Ey TOMMY WRIGHT
CO-SPORTS EDITOR
With the first Northern Division Pacific Coast conference
baseball season since the diamond sport became a war casualty
in 1943 just around that corner, the time has come to do a little
speculating on what may happen. The University of W ash
ington, Washington State college and the University of Idaho
hold a little advantage over the two Oregon representatives in
the conference because of the fact that the three teams managed
to keep some semblance of baseball alive even after the North
ern Division closed up shop on the sport.
Take Washington State for example. Buck Bailey,
Cougar coach and notorious destroyer of water buckets
and fungoes, has more than his share of lettermen this year
and seems plagued only in the pitching department. Accord
ing to our latest information Bailey had only one hurler
who he felt competent enough to start. That one is Adrian
Jonissen, who has pitched some fine ball in practice and
pre-conference games to date.
But while “The Buck” has his troubles around the pitching
mound, he is pretty well set at the other eight positions. Bailey
converted Johnny “The Arm” McCallum from the infield to
the outer garden to take full advantage of his speed and throw
ing'arm. Bob Anderson has been clouting the ball all over the
lot and has one of the other outfield spots pretty well sewn up.
All ai'ound the Cougars have players stacked up three and four
deep and fighting for all positions.
THE BAILEY CIRCUS
We couldn't leave the topic of \\ ashington State college
without spending a little time and a few lines telling about the
antics of Buck Bailey though. When the Cougars roll onto
the Oregon campus next Wednesday most Webfoots will have
their first look at the wildest man in baseball. One doesn't even
have to be a baseball fan to get a large charge out of the three
ring circus Bailey puts on during every ball game.
Now take a water bucket for instance—just a plain
ordinary water bucket. Those things really take a beating
from Buck’s cleated shoes when the going gets tough for
the Cougars, and we just can’t remember seeing a Webfoot
WSC encounter when at least one waterbucket didn’t gasp
its last from a boot of Buck Bailey’s toe. He has his own
particular finesse at ruining water buckets. The bats come
in for their share of the destructive force of the Cougar
mentor too. You see, Buck is a big roly-poly character
resembling the famed ‘ Angel” of wrestling fame and bats
don’t command anymore respect than tooth picks. It’s
rumored that the Washington State athletic department
has a special budget for replacing of bats and buckets that
crumble under Bailey’s wrath,
lie just can’t seem to set quietly on the bench like most
coaches in the profession,, and even if the game is going
smoothly he’ll get up and circle the bench a few times or give
and take with the fans in the stands. Well, like we said before,
even if vou don’t like baseball, you’ll be missing something if
uiti don’t catch Bailey in action next Wednesday and Thurs
ch v on Howe field.
STICKWORK ENCOURAGING
The Webfoot nine apparently wasn't taking much stock in
Art's column yesterday concerning the hitting weakness of the
current club. They certainly didn’t show any bad spots in the
lineup in the first game against Portland in collecting thirteen
lots off of three Pilot hinders. The stick work in Friday’s game
was certainly encouraging with everyone but Spike Johnson
C( ming in for his share of blows.
Hal Saltzman, showing excellent form for this early in
the season, had the victors over the professional Salem
Senators handcuffed at the plate in his one-hit pitching per
formance and from here it looks as though the big right
hander can be counted on to win quite a few ball games
cor the Webfoots this year.
DUCKS IN BIG TIME
Chuck "/eke" Clifford, the big precision first baseman for
ti e \\ chtoots in 1940-41, has recently been fanned out bv the
Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League to Tacoma.
,Y\ ith Tacoma, Chuck should get a regular placing spot and a
Jot ot good experience. With Los Angeles carrying' a couple
or top notch first-sackers, he probably would have been re
signed to a spot on the bench for the season had he staved
as th the Coast league club. Dick W hitman, who was practi
ce IK "Mr. Baseball" at C^regon before the war, is catching a
little action with the Brooklyn Dodgers but will probably be
farmed out to the International league for further seasoning
lore the National league schedule begins. Another ex-W’eb
foot. Bill "the Lace" Carney is still with the Portland Beavers,
though he is slated to be farmed out to the Salem Senators.
Coach Tex Oliver Says
Team Encouraging’
Six Teams Run
Through Plays
For First Tilt
“With only four practice sessions
under their belts I’d say the boys
look pretty good” commented
Coach Tex Oliver yesterday as his
gridders trotted to the showers.
“We haven’t given the squad much
time to get in shape and from the
looks of this workout today I’d
say that the team as a whole looks
very encouraging” added Tex, as
his 1946 grid team completed its
second week of practice.
With the first spring game only
a week away, Coach Oliver sent
his pigskin aspirants through a
light scrimmage yesterday with
the entire squad given an oppor
tunity to play. Six different elev
ens were on the field during the
afternoon and although the play
ing period was too short to pro
duce any really outstading- per
formances in the line, several plays
did click with beautiful results.
Letterman Jimmy Newquist and
Glen Wilson teamed up in one com
bination for several nice gains.
N'ewquist showed sparks of his
pre-war grid prowess as he gal
loped downfield through big holes
in the line. Wilson working from
the fullback slot showed oodles of
drive as he powered through small
openings in the line for good gains.
Another outfit that produced
several spectacular plays was the
green jerseyed eleven with Norm
Van Brocklin and George Bell in
the ball carrying posts. Van Brock
lin unleashed several beautiful
passes though none went for long
gains. Bemadded spice to the work
out as he intercepted a pass and
galloped down field where he lat
eralled to Van Brocklin as a would
be tackier approached.
The white shirted eleven which
ended the afternoon's play provid
ed the longest pass gain of the
day as Bill Behrens faded far back
to toss a perfect aerial into the
big hands of End Art Milne who
had streaked down the field and
into the clear.
Monday’s workout is expected to
find the gridders settling down to
serious business as the battle opens
up for starting positions on the
April 19 nocturnal opener on Hay
ward Field. Though every man will
be given ample opportunity to
prove himself there is still plenty
of fight expected for early season
recognition.
i.'eapite me large numoer of
men turning out, there still re
mains a large number who are
active in other spring sports and
as a result, will not be displaying
their wares on the grid this spring.
Included in this group are a pair
of backs who supplied the Web
foot offensive punch last season—
Jacke Leicht and Walt Donovan.
Both- are running on Colonel Bill
Hayward’s track team.
Leicht set west coast sport
sheets ablaze last year as he
sparked the Webfoot eleven
throughout the season. The New
York Sun and Yank magazine both
included Leicht in their All-Amer
ican first team. The speedy Dono
van teamed with Leicht at the
other ball carrying post to win
considerable recognition as a
freshman back.
Also working out on the track
squad and unable to attend the
football sessions is Roy Erickson,
backfield prospect from Portland
who gained an additional two
years valuable grid experience dur
ing the war while playing for the
San Diego Navy eleven.
Tennis Squad Preps for
Opening Match jiWednesday
The grueling elimination tennis
matches continued in full swing to
day with all favorites winning their
matches.
The acting coach, Jim Zeiger,
has stated that a few more days
of hot sun and practice will find
the team in fine shape for the
opening Northern Division confer
ence match with Oregon State next
I Saturday.
| Willamette university comes to
1 Oregon’s courts this next Thurs
I day for a non-conference match.
The "standings'in^the elimination
matches so far find in No. 1 posi
tion, Zeiger; No. 2 Philan; No. 3
Anderson; No. 4 Reed; No. 5 Carey;
No. 6 Stamper; No. 7 Baird; No.
8 Uglesich; No. 9 Delano and No.
10 Van Zandt.
Results of today’s matches; Van
Zandt defeated Chin 6-0, 6-0;
Carey defeated Stamper 6-1, 4-6,
6-2; Anderson defeated Reed 6-1,
6-2; Baird defeated Uglesich 6-2,
6-0; and Van Zandt played two
matches defeated Forsyth 6-0, 6-1.
Golf Team
Tackles U W
At Seattle
The Univeristy of Oregon golf
team resumes conference competi
tion today after a three year lay
off as they meet the University of
Washington divotmen in Seattle.
The Webfoot sextet is without a
! single letterman as they open the
1946 play on the University of
Washington course.
Leading the Oregon squad will
be Bill Barash and George Kikes
both of whom have chalked up 36
hole qualifying rounds of 154 over
the Eugene Country Club course.
The remainder of the squad travel
ing to Seattle for today’s match
includes Ralph Heustis, Ozzie
Seida, Jack Nicholson, and Wayne
Leigh. Heustis and Seida have
posted qualifying rounds of 157
and 159 respectively while Nichol
son and Leigh each posted 161’s.
Also posting qualifying scores of
161 but not making the trip to
Seattle are John Ekstrom and Bill
Johnson. Wendell Wood, pro at the
Eugene Country Club and coach of
the Oregon linksters, revealed that
Ekstrom and Johnson may break
into the lineup prior to the next
match against Oregon State on
April 20 fiere at Eugene.
Adding to interest in the golf
turnout this year is the fact that
the Northern Division individual
and team playoffs will be held in
Eugene this year. The outstanding
golf attraction is scheduled for
May 25 on the Eugene Country
Club course.
R. D. Millican to Lecture
On Advertising Sunday
R. D. Millican, assistant profes
sor of business administration and
journalism, will lecture to the
Town and Campus group on “Ad
vertising Our Religion’’ this Sun
day evening, April 14.
The Town and Campus group
meets every Sunday evening in the
White room of the First Christian
Idaho Nine Splits
With Whitman Club
V
The University of Idaho Van
dals diamond nine split a twin bill
with the Whitman College club
Thursday as the Vandals rallied
to take the nightcap after drop
ping the opening tilt to the Mis
sionaries.
Bill Carbaugh, starting guard
on the Vandals basketball quintet
which won the northern division
crown this year, started on the
mound in the opening tilt for the
Idaho nine. He was touched for a
run in each of the first three inn
ings at which time he retired fa
voring a sore pitching arm. The
Missionaries went on from there
to win 9-4. The Idaho horsehiders
rallied in the second contest as
they emerged on the long end of
a high scoring fray 12-10.
church at 6:15 p.m. A short de
votional service will precede the
lecture.
All Christian young people are
invited to attend.
FOR WEEKEND
RELAXATION
l ficopi^
at the
U-BOWL
29 \Y. Eleventh
Phone 4716