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Show !THURSDAY. MARCH 22, 2001 PA~E 17 UNIVERSITY JOURNAL SPORTS Softball begins ·Mid-Con play Lori Shepard and Mandy Flint are heading the Thunderbird pitching duties. According to Simmons, Flint already has 101 strikeouts this season , which is just 20 shy of the 5,chool record set by Cherely Southern Utah University's softball team is gearing up to start Bingham in 1997. Mid-Continent Conference play. "Already 101 strikeouts when we are only halfway through our Last year's runners-up in the Mid-Con have been busy with a season in an amazing feat," Simmons said. "You have to tough pre-season schedule that has included five games remember that in softball against top 25 programs. we only play seven SUU has already faced innings, so for her to No. 2 Arizona.~o. 7 already have 101 is Fresno State, No. 12 great." Washingt9n, No. 16 Last year the 'Birds Oregon State and No. 17 went 15-7 in Mid-Con Nebraska. action and played in the "It's good for us to play conference championship these top 25 teams game against-Western because it puts us on their Illinois, where the lost by level.· Coach Laurel just one run . have Simmons said. "We came close last been in every game year to winning the against these teams, and it championship," Simmons should help us be a level said. "We know it will be ahead of our Mid-Con another dog fight this opponents.· year, but- our girls are Southern Utah heads ready and we are into conference play with . optimistic about our an 8-19 record . However, chance at the title this 11 of the T-Birds' 19 year." losses have been decided The Thunderbirds' first by one run. Mid-Con game will be "We have had a lot of tomorrow at 1 p.m. close games this year: against IUPUI. SUU will Simmons said. "We lost by also play lUPUI again on one run to seventh-ranked Saturday at noon. Both Fresno State, and got a games will be played at couple of bad calls by the Thunderbird Field . officials that otherwise South em Utah pitcher Mandy Flint tafks things over with catcher "We have done some would given us the win.· Amanda Whitaker. The T-Birds are gearing up to begin Mid-Continent Emily Cederholm leads new things to our field and we are excited to show the 'Birds in hitting at .333, Conference play tomorrow at Thunderbird Field at 1 p.m.against fUPUf. ranking her fourth in the people how good we are conference. Cederholm also leads the conference with 28 hits. · this year," Simmons said. "We have always played well at home, so we hope a lot of people wilr come out and see us "Emily {Cederholm] is someone ·we can really count on lo hit play. The team is excited to start conference play at home." the ball and be a team leader out on the field ," Simmons said. BY JASON ERICKSON JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR ·we Evans honored by NABC SUU Coach Bifl Evans was named District 13's men's basketbafl Coach of the Year by the NABC. Southern Utah University's men's basketball -coach Bill Evans has been named the District 13 men's basketball Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Evans guided SUU to the Mid-Continent Conference championship, a 25-6 overall record and the school's first berth in the NCAA tournament. The award given by the NABC is the fifth for Evans this year. He was named mid-major coach of the·year by both Basketbafl Times and Colfege Hoops Insider, was elected the conference coach of the year by his peers and was named District 8 coach of the year by the US Basketball Writers Association. other notables.receiving all-district recognition by the NABC were Boston College's Al Skinner, Phil Martelli of St. Joseph's, Georgetown's Craig Esherick, Hampton's Steve Merveld, Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech, Jim O'Brian of Ohio State, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Stanford's Mike Montgomery, Iowa State's Larry Eustachy and UC Irvine's Pat Douglas. Welcome home Students and faculty gathered in the Sharwon Smith Center Monday afternoon to welcome home the men's basketball team. SUU made its first-ever appearance at the NCAA tournament after receiving an automatic bid by winning the Mid-Con. The 'Birds lost in the first round to seventh-ranked Boston College 68-65. Speakers induded SUU Preside_nt Steven Bennion and Student Body President Michael Wai,den. Both thanked the team for the way that it represented SUU . ·it helped expose SUU to the world," Wasden said of SUU's NCAA game televised to a national audience on CBS. Southern utah will lose five seniors from this year's team, but SUU's Stan Johnson addresses students and faculty in the the coaching' staff is busy finding new recruits. SUU has signed Sharwan Smith Center Monday afternoon. The 'Bitrls were welcomed home from the NCAA tournament In New Yorlc. Jordan Mulford from UVSC and Kevin Henry of Cochise, Ariz. OUT OF BOUNDS. SPORTS COMMENTARY BY JOHNNY WRIGHT Beware of the SexFL I held . off on writing about the XFL. I was tempted to throw in my two cents along with · most sports columnists in America , but I thought I should give the new league a chance. I have watched the games and the TV ratings and my mind has not been changed . The WWF version of professional football is a joke and an embarrassment to ma instream sports. The XFL is beyond ridiculous , it is just plain stupid. The league was a first week hit , scoring huge ratings for the sold our soul to the devil network NBC . Since then , the XFL's ratings have slumped worse than the Dow Jones . It has the dubious d istincti on of possessing the lowest prime time rating on Saturday night. It has lower ratings than CBS's Kate Brasher. You 've never heard of this show? Neither have l. If you take away the semi-naked cheerleaders , and interesting camera work , the XFL is nothing r:nore than a bunch of NFL rejects that are about as interesting to watch as eight year olds playing Pop Warner football. . A word about the cheerleaders: What a joke they are . I can 't believe they found g irls Nke this in Las Vegas to cheer for the Outlaws. They must have had to conduct an exhaustive nationwide search to find girls who fit the XFL profile. I ' m not sure what the exact qualifications are to be an XFL cheerleader, but if any young ladies reading this column would like a shot, here are some tips. First, don't know how to dance . This of course excludes lap-dancing techniques. Second, jump up and down a lot. Even if there is no other movement, make sure it is up and down. Good luck. The reason I say beware of the XFL is simple, I don't trust Vince McMahon, the head of the IJI/WF. Tliis is a man who made wrestling a hit by increasing the violence and silicone in every broadcast. What makes you think McMahon won't do the same thing for his fledgling football league? . If ratings stay the same, and they will, I assure you the the only man who gives Jerry Springer a run for his money in the sleaze category, will make some changes. It starts with sex and violence. If this happens, don't allow yourselves to be sucked in. Don't allow yourself to be a part of the dumbing down of American entertainment. Rise above it. Rise abo,ve the garbage that television can provide . Wrestling, Springer , Temptation Island, and whatever new shockunrentary that FOX is running . "When IOiots Die, next on FOX." I don't believe that this is the kind of entertainment America wants. They watch because it is given to them, not because they: crave it. McMahon always says, "I know what Joe Six-Pack wants.• I never want to be induded in that group. I'd rather watch Kate Brasher. |