-Oregon Daily Emerald Sports Rain, rain go away so softball can play Saturday By Steve Mims Oregon DimV Emerald If you hear strange things inside the Casanova Cantor this week, it's probably just Oregon softball coach Tami Brown doing a sun dance. Ilie I hu.ks have U*>n off for the past two weeks watching the rmn wash away games against Port land State and Puget Sound Brown is hopeful the weather will allow her squad to face sev enth-ranked California in a dou blehender Saturday at Howe Field, but wishes she could have had some games to help get her team game-tough. "Actually if the rain would subside now. it would be won derful," Brown said. "The weath er is Ixitter than last year, but we needed those games to stay con ditioned." California has dominated Ore gon in the past, winning 35 of 47 games in the all-time series, but the Ducks served notice Inst month that they are gaining on uiu Golden Bears. After getting beat 10-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at Berkeley, the Ducks got a hit from Jennifer Piper in the seventh inning of the second game to score Laura Schmidt, giving the Ducks a 1-0 victory It was that win that moved the Ducks into their current No 17 ranking nationally, hut the Dm ks had been beating impressive opponents all season. Brown gave her team a difficult preseason schedule and hopes the compe tition pass off this weekend "The schedule was tough, but that's why I did it." Brown said. "With a young team, they need to know early what they'll com |«'te against in the P* 10. 1 think it helped a lot and 1 expect us to pic k up where we left off The Ducks won 16 of 24 pre season games, including a 7-H record against ranked opponents ()rt*gon (>egnn to serve notice to the country with wins over No, 1H Utah State. No. 23 Sacramen to State and ninth-ranked l INI .V at the Spring Fling in February The Ducks are 20-12 overall this year and 6-4 in the Pacific. 10 Conferetu e after a split with No. 12 Washington earlier this month. The Ducks lies! hitters. Turn to SOFTBALL, Page 10 Oregon catcher Laura Schmidt Is closing In on school records for triples, home runs and RBI's Sights and sounds of Eugene ! Time for a qui< k trip across campus First stop. Cen tennial Boulevard where the Oregon football team is hard at work preparing for the 1904 season. Spring drills mean dif ferent things to different teams, but for the Out ks it is impossi ble to practice what they would like to master the most coming from behind to win a game This is one of the main goals the Ducks have set for next sea son, but since they are only fac ing each other, it's impossible Or is it? Actually, if the Ducks split into two teams, giving one team a 21 point deficit with .10 minutes left, one of two things would happen. Fitlier the offense would final ly get a corne-from-behind win. or the defense would stop them, proving they have the mental framework to keep a lead. Since the above is doubtful, the Ducks do have major work to do this spring to see if they have enough depth to be com petitive next year. The Duck's starting unit should be as good as usual in 1994. hut serious questions remain about the depth. On offense, the biggest ques tion is die line, where only Steve Hardin has started more than one game in college. Three sophomores and a junior are penciled in atop the depth chart entering spring, but none have much experience in games. The Ducks need to find out this spring if the Bob Baldwins and Mark Greggs are ready to step in. because if not, quarterback Dan ny O'Neil couln be an easy tar get and there is no experience behind him either. Defensively, the biggest ques tion mark is at linebacker, where only Jeremy Asher and Rich Ruhl have started in college How big are the holes at line backer? Other than Ruhl and Asher, only Reggie Jordan returns after playing more than 100 plays at linebacker. Jordan Stk\ t: Mims and Paul Jensen, who are No 1 on the depth chart at left and right linebacker, respectively. combined for 11 tackles last sea son. Next, let's head across the street to the Casanova Center, where it's been reported that the Oregon hierarchy is mulling over the idea of adding an eighth women's sport in the interest of gender equity. I've used this space before to belittle the idea of adding anoth er money-losing sport on cam pus. hut since it's apparently going to happen anyway, let's consider the possibilities The three sports Oregon is said to be ch« king into are swimming, crew and soccer, three enormously popular spec tator sports, especially for col lege students. Since I doubt any one can give the rules for how swimming and crew are played or scored on the collegiate level, let’s pay attention to the proba ble choice, soccer. Soccer does have its positives, like the fact that people know how it is played In addition, there are seven Pacific-10 Con ference schools that currently have women's soccer, as well as in-state opponent Portland, which has built a highly com petitive product. However, judging from the crowds at the women'sjclub soc cer games 1 watched two years ago. I don’t think there has been an outcry for this sport on cam pus. Even those who did attend the games two years ago proba bly hope it doesn't become a Division ! sport, because they won't be able to bring their six pin ks of Henry's to the game anymore Finally, let's head over to Howe Field where the 17th ranked Oregon softball team ploys its games In the spirit of Frin k Town I' N A., we ll jog from the Cos Center over there, on the way passing South bank Field where the Oregon women's club soccer team is practicing in front of a sellout crowd At Howe Field 1 realize there probably won't be a big crowd here either when the Ducks face No. 7 California this Saturday, and that's too bad If the weath er cooperates, which it rarely does. Saturday's game should lie pretty entertaining. California is the First big-time team to face Oregon at home in two years, although l'O.A prac ticed on the field last year before the game was canceled The Golden Bears bring a :t()-lf> record, a national reputation and the powerful duo of Gillian Boxx and Kendall Richards, who have combined to hit over 400 this year, into the field to face an Oregon team that has lieaten seven ranked opponents on its way to gaming national respect Earlier this year, the Dm ks came back from a 10-0 defeat in the first game of a doubleheader to shock the Bears 1-0 in the s»« ond game for a win that pushed the Ducks into the national spot light. It should be a good double header. and a great chance for all those fighting for equality in women's sports to show up and exhibit the type of excitement that will await our soon-to-be announced eighth women's sport. Of course, those of you attend ing the swim meet at Leighton Fool are excused. Sieve Mims is the Sports Edi tor of the Emerald. 1 I IJ f !i