Knocked Off the Top with Their Pending Injuries, It Is Doubt- Ful Either Will Be at Their Midseason St
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page 20 SPORTS The Torch, Friday, September 22, 2000 FOOTBALL VOLLEYBALL MEN'S SOCCER WOMEN'S SOCCER SCOREBOARD ST. FRANCIS 34 DEPAUL 15 15 15 15 W. MICHIGAN 2 VU 1 VU 30 VU 9 10 17 3 VU 1 LOYOLA 0 IN THE TRENCHES Preseason tournament tests Softball newcomers Jessy Spas ance might begin to fluctuate. before them. BY RODNEY BENNER STAFF WRITER This weekend, the team will be partic- The team has a strong pitching core ipating in the NIC tournament, playing with all of the girls having much experi- After this past weekend's tournament against big Division I schools such as ence. Kendall is the number one returning The Chicago White Sox are going in Orland Park, 111., softball head coach Northwestern and Iowa. This tournament pitcher as well as former Conference to walk into the postseason after an Jerry Stieger saw a preview of just how well will prove to be a test to determine where Pitcher of the Week in her freshman year. incredible year. They may end the sea- his young team would be performing this this young team stands, more so than the Barrall will be returning for the number one son with the game's best record, gar- upcoming spring. previous tourney. relief pitching spot. nering home field advantage through- The Crusaders played well, winning The coaching staff is pleased with the Other key pitchers this year will be out the playoffs. But will the Sox be two out of their five games in the tourna- way the team has been performing. Many sophomores Tana Barnes (who is having able to put together the right mix to ment. All freshmen and walk-ons played of the girls have been playing different posi- problems with her pitching arm) and Jessica take home the series? except for freshman Stephanie Reinke, who tions than what they are used to due to Radke, and freshman Amanda Gilbertson. I say no. Their starting pitching is was ill. injuries or illness. Sophomores Tricia According to Stieger, the team is full suspect. James Baldwin and Cal Eldred "This tournament gave the players an Speziale and Tracy Wilson will miss play- of depth despite the youth of the team. The have both been fighting injuries opportunity to get more experience and a ing this fall due to knee surgery, as well as girls get along extremely well and have throughout the last leg of the campaign. chance to play," stated Stieger. Ali Bultman who is sick. However, all three great team chemistry. Their statuses are still unknown. Stieger's philosophy in the sport of players plan to return in time for the spring "The girls worry about the team and Baldwin has made starts in the bigs softball is to have an even keel. This means, season. not about their own stats. Because of this, since his injury, but Eldred is still lan- that because of the large amount of games Junior captains Danni Barrall and Lisa the girls' stats will be up," Stieger said. guishing in the minors and instruction- played in a season, he does not want to Kendall have been showing great leadership Many of the freshmen and walk-ons al leagues trying to get a feel for his "pump up a player and tell them they're the along with all the sophomores and juniors will be playing key roles in unison with injured elbow. world's greatest" while they are playing who played the year before. Last year, four returning players this upcoming season as Whether these two pitchers are on well. Then when the player hits a rough freshmen started every game and this has well as this weekend at the NIC Tournament the playoff rosters or not, this is a bad patch in their game, their overall perform- prepared them well for the season now in Moline, 111., which begins today. situation for the team. If they are both active for the playoffs, Jerry Manuel will attempt to get quality starts out of them. But after all the time off coupled Knocked off the top with their pending injuries, it is doubt- ful either will be at their midseason St. Francis storms past Crusaders 34-30, drops VUfrom No. 1 ranking form. And if they are not able to return, the Sox depleted staff is too shaky to Rodney Benner The Crusaders had live in the postseason. STAFF WRITER opportunities in the sec- ond half, but squandered •Regardless of the White Sox The Crusader football them via turnovers. Last pitching staff or their postseason team suffered their first loss of year's Division I-AA prospects, Frank Thomas has reclaimed the season last Saturday in a 34- leaders in turnover mar- a place among the elite ballplayers in 30 loss to NAIA Division II No. gin found themselves the game today. 4 St. Francis. The loss dashes giving the ball away. He's my AL MVP, beating out hopes of an undefeated season. Aspito was picked off Carlos Delgado. Delgado looked to VU was consequently knocked three times in the fourth have the inside track on the award, but off their perch atop the NCAA quarter, two of them in as his Triple Crown hopes faded and Division I-AA Mid-Major poll, the red zone. Thomas's White Sox continued their falling to 6th in the latest rank- Aspito's stat line winning ways, Thomas has become the ings. otherwise looks very MVP-caliber player he was a few years The first half was all productive. Twenty-one ago. Finally injury free and confident, Crusaders. Quarter number one carries for 55 yards cou- the Sox organization is seeing the fruits produced a combined 31 points pled with 22-42 passing of hanging onto Big Frank. of offense. VU got on the board for 227 yards is not a first with a 36-yard Adam bad day. But it is no •The Chicago Bulls bid to acquire Hudak field goal. St. Francis secret Aspito was inex- Glen Rice from free agency fell threw then countered with a one-yard perienced, in only his the floor. The Bulls were set to plunge from Eric Johnson to second start. announce his signing on Wednesday, take a 4-point advantage. "Jeff has come and by Thursday morning he was sent The teams then traded along well, and has per- to the New York Knicks in a four-team, touchdowns, a 14-yard strike formed well enough for 12-player deal. from Jeff Aspito to Ryan Barno us to win," Home said. Rice's name is now added to the for VU, and a 64-yard touch- "Other than the fourth list of players courted by the Chicago down reception by SF's Kiante quarter debacle, he's Bulls this offseason in an attempt to Lindsay. performed well enough bolster their young squad. Then the Crusaders turned for us to win with him as Jerry Krause had over $20 million it on. The ensuing kickoff our quarterback." in cap room to spend on several high resulted in an 88-yard touch- Senior Steve quality free agents. Eddie Jones, Grant down return by Bryan Clancy was the offen- Hill, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady and Hollermeier. VU would score sive star in week 3. He RODGER HOKE Kicker Adam Hudak's hard work in practice has paid off for the several others all went by the wayside. another 10 points in the half rushed for 47 on just Crusaders. Hudak contributed 3 field goals in last Saturday's 34-30 Instead, this offseason has pro- while shutting down the prolific eight carries and caught loss to St. Francis. duced Brad Miller. Another slow, St. Francis offense to take a 27- a team high six balls for hard this summer and went to a clunky center that will minimally pro- 14 lead. 65 yards. Adam Hudak was solid in camp and really refined his duce and suck down loads of revenue. But the second half was On the defense, Matt the kicking game once again. He is not the answer to the Bulls prob- another story. The VU offense Maher led the team with eight Hudak accounted for 12 points skills." In spite of the loss and lems in the middle. that had consistently put points tackles. on three field goals and three mounting injuries, Home Krause may have lost his ability on the board stalled. St. But an unsung hero on the PATs, giving him six field goals remains optimistic. to build the franchise. No one disputes Francis, meanwhile, revived its defense was senior cornerback on the season. Jason Lougheed. Locked up "We've got a lot of strong Krause single-handedly constructed the passing attack, scoring three "Adam has really been a people in the program. I think best team in NBA history. He took second half touchdowns. Their with Dutcher, St. Francis star pleasant surprise," Home said. we'll weather the storm and chances on players like Scottie Pippen defense clamped down as well, receiver, Lougheed broke up six "We knew he was a pretty eventually we'll be fine at the and Toni Kukoc others weren't willing holding VU to a field goal in the passes and held Dutcher to just decent kicker coming out of end of everything," Home said. to take. But now, after losing favor in second half. four catches for 80 yards. high school. He worked real Chi-town with the players from those dynasty years he can't bring talent into INSIDE... the United Center. 2QOO Olympics Intramurals By The Numbers p.17 p.