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(12/12/02 5:23am)
Entering this season, IU (15-3-3) had high hopes of returning to the National Championship and winning the game they lost last year. But these hopes were dashed when they played University of Connecticut in the third round of the NCAA tournament.\nUConn escaped with a 1-0 victory in brutal conditions ending IU's run for its sixth straight College Cup.\n"I was hoping to make it to the Final Four more this year than any other year," senior Ryan Mack said. "Looking at who we had on this team going into the year, we expected to get back to the championship and have a chance to win the game we lost last year."\nThe season was not a total loss though. IU faced some major adversity this year, and they became a stronger team after conquering the challenges.\nThe offense sputtered out of the gate, and it was not until they crushed Michigan State in the eighth game of the season, 6-1, that the floodgates finally opened. The Hoosier offense outscored opponents 39-18.\n"The high point of the season was when we came together as a team towards the middle of the season," Mack said.\nDuring the offense's slow start, the defense needed to step up and carry the team. IU notched eight shutouts and solidified itself in the backfield despite losing two starting backs and a goalkeeper from last season.\nThe Hoosiers endured many injuries, but none more serious than sophomore Danny O'Rourke's. The heart and soul of IU's defense went down for several games after breaking multiple bones in his face during pre-game warm-ups. \nThis might be good for next year though. Junior Drew Shinabarger and freshman Jordan Chirico enjoyed increased playing time while O'Rourke recovered. Both will need to step up and play solid midfield next year. \nThe Hoosiers will lose four starters from this year including the two leading scorers seniors Pat Noonan (37 points) and Mack (21 points). Seniors John Swann and Phil Presser will also not be back, depleting the defense.\n"The records and accomplishments for these seniors speak for themselves," coach Jerry Yeagley said. "They were the heart and soul of this team, and they will be missed."\nIU will have a different look next year when they take the field, but one of the team's leading scorers will return. \nSophomore Ned Grabavoy showed why he was the playmaker on the team. While making defenders look confused on numerous occasions, he finished third on the team with 20 points on the season. \nHe earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors joining Noonan who won the award three times. Swann was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week twice, and junior David Prall and sophomore Jay Nolly each were named once.\nGrabavoy knows he'll be looked to more next year with All-Americans Noonan and Mack graduating, but he believes next year might surprise some people, he said.\n"There will be no more Noonan or Mack," Grabavoy said. "No one will be expecting much from us next year, but we'll surprise some people. We just want to continue the IU legacy"
(11/20/02 4:36am)
Where's the BCS when you need it?\nThe IU men's soccer team has spent the majority of the season ranked in the top five in the nation. The Hoosiers' reputation precedes them having advanced to the College Cup 15 times in the team's 29-year existence. But some players said these records meant little to the NCAA selection committee.\n"We may have gotten the shaft a little bit," senior Ryan Mack said. "I think it's good for us to get a shot in the face, so we realize where we are right now, and what we need to do to get ready."\nDespite being knocked out of the Big Ten Tournament semifinals by host Penn State in a shootout, IU still looked in prime position for one of the top seeds heading into the national tournament.\nIf the Hoosiers had won the Big Ten Tournament, they would have been assured a top-four seed and home field advantage until the Final Four. But they did not advance, so the Hoosiers looked for other top teams to falter.\nThey were in luck. None of the top-five teams won a game in their respective conference tourneys. \nNo. 5 UConn was the only team to advance after defeating No. 2 St. John's in a shootout, but fell to No. 19 Boston College in the Big East Final. Wake Forest, which held the No. 1 position, lost in the semifinals of the ACC tournament, while No. 3 Southern Methodist lost a shootout to Bradley in the MVC semifinals. (Rankings based prior to last weekend's games.)\nOf the top-five teams prior to last weekend's action, IU and Southern Methodist are the only teams to not receive a eighth seed or better for the NCAA Tournament. \nWake Forest earned the top seed after only dropping one game this season. Maryland leapfrogged over IU from eight in the rankings to the No. 2 seed after winning the ACC Tournament. \nUCLA made the same jump by earning the third seed after being ranked ninth. The Bruins did not participate in a conference tournament last weekend. St. John's rounds out the top four seeds.\nBoston College, Virginia, UConn and Virginia Commonwealth are the remaining top eight seeds.\nVirginia Commonwealth's eighth seed bewilders IU. The No. 22 Rams (15-4-1) somehow earned the right to host two home games in the tournament after claiming the automatic tournament bid by winning the Colonial Athletic Association.\n"It's a shock for us to be in the top four all season, and the rest of the top four loses, and some random team shows up at the top," Mack said.\nIU opens the tournament at home against the winner of Notre Dame (11-5-3) and Akron (10-7-2), but the Hoosiers might not play at home after that.\n"We've been playing all year to play at home during the tournament," senior John Swann said. "At least we're lucky enough to get one at home, but if we win that, we'll definitely have to go on the road. It's nothing new. We did it two years ago, and there are a lot of people back from that team.\n"Anytime IU goes on the road, the other team is out to beat us," Swann said. "It gives us an extra incentive to come out against a team with a rough crowd."\nIU has faced steep opposition in the quest for a National Championship before. IU won two road games in the preliminary rounds of the NCAA tournament to reach the College Cup in 2000.\nThe decision by the selection committee could prove beneficial for the Hoosiers.\n"This is a tournament tested team," coach Jerry Yeagley said. "It's a team that will take to field with their heads held high, and be proud to wear the IU uniform. Their pride has been hurt, but hopefully now they'll feel like they have something to prove"
(11/18/02 4:28am)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Every time IU travels to Happy Valley to take on Penn State, it is guaranteed to be a grudge match that goes down to the wire.\nAlthough Penn State needed penalty kicks to get revenge for a 1-0 double overtime loss during the regular season, the Nittany Lions arguably won Friday's 2-1 game in the second half. \nNot only were they inches from scoring the game-winning goal with about 30 seconds left in the game when a foot foul on the throw-in negated the goal, but Penn State (13-7-0) entered the second half with a renewed vigor that IU (14-2-3) could not combat.\nIU has struggled with second-half complacency this season, especially against rivals who want to upset the Hoosiers.\nStatistically, heart and will to win cannot be measured with numbers, but offensive and defensive production is not as difficult to ascertain. The Hoosiers have scored 22 first half goals compared to only 13 in the second half. Opponents have also put up better second half numbers as IU has allowed 37 more second half shots (91-54). \nTeams who should have no business giving the Hoosiers fits, like IUPUI (3-14-2), have pushed IU to the limit this year. Prior to IU's loss to Penn State, IUPUI came to Bloomington and almost salvaged a tie. IU took a 1-0 lead in the first half, but IUPUI tied it in the second but would finally fall to the Hoosiers in double overtime.\nIU has been able to squelch the comebacks from less than stellar teams, but they couldn't coast along against a talented team like Penn State.\n"It has happened a few times that we've taken our foot off the pedal at the start of the second half," coach Jerry Yeagley said. "I think it's more that the other teams really come out fired up. There will be ebbs and flows in every game, especially when you play a team like Penn State." \nThe Nittany Lions immediately took control in the second half on both sides of the ball. Penn State outshot the Hoosiers 9-6 in the second half after IU had an 8-2 advantage in the first.\nPenn State still could not beat the Hoosier defense despite many close calls. Once the Nittany Lions added a third forward at the front, IU's defense could not contain the constant onslaught, and Penn State's All-Big Ten forward, Chad Severs, knotted the game at one goal with 15 minutes left in regulation.\n"In the first half we were not playing a game like we like to play," Severs said. "We changed things around when coach talked to us at halftime, and we came out with a whole different attitude in the second half."\nIU dominated the overtimes though, outshooting the Nittany Lions, 7-0. But Penn State's goalkeeper, Ryan Sickman stopped everything that came his way. \nEvery save increased Penn State's momentum and confidence, and by the end of the second extra session, IU would fall in penalty kicks. It was Penn State's game to win, and everyone in the stands could smell an upset brewing.\nIU can only hope this loss does not hurt its seed for the NCAA tournament. A tournament championship would have all but guaranteed home field advantage until the College Cup.\n"We just have to see what seed we get," senior Pat Noonan said. "Whether we have home field for a couple games or we don't, we all have confidence about going on the road. Wherever our game is going to be, we'll be ready to play. We're a tournament team, and we'll find a way to win"
(11/06/02 3:54am)
With senior midfielder Ryan Mack returning from ACL surgery to reclaim his spot as IU's number two scorer and adding strength to an already potent offense, one question plagued the coaching staff entering the season.\nHow would the Hoosiers fill the holes left behind by starting backs Ryan Hammer and Josh Rife and goalkeeper Colin Rogers?\nThe three were pivotal members of the nation's top defense. IU led the country in goals against average and shutout percentage last season.\nAny controversy surrounding this issue, however, was quickly squelched by their replacements. Senior back John Swann returned to his position as one of the team's best markers, and he was joined by junior back David Prall, who missed last season due to injury but started two years ago. Senior Phil Presser made his way from the midfield to sweeper in a move that completed what has been a stellar defensive backfield from the opening game on.\n"The guys who have stepped up in the positions where we lost experience have done a great job," Yeagley said. "Prall has come back from injury, and Swann has been the glue back there. But Presser has been the big difference for us in terms of him stepping into a position that was new for him."\nThose three at defensive back and sophomore Danny O'Rourke at stopper in the midfield have formed the primary unit of backs this year, Yeagley said. Yeagley also said that sophomore keeper Jay Nolly's increased confidence and ability in goal as well as the other midfielders has helped greatly.\nEvery year IU builds its team around a strong defensive core, and no matter who they lose, Prall said Yeagley finds a combination that works.\n"Indiana has always started with solid defense, and it's been the backbone of the team this year as well," Prall said. "It's the coaches system, and it's the way it has to be here."\nAlthough the defense has given up more goals this year, that doesn't mean it has been less effective. Yeagley said this year's defense has not given up more pressure, but has provided some pressure of its own on the offensive side by distributing the ball to the midfielders and forwards.\nSwann's scoring ability has been a secret weapon at times for the Hoosiers, especially on corner kicks. After scoring five goals last year and earning an All-Big Ten first team selection, the preseason All-American has come back this year and scored three more goals.\nThe senior earned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season, but his presence helps in a way that cannot be measured with statistics.\n"I started back there a couple years ago," Prall said. "With Swann back there it makes everything easier. I've played with Phil now for four years. We're all Indiana boys, and we speak the same language, so it makes things easier."\nUnfortunately for the Hoosiers, this defense will not stay intact after this season, and Yeagley will have to work some of his magic once again.\n"When Phil and Swann leave, it's going to leave a huge void," Yeagley said. "But we'll worry about that next year"
(11/05/02 5:07am)
IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis almost ruined Senior Day for No. 5 IU Sunday.\nBut a storybook ending lifted the Hoosiers over the in-state rival in double overtime, 2-1.\nSenior Ryan Mack sent a cross to fellow senior Pat Noonan in the second extra session for the game-winner in what coach Jerry Yeagley dubbed as the "Patty-Mack show."\n"For Pat to get the game winner from Mack, it's appropriate for them on Senior Day," Yeagley said. "For those two All-Americans to find a way to get a victory on that last play, that's symbolic of the entire group of seniors."\nNoonan kept IU's hopes alive for a good seed in the NCAA Tournament with his goal, but Yeagley knew a win would not be easy when one of Noonan's shots hit the inside of the post, but the ball seemed like it did not want to go in the goal.\nThe Hoosiers (14-2-2) had plenty of chances to finish off the Jaguars (3-14-2) in regulation, but the shots kept missing. IU outshot IUPUI 33-7, and goalkeeper Drew Deffner came away with 13 saves, but it was IU's resolve that was the key in the game.\n"The seniors are the heart and soul of this team," Yeagley said. "They fight their hearts out and never quit. They really play for each other. You would think with all the talent in the group, there would be some egos, but they work to make each other look good."\nThis year's senior class of Noonan, John Swann, Matt Reiswerg, Michael Bock, Phil Presser, and Marcus Chorvat has managed a 69-16-3 record and three trips to the College Cup and a National Championship in the past four seasons. Fifth-year senior Mack has one more National Championship under his belt from 1998. Reiswerg and Swann were redshirted in 1998.\nOf the seniors, Noonan and Mack have been the most potent on offense. \nAll-American Noonan has won the Big Ten Player of the Week honor four times this season and seven times in his career. He is in the seventh position on IU's career goals list with 48 and sixth with 127 points.\nThe tight-knit group of seniors has helped Noonan excel, and every time he takes the field, he knows it's going to be a good experience.\n"It's been a pleasure on the field and off the field," Noonan said. "Once we get on the field, it's just as much fun as off the field. We love playing for each other. We don't have many more games to play with each other, so hopefully we end it on the right note."\nFellow All-American Mack ranks second in points this season for IU with 21 on six goals and nine assists, and is tied for eighth all-time with 35 assists.\nBoth were named first-team preseason All-Americans. Swann was a second-team selection and has helped tie down the Hoosiers' defense after losing three starters from last year's team.\nSwann wants one more shot to finish the same way he started at IU.\n"There's no feeling like it," Swann said. "When you look up and see zero on the clock and you've won a National Championship, you'll always remember that. Last year was the closest to winning a National Championship without winning one, and that's the worst feeling. The championship is what we're going for, and anything less is unacceptable"
(11/01/02 5:47am)
For the last time this regular season, the Hoosiers will lace up their Adidas cleats at Bill Armstrong Stadium.\nFor seven Hoosiers, the weekend may be the last time they ever enjoy the field at IU.\nIU (13-2-2) will challenge in-state rival IUPUI (3-12-2) at 2 p.m. Sunday in IU's final regular season game. Despite IUPUI's less than stunning record, the Hoosiers realize a win is far from guaranteed, and they do not want to be upset on Senior Day.\n"Every year, IUPUI gives us a battle," senior midfielder Ryan Mack said."They're always up for this game, and if they win it will make their season, so we have to be on our toes just like every other game."\nBarring any disasters, IU should earn a high enough seed in the NCAA Tournament in order to play some more homes games, but the Hoosiers aren't looking that far into the future.\n"We may get the first couple of rounds of the tournament at home, but we can't think about that now," Mack said. "Since this could be my last game at home, it's huge. It's crazy that this may be my last time playing here."\nIn a recently established series between the two teams, IU has won both games, 2-0 and 6-0. But IUPUI could be a treacherous team if ignored.\n"It's a dangerous game," coach Jerry Yeagley said. "It's a game we certainly should win, yet IUPUI is playing their best soccer now. Their coach, Steve Franklin, was an assistant here, so he knows our strengths and weaknesses. This is the chance for them to be giant killers."\nThe Jaguars managed a 2-2 tie against Butler last week, while IU defeated the Bulldogs 2-0 earlier in the season.\nIUPUI has talented players, so IU's defense must be on its guard.\nSenior Ben Higginbotham moved to the forward position in the Jaguars' two games last week, and scored three of the team's four goals, including the game-winner in overtime against Western Illinois.\nHigginbotham earned the Mid-Continent Conference Offensive Player of the Week award for his performances. He also was named the conference's defensive player of the week two weeks ago, and is the only player to receive both honors in the conference this season.\nIU has many threats of its own, though. \nSenior co-captain Pat Noonan has racked up a team high 34 points on 13 goals and nine assists. Fellow senior Mack has tallied 20 points, and sophomore Ned Grabavoy follows closely with 19 points.\nGrabavoy is questionable for the game after suffering a high ankle sprain last weekend in California.\nWhile Grabavoy may not play, senior Marcus Chorvat will make his return and start for the Hoosiers after missing all but one game this season after breaking his leg.\nYeagley said he hopes Chorvat can give the team some help in the tournaments with his experience and abilities.\nBoth IU and IUPUI conclude their regular seasons Sunday, and the match will serve as a tune-up for conference tournament action.\n"We come out here every day and beat up on each other," senior co-captain John Swann said. "It's nice to be able to go out and play a different opponent, so they throw something different at us"
(10/21/02 5:05am)
The last time IU played at Ohio State, the Buckeyes prematurely ended the Hoosiers' pursuit of a Big Ten Tournament Championship. This time, IU erased the bitter taste of defeat, and earned the number one seed in this year's conference tournament with a 4-2 victory.\nIU (12-1-2, 6-0 in Big Ten) downed Ohio State (9-5-0, 2-2 in Big Ten) to earn its seventh straight undefeated conference season. The Hoosiers have won five Big Ten Championships in the past six years.\nOhio State thwarted IU's pursuit of a conference title in 2000 when they beat the Hoosiers 1-0, their lone win in 29 matches against IU. That game marked IU's last loss to a conference opponent.\n"Last time we were here, we lost, and those of us that were here were still disappointed with the loss," coach Jerry Yeagley said. "We came out with a strong focus today. I could tell there was a seriousness about this game, and they knew the task at hand."\nThe win increases IU's regular season win streak in the Big Ten to 36 games.\nEntering the game, IU's goalkeeper, sophomore Jay Nolly, and Ohio State's goalkeeper, sophomore Chad Brown, had almost identical goals against averages. But it was Brown who could not handle the opposition in the first half.\nIU put the pressure on from the very beginning. Sophomore Ned Grabavoy stole Ohio State's opening kickoff and senior Pat Noonan rifled a shot off the crossbar just 10 seconds into the game.\nSixteen minutes into the game, Grabavoy finally put IU on the board for his 19th point on the season. Grabavoy leads the conference with 15 points.\nSenior Ryan Mack followed up with a majestic diving header in the middle of the box off Noonan's cross.\nOn a few occasions, Ohio State found holes in IU's defense, which was without sophomore Danny O'Rourke, but the Buckeyes could not capitalize in the first half. That quickly changed in the second stanza.\nSophomore Peters Withers squeaked a goal past Nolly two minutes into the second half, cutting the deficit to 2-1.\n"Luckily we're deep in that position," senior John Swann said. "With Jordan and Shinny, they both provide different strengths. Danny is hard to replace, but the two of them just need to give it all they've got for 30 minutes at a time, and we'll be alright."\nBut the goal fueled IU's fire.\nSwann headed in IU's third goal off freshman Brian Plotkin's second corner kick assist in as many games. The goal broke the Buckeyes' 23-game streak of allowing no more than two goals in a game.\n"We've been working on corners all year," Swann said. "Earlier in the year, we were a couple seconds off because most of the time it's been my fault misjudging it. We've got our timing down now, and the goals will come because (Plotkin) puts the perfect ball in."\nThe Hoosiers were not done. Noonan added a goal to help his bid for a third Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award this season. Noonan had three goals and assist in IU's two games. \nOhio State sophomore Sammy Tamporello added another goal for the Buckeyes with 30 seconds left in the game, but IU's offense was just too much.\n"Ten seconds into the game we should have put one away, but things didn't go our way," Noonan said. "We created a lot of good opportunities, and had a lot of good movement away from the ball. Ned got an early goal, and we just moved on from there"
(10/18/02 5:22am)
IU has a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed of the Big Ten Tournament outright with a win or tie Sunday. But it won't be easy against a hungry Ohio State team that is coming off a 1-0 heartbreaking loss to Penn State and a 3-0 drubbing of Oakland.\nThe Hoosiers (11-1-2, 5-0-0 in Big Ten) are riding a ten-game winning streak, but the Buckeyes (9-4-0, 2-1-0 in Big Ten) are going to try to get back on track after Penn State ended their six-game winning streak.\nOhio State had been the only undefeated team left in conference play besides IU until last Sunday, and the only hope for the Buckeyes is to win their remaining games against IU, Michigan and Northwestern.\n"This is it for the Big Ten," coach Jerry Yeagley said. "It means a lot if we get the top seed because then we won't have to play two days in a row. They (OSU) still have games at Michigan and at Northwestern, but those would be upsets if they lost those matches, so a lot is riding on this week."\nThe Hoosiers have been on a tear since dropping a game against St. Johns 3-0 Sept 7. The Hoosiers will be without back Danny O'Rourke after he sustained a broken bone in his face prior to the Northwestern game last Sunday.\n"It's one of our deepest teams since I've been here," junior David Prall said. "(Drew) Shinabarger and (Michael) Bowditch are really good players, and could probably start almost anywhere in the country. We won't have a problem with them coming off the bench."\nIU's offense has helped the team's success in the conference. The Hoosiers average three goals per game in the Big Ten, and the top three scorers in the conference are sophomore Ned Grabavoy and seniors Pat Noonan and Ryan Mack.\nEven with a solid edge in scoring, IU cannot overlook the Buckeyes because the defenses have been almost equally overpowering. The Hoosiers enter the game with a .60 goals against average, while the Buckeyes follow in a close second with a .67 against conference foes. \nOf their 28 matches versus Ohio State, IU has only lost once, but Prall still remembers that 1-0 loss, which came in the 2000 Big Ten Tournament.\n"I really want to beat them," Prall said. "It's always been a good match-up because they're one of the better teams in the Big Ten."\nAlthough the game is technically not a must-win for the Hoosiers, it nonetheless is a crucial match. Junior midfielder Vijay Dias said the team looks forward to the opportunity to clinch the top seed for the Big Ten tournament.\n"We obviously want to go out and win every game," Dias said. "In terms of the Big Ten, this game gives us a chance to clinch"
(10/16/02 4:56am)
IU will face Wildcats for the second game in a row, but this match up should prove to be much tougher. The Hoosiers are coming off of 5-1 and 1-0 wins against Wisconsin and the Northwestern Wildcats respectively this past weekend. \nIU (10-1-2) travels to Lexington to take on rival Kentucky (7-4-0) at 6:30 p.m. tonight. The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie in the preseason, and the Hoosiers look to come away with a victory to increase their winning streak to 10 games.\nThe Hoosiers have dominated the Wildcats traditionally, only losing one of the 15 meetings between the two teams. But, a much-improved Kentucky team has given IU fits recently. \nIU needed two overtimes to beat Kentucky last year, and without sophomore Danny O'Rourke at the hub of the team, the Hoosiers will have a tough challenge on their hands. O'Rourke sustained a broken bone in his face during warm-ups before the Northwestern game. \n"It's Kentucky-Indiana," coach Jerry Yeagley said. "We throw out the book. The big question for us is how we will adjust without Danny in the lineup because we count on him to do so much of our ball winning. He was the player that was on the ball more than any other player we had.\n"He plays like a player and a half, so other people will have to pick it up, and depending on how well we do that, will determine how we're going to fair," he said.\nBut, IU's players have continued to perform well in the face of adversity. Sophomore Ned Grabavoy and junior David Prall won the Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week respectively for their performances against Wisconsin and Northwestern. Grabavoy tallied two goals in the Wisconsin game and assisted on the lone goal against Northwestern. Prall scored his first goal of the season and added an assist against Wisconsin, and was a pivotal part of an IU backfield that shutout Northwestern.\nPrall said Kentucky and IU have traditionally played evenly-matched games.\n"It's always a tight game and tough match-up," Prall said. "Their coach has a real rivalry with us, and has his team pumped up and ready to play. They're a better team this year technically as well as physically, so it should be a rough match for us, which we need."\nKentucky upset Maryland, who was ranked N0. 10 at the time, in the first week in the season, but upsetting a second top-10 team will be very difficult, Kentucky coach Ian Collins said. \nIU knows how hard it will be coming away with a victory at Kentucky where the rivalry is heated. Junior Vijay Dias played two years of high school in Louisville, and said he has experienced the harsh Kentucky crowds.\n"I've played in Lexington, and it's always really hard because they get a lot of fans out there," Dias said. "They're always fired up to play us because of the Indiana-Kentucky rivalry"
(10/14/02 5:29am)
The IU men's soccer team capped a three-game homestand Sunday with a pair of wins against Big Ten rivals Wisconsin and Northwestern.\nThe wins increased the Hoosiers' Big Ten regular season win streak to 35 games heading into its final conference game against Ohio State (8-3-0, 2-0-0 in Big Ten), and could possibly decide the number one seed in the Big Ten Tournament.\nOhio State must travel to Michigan and Northwestern to finish out its conference schedule after facing IU. \nThe Hoosiers have outscored conference foes 15-3, and sophomore goalkeeper Jay Nolly has notched two of his seven shutouts against Big Ten opponents.\nIU (10-1-2, 5-0-0 in Big Ten) entered this weekend's games in very good position to take the conference crown riding sophomore Ned Grabavoy's hot streak and the defense's stifling play, but IU's season took a sudden turn for the worse before the Northwestern game.\nSophomore Danny O'Rourke collided with a teammate during pregame warm-ups, fracturing his jaw in two places, leaving a huge void in the backfield.\n"He's been so crucial to the whole team," coach Jerry Yeagley. "He provides energy to everyone. We'll be a completely different team without Danny."\nBut IU still managed to hold a scrappy Northwestern team to only six shots without O'Rourke and a suspended senior John Swann. Swann will return to action this week in hopes of tying down the defensive backfield.\nWithout O'Rourke, IU's offense will need to step up another level to help take the pressure off the backs. The Hoosier offense has been lethargic at times, but equally as explosive at other times.\nSeniors Pat Noonan and Ryan Mack have been constant scoring threats throughout the season with 20 and 17 points respectively. But arguably the biggest spark lately has been Grabavoy.\n"Ned's a special player, and he can do things that no one else can," Yeagley said. "When Ned has the ball, exciting things happen."\nGrabavoy increased his point streak to eight games after scoring two goals versus Wisconsin (7-5-0, 1-2-0 in Big Ten) and assisting on sophomore Josh Reiher's first career goal in the Northwestern (5-7-0, 0-3-0 in Big Ten) game.\nSince tying an IU record with four assists in the Michigan State game, Grabavoy has played like a man possessed. The sophomore leads IU in conference scoring with 13 points on four goals and five assists.\nAll but four of Grabavoy's 17 total points have come in the five conference games, and his emergence as a reliable scorer could not have come at a better time.\n"He's helping us out offensively big time because he's starting to finish and getting the ball to guys' feet in the box," Noonan said. "Now's a great time for him to come on because we had been struggling offensively, and we just want to build on what we did against Wisconsin."\nAlthough IU barely squeaked by a mediocre Northwestern team, the Hoosiers sill have their sights on claiming the top spot in the Big Ten Tournament.\n"Our confidence will hopefully not drop," Grabavoy said. "Today was a very ugly day, but it's too late in the season to be inconsistent. If you want to go far, every game has to be at the highest level"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
During his three years on the men's track team, junior Dino Efthimiou has become one of the team's rising stars and has enjoyed success during this indoor season. \nEfthimiou will travel to the University of Arkansas this weekend to challenge the nation's top pole-vaulters at the NCAA men's indoor championships.\nHe will find out if his preparation has paid off and if he's ready for the spotlight. Coach Marshall Goss said Efthimiou's progress during the past few years will allow him to score points in Arkansas.\n"Dino is very confident and he's done everything that he needs to do to get better, and he's gotten better," Goss said. "Not only has he gotten better, but he's gotten consistent, and that just speaks for him." \nBut it has not been a walk in the park for the junior. In Efthimiou's first outdoor season, he got hurt in the third meet of the season and was forced to redshirt the season. \nSince then, Efthimiou has been making improvements on his performances. He improved his personal best by nine inches from last year. Goss said a vaulter is making big strides if he improves by nine or 10 inches every year.\nTo improve on these great heights, Efthimiou has worked closely with Goss. \n"He has converted speed on the runway into a form off the runway," Goss said. "He's worked on things across the board like his work ethic and strength. He had a good background in high school and he just took off with that and kept going."\nThe effort paid off. \nEfthimiou provisionally qualified for the NCAA championship in the pole vault for the second time this season at the Big Ten championship, and improved his career-best to 5.37 meters. His mark stood up and now stands third on IU's all-time list in the event. \nEven more impressive is the fact that he is the first IU pole-vaulter to qualify for the NCAA championships since six-time All-American Mark Buse did so in 1995.\nEfthimiou achieved his goal after last outdoor season's heartbreak, where he narrowly missed a trip to NCAAs. \n"It was a goal, but you never know where you'll end up," Efthimiou said. "After last outdoor season, we thought I had a chance to go to the Nationals for this indoor season because I provisionally qualified for outdoor, but it wasn't good enough to go."\nFriend and fellow vaulter junior Ian Curry said he has watched Efthimiou develop during the past few seasons especially this indoor season.\n"All year he has been really focused on going high and getting to nationals, which has been his goal all season," Curry said. "He's been going for it at every meet, and he finally got it at Big Tens, which is the place you want to do it. He's motivated and dedicated to getting his goals"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Teams across the country yearn for the day when they have a strong and deep sprint core to help build a successful track squad. But coach Randy Heisler has been living this dream ever since sophomores Rose Richmond and Rachelle Boone signed at IU.\nThe Hoosiers had already acquired senior Lorraine Dunlop and juniors Danielle Carruthers and Tia Trent. The addition of Richmond and Boone added a new dimension to the sprint events.\nBoone, Richmond, Dunlop and Carruthers earned All-American honors at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships by placing seventh in the 4x100-meter relay. \nAlthough the four athletes said they expected a better finish, confidence levels for this year are higher, and Boone said she expects a top-three finish. Boone said she is gunning for time comparable to perennial favorites South Carolina, LSU and Southern California.\nBoth Boone and Richmond bring a potential to score large quantities of points in multiple events.\nBoone claimed All-American honors in the indoor 60 meters and 200 meters with fourth and second place finishes, respectively, at this year's NCAA Indoor Track Championship March 9 and 10.\nIn the first competition of the outdoor season, Boone provisionally qualified for the NCAA championship with victories in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100-meter relays.\nBeing strong in multiple events has its advantage for the team. But at the bigger meets, it takes its toll physically.\n"We don't do all the events every week, so it's not that bad," Boone said. "But when we get to a meet like the Big Tens, it's just exhausting. For the last race, you just give whatever you've got left." \nRichmond brings other abilities to the track besides running, and Heisler said he truly values her presence.\n"Since she got here as a freshman, she's done nothing but enhance what we thought she could do," Heisler said. "Anytime Rose competes, it doesn't surprise me to see what she's going to do. She helps us from so many ways, both in the running and jumping standpoint."\nAlthough jumping is her specialty, Richmond has the background to compete against the nation's best, and she said she feels Boone helps her greatly.\n"I love working with Rachelle because she pushes and inspires me to do better," Richmond said.\nHeisler said he also observed this type of attitude from Boone, the nation's second-ranked sprinter.\n"'Pleased' doesn't describe enough how I feel about Rachelle's achievements," Heisler said. "I think that Rachelle can be a model for so many kids on the team just by where she has come from as a freshman, and now she's No. 2 in the nation."\nAs sophomores, Richmond and Boone have performing left in their legs for IU, but Heisler said he sees the potential for much more.\n"If they want to continue their track careers after they graduate, they both have the ability to do that," Heisler said.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
After disastrous qualification attempts in past years, Athena is solidly in the field for the 2001 race. The independent team is joined by sorority Alpha Chi Omega and Alpha Phi Omega in Row 6, and all expect to improve on their qualification positions.\nAlpha Chi Omega (3:06.85)\nAlpha Chi Omega is the only team in Row 6 that did not improve on last year's qualifying position. But they finished highest of the three teams when it counted.\nTwo veterans and two rookies compose the racing team, but after last year's 11th-place finish, confidence remains high and the team desires a Top 10 finish, members said. \n"Race day is all about being confident in the pack, so you can get out there and move up in the race," sophomore Liz Keck said.\nAthena (3:09.21)\nTeam Athena underwent a horrible experience at last year's qualifications after qualifying in its fourth and final attempt, members said. So this year's team members felt a certain urgency to qualify early.\n"The worst part of qualifications is just waiting around, so we wanted to qualify on our first try," junior Mavourneen Ryan said. "We were so determined to qualify early and it only took two attempts."\nLast year was not positive because of a missing rider at qualifications, which decreased team morale, Ryan said. But this year is a different story, and these independent riders feel new confidence. They said they hope to finish in the top five even though they face tough odds.\n"There's definitively support that sororities get, but I think we do this for a better reason," Ryan said. "We participate because we enjoy riding."\nAlpha Phi Omega (3:09.83)\nAlpha Phi Omega's racing team looks a little different from last year. In fact, the team has no returning riders from the 2000 team.\nAlthough inexperience plays a factor with these four riders, they said they believe that the team's increased athleticism will propel the team past last year's 23rd-place finish.\n"We don't feel added pressure to do better because we're rookies," junior Meryl Levine said. "If anything our inexperience could add pressure, but the experienced riders don't want to get beaten by rookies, so they would feel more pressure"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The middle of the pack for the women's Little 500 could contain this year's champion if track conditions improve and luck is on someone's side. Even though Alpha Omicron Pi, Con Fuoco and Alpha Phi have not been powerhouses recently, these teams say not to be surprised if determination drives them past the favorites.\nAlpha Omicron Pi (3:04.25)\nWith only one veteran, Alpha Omicron Pi faces an uphill battle, but the team has impressed by moving up eight positions from last year's qualifications. \nSo far this year's performances show an obvious change from last year's team.\n"We are a lot more confident this year because we actually had a real training program," sophomore Kat Worsham said.\nAlthough the team consists predominately of rookies, two of the rookies have trained since September, and it shows in their solid exchanges and communication, Worsham said.\nWorsham said she expects a top 15 finish and hopes the team can finish 97 of the 100 laps.\nCon Fuoco (3:05.25)\nWith only three riders, independent Con Fuoco must rely on its three-time Little 500 riders to compete with the 2001 field.\nLast year, Con Fuoco qualified ninth, but because of a wreck during the race, it finished in a disappointing 21st place. This mishap motivates the riders to improve.\n"We want to do better, but we have to be careful at the same time to make sure that something like that doesn't happen again," junior Madeleine Mogle said. "We want to do well and show everyone that we've been training hard."\n Although Con Fuoco members admit they are not as "hardcore" as the pole-sitting Roadrunners, they have something working for them that other teams might not possess.\n"We feel really comfortable with our exchanges, and we can really read each other," Mogle said. "What's really great about our team is that we are all very good friends."\nAlpha Phi (3:06.00)\nDespite some complaints about the track conditions during qualifications, which forced cautious riding to guarantee qualification, Alpha Phi views the Little 500 positively. \nAlpha Phi will start in the middle of the pack, but junior Jennifer Shaffer said she believes that the middle position could prove an advantage.\n"We have a good position on the outside that gives us potential to move up and watch the teams in front of us," Shaffer said. "Yet, we're not so far back that we'll get caught up in a wreck."\nEven if Alpha Phi does not finish toward the top, it will look at it as a learning experience for the three rookies.\n"Of course we have high expectations as rookies, but we also have to think practically," junior Allison Ferro said. "Veterans have so much more experience already being in a race, and that's a definite advantage. I definitely hope we place really well, but I think next year we'll do much better"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Every spring for the past 51 years, many students have experienced the thrills and spills of Little 500 racing. \nAlthough the crowd only sees the sprints to the finish and bone-crunching crashes, much more exists behind the scenes of the race touted as the "World's Greatest College Weekend."\nStrategy plays just as important role in the outcome of the race as speed and precision exchanges.\nAfter 50 races, no single strategy has emerged from the ranks as the preferred approach for racers. This is because race strategies are based on the relative strength of the field compared to the strength of the team, Little 500 race coordinator Jonathan Purvis said.\nSome notable strategies differentiate themselves from other generic plans. \nPhi Delta Theta took the checkered flag in 1996 by implementing a plan based on the team's speed. Two Phi-Delts earned the top two spots in the Individual Time Trials, so at the end of the race, each team member sprinted two laps to break away from the competition.\nIn 1998, the crowd witnessed a Little 500 first. The Dodds House became the first residence hall team to win the Little 500, but Purvis said he and his teammates had to play it safe because of the close opposition.\n"We had a very deep team, but so did four or five other teams," Purvis said. "So our strategy was to control the race by riding up front, but not to try to dominate it by going off the front. Instead, we rode up front, led a lot, but ultimately waited for a sprint that we felt we could win because we had the fastest rider on the track in Greg O'Brien."\nAt the 50th annual Little 500 last year, the Cutters provided fireworks at the expense of their competitors. For the first time ever, the Cutters lapped the entire field behind the force of Chris Wojtowich.\nBut the Cutters did not enter the race with the plan of lapping the field, and this shows how plans change during the race.\n"We had talked about lapping the field, but we decided we would rather play it safe and wait until the last few laps because we had the fastest sprinter (in Wojtowich) out there," former Cutters rider Todd Bagwell said. "Then he saw an opening and took it. No one went with him, and after that he did a lot of the work himself, to first get a big gap on the field, then close it back down after going up a lap."\nNot every team has a rider who can overpower the competition single-handedly, and that's where strategy and intelligence comes into play. Purvis calls these riders "students of the race." They watch the other teams closely so they can capitalize on their weaknesses.\nPurvis said he believes that with the potential for a slow track this year, teams with only one fast racer can hang around the front and create a stir toward the end of the race.\nBut the focus for many of the favorites is to prevent a blowout like last year's experience.\nPole-sitters Phi Gamma Delta, finished a distant second to the Cutters last year. This year they are relying on coach Troy Lewis to create the perfect strategy and put the pieces of the puzzle together, while the racers work on their technique.\nJunior Andrew Wilson of Fiji still knows they have to be careful of any over-zealous competitors who try to duplicate the Cutters' accomplishment.\n"I have a feeling that if something like that happens again, the pack will be very anxious this year and not let it happen again." Wilson said. "If someone were to take off, the pack won't let them get very far."\nA good sign for the field is that so far the Cutters are not considering a repeat of last year's race strategy, because they are more concerned with joining the 1988 and 1997 Cutters teams that came from 20th and 19th starting position respectively and won.\nAfter watching his friend Jon Carlson win with the Cutters last year, senior Henrik Wahlberg said he hopes he can help lead the Cutters to its seventh Little 500 victory since 1984.\n"I think we're going to see a slower race overall because of the track, so our first strategy is getting out of our 25th starting position," Wahlberg said. "That should take us one or two laps, so that's not going to be a factor at all. Then what it is going to come down to is what the race looks like on the last 10 laps, and we see what teams are left"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The IU baseball team obliterated the University of Detroit Mercy in Saturday's doubleheader 22-2 and 15-4, but squeaked by with a 7-6 victory in Sunday's game. \nThe sweep increased IU's win streak to 12 games and improved its record 16-3, while Detroit dropped to 4-10.\nIn the opener, the Titans leadoff hitter, senior Zak Voit walked and later scored the first of his two runs. IU had no answer in the bottom of the inning, and the win streak looked to be in jeopardy.\nBut junior Jacob Cary (4-1) settled down on the mound, and only allowed one more run on four hits in six innings of work, striking out seven.\n"It helps your confidence because this team scores runs," Cary said. "Last year you felt like you had to pitch a perfect game or push it to extra innings just to get a win."\nIU's offense did the rest, taking the lead with a four-run second inning and continued to build a bigger league each inning. \n"The whole team was focused with everyone contributing in the wins," senior shortstop Eric Blakeley said. "We did a good job of getting on top and increasing our lead each inning."\nEven though the Hoosier offense did not need any help, the Titans defense and pitching provided some aid in the fifth inning. IU scored ten runs on just four hits because Detroit pitching hit three IU batters and walked three more.\nJunior Vasili Spanos, sophomore Cody Wargo and freshman Jay Brant each homered for the Hoosiers.\nIn the nightcap, the game started off similarly to the opener, with Detroit scoring two runs in the first inning and holding the Hoosiers' hitters at bay.\nBut that did not last long as IU tied the game at two in the second inning and then erupted for nine runs in the third led by Blakeley, who knocked in five runs on a home run and double in the third inning alone.\nSophomore Ryan Donley came off the bench to notch two hits and two RBIs. Senior Gibran Hamdan and junior Kenny Marrs also added two hits apiece.\nSenior Zach Otte (3-1) picked up the win for the Hoosiers in a solid outing.\n"We just played well, especially in the first game," coach Bob Morgan said. "I think we just demoralized them, and it carried over to the second game."\nFollowing Saturday's games, the Hoosiers wondered how Detroit could have beaten a top-notch team like Ohio State just a week ago, but they found out how in Sunday's game and needed a late-inning rally to earn the sweep.\nDetroit led 4-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but IU was not about to let its win streak end.\nDonley led off with a seeing-eye single between shortstop and third base, and Brant followed with a walk. Junior Kennard Jones stroked a double to deep left field scoring Donley. Jones had three hits in the game.\nMarrs knocked in both Brant and Jones and later scored on Blakeley's single. Junior Nick Evans drove in Blakeley making the score 7-4.\nWith two outs in the ninth, Detroit put on their rally caps and scored two runs on Mark Moehlig's home run and Roger Wechter's single, but junior Ryan Smith closed the door on the Titans, striking out the final batter.\nThe Hoosiers are back on the field today to take on Indiana Wesleyan at 3 p.m. at Sembower Field.
(04/09/02 5:52am)
After taking three of the four games in a Big Ten battle with Iowa last weekend, IU returns to the field today for a non-conference clash with Miami (OH) University at 3 p.m. at Sembower Field.\nThe Hoosiers will use this game as a tune-up for the upcoming series against Michigan State this weekend, and will also seek vengeance for last year's 5-1 loss at the hands of the RedHawks.\nIU looks to add another mark in the win column and improve on its 23-6 record, its best start since 1999 when it opened the season 26-6 after two Big Ten series.\nBut it will not be easy today after this weekend's pitching-draining series. The Hoosiers used eight pitchers in Sunday's 17-13 slugfest against Iowa, and now the pitching staff is stretched thin.\n"With all the pitchers we used this weekend, our pitching staff is pretty depleted," head coach Bob Morgan said. "We're going to have to mix and match and just get a couple of innings from people here and there."\nBut do not expect to see any of the Hoosier's top four starters tomorrow because Morgan is saving them for this weekend so IU can stay atop the Big Ten standings.\nMorgan said the pitching problem will act as an equalizer, and if Miami has a good game, the Hoosiers will be in for a challenge.\nThe 15-10 RedHawks enter the game with a team batting average over .300, while the Hoosiers hit just under .350 as a team.\nWeekday games always have the potential to showcase a barrage of offense. But the combination of both teams saving their pitching for the weekend and two potent offenses could create some serious fireworks at Sembower Field.\n"Our team will definitely come out swinging," junior outfielder Kenny Marrs said. "We have good hitters, even on our bench. The thing that's different about this team than teams in the past is our depth, and we have faith that our pitchers can go out and throw well."\nThe Hoosiers will look for two-time Big Ten Player of the Week junior Vasili Spanos to lead them offensively as he has done all season. \nSpanos is leading the team in batting average, doubles, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, walks and on-base percentage.\nBut the Hoosiers will have to get it done on the defensive side as well, which they did not do in their loss to Iowa Sunday. IU committed five errors leading to five unearned runs.\n"Sunday was a tough loss," freshman Jay Brant said. "But we looked at the weekend on a positive note, so the loss really won't affect us. We shouldn't have any problems."\nMarrs agreed with Brant.\n"Our coaches know we're a solid defensive team," Marrs said. "Errors are part of the game"
(03/05/02 6:26am)
After dropping two of the three games against East Tennessee State last weekend, IU invades hostile Xavier territory today at 3 p.m. in hopes of staying above the .500 mark on the season.\nIf history is any indication, then IU should improve its 3-2 record.\nThe Hoosiers have defeated the Musketeers 14 out of the 15 previous games the two teams have played. IU is riding a five-game winning streak versus Xavier, with the single loss coming in 1988.\nDespite the past success, IU coach Bob Morgan feels that Xavier will provide a tough match-up.\n"We're going on the road, and we need to play well in enemy territory," Morgan said. "Xavier is a very solid team with many returning players."\nXavier has been struggling lately, losing six of its last eight games. They are 4-6 on the year. The Musketeers do not have a volatile offense either, and have been held to three runs or fewer in five games.\nIn contrast, IU has not experienced problems with its bats. The Hoosiers average over 10 runs per game this season, and as a team; they have hit a scorching .360.\nBut the Hoosiers need to contain the opponent's offense, and they hope do that with junior Jacob Cary starting on the mound.\nCary will make his third start of the season, and looks to improve his 1-1 record.\nFellow pitcher and junior Ryan Smith does not expect to pitch today, but he knows that the pitching will come through.\n"We're not really rusty, and we're definitely ready to pitch," Smith said. "We have just been stuck inside a lot."\nSmith is grateful for how well the offense has come out of the gates this season.\n"As a pitcher, it's great to have an offense behind you that provides run support," he said. "It gives you more confidence because you can't be going out there worrying if the team is going to score runs."\nThe main problem IU has suffered this season has not been anything it could control. Five games have been cancelled because of poor weather, and senior shortstop Eric Blakeley said this has hampered the team's preparation. But the fact that IU plays 20 games in the next 26 days will help fine tune the team.\n"It's still early," Blakeley said. "Our pitchers are trying to find their spots, and they'll get better with experience"
(02/26/02 6:09am)
IU baseball has already dominated one NAIA opponent this year, but now it's Indiana Wesleyan's turn to take on the Hoosiers.\nThe Hoosiers will face off against the Wildcats at 3 p.m. today at Sembower Field.\nIU is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Taylor University last week, and hopes to improve to 3-0 on the season.\nIn the previous 10 meetings between the two teams, IU has won all 10 games including last year's 11-10 victory over IWU. \nBut last season's score does not represent the series as a whole. IU has outscored Indiana Wesleyan 75-20 overall, and the Hoosiers plan to use this game as a tune-up for the rest of the season.\nKentucky Wesleyan swept Indiana Wesleyan in their three-game series over the weekend, outscoring the Wildcats 34-7, leaving a good possibility for the Hoosiers to repeat their performance from last week.\nIU used an offensive explosion to crush Taylor 15-0 and 14-1 last week. One of the offensive catalysts was senior Eric Blakeley who set career highs with seven RBI and nine total bases.\n"Our philosophy is that if we see a good first pitch, then just go after it," Blakeley said. "It's early, so we just want to get out and get some at-bats."\nBut after having its three-game series rained out against Bethune-Cookman in Florida this past weekend, IU just wishes that the weather cooperates enough today to help prepare for this weekend's series versus East Tennessee State. \n"We're just hoping that we get to play," coach Bob Morgan said. "Our kids are biting at the bit to get out and play again. We just want to go out and get back to where we were."\nMorgan said the key to the game is to have all facets of come together.\n"We just need to field groundballs, our pitchers need to throw strikes and our hitters need to stay aggressive at the plate."\nLast week's doubleheader showcased some solid pitching. Seven IU pitchers combined to allow one run on nine hits in the two games. \nSenior southpaw Zach Otte mowed down four Taylor batters in just two innings of work, and will start on the mound for IU today. Otte said he is the type of pitcher to go right after hitters, and he expects to do that against the Wildcats.\n"We just have to go out and pitch our game," Otte said. "Right now we're still in the situation where we have a few guys that have pitched, but the first couple of times out we're just trying to get our cleats dirty a little bit"
(02/19/02 6:36am)
When teams score 29 runs in two games, they do not usually lose. But throw in solid pitching and defense that allows only one run in those two games, and you have the perfect combination.\nThis is exactly what IU's baseball team accomplished in its home and season opener yesterday at Sembower Field.\nThe Hoosiers pounded NAIA opponent, Taylor University, 15-0 and 14-1 in the doubleheader, extending its unbeaten streak against the Trojans to 24 games, and improving to 12-3 in its last 15 season openers.\nIU struck early in both games, and never looked back.\nJunior outfielder Kennard Jones' leadoff triple set the tone in the nightcap. He later scored on senior shortstop Eric Blakely's RBI single, who also contributed two home runs and seven RBIs to lead the Hoosier offense.\nThe Trojans tied the score at one run apiece in the bottom of the second on Matt Tigert's RBI single, but after that, the Hoosier offense buried them by scoring in every inning except for the 6th.\nIU did not look rusty at the plate, ending with a combined 32 hits, with ten players adding hits in the nightcap and eight players in the opening game.\n"We've put in a lot of work in the off-season, and our coaching staff has put emphasis on us having good at-bats," junior first baseman Gibran Hamdan said. "A couple of our big innings came with two outs, so that's always a positive sign that we're staying in those innings. \n"We do have explosive people all throughout the lineup, and I can't even imagine how many people got hits for us today."\nOne of the players who had multiple hits in both games was junior third baseman Vasili Spanos.\nSpanos sparked IU in the first game with a blast to left field that the Trojans' left fielder did not even bother to turn around and watch leave the park in the second inning.\nThe Hoosiers blew the game wide open with a six-run fourth inning following two outs led by sophomore outfielder Mark Calkins' three-run homer.\nSpanos finished the game with two home runs, a triple and three RBIs, while Calkins added a home run, two triples and five RBIs.\nSophomore outfielder Joe Kemp said the offense showed good poise.\n"You're going to get one good pitch every at-bat, and you have to take advantage and capitalize on that," Kemp said. "We did a great job today and were real disciplined." \nEven though IU's offense looked unstoppable in its opener, coach Bob Morgan realizes that the season is still young and offense cannot carry the team the whole season.\n"I think we'll be a good hitting team," Morgan said. "The biggest concern will be our pitching and consistency there. I still have my concerns with pitching, even though we only gave up one run."\n"But the greatest thing about today is that it's Feb. 18 and we played a doubleheader in Bloomington, Indiana"