Sports

Team takes 3 of 4 from Illini, improves to 20-4

Senior shortstop Eric Blakely hit a dramatic three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to lift the IU men's baseball team over Illinois 5-3 in the finale of the series yesterday at Sembower Field. The Hoosiers were down 3-2 with one out in the bottom of the seventh when freshman second baseman Jay Brant was hit by a pitch.

When you think it can't get any worse...

I'd love to write about Antwaan Randle El making a triumphant return to quarterback. I'd love to chronicle the resurgence of a once- (and still-) diaper-soft defense. I'd love to tell the story of the IU boy coming home to coach his alma mater to bowl game after bowl game. But it isn't so. Instead, I'm stuck with losses to teams like Utah. I'm used to it. This week, I realized that since I began covering college football, the teams I cover haven't won a single game. Nope, lost every single time out. Zero wins. Thirteen loses. I covered Ball State football in 1999 during the Cardinals' 21-game losing skid. Then, I transferred to IU -- evidently bringing the curse with me.

Blakeley closes out great career

Coach Bob Morgan said at the beginning of the season that improved defensive play up the middle would be a major reason why this year's IU team (28-12, 9-8 in Big Ten) is better than last year's squad (24-31-1, 7-19 Big Ten). It starts out with senior Eric Blakeley, who's been providing consistent play at shortstop the four years he's been here.

Defense will be deciding factor in upcoming game

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- No.1 Duke was thought of by many as the best team in the nation going into the tournament. Now that the Hoosiers took care of that theory, some are picking Oklahoma as the best team left standing. The Sooners won the West Regional with an 81-75 win against 12th-seeded Missouri in San Jose Saturday night. Sophomore guard A.J. Moye has been impressed.

Looking for a repeat

After finishing third at the Big Ten indoor track championship, the women athletes missed the feeling of winning. Since that wake-up call, the Hoosiers have begun the quest for consecutive outdoor titles.

Czech tennis player making mark as Hoosier

Senior Milan Rakvica will represent IU at the ITA All-American Men's Championships Tuesday through Sunday in Stone Mountain, Ga. "I'm looking forward to see how I play against the other players," Rakvica said. "I just want to play as many matches as I can." The 22-year-old senior has had a strong career at IU. With 77 singles victories, he has moved into a three-way tie for ninth in wins all time at IU.

Hoosiers blow out Lions

STATE COLLEGE, PA. -- The game plan for IU was obvious as soon as the game started Wednesday night at Penn State. On its first possession, IU went to Jared Jeffries. The Hoosiers did the same on their second possession. And the third. And on six of their next seven trips down the floor. By the time that stretch was over, IU had a three-point lead, with Jeffries scoring all nine of the Hoosiers' points as Penn State left one defender on him. Jeffries finished the half with 15 points and the game with 22 points in 27 minutes as the Hoosiers coasted to an 85-51 blowout victory in front of 8,674 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Team places 6th at invite

The women's cross country team placed sixth this weekend at the Illini Invitation 5K. Leading the way for the Hoosiers was sophomore Becky Obrecht. Obrecht finished with a time of 17:54 and placed ninth overall. This marks the first time that Obrecht has been the first Hoosier runner across the finish line.

Row 7 packed with rookie riders

Row 7 The majority of riders in row 7 are rookie riders looking to make their mark. Cinzano is the only team with a veteran rider, and it's looking to do as well as it did last year, when the team finished in the top 10. All of the teams are anticipating the chance to gain experience and build for the future.

Lions end Hoosiers unbeaten season

In a bid to go unbeaten through the regular season dual meets, the IU women's swimming and diving team fell to Penn State in a double dual meet for the third consecutive year.

IU athletics suspended until Monday

This statement has been released from the Indiana University's Athletic Department: Indiana University's Athletic Department has announced all scheduled intercollegiate events are suspended through the weekend. Consistent with the previously released Big Ten statement that institutions would evaluate their own athletics schedules, Indiana University's decision was made after reviewing all of the circumstances surrounding this week's tragedies. Some of the considerations for suspending competition included the safety and welfare of its student-athletes, respect for the victim's families as well as the decision by other major universities in the state to not compete this weekend. In accordance with President Bush's comments regarding a return to normalcy, Indiana University Athletics will return to full force with its scheduled competitions beginning Monday, September 17.

Hoosiers host annual tournament

If anything can be taken out the men's soccer teams two exhibition games last weekend it's that IU's defense is capable of completely shutting out a ranked opponent, and the Hoosier offense is capable of scoring several goals against a ranked opponent. This weekend, IU will try to combine both in the same match as they host the 19th annual adidas/IU Credit Union Classic at Bill Armstrong Stadium to kickoff the 2001-2002 season.

Cutters, Delta Gamma avoid wrecks, claim victories in final series event

Most Little 500 teams participate in Team Pursuit -- the final event of the pre-race series -- to get themselves in the right mind-set for the actual race. But Saturday's event hurt some teams more than it helped. Several serious wrecks slowed the event despite limits that allowed only two teams on the track at a time. Two riders broke their collarbones, and one separated a shoulder.

DiNardo named 25th football coach

Former San Diego Chargers head coach Mike Riley, former LSU head coach Gerry DiNardo and South Florida's Jim Leavitt all have one thing in common: they were rumored to be up for the head coaching position for the IU football team. But Athletics Director Michael McNeely saw something in DiNardo that he didn't see in the others mentioned -- the will to win. Maybe McNeely noticed it while they were both on staff with Colorado in the mid-90s. Maybe it was during DiNardo's tenure at LSU where he lead the Tigers to a 29-9-1 record and three bowl wins. Or it could have been during the month long search to replace the fired Cam Cameron. Or maybe it could have been his brief stint as head coach of the XFL's Birmingham Thunderbolts. Or maybe not.

Hoosiers throttle All-Stars

Sometimes sloppy equals good. In an exhibition game loaded with turnovers and fouls, the women's basketball team pushed aside the Premier All-Stars 89-72.

Staying or going?

Williams ties Big Ten record with 6 TDs in single game

MADISON, Wis. - What a game. What a record-breaking, defense dominating, near-flawless game. It's almost unexplainable, almost unbelievable, almost uncomprehendable how a winless IU football team traveled to Wisconsin and completely rolled over a 3-2 Badger team.

Gophers' offense buries Hoosiers

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tom Coverdale kicked the ball, and Dane Fife finished the game with two tackles. You won't find those statistics on any sheet of paper, but they do justice to IU's matchup with Minnesota at Williams Arena Saturday.

Defense steps up, offense well-rounded

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Before Sunday the Hoosiers had at least four players score in double figures in each of their last three games.

Team earns first of 3 goals with Big Ten win

The taste of victory is sweet for the men's volleyball team. After losing their last two games to Utah and Texas A&M in the Great Eight Tournament March 9, the men seemed to be back on track March 23 and 24 at the Big Ten Conferance Championship, taking first place.