i' •
NU’s d team in opener
By Dane Stickney
Senior editor
When the Nebraska baseball team
takes the field for its first game of the
season against Northwestern State of
Natchitoches, La., on Friday, emo
tions may be running higher than nor
mal for NU Coach Dave Van Horn.
Some Northwestern State players
know Van Horn quite well because he
recruited them.
Van Horn coached the Demons
from 1995 to 1997, winning the
Southland Conference title in 1995
and 1997 before taking the job at
Nebraska.
The Huskers will open their sea
son against the Demons on Friday at 1
p.m. in the Marriott-West Loop/Rice
Classic at Rice University. The
Huskers will also play Rice on
Saturday and Arkansas State on
Sunday.
Northwestern State offered Van
Horn’s pitching coach, Rob
Childress, the coaching job, but he
also turned down the Demons’ offer
to come to Nebraska.
“I’m sure they’ll be highly moti
vated to play a Big 12 school and to
prove themselves to their former
coaches,” Van Horn said.
Two of Northwestern State’s play
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ers have played under Van Horn.
Three or four were recruited by the
coach.
“It might feel a little different see
ing those kids in their uniforms,” he
said. “I’ll just black it all out. Since
it’s the first game of the year, there’s
too many other concerns.”
Van Horn said his main concern is
making sure his team is prepared to
start the season. Judging from the
players’ enthusiasm, he said, the
Huskers seem ready.
Brandt Vlieger, a senior third
baseman, said last year’s Big 12 tour
nament championship has the team
excited to take the field.
1.
” Last year’s championship gives us
confidence. We believe we can beat
anyone anywhere.
Brandt Vlieger
NU third baseman
“The enthusiasm is there,” he
said. “Last year’s championship gives
us confidence. We believe we can
beat anyone anywhere.”
That confidence will be put to the
test on Saturday when the Huskers
play Rice. The team started the year
ranked in the top 10 after making a
trip to the College World Series in
1999.
However, Rice has dropped its
first three games of the season, all to
Please see BASEBALL on 15
Nikki Fox/DN
Mali Ijomah, a junior marketing major, practices with teammate
Gina Pelazini at the Woods Tennis Center on Thursday afternoon.
Nebraska tennis
hosts Big 12 foes
By Brian Christopherson
Staffwriter
It’s a regular Wimbledon fest in Lincoln this weekend, as both
die Nebraska men and women welcome top-flight conference
brothers and sisters to town.
The Texas women’s tfennis team has not been defeated fay a
conference foe in its last 97 matches, its record stretching bade to
«T A J> AjT 1991. But the NU women will
lexas ACcM attempt to hook the Homs at
. Saturday’s 10 a.m. match, hop
es' Cl grCClt team, ing not to be casualty No. 98.
, 1 “Regardless of how the
UUt We KtlOW match goes, we’re going to be a
j better program for playing
We Catl play against Texas at this point in our
• li ,, season,” NU women’s Coach
1With them. Scott Jacobson said.
Senior and No. 1 player
Kerry McDermott Sandra Noetzel rolls into the
NU coach h13*0*1 after capturing her 85th
career win in a 7-2 team victory
vs. eastern rvuemgan.
Jacobson is hoping that some young players like freshman
Maria Fernandez will come to the forefront and play a factor in
the team seme.
“Maria Fernandez is a freshman who we see a lot of potential
in,” Jacobson said. “And there’s so much parity on our team that
we’re not yet set on a certain rotation.”
Meanwhile, the Husker men’s tennis team will tangle with
No. 17 Texas A&M tonight at 6 in the Woods Tennis Center.
NU men’s Coach Kerry McDermott might be found
whistling a few bars of “There is no place like Nebraska” this
weekend.
McDermott said he is happy to be home after a trip to Texas
last weekend.
“The guys are really happy to be playing at home for the first
time,” McDermott said. “Texas A&M is a great team, but we
know we can play with them.”
McDermott said he also is welcoming the return of his No. 1
singles player and co-captain Lance Mills, who was out with a
foot injury in last weekend’s matches.
That sentiment may be wishful thinking, considering the
Husker’s 6-1 sloshing at the hands of the Aggies last season.
Texas A&M’s Jarin Skube also owns a straight-set victory over
NU’s Kai Rieke at the Rolex Tournament only a month ago.
The Husker men ride a 1-1 record into the match after a dis
heartening 4-3 loss to Rice last weekend. In that match, the
Huskers could not produce a win in the bottom half of the lineup.
NU was also without its leader Mills, but with his return
today, McDermott said he is anxious for the early season oppor
tunity with the Aggies.
“This match is early enough in the year that it doesn’t make
or break our season,” he said
Big talent on
display at 26th
Husker Invite
The Nebraska track and field team
will be facing its toughest competition of
theseasonFeb. 11-12 at the Frank Sevigne
Husker Invitational at the Bob Devaney
Sports Center Track.
The invitational will include 42 teams with
a total of 23 automatic qualifiers for the NCAA
Track and Field National Championships in
Indianapolis, ind.
NU Coach Gary Pepin said die meet will serve as
a quiz for the coming test - die Big 12 championships
and nationals
Pepin said die team is improving each week as the confer
ence championships approach.
“We have such a good team that we have a lot of people com
ing on” Pepin said.
with so many teams competing, Pepm said, the meet will have M
many highly competitive events.
Freshman Carl Myerscough, the No. 2 shot-putter in the coun- fl
try, was knocked off the No. 1 spot by BYU’s Jim Roberts. Both will V
be at the meet on Saturday.
Myerscough will be competing against three of the top five V
ranked shot-putters in the country.
“It’ll be very tough,” Myerscough said. “Almost all of the people S
competing will be at nationals.”
But Myerscough said he didn’t worry about the other athletes.
“It’ll be good to see them before the championships,” Myerscough V
said. “It will let me know what to expect, but I compete against myself. I just «
want to throw the best I can.”
Lesley Owusu, a member oftheNU women’s 4-by-400-meter relay team, 1
said she is confident die team will do well. The team includes Stella Klassen, 1
Cheryl Harmon, Jelena Stanisavljevic and Owusu.
“If we perform to our maximum potential, then we’ll win,” Owusu said. ■
“If all goes well, we should win comfortably.”
Klassen said she was confident but does not guarantee victory. She said last V
week’s meet in Manhattan, Kan., was the first time the team was able to run S
together all season.
Steve Smith, NU multi-events and sprints coach, said the relay team will run 1
better than last week, but the women will be competing against five quality teams ■
in Louisiana State, Pittsburgh, Georgia, Manhattan College andTexas-El Paso. 1
“It’ll be a good testing ground to see how people compete against top compe- 1
tition,” Smith said.
The Huskers claim the top two women’s high jumpers in the field - senior
Carrie Branness and junior Jessica Thompson.
Coach Pepin said sophomore high-jumper Shaun Kologinczak has a chance
to win but will be competing in a deep field jm
Pepin said both the women’s triple jump and long jump will be Jl
events to watch.
Senior Dadna Ingram is ranked No. 3 in the long jump and will
face Georgia's TashaMahone,who is ranked No. 1. jmt
Long jumper Dalhia Ingram
After a career best leap last week, Ingram takes
on the No. 1 jumper in the nation in Georgia’s
Tasha Malone Finals 6:30 p.m. Friday
story by jamiesuhr
photograph by mike warren
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