Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1999)
■ Nebraska Bookstore wants to give you a choice when you buy your books. By ■ ■ signing our petition to use your student ID “Express Charge” Card at Nebraska ■ ■ Bookstore, you can take advantage of the lowest prices on every book for your ■ ■ classes. It’s your money and your choice. a YES, I would like to be able to use my student ID “Express Charge” Card at Nebraska Bookstore. Name: _ Student ID#^ _ I I | Bring or mail to Nebraska Bookstore, 1300 Q Street, Lincoln, NE 68508 | • | or sign the petition to the chancelor at any checkout lane. | I “Your Off-Campus! Attenuate since! . 1915.”* 1300 Q Street • Lincoln, NE 68508 mmmmmrrn ... - ' '• ' ' ■ ...... ......... .... v . NU baseball starts year with youth, optimism ■ Coach Dave Van Horn must replace most of the pitching staff and middle infield for the Comhusker team. By David Wilson Staff writer Amid his first Nebraska winter, Honolulu native Shane Komine returned to a familiar place Tuesday - the baseball field. Actually, it was kind of a makeshift baseball field in 'the Cook Pavilion, but as always, it will have to do. The Comhusker baseball team practiced Tuesday for the first time this season in,preparation for its opener Feb. 5 against New Mexico State in Phoenix. “It’s a lot different than Hawaii,” said Komine, a true freshman. “But it felt good to getting back here after the break. We were all anxious.” Twenty new faces from last sea son’s squad will look to improve on NU’s 24-20 record in Dave Van Horn’s second season as the Husker head coach. Nebraska returns 11 letter win ners, only four of which are pitchers. That could give the right-handed Komine, along with three other true freshman,righties, a chance to crack die starting rotation^ Van Horn said. Despite the number of freshmen and junior college transfers, Van Horn said, team chemistry and atti tude has not been a problem. “The attitude has been great,” Van Horn said, “on the field and off the field, and it carried over into the weight room. We broke every (team strength) record that the baseball team held except one. We also shat tered the overalfteam record. “It just shows we have some good athletes, but we also have some guys that are working extremely hard. These guys really want to win. They want to do better and earn some respect this year in the Big 12.” Junior Ken Harvey, who led Heather Glenboski/DN RIGHT FIELDER Kyle Brunen practices stealing second base during the baseball team’s first practice. Second baseman and shortstop Will Belt attempts to tag him out. * + fcfc I think this is probably the best team attitude Ive ever been associated with. We re just looking for championships. We re trying to everything that any other team is trying to do.” Ken Harvey NU baseball player Nebraska batting .373 last season with seven homers, agreed with Van Horn’s assessment. “I think this is probably the best team attitude I’ve ever been associat ed with,” Harvey said. “We’re just looking for championships. We’re trying to do everything that any other team is trying to do. “I think around here, we haven’t had that kind of mentality, and Coach Van Horn has been giving us that mentality - as far as getting to that next level:" The Huskers also return starting left-handed pitcher Jay Sirianni (5-4, 5.24), who struck out 44 in a team high 56 2/3 innings last season. Righty Jarod Bearinger (4-1, 6.75), righty Chad Wiles (3-3, 6.16) and lefty Brian Rodaway (0-1,11.94) also return with experience on the mound. Seven position players with significant starting experience last season also will return. “There’s a lot of new guys, but it seepis like we’ve been playing together for a long time,” said Justin Cowan, a third-team junior college All-American at South Mountain Community College last season. “It feels good to get out and get the blood flowing a little bit,” Cowan said. “We work really hard. Every practice, every pitch, every swing, I think this team is in it - everybody.” p JORDAN from page 9 player and current Los Angeles Clipper Eric Piatkowski. “For die league, he was half their income. Every arena was sold out just for the fact that he was going to be there,” Troy Piatkowski said. “His presence was a big thing for the NBA.” NUCoach Danny Nee said he was - sorry to see Jordan go, but glad that he has seen Jordan act as a positive role model for this generation. “Players tell me they want to be like Michael Jordan,” Nee said. “I tell them that he’s a good role model to have. He’s a class act, on and off the court.” In his career, Jordan netted 29,277 points - third highest in NBA history — 10 scoring titles, including seven in a row from 1986-1993, and won six NBA Championships. Troy Piatkowski said the elder Piatkowski, who had the unenviable task of guarding Jordan, told him that playing defense against the five time MVP went exactly as the cliche goes - you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him. “He said the first time he played against (Jordan), he was kind of intimidated,” Troy Piatkowski said. “He guarded him every gajne and after awhile, he became a confident defensive player, but Jordan’s going to bum everybody. It’s expected, and it really didn’t bother (Eric) all that much.” Though Troy Piatkowski said he wasn’t a big Jordan fan, he said he will still be sorry to see Jordan go. “The games aren’t going to be as exciting,” he said. “People aren’t going to turn the TV on that much anymore because he’s gone.” So with Jordan gone, the question arises as to whether anyone can take his place on the throne of basketball legend. “Nobody will ever replace Michael Jordan,” Florence said. “That’s out of the question. You’ll never find someone who’s going to do what he did for the game of basket ball” Piatkowski said he sees others who have the talent, but few that might have the drive and knowledge of ^e game that Jordan had. “As a player, there’s plenty of other guys out there that are just as tal ented,” Piatkowski said. “But they’ll a— Nobody will ever replace Michael Jordan. That’s out of the question. You ’ll never find someone who s going to do ' what he did for the game of basketball.” Larry Florence NU forward never have another guy who can think the game the way he did.” And while time is up for Jordan’s career, it marches on. On down the line in the basketball hierarchy, Nee said, there is only time to tell if there will come another. ‘Time will take care of that. Time will give us another Michael Jordan,” Nee said. “Because the game will v always need one.”