskers (6-0) are as
deep and talented as they have been in a
long time. NU has used its long list of
talent to its advantage this season.
Nebraska has defeated No. 4 Stanford,
No. 21 San Diego and No. 14 OSU.
And this weekend, the Huskers hope
to benefit from their depth again in US
Bank Invitational. They play host to No.
10 Florida (5-1), No. 15 Loyola
Marymount (6-0) and Wyoming (4-2).
NU begins action Friday at 7:30 p.m.
against LMU at the NU Coliseum.
This weekend marks the first time
this year the Huskers have played three
matches in two days, and Pettit expects
to play most of his roster.
“It’s one thing to have subs,” Pettit
said. “It’s quite another thing to have
subs (when) you’re playing a really
good team - one of the best teams in the
country - and you’re happy with putting
any of your left-side players in.”
The left side is one of NU’s
strengths this season. Three players with
starting experience - sophomore Angie
Oxley, junior Mandy Monson and
senior Jaime Krondak - provide valu
able ball-handling and defense.
The Huskers are also strong in the
middle and on the right side where five
letterwinners and freshman Jenny
Kropp are competing for playing time.
The competition leads to intense
practices, Monson said. But the Huskers
are more concerned with team goals this
weekend.
“It's a big weekend for us, and we're
happy to be back home and to be able to
see that sea of red in the stands from our
fans,” Monson said. “We did very well on
he road, which was exciting, but those
nps of three or four days get pretty' long.”
Pettit said the Huskers are anxious
o play in the Coliseum.
“Everybody knows this is a big
weekend,” Pettit said. “Our fans know' it.
We probably had 100 people travel to
San Diego to see us play, and they've
undoubtedly interacted with other fans
about what this team can do.”
US Bank Invitational
NU Coliseum
Friday - Saturday
Nebraska Loyola Marymount
Record: 6-0 Record: 6-0
Ranking:3 Ranking:15
A.
Florida Wyoming
Record: 5-1 Record: 4-2
Ranking:10 Ranking:NR