SportsWeekend
Pitching staff frustrated with early results
■Although still early in the
season,the Huskers are
already looking to regroup.
BY MATTHEW HANSEN
There’s the conventional
athletic response, to questions
about a pitching staff that has
given up 22 runs in its first 25
innings. A response that goes
something like this: It’s early.
We’ve only played six games.
Back off.
Then, in stark contrast,
there’s the Nebraska baseball
team’s collective answer to those
questions. The Huskers pitching
staff, much ballyhooed as one of
the nation’s best, has a 7.31 ERA
after six contests. Because of
these troubles on the mound,
NU is 3-3 and has fallen from the
lofty ranks of the top 10.
It is early, but the Huskers’
pitching coach and his pitchers
think the sub-par performance
has gone on far too long already.
“We’ve embarrassed our
selves out there,” said Justin
Perarek, a redshirt freshman
starter. “We’ve been throwing
balls, getting behind in the
count, giving up hits we should
n’t be giving up.
“It’s gotta stop, and it’s gotta
stop this weekend.”
Pekarek has been the only
Husker starter who’s been able
to stop opposing teams from
scoring runs in bunches thus far.
In fact, the freshman hurler has
been brilliant, giving up only
one hit in seven innings of work.
From there, things go way
downhill. It starts with ace
Shane Komine, who has strug
gled in both his appearances,
emerging with a 1 -1 record and a
10.24 ERA. Sophomore Jamie
Rodrigue, NU’s second starter,
has been worse, with a loss, a
no-decision and a 10.5 ERA.
The duo combined for 20
wins and a 2.44 ERA last year.
The team’s total ERA of 7.31
is more than four runs per game
higher than last season, when
they finished first in the country
with a 3.14 ERA.
Again, NU is only six games
into its schedule, but this type of
start is “unacceptable,” accord
ing to Pitching Coach Rob
Childress.
“Shane (Komine) and Jamie
(Rodrigue), to be honest, haven’t
been sharp at all," he said.
“These guys are the backbone of
our staff, and when their strug
gling, it’s bound to trickle down
to the rest of the guys.”
The starters’ struggles have
compelled Childress to juggle
his rotation this weekend as
Nebraska travels to the
Louisiana -Lafayette
Tournament.
Senior Thom Ott, who was
the team’s closer coming into
the season, will start the opener
against Ohio State at 3 p.m. on
Friday, and Komine takes the
mound on Saturday against host
Louisiana-Lafeyette. Childress
and Manager Dave Van Horn
have yet to determine Sunday's
starter from the group of
Rodrigue, senior Brian Rodaway
and sophomore Wylon Byers.
Pekarek would have been
Please see LOUISIANA on 11
N ate Wagner/DN
NU senior LesfieOwusu is competing in the200,400and the4x400 relay at the Big 12 indoor championships.Owusu hopes to'do some serious damage in the 400-meters and is the favorite in the event
Perseverance puts NU's Owusu in spotlight
BY DIRK CHATELAJN
As if Nebraska’s Lesley Owusu
needed any additional motivation for
the Big 12 Indoors.
When Owusu sprints in pursuit of
her first Big 12 championship in the
400-meters on Saturday her father will
be cheering her on. David Owusu is
from England and has never seen his
daughter compete as a Husker.
Some advice for the elder Owusu:
Don't blink oryou might miss her.
Lesley Owusu is the type of athlete
that brings football fans to track meets.
She is the type of athlete that makes
long jumpers and shot putters delay
their routine a little longer so they can
watch her.
Owusu walks on to the track, and
everybody puts down their popcorn.
Her methodic, graceful strides have a
tendency to make you forget about the
existence of the other competitors. You
7 dedicated myself a lot
more this year in terms
of the volume and the
intensity of my training
Lesley Owusu
Nebraska women’s track team
just know she's going to win.
It wasn’t always that way for the
senior from Slough Berkshire,
England.
Owusu’s time of 54.47 in last year’s
National Indoors placed her 151*1 in the
competition. Though she is a three
time All American, the NU sprinter has
made her final season with the
Huskers her breakthrough year.
Her season-best time of 52.72 in
the 400-meter is the second fastest in
the nation this year. Owusu has also
set a provisional-qualifying mark in
the 200.
“I’ve disciplined myself and pretty
much run my butt off,” said Owusu,
who almost went to Iowa State out of
high school instead of Nebraska. "I
dedicated myself a lot more this year in
terms of the volume and the intensity
of my training."
Owusu, who was NU's most
improved track athlete in 2000, found
out how good she really was on Feb. 10
in Arkansas.
Competing against Demetria
Washington and Miki Barber, known
as the nation's top two 400 runners,
Owusu placed second with a time of
52.74. Washington won the race;
Barber, the reigning national champi
on, was third.
Though admittedly nervous
before the race, Owusu’s performance
gained her respect. She plans on carry
ing that new confidence into nationals
in two weeks.
“I can be confident to say that my
goal is to go out there and win,” Owusu
said. “It’s a realistic goal. I shouldn’t
aim for anything less than first place.”
Owusu, who just missed making
the British Olympic team last summer,
plans on qualifying for the World
Championships and World University
Games after this season.
Her rise to the top hasn’t been
accomplished by taking any shortcuts,
Sprint Coach Steve Smith said.
“She’s always trained hard, but
she’s kind of rededicated herself.”
Owusu’s interests reach beyond
the track. A broadcasting major who
has received academic All-Big 12 hon
ors, she even has her own radio show
on KZUM on Friday nights.
“She’s really involved in a lot of
activities,” Smith said. “She's pretty
organized.
“But right now track's a big priori
ty.”
Tracksters try
to hold title
■ Both Nebraska men's and women'strack teams
will compete this weekend at the Big 12 Indoors,
both defending titles from last year.
BY DIRK CHATCLAIN
Defending the crown will be the goal when the
Nebraska track teams compete in this weekend’s Big
12 Indoors in Lincoln.
Both of Nebraska's teams won the conference title
last season at Iowa State. This year, however, NU may
find a repeat performance to be a tough task.
Nebraska Coach Gary Pepin said the meet would
be very competitive.
“Win, lose or draw, it’ll be a great track and field
meet," Pepin said. "It’s one of the top conferences in
the country. Virtually every team that’s coming has
some wonderful athletes.”
On the men’s side, Pepin expects Texas, Kansas
and Kansas State to contend with his team for the
title.
Individually, two Huskers will defend their indoor
titles in four events.
Junior jumper Sheldon Hutchinson has won the
long jump at the Big 12 Indoors two years in a row. He
claimed the triple jump title last season, as welL
Pepin said Hutchinson wasn't favored in either
event but does have a chance to win.
The home-track advantage may also play a role.
“The fact that it’s at home, it’s not an issue about
defending,” said Hutchinson, whose season best
mark is 23-11 feet in the long jump. “I just don't
want to lose at home.”
Hutchinson said his technique has been the focus
of late, specifically his speed on the runway.
“I feel good,” Hutchinson said. “Hopefully, it will
dick this weekend.”
Chris Chandler, who won the 60 and 200-meter
titles last year, comes into Saturday’s meet with the
fastest conference mark in the 60 at 6.68. He’s third in
the 200-meter and must face Texas A&M 200-meter
star Brandon Evans, who’s season best of 20.81 easily
bests Chandler’s 21.28 mark.
“Chandler's kind of been the mystery guy,” Pepin
said. “He’s had some good races and some bad races,
and he's had some where he had one or two strides left
and didn’t finish the race. But he’s got a lot of talent”
The NU women hope to gain from the insertion of
senior thrower Melissa Price into the lineup.
Pepin said Price was initially planning to redshirt
this season. The Huskers didn't want to her to spend a
year of eligibility during a season where the indoor
facilities would be limited.
“We didn’t want to compete her if we didn’t feel
like we have a legitimate shot to win the (conference)
meet because she’s a person that can contend for a
national championship,” Pepin said.
The improvement of the Husker team, specifical
ly in the sprints and the pole vault, contributed to the
Price decision.
Though every event is important, Pepin stressed
that any head-to-head event versus Kansas State
would be key to the Huskers’ team success. Wildcat
Rebekah Green is one to watch in the shot put, lead
ing the Big 12 at 54 feet even.
“We’ve scored the meet a lot of different ways,”
Pepin said, “and it’s really, really close.”
Competition gets underway this morning at the
Devaney Center. Most of the finals take place on
Saturday afternoon.
NIT hopes on line
as Huskers host
powerhouse KU
BY BRIAN CHRtSTOPHERSON
When the Rock Chalks from Kansas come a-call
ing in basketball, it’s always a big deal.
Factor in ABC regional coverage for Sunday’s
afternoon’s 2:30 p.m. tip-off between Nebraska
Kansas and the fact that the game will be the first
home sellout of the season, and you’d be hard
pressed to tell that Nebraska is just 13-13 overall, and
KU has uncharacteristically lost four of its past
seven.
But with Nebraska’s record now standing at .500,
a record that teeters on the verge of NIT unaccept
ability, Sunday's home contest against the 1 Uh
ranked Jayhawks (20-5,9-4) becomes a bigger deal
than just the hoopla that KU always brings into town.
"Anytime you face a ranked team, it’s going to be
a big game, but we value every game as important,”
Please see KANSAS on 11
Flu-ridden gymnasts to attempt to protect home turf
BY JOSHUA CAMENZ1ND
Home cooking has always been
just what the doctor ordered for the
Nebraska women’s gymnastics team.
The Huskers have won 33 straight
meets held in Lincoln - including the
last 28 in the eight-year tenure of
Coach Dan Kendig.
But a bout with the flu this past
week going into Saturday’s 2 p.m.
Masters Classic suggests maybe
home cooking wasn’t on the menu.
"We didn’t like (the flu),’’ said
Kendig, who had four or five girls
miss practice time this week because
of illness. “We tried to kick it out.”
This weekend’s meet, which
includes No. 12 Louisiana State, No.
21 Denver and No. 23 North Carolina
State, will be held in Pershing
Auditorium instead of the Bob
Devaney Sports Center because of
scheduling conflicts with the track
and basketball teams.
But Kendig doesn’t expect his per
fect record at home to fall, even
despite the change of venue and the
sickness.
“This is the strongest field we
have ever had from top to bottom,”
Kendig said. “Any one of those teams
can walk out of here (with the win).
“But I think we would have to
make some mistakes for that to occur,
but that is how I feel. This is our event,
and if we hit our routines, we should
be okay.”
One Husker who has been itching
to get back into the lineup is sopho
more A.J. Lamb.
Lamb has been bothered by a sore
back this season and has competed
only on the beam thus far.
This weekend was set as a tenta
tive date for Lamb to return to the all
around competition, but a bout with
the flu and other setbacks have left
her to settle for just adding the floor
exercise.
"I want to be out there and help
the team out as much as I can,” said
Lamb, who practiced on the uneven
bars for the first time on Thursday
and has yet to work on the vault. “I’ve
done all-around all my life, so it is
weird to do just one event."
NU, now 8-1 on the season, has
done just fine without Lamb, thanks
to a strong freshman class.
"It looks like they don’t even need
me,” Lamb said.
Kendig knows having a defending
All American can bolster a lineup, so
Lamb will lead NU off on the floor
exercise.
Kendig said Lamb’s injury, along
with Bree Dority O’Callaghan's fight
with “a little bit of this and that,” have
allowed teammates to emerge, which
they have emphatically.
“I guess it just proves we are a lit
tle deeper than what we thought,”
Kendig said.
Overall, Kendig said he had to be
pleased with his team’s progress so
far.
"I wouldn’t have guessed we
would have scored a 197 this early in
the season,” he said. "I think we are
capable of continuing to do it.”
DN File Photo
Junior Laura Goss and the Nebraska
women's gymnastks team will try to win
the Masters Classic, Nil's home meet