Sports

Seamingly unfazed

When the IU baseball team steps onto Phillips Baseball Field in Charlotte, N.C., today to open its season, it will be a vastly different team from the one that began last season with a victory against DePauw at Sembower Field in Bloomington.

IU to host Big Ten Championships

The No. 11 IU men's swimming and diving team welcomes some top-ranked teams to the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center today as they play host to the 2006 Big Ten Championships. The Big Ten currently boasts seven teams in the top 25. "This is a very emotional atmosphere," IU coach Ray Looze said. "I expect it to be charged and electric." Senior Kevin Swander said "electric" would be an understatement when describing the mood inside IU's home facility.

IU seeks top-5 conference finish

Coming off an overtime thriller against nationally ranked Purdue last weekend, the IU women's basketball team will take the court tonight versus No. 22 Minnesota with hopes of claiming a top-five spot in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers (15-10 overall, 9-5 in conference) traveled to West Lafayette for Sunday's conference matchup with their in-state rivals. A deep Cyndi Valentin 3-pointer sent the game into overtime, where the senior guard hit two free throws with seconds remaining to ice the victory for IU.

Win raises tourney hopes

Senior guard Marshall Strickland cemented his place in IU lore Wednesday -- in more ways than one. On the night, Strickland became IU's 40th 1,000-point scorer, led the Hoosiers to a 69-65 win over Penn State and kept the team's NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The senior wingman scored nothing but 3-pointers, shooting 7-for-11 from deep, including an NBA-range three that put IU ahead for good. "We can exhale now," Strickland said. "It feels like we got a little monkey off our back and we can gear up for Sunday."

Battling back

Senior Ryan Parker's list of accomplishments as a member of the IU baseball team is impressive -- two-time member of the Academic All-American Team, Academic All-Big Ten selection and a .340 batting average with 51 RBIs last season, to name a few. But perhaps the most defining aspect of Parker's career as a Hoosier is the fact that he is a cancer survivor.

I'm being serious this time

OK, I really mean it this time. The Hoosiers can win at home versus Penn State tonight. In fact, I still can't believe they lost the first time. The Hoosiers forced 18 turnovers while only committing 13 and still lost, 71-68.

Hoosiers advance to tournament

After winning both of its regional tournament games this weekend in Aston, Pa., the Hoosier hockey squad will be competing in its 12th straight American Collegiate Hockey Association Championship Tournament -- the longest active streak in ACHA Division II hockey.

Table Tennis Club small in size, large in spirited competition

Most people wander into the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation for their usual workouts or for the start of the intramural basketball playoffs. However, a group of five people enter twice a week for an entirely different reason--the IU Table Tennis Club.

Hoosiers advance to tournament

After winning both of its regional tournament games this weekend in Aston, Pa., the Hoosier hockey squad will be competing in its 12th straight American Collegiate Hockey Association Championship Tournament -- the longest active streak in ACHA Division II hockey.

Davis: White might play this season

Sophomore forward D.J. White could return to action this season, IU coach Mike Davis said on his radio show Monday night.

Former players consider Davis, IU's future

A.J. Moye said he believes Mike Davis is the master of paying attention to detail. The former Hoosier men's basketball player currently suits up for Keflavik in the Icelandic Express League. His squad finished second in the regular season and Saturday, his team lost to Grindavik 93-78 in the Icelandic Cup Final. Moye scored 20 points in the loss. He told the Indiana Daily Student in an e-mail interview Friday that he finds it unfortunate that Davis is stepping down. Click here to read Moye's full responses.

SPRINGING INTO ACTION

Women's hockey team secures bronze

TURIN, Italy -- Katie King wishes she could've thrown her gloves in the air like a graduation cap and jumped into a pile of her teammates on the ice. Instead, she and the rest of the U.S. women's hockey team had to settle for some hugs -- and a bronze medal. King scored two of her three goals in the first period to give the Americans a three-goal lead and they glided to a 4-0 victory over Finland on Monday, playing in a third-place game they would've rather watched on TV from their dressing room.

Americans garner silver medal in ice dancing

TURIN, Italy -- At last, a figure skating medal for the United States -- in ice dancing, of all things. And yet another Olympic gold for Russia. Tanith Belbin and partner Ben Agosto snapped the U.S. medals drought in figure skating with a silver Monday night. They were behind Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, who gave Russia a gold medal hat trick -- pairs, men's and dance. No nation has swept the four skating events in one games, and Russian Irina Slutskaya is favored in the women's competition.

IU leaves Mexico tourney as runner-up to Houston

The men's golf team concluded play in the Club de Golf Santa Anita-North Texas Classic Monday afternoon with its best performance of the 2005-06 campaign, but one team remained ahead of IU on the leaderboard. The University of Houston left Guadalajara, Mexico, as the tournament champion, finishing first out of 11 teams at one over par with a score of 865. IU finished three strokes behind, followed by Southern Louisiana at four strokes back. The Cougars were able to break away from IU and the Southern Louisiana with whom they were tied for first entering the final round. The Hoosiers suffered a flat start to the tournament, ending the first round 11 shots over par at 297. However, during the second round later that day, IU proved itself to still be a threat to win.

Race preparation officially begins for new riders with 'Rookie Week'

Little 500 season officially began yesterday as the rookies took the track at Bill Armstrong Stadium for Rookie Week. All rookie riders are required to practice this week to orient themselves to the finer points of the annual race. "It's a good week for the rookies to get their feet wet before the veterans come out to practice," said senior Riders' Council member Ryan Moore. "They will learn some of the things unique to Little Five, and it's just a good way for them to get comfortable."

IU's on-court issues remain

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The fog might have lifted, but the mood has yet to brighten around IU.

No. 17 IU goes 3-1 at Princeton Invitational

The No. 17 IU water polo team rebounded this weekend at the Princeton Invitational, finishing the weekend with a 3-1 record while defeating Bucknell, Brown and Harvard universities.

After 2 losses, focus shifts to Big Tens

The IU wrestling team dropped its final two matches of the regular season this weekend and will now prepare for the Big Ten Tournament. Five Hoosiers took victories Friday during a 19-15 loss at No. 13 Northwestern. While they lost, IU coach Duane Goldman said he was happy with a lot of the things that he saw in some of the individual matches.

Hot bats don't help as season begins

Neither cold weather nor University of Oklahoma pitching could cool down the Hoosier bats as the IU women's softball team opened its season at the OU/Nike Classic on Friday.