Predictions are dangerous things at best, and to go out on
the line regarding sports is tempting t'ate. But from this cor
ner. the \\ ebfoot baseball crew seems the only logical choice
for diamond supremacy in the Northwest.
Through perverse conditions “Hobby" Hobson has taken
a mixture of veterans and rookies and has molded a fast, hard
hitting, hustling ball club. Veterans fill nearly every position,
and the freshmen who have cracked the starting lineup are
playing at a par with the more experienced flychasers.
Infield Unit Strong
A quick glance at the roster sees the same infield unit of
last year’s championship nine with Bubalo on first. Kirsch at
second, Farrow in the shortpatch and Hamel at the “hot cor
ner". Although not as potent at the plate as last year's “big
three." the outfield neverthelss ranks with the best in the cir
cuit. The veteran Dick Burns and rookies Koch, Murphy and
Caviness are the top ball hawks. The catching department
is ably filled by Roy Carlson, one of the top freshman pros
pects in the league, and Bill Peterson reserve backstop.
Pitching is the only question mark. Begleries, and Bubalo
are the only men who have been under league fire. However,
if Saltxman, Lokan and Caviness shape up to expectations,
then the mound staff will be hard to beat.
Reavers Show Power
Biggest opposition can be expected from the always potent
Beavers and the Washington State Cougars. The Huskies will
also be tough, but lack sufficient reserves to be a real title con
tender. Oregon State with the veterans Durdan, McCluskey
and Brown leading the attack will be plenty tough. Their hurl
ing corps is an untried factor with Cecil and Frahler the only
experienced chuckers. Oregon’s opening series with the Beav
ers this weekend will be a crucial one, for'the winner will have
a comfortable margin on which to work.
Washington State is the "dark horse" team of the-circuit.
Word has come from Cougarville that Coach Jack Friel has a
real title aspirant. With lettermen filling nearly every position
and plenty of promising freshmen, the outlook at Pullman is
bright. Again the only noticeable weakness is the mound crew.
Friel must rely on inexperienced hinders to carry the brunt of
the attack.
Huskies Have Ford
Washington will be tough if only because of one man—
Doug Ford. The tall, lanky Ford, a member of the champion
ship casaba squad, is also a hinder deluxe. Fie can be counted
on to turn in consistent performances against all opposition.
The rest of the Husky nine shapes as promising but very
green. Poor little Idaho is again destined to be the league door
mats. Never very wealthy in athletic material, war and grad
uation have thinned out already skimpv ranks. Still they have
been known to knock off teams which have considered them a
pushover.
Word has come from up the river that Don Durban, the
Beaver’s ace performer, is down with a case of bronchial pneu
monia, and will be out of the Beavers’ lineup indefinitelv. Lew
Beck, his running mate on the maple court and who was ex
pected to take a place on the baseball nine, is now in the armv.
Like many of the other juniors and seniors, Beck expected to
be left in school at government expense. But instead of being
sent back to school, he was told to report to Fort Lewis. He
«ill have plenty of basketball company though in Gail Bishop
id Company.
Athletes in Service
Many a past Oregon athletic great can now be found wear
ing the uniform of Uncle Sam. Latest boys to be heard from
are Jim Rackbun, Pete Igoe, Kermit Storli and Bill Regner.
Igoe, a star hurler two years back, is now a Naval ensign at
the Tongue Point base. Rackbun, who used to catch Igoe's
slants has just completed his naval training at Columbia uni
versity. Former track star, Storli. is stationed at the subchaser
school in Miami. Regner, the husky football end, is now a lieu
tenant in the army and is a phycal education instructor at Camp
Roberts. California.
'Little heard of Wyoming university is the ruler of college
^psketball for 1943. The Cowboys rode roughshod over all
^.ponents to capture the collegiate championship. Thev then
traveled back to New York and trounced St. Johns the winners
of the Madison Square Garden tourney. Only two teams can
claim the distinction of beating the Cowboys, and one is the
Phillips Oilers who won the national amateur title.
Attention Webfoots! 'Civil War’ Slated
With three diamond forays
hanging from their belt, the Hob
son clan will have, as everyone
hopes, an edge over Ralph Cole
man and his Beaverboys from
Cornvalley in the first Northern
Division game for the Ducks to
morrow'.
The Staters had more than a
little trouble in quelling a Camp
Adair aggregation 3 to 1. In the
three Webfoot w'ins, the two Port
land victories and yesterday’s 6
to 4 defeat of a small but potent
Bearcat nine, Oregon has showed
only a smattering of its real
strength.
Coleman's wily Beavers, al
though listed as weak in letter
men, are to be reckoned with
anyway considering the potential
list of first year men to draw
from. At the backstop slot is ver
satile Franks Roelandt from
Franklin high school in Portland.
Besides Roelandt, Coach Coleman
has Bob Churchill, Bill McClusky,
and Pitcher Andy Frahler. Let
termen Vic Brown and the old
man of sports Don Durdan carry
the load of experience. Durdan
will probably not play Friday be
cause of pneumonia contracted
on a fishing trip.
Sheldon Weisenfeld, freshman
righthander, received his call to
the army, air corps Monday and
took with him the hopes of the
Beavers. He is the third hurler
to leave cow college.
IM Softball Teams
Ready for Opener
By BILL DYER
Softball, the sport of spring, is gathering steam and is wait
ing the go-ahead signal come Monday afternoon. Barring un
forseen events or another outburst from Jupe Pluvius, the 1943
intramural tournament will begin its opening round as teams
from four leagues swing into action.
According to Rob Newland, in
tramural director, everything is
set for the season’s opener. All
plans have been carefully worked
out and arrangements made for
what is hoped a successful' tour
nament. Teams are already lim
bering up the old pitching arm
and sharpening their batting
eyes in an attempt to overthrow
the Sigma Nil titleholders.
Sigma Nu Favorites
By virtue of their brilliant soft
ball display last year in trounc
ing all comers, the Sigma Nu
squad is rated again the top
team. However, several teams
will be gunning for revenge and
each' club will be laying for the
champs. Lest from last year’s
winning squad will be Johnny
Mead, Sigma Nu’s great hurler,
who turned in brilliant perform
ances to lead his crew to the top.
The various men’s organiza
tions have been formed into four
different leagues. Teams in these
leagues will play a regular sched
ule. The finalists in each league
will play off to determine the
champs of ’43. Opening Monday,
there will be three games played
on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thurs
days, six games are scheduled,
so teams may be prepared for a
busy season.
Four Leagues Formed
Twenty-two teams are repre
sented in this season’s tourna
ment. In leagues one and two,
there will be six clubs in a circuit.
Leagues three and four will be
composed of five crews apiece.
The first group will he composed
of Sigma Nu, defending champs.
Alpha Sigma hall, Sherry Ross
hall, Alpha Tau Omega, Theta
Chi, and the Canard club.
Squads forming league two are
Delta Upsilon, Chi Psi, Sigma
Chi, Beta Theta Pi, Sigma Alpha
Mu, and Phi Kappa Psi. DU will
be an early favorite in this group
due to the presence of Bob Wren,
one of the top oval flingers from
last year. League three finds Sig
ma Phi Epsilon, Phi Gamma Del
ta, Kirkwood co-op, Omega hall,
and Phi Delta Theta.
Group four contains such no
tables such notables as Pi Kap
pa Alpha, SAE, Kappa Sigma,
Delta Tau Delta, and Campbell
club.
Frank Dixon, New York uni
versity miler, is rated as the best
Negro distance runner of all time.
Wesleyan university has been
appointed a V-12 college in the
navy’s training program.
GOAT BACK . . .
. . . Mickey Owen, who was the
“goat” of Brooklyn’s world se
ries two years ago, but still the
best receiver in the loop is back
again with the “Bums.”
Tlje University of Michigan
ROTC headquarters is now
housed in a former fraternity
house.
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