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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1999)
Walker adds depth to NU softball team By Jake Bleed Staff writer There’s something underhanded in how NU softball pitcher Leigh Ann Walker goes about her business. The 19-year-old freshman’s best toss is the rising ball, a pitch unique to softball and, accord ing to Walker, the hardest to throw. And to hit. Ask Florida State: In her second game for NU, Walker picked up 15 strikeouts against the Seminoles, the most in any single game since Lori Sippel’s 1988 season. “It’s my money pitch,” Walker said. Walker (3-1 overall) is the latest addition to No. 8 Nebraska’s (6-4 overall) bullpen and an important one. With sophomore Lori Tschannen’s left handed curve and junior ace Jenny Voss’ dropball, Walker’s riseball adds an important dimension to NU’s pitching arsenal. “It’s nice from a coach’s perspective to be able to change things up,” Walker said. Now coaching at NU, Sippel said, changing things up is exactly what Walker needs to do. “The sky’s the limit as far as the talent (Walker) has,” Sippel said. “But she needs to be able to throw to all parts of the (strike) zone and not just rely on her rise ball.” Sippel said one of the problems with a riseball pitch is that, when thrown correctly, it rises out of the strike zone at the last minute. To get a strike off a riseball, the pitcher needs the batter to take a swing. “You want them to look like they’re going to be strikes,” Sippel said. Sippel said the batters Walker will face pitch ing for NU will be more disciplined than those she faced in high school and less willing to take a swing at a riseball. Walker’s impressive high school record does imply a certain gullibility in the batters she faced. In one season, Walker tallied up 358 strikeouts, a school record. She was Arizona player of the year twice. Up until her junior year, Walker was also start ing center on the basketball team and a cleanup hitter in softball. Then her knee started going out when she was at the plate. “Every time (my knee) went, I did hit the ball,” Walker said. “Couldn’t run because I was paralyzed and on the ground, but I did hit the ball.” Walker’s knee had developed chondromala cia, a condition caused when tendons holding the kneecap in place pull it out of alignment and against other bones. Basketball was out and so was batting. “It was really, really hard at first,” Walker said. But her pitching was still in. And Walker thought she would fit in best at Nebraska; the fact that she didn’t have to step in and be the ace right away (that would be Voss) was also intriguing. Walker said she fits in with the pitching rota tion well. “We like to say we’re in each other’s hip pock ets,” Walker said. NU was the first of five schools Walker planned on visiting. But NU made such a strong 66 The sky s the limit as far as the talent (Walker) has.” Lori Sippel NU softball poach jv impression on Walker that she canceled her last two visits, including one to her family’s alma , mater, Arizona State. Sippel said NU did not do anything special for Walker when she visited. “That’s not our style and there’s only so much carpet you can roll out to keep within regula tions,” Sippel said. “We just let the school sell itself.” Walker, a broadcasting major, said she planned on staying in Lincoln throughout the year. Huskers sign center from junior college By Sam McKewon Senior editor Kimani Ffriend has played only two years of organized basketball in his life. The Jamaica native will play his third at Nebraska. Ffriend, a 6-foot-ll, 220-pound center who played at Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College, said he would sign a letter of intent with the NU men’s basketball team, bringing the number of oral commitments to five. Three of these players, Stefon Bradford, Brian Conklin and Kenny Booker, have already signed. Ffriend and point guard Danny Walker said they will sign during the April sign ingjjeriod. “I’m looking to come in and start right away and take this team to the next level,” said Ffriend, speaking from his room at the ValuLodge in Panama City, Fla. In 24 games at Gulf Coast, Ffriend averaged 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.4 blocks per game. He left the team in mid-February because of complications with the head coach. The Cornhuskers got Ffriend despite some stiff competition from schools that have better basketball reputations. Ffriend looked at Georgia, St. John’s and Louisiana State before selecting Nebraska. Ffriend said NU Coach Danny Nee was the major factor in his deci sion. “Those other coaches, man, they just didn’t carry themselves like Coach Nee did,” Ffriend said. “Coach Nee is a guy that gives you respect, and I like that.” Instead of playing basketball in high school, Ffriend played soccer and ran track. “Hey, I think I know a lot, but I’m istill learning some little things,” Ffriend said. “I still got to learn how to dribble and do some other stuff that I like doing.” Barnes made Big 12 coach of year AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Rick Barnes, who took a Texas team in dis array and shaped it into the confer ence champion, is The Associated Press Big 12 coach of the year. A panel of media observers made Barnes an overwhelming choice, giv ing him 23 votes to one for Nebraska’s Danny Nee. “Obviously, whatever award has come my way has been because of the players,” said Barnes, who came to Texas from Clemson. “They didn’t waver.” The task this season never was considered easy for Barnes. A player revolt had prompted the resignation of his predecessor, fan-popular Tom Penders, who was the winningest coach in Texas history. Two of his players transferred, leaving Barnes with only 10 scholar ship players and no point guard when practice started. But Barnes, whose more deliber ate style contrasted sharply with the sometimes helter-skelter atmosphere of Penders’ teams, preached patience and asked his players to believe in him and themselves. A 2-7 start with losses to Houston, South Florida and San Diego gave Texas fans little confi dence. But the conference schedule hadn’t started yet, and the Longhorns said they knew they were getting bet ter. “(Barnes) didn’t like people assuming we wouldn’t get it done this year,” said first-team all-Big 12 for ward Gabe Muoneke, who was one of the players who had complained about Penders and considered trans ferring. Said Barnes: “When I started this job, I knew we had to take care of the team first. The players had really been caught in some crossfire. I told them there’s nothing I can do about what happened a year ago and just asked them to be patient.” Muoneke had his own problems on the court. Barnes suspended him for one game after throwing punches in a loss to Kansas and threatened to suspend him for the rest of the season if he did it again. Barnes got Muoneke to agree to anger counseling and the problem subsided. “As much credit I give a human being for my success as of right now, I will give (Barnes) that credit,” Muoneke said. Texas (18-11,13-3) started 5-0 in the conference. The loss at Kansas preceded another five-game win streak that put the Longhorns in con trol of the league race. Texas clinched the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the confer ence tournament with a 62-52 win at Baylor on Feb. 24. A look at the stat sheet makes Texas’ first season under Barnes even more impressive. Going into a sea son-ending 54-47 loss at home to Missouri, Texas ranked in the bottom half of the league in almost every team statistical category. Only in rebounding margin was Texas (2nd) near the best in the league. Texas not only shook up the league standings with its first confer ence title, but Barnes rankled a few of the other Big 12 coaches by publicly advocating alternating the site for the conference tournament, which is played annually in Kansas City, Mo. Rotating the tournament is the best way to boost the Big 12’s expo sure and reputation as a top confer ence, Barnes said. Michigan QB balances football, baseball Henson signs up with Yankees while still trying to win starting job in spring TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Like a loWf college kids, Drew Henson is in Florida for spring break. Only he’s not sunning on the beach. Michigan’s backup quarterback is working out with other New York Yankees rookies. No, this isn’t a glorified fantasy camp. Henson just happens to excel at two sports. “I like competition,” Henson said Wednesday after a workout in the batting cages beneath Legends Field. “To me, there is noth ing quite like the competition between a pitch er and a batter. It’s one on one. “And I like hitting home runs. There’s no other feeling in all of sports like the home fun.” Henson signed a five-year deal worth $2 million with the Yankees in July after they made him a third-round draft pick. He hit .316 in 10 games during a two-week span with the Yankees’ rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. Henson is 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds and plays third base. He’s 19 years old, and almost nothing intimidates him. Not even lunch with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. That was no more stress ful than grabbing a pizza with die guys back in Ann Arbor, Mich. “(Steinbrenner is) an old football guy,” Henson said. “When I was down here one other time, my dad and I went to lunch with him. He talked about football. I asked him about his role on the ‘Seinfeld’ show.” Henson will almost certainly make his liv ing playing baseball. But he loves football, too. After watching the Wolverines win a share of the national championship in 1997, he became fixed on leading the school to another tide. As a freshman, he backed up Tom Brady I u I’m a student at the University of Michigan, and I’m a New York Yankee. How much more can any kid want? ” Drew Henson Michigan quarterback while the Wolverines went 10-3, winning a share of the Big Ten championship and defeat ing Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl. For the sea-/ son, Henson passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns. Since Brady has a year of eligibility left, Henson must win the job when spring drills open next month. “I’ve never been afraid to compete,” Henson said. Meanwhile, the Yankees appear content to wait Scott Brosius recently signed a three-year contract. Brosius plays third base. Just about the time his contract runs out, Henson will be finished with college. “We won’t pressure him,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “He’ll end up doing what he wants to do. He’ll make his deci sion at the end of his collegiate career.” Mark Newman, the Yankees’ vice presi dent of player development and scouting, said Henson could be in the major leagues in less than three years - maybe even sooner - if he devoted himself just to baseball. Still, he has no regrets about agreeing to let Henson pursue his football dream. “He convinced us that while he loves foot ball, he’s passionate about baseball,” Newman said. “He’s an exceptional talent” On Wednesday, roving hitting instructor Gary Denbo called out situations and Henson was expected to react with his bat Denbo told him to hit an off-speed pitch to right-center field. Henson did. y “I think he has all the qualities we look for in a good, young hitter,” Denbo said. “His eye hand coordination is outstanding. He doesn’t mis-hit balls. He also has good bat speed. He has the potential for a lot of power.” Once school is out, Henson will return to Tampa for a few days of extended spring train ing, then report to the Class A team at Greensboro, N.C., of the South Atlantic League. He will play baseball until two weeks before Michigan opens camp in August, then head back home. Clearly, a lot is being expected of Henson, both by Michigan and by die Yankees. That kind of pressure might wilt some players. Not Henson. “I mean, I’m a student at the University of Michigan, and I’m a New York Yankee,” Henson said. “How much more can any kid want?” Johnson returns to mound, stomps old college foe Arizona TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Revenge is sweet, Randy Johnson joked, even after 14 years. t The last time Johnson faced the University of Afizona, he walked six and was shelled for six runs on 13 hits in a 7 3 loss. That was 1985. He was no Big Unit then, just an extremely tall, extremely wild junior at USC. Johnktn took the mound against the Wildcats again on Wednesday, making his Arizona Diamondback debut by methodically striking out four of the six batters he faced in two perfect innings. “I’m getting back at U of A after all those beatings I used to take at USC,” Johnson said. Two of the college players, 19-year-old Keoni DeRenne and 21-year-old Dennis Anderson, managed to bounce out to shortstop, the biggest groundouts ot their lives. “He was almost like the Eiffel Tower because I’m only 5-foot-7,” DeRenne said. “He’s immense. It was just awe some, man. Hopefully they got it on videotape because I’d like to show it to my kids someday.” Johnson, who warned last week not to expect anything overwhelming from him in spring training, threw 31 pitch es. Five were call strikes, seven woe swinging strikes, six were fouls, 11 were balls and two were hit in play. He threw a couple ofbreaking balls and change-ups, but mostly four-seam and two-seam fastballs. “I’m a little disappointed the breaking ball wasn’t there, but I’m always that way in spring training,” Johnson said. “I just went out there to work on my mechanics and my arm strength.” Johnson, who signed a four-year, $52.4 million contract with the Diamondbacks, strolled to the mound in 80-degree weather. In the distance beyond left field, the Catalina Mountains provided a backdrop to what amounted to a his toric moment for the second-year franchise.