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Show THE DAILY CHRONICLE UTAH PO T R erne Smith Using Trash to Up His Talent BRANDON WINN After 32 Games, Utes Will Finally Play a Home Game Chronicle Sports Editor Kevin Dyson was ERIC WALDEN foctball practice Saturday. Maybe that's why Steve Smith Chronicle Asst. Sports Editor was trying to prove something. Kevin, the man who fell one. yard short of winning a Super Bowl in January with the Tennessee Titans, has two brothers, Andre and Patrick, on the Utah team. Both are defensive backs. Both are good. One, Patrick, might think he's too good. At least that's what Smith Mona coach Softball Uiah a like the feel little Stevens must Biblical Moses: She may not be leading her followers around in the wilderness for 40 years, but having her team on the road for its first 32 games of the season is probably close enough. This Wednesday, though, the Utes finally make it to the Promised Land, even if only for a short time. Utah will finally play its first home games of the season when it k hosts Utah State for a double-heade- r at Ute Field. And while they have spent more than half the season on the road already, in truth, the Utes have been too busy to really keep track of says. Q where they've been playing their month-and-a-ha- lf 17-1- Ski A I If" , " l . 1 I .. tfc 45 '"I M ? n ' r i : . , - . J IA 1 r n ' I 5 S j ui il see its first home action of the season when it hosts Utah State on Wednesday. She leads the conference in home of the afternoon sun reflecting off a Tournament teams at the NIST and bald man's head, runs (10) and total bases (63), is Capital Classic, respectively, while Utah has racked up seven wins third in slugging percentage (.716), sophomore third baseman Lyndsey this season against top-2- 5 teams. fourth in runs scored (19) and RBI Trevis was just named the MWC (22), fifth in hits (29) and Player of the Week for March Perhaps its best victory of the seaa son came on March 14, when Utah and ninth with Trevis hit .400 with five runs percentage (.421) defeated No. 5 California (Berkeley) scored and eight RBI in a .367 batting average. a 2 score. On the mound, Kristin A.rbogast stretch. by 5 is first in the MWC in appearances Several players have led the way Ute fans will get a chance, albeit for Utah this season. Catcher and a very brief and belated one, to get (31), wins (16), innings pitched (169.0), second in strikeouts (90), their first glimpse of these players Sunny Smith has proand roth with a 3.27 ERA. and all their teammates when the 9- pelled the offense and is among the MWC leaders in several statistical and Seniors Lisa Hashimoto-Hai- l see SOFTBALL, page 7 Nicole Wilkinson made the All- categories. The Utah Softball team will on-ba- se 13-1- 9. six-ga- in ent Sidelines Gym Assistant BRANDON WINN ' The two matched up with one another time after time drills. Saturday in Patrick would make it a point to guard Smith; Smith would make it a point to let Patrick know "you can't guard me." Then they were off, pushing, grabbing and yapping the whole way down the field. When Smith caught a pass, he let Patrick, the other defensive backs and the small crowd attending know it. When Patrick won the battle, Smith basically said "you got lucky." Sounds like a typical friendly rivalry, right? Not to Smith. The Utah receiver and punt one-on-o- mid-wee- games. In the since the season started, Utah has been crisscrossing the country, playing in one prestigious tournament after another. All told, the Utes participated in six different tourneys. They started the season off in Phoenix, playing in Arizona State's Fiesta Bowl Tournament, then moved on to Las Vegas to take part in the UNLV Tournament. Next, they got relatively close to home hosting a tourney that bore their name, but not their location: The Utah Tournament took place in St. George. In March, Utah has also traveled to Columbus, Ga., for the Lead-Of- f Ck'ssic, headed to San Jose, Calif., for the National Invitational Softball Tournament, before finally heading north for the Capital Classic Tournament hosted by Sacramento State. And while the Utes' 5 record is nothing steilar, the team has, at times, been brighter than the glare at the Utes' Chronicle Sports Editor When you give your team, as the head coach, a direct order, you expect it to be followed to the letter. If not, internal problems can arise. .When one of your assistant coaches disobeys this command, though, you know you have problems. Utah gymnastics assistant coach Aki Hummel paid no attention to head coach Greg Marsden's orders that the team stay healthy this week because he proceeded to break his leg in a skiing accident over the weekend. Hummel apparently broke his femur in six places and had to undergo surgery so doctors could stick a metal rod in his leg for support. He will be in the hospital until Wednesday or Thursday, Marsdcn said, and will definitely not accompany the team to Minneapolis for rcgion- - als this Saturday, As the bars specialist for the past seven seasons, Hummel guided the Utes to the No. 2 ranking in the event nationally. But that's not the cn!y area in which he will be missed. Hummel acted as the Utes No. spotter, something very important as far as 1 safety is concerned. He can't, obviously, spot somebody when he can't even walk, so he will be out of action for several months. focused. Aki Hummel The Utes have been hampered by injuries all season. First, Utah's top two gymnasts (Shannon Bowles and CHRONICLE SPORTS EDITOR Theresa Kulikowski) were forced to miss the season; then Kylee Wagner was diagnosed with mononucleosis; Theresa Wolf had to compete after hitting her head and suffering from concussion-like symptoms, now this. of course, is coming at The injury the worst possible time. The last thing Marsden wants for his team is another distraction. With the Ules competing in one of the toughest regionals four of the six teams are nationally ranked it is imperative the Utes remain BRANDON WINN Hopefully for the Utes, the latest problem doesn't cork the momentum they've established after two strong road performances. "We're going in after two good scores on the road, which was what we were shooting for," Marsden said. "I believe we have a lot of confidence going into regionals." They just don't have an assistant coach. WINNCHRONICLE.UTAH.EDU 581-704- 1 ne returner extraordinaire isn't about to concede to anything. Especially if it means admitting somebody outperformed him on the football field. He won't admit when anyone is better for even one second, one play. Case in point: Saturday, he caught a slant pass a few yards in front of Patrick. The team was not in pads Saturday so there was not tackling, but that didn't stop Patrick from running at Smith, acting like he was about to bring some pain and then yelling "BOOM!" to simulate what would have been a tackle on Smith. "You catch that on me when we're in pads. That's right where I want you," Patrick jawed at Smith. A mocking smile covered Smith's face. "You're not going to hurt me. A broken neck didn't stop me so there's no way you will." The conversation went on like that, only quite a bit more colorful than the pages of The Chronicle permit. Smith runs on emotion, and that means he's not likely to quiet up when faced with a challenger. The more emotion, the better Smith plays. "I'm an emotional person," Smith has said before. "That's see mKH, page 7 |