The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 20, 2001, Page 9, Image 9

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    Shockers at home present worthy foe
SHOCKERfrompagelO
die Midwest Under Coach Gene
Stephenson, WSU has gone 1,268
381 in 23 seasons and has pro
duced 14 straight appearances in
the NCAA postseason, including
seven trips to the College World
Series,
The Huskers look to take their
third straight against the Shockers
today at 5 p.m. The game will be
played in Wichita, where the
Huskers haven't won a game since
1986.
Hopper, who is batting .402
and leads the team with 33 RBLs,
said he expected a rowdy crowd.
“We’re not treating it really as a
midweek game,” Hopper said. “It’s
going to be like a Friday night
game on the road.”
The Shockers have brought at
least 2,000 to Eck Stadium in each
of their seven home games this
year, including more than 3,000
fans in each of their last four
games. Eck Stadium has a capaci
ty of 7,808.
But WSU has yet to host a team
the caliber of the Comhuskers (16
4), who moved up to fourth in the
latest Baseball America polL
Revenge will be a motivating
factor for die Shockers when they
get an opportunity to face the
Huskers at home.
Earlier this season, NU pulled
off an 8-7 win over WSU on Feb. 25
at the Louisiana-Lafayette
Tournament. Last year, the
Huskers ended the Shodcers' sea
son with an 8-1 win at the NCAA
Regionals.
“I know a couple guys on die
team," Hopper said. “They can’t
even wait to get an opportunity to
beat us.”
The Huskers will once again
send Jamie Rodrigue (2-1,4.93
ERA) to the mound - somebody
WSU has not been able to figure
out Rodrigue picked up wins over
the Shockers in the two previous
meetings.
Earlier this year against WSU,
Rodrigue came on in relief to cap
ture the win while giving up two
earned in seven innings with a
career-high 10 strikeouts.
“We’re not treating it really as a mid-week
game. It$ going to be like a Friday night game
on the road.”
Matt Hopper
__Nebraska designated hitter
In Rodrigue’s last outing, he
pitched a complete game in a 13-2
win over Louisiana Tech a week
ago.
Looking to spoil Rodrigue’s
plans will be Wichita State’s out
fielder Justin McCarty. McCarty
was named a “Louisville Slugger’s”
National Player of the Week by
Collegiate Baseball with four
home runs and 13 RBIs in five
games last week while going 13 for
25 at die [date.
Offensively, the Huskers have
been fueled by Jeff Leise recently.
Leise, who hit only 211 last sea
son, rides a 18-game hitting streak
into tonight’s game and is batting
.408 with four home runs with a
team-leading 29 runs.
Countering the Husker
offense is an impressive Shocker
pitching staff that sports an
impressive 3.64 earned run aver
age this season.
First baseman Dan Johnson,
who is leading the team witha.433
batting average and seven home
runs, said the Huskers were not
taking the 10-8 Shockers lightly.
“Wfe got to look at this as like a
Friday night game,” he said. “Wfe
have to be focused and ready to
come after a very good team.”
But Johnson and Huskers
knowthey are supposed to win the
game.
“Wfe expect to win this game,”
he said. “If we lost, wed be disap
pointed. If we won, wed probably
take it business-like and get on the
bus and come back home.”
Five Big 12 teams
bid adieu to Dance
JAYHAWKS from page 10
'Indiana State did, and we did
n't”
By the time Kansas took the
court Friday night Missouri was
the only Big 12 team left stand
ing. Top-seeded Duke later sent
the Tigers home in the second
round.
Williams was relieved his
team could advance and carry
the torch for the conference. The
Jayhawks hadn't made it to die
second week since 1997.
“I told the guys I was tired of
answering dadgum questions
about second round losses,”
Williams said.
Kansas's easy weekend was a
bit of a surprise. The Jayhawks
came into die NCAAs searching
to find the game that had made
them into a top-five team
throughout much of December
and January. Injuries, coupled
with a series of upset losses, left
KU with a fourth seed. Kansas
had lost five of their last 12 com
ing into the tournament.
7 told the guys I was
tired of answering
dadgum questions
about second round
losses
Roy Williams
Kansas men’s basketball coach
Now, the tide seems to have
turned for Williams’ team.
Kansas dominated Syracuse,
out-rebounding the Orangemen
by a staggering 56-23 margin.
Williams entered the press
room after die Sunday win and
pulled a stuffed monkey out of a
bag, claiming that the monkey
was finally off his back.
The first two rounds found a
barrage of upsets that hit more
than just the Big 12. The Big East
also has only one team left in the
tournament
The Pacific 10 leads die way
with four teams left competing
this weekend.
m—m ■ m
Shoulder, throwing
don't worry Crouch
CROUCH from page 10
leading rushing quarterback,
said he believed he would need
to be the leader of this year’s
offense, no matter if he was the
lone skill position starter back.
“If I just be myself and be a
leader out there, a lot of those
things will fall into place,”
Crouch said.
Crouch said that, despite the
injured shoulder, he had been
honing his game to be the leader
of NU’s offense once again.
Reading coverage and passing
patterns and fine tuning his
mechanics as far as footwork in
the option and passing games
are concerned are all things
Crouch said he had worked on.
The quarterback’s passing
game has been a point of criti
cism from fans and media alike
the past year. The less-than-eye
popping numbers may have
been the result of his twice
repaired right shoulder.
*1 don't know if he’s been 100
percent since he’s been here
playing,” Gill said. “Maybe early,
in his redshirt year.”
"The priority is to get
Eric healthy as
possible for our
football team. So yes,
we’d like to have him
out here, but we know
the best situation is
get him healthy."
Turner Gill
NU quarterbacks coach
Last season Crouch complet
ed 75-156 passes for 1,101 yards,
but Nebraska's 110 yards per
game in the air was the worst
average it has put up since 1992,
Tommie Frazier's freshman year.
Gill said no question resided
in his mind about Crouch's pass
ing potential A “high 50 percent
range completion percentage” is
realistic, GUI said.
“He’s an accurate passer, and
he’s done a tremendous job
under the circumstances,” Gill
said.
mm mm
Knight, lexas lech union all about selling tickets
PiWHTfrompagelO
United Spirit Arena.
After all, Dickey wasn’t a
money maker. He doesn’t have
that Knight personality that
seems to flicker interest within
people.
Dickey choked back the
tears and said, 1 dunno.... I just
want the best situation for the
kids.”
Apparently, Tech officials
think Bobby Knight is the
answer, and he sort of is.
Because even college sports
today are all about the dollar
signs, and people are going to
turn out in hopes of seeing
Bobby throw a chair across the
floor.
Here’s a news flash. Bobby
doesn't throw many chairs onto
floors these days, and chances
are that he won't magically turn
Tech into a winner: Bobby hasn't
been a winner for a long time.
Onlyajerk.
And in some sort of twisted
way, to fill the seats, Bobby will
land the Tech job just because of
that
TOUCING LIVES
OF YOUTH
Do you like:
• Baseball Games
• Basketball Games
• Challenger Baseball
Games
•Football games
AcademicContest:
• Oratorical Contests
•NE Academic Decatholon
Now forming a service
organization on campus.
Students & Faculty
welcome.
Formation meeting March
22,2001 6:30 PM
Please RSVP to:
488-6711
lasted by
Optimist Club
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NOW, THERE ARE OVER
180 WAYS TO ENJOY
YOUR WEEKEND.
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capacity in the full-time Army.
In the U.S. Army Reserve you can
pursue your civilian career. Stay
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The Reserve offers training in
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AD You Care lb Eat
■■
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at The Royal Grove
340W. Corcfcueker Hwy. Uneoh^HE 474-3332
Spring football
full of movement
SERINS from page 10
scrimmages, and you’ve got to
make sure that you make the
most of those. They understand
that, and they’ll do everything
they can in 15 practices to try to
certainly show their best"
Offensively, Solich said he
wanted to stress technique, men
tal toughness and teamwork
through repetition of drills.
On the defensive side of the
ball, Bohl said that replacing
Carlos Polk at middle linebacker
and rover Joe Walker would be
priorities for die Blackshirts.
“They are definitely positions
we need to find starters at,” Bohl
said. “I thought we had a good
effort and great athletes at diose
spots.”
Tb remedy a defense that was
prone to giving up untimely big
plays last season, Bohl said he
hoped to improve tackling this
spring.
“At each position, we are
doing some drills that are going to
be specific (for tackling),” Bohl
*Everyone that is out
here is running our
offense and our
defense. They are all
getting reps on our
system, so that is how
you can evaluate
who$ one, who$ two,
and who$ three on
the depth chart.”
Frank SoUch
NU football coach
said. “We won't be able to do
some of those until we get into
pads, but we have a whole battery
of tackling drills.”
Given good weather, the
Huskers plan to continue work
ing out in Memorial Stadium this
week. The spring session ends on
Saturday, April 14, with the annu
al Red-White Game.
I
(M<3 &AWD
Guag-d
Auditions
March 26,27 and 28
7:00 p.ni. - 9:00 p.m.
Schulte Field House
or
June 2
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
y^Call the Band Office at 472L2505 for more information, j
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The Omaha District Corps of Engineers will be on
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recruiters.
Please necycleyour Daily Nebraskan.