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Major League Baseball
Seattle at Texas
4p.m. KEVU(4)
Emerald
Gillespie says team will be successful under Smith
vow umespie
and Oregon
sen ior Matthew
Davis
expressed
disappointment
in athletic
director Bill
Moos’ decision,
but agreed the
program is in
good hands
oy Allison Ross
Freelance Reporter
When Martin Smith arrives in Eugene to
begin his career as Oregon’s head track
coach, his biggest challenge may be con
vincing dedicated locals that he’s the one.
Smith comes to Oregon after 15 success
ful years as head cross country and assistant
track coach at Wisconsin, hoping to bring
the Oregon track program to its highest po
tential.
“I know the program hasn’t been where
the coaches or kids want it to be the last few
years, but this is still the New York Yankees
of track and field, and now it’s my job to
keep that legend alive,” Smith told The Reg
ister-Guard Thursday.
Perhaps his excitement and his success as
a coach will ease the concerns of all those
involved. When athletic director Bill Moos
first announced the decision last Wednes
day, his choice surprised many, including
Oregon athletes and assistant track coach
John Gillespie.
Gillespie was raised in Eugene and has
been involved with track and field since
1968. Before coming to Oregon, he had a
successful five-year tenure at South Eugene
High School, where his teams lost only six
meets in five seasons. Once at Oregon, Gille
spie coached his athletes
to 13 Pacific-10 Confer
ence titles in the last 10
years. They have broken
school records in the high
jump, long jump and
triple jump.
“I think I am a head coach in an assistant
coach’s position,” Gillespie said. “I was suc
cessful before — I’m not your typical assis
tant that might not have done anything.
That’s what surprised me, but obviously I
don’t get to make the choice.”
Many athletes voiced concerns as well.
“It’s a hard situation for us to be in be
cause we’re good friends with Gillespie and
knew how bad he wanted this position," se
nior distance runner Matthew Davis said.
But after talking with Smith, Davis said. "I
just got an overall good feeling.”
The decision was made by Moos, who
had to choose between Gillespie, Smith and
Matt Centrowitz, a former Oregon runner
and current coach at American University
in Washington, D.C.
"At the time, I thought that Bill Moos
making the choice was good for me because
his last couple hires have in fact been peo
ple with Oregon connections,” Gillespie
said.
Smith, although not previously associated
with Oregon track, said he has the desire to
be here as well as the qualifications. During
his reign at Wisconsin, the Badgers won 12
Big-Ten team titles, and finished no lower
than third. Smith was twice named NCAA
National Coach of the Year and led Wiscon
sin to two cross country championships.
“Smith is a very good coach and Oregon
will end up doing well,” Gillespie said. “I
hope he can get the people behind him right
away.”
GILLESPIE
Emeralds get second-straight win
Eugene held on after taking a
five-run lead over Southern
Oregon to ivin 6-5 on Monday
By Allison Ross
Freelance Reporter
What started off as something all too fa
miliar for the Eugene Emeralds — an er
ror on the second pitch of the game —
quickly turned into something different.
Tallying 10 hits, five runs and commit
ting only one other error, the Emeralds
pulled it all together, winning their sec
ond straight over Southern Oregon Mon
day night in front of 3,113 fans at Civic
Stadium.
Through four innings it was a dual be
tween the pitchers. Eugene starter Scott
Sobkowiak was perfect, allowing no hits,
runs or walks, while Timberjacks starter
Jason Dobis allowed no hits, one run and
three walks. An error by Southern Ore
gon second baseman Justin Hall in the
bottom of the second inning allowed Ems
first baseman Casey Cheshier to score.
Offensively, Eugene rallied in the fifth.
A textbook bunt down the third-base line
by left fielder Greg Strickland loaded the
bases. Strickland was going for the sacri
fice, but Dobis couldn't make the throw
in time.
“I wanted to get a hit out of it, but I was
just trying to get it to third base because
they tell me if I can get a bunt down I
should be able to beat it out, so I got it
down,” Strickland said.
It was a play that paid off for the Ems.
Bry Ewan’s double to right field scored
Strickland as well as catcher Tye
Hanseen.
The Emeralds brought pitcher Zack
Frachiseur on in the fifth to relieve
Sobkowiak, who recorded five strike outs,
bringing his league leading total to 52.
“[Sobkowiak] was stiff tonight when
he came out in the fifth, and being who
he is, what he is and what he’s done, we
didn’t want to take a chance,” Eugene
pitching coach Jerry Nyman said. “But
we’re not concerned.”
“Frachiseur did an outstanding job,”
Eugene manager Jim Saul said. “He chal
lenged the hitters. They got some home
runs, but he went right at ’em. Whenever
you’ve got a four or five-run lead, you
don’t want to nibble. If they hit the ball
out of the ballpark, they hit the ball out of
the ballpark. You still got a lead.”
Ems closer Aaron Garmong came on in
the ninth to grab his fourth save, while
Sobkowiak recorded the win.
CHAD PATTESON/for the Emerald
Eugene first baseman Casey Cbeshier picks himself up after scoring the Emeralds'
first run Monday after a collision with the Southern Oregon catcher.
Sobkowiak maintains his winning ways
By hod Moseley
Associate Editor
It took a loss and two no decisions before
the awareness kicked in, but it appears the
Eugene Emeralds have finally realized they
have a chance to win each and every time
Scott Sobkowiak takes the mound.
After Monday's 6-5 victory over Souther
Oregon, Sobkowiak and the Ems have each
won three of their last four starts. The Love
land, Ohio, native struck out five men in
five innings while allowing just one un
earned run on one hit and no walks to im
prove his record to 3-2 on the year.
It was Sobkowiak’s fourth straight start
of a least five innings while allowing three
or less hits, and the righthander has now
struck out at least five hitters in each of his
seven starts in 1998.
“He’s been outstanding for us,” Eugene
pitching coach Jerry Nyman said after the
win over the Timberjacks. “He’s been out
TurntoEMS, Page 8
McCullough,
Smith found
not guilty
Oregon quarterback Akili Smith
and former Duck Saladin
McCullough were acquitted after
a brawl at the Mill Camp
By Rob Moseley
Associate Edita
Oregon quarterback Akili Smith and for
mer Duck tailback Saladin McCullough
were acquitted Thursday of all charges stem
ming from a February altercation with
bouncers at Springfield’s Mill Camp Lounge.
Smith, a senior who is expected to com
pete with Jason Maas for the Ducks’ starting
job this fall, was found not guilty of assault.
harassment and trespass.
McCullough, who com
pleted his collegiate eligi
bility and a two-year stint
at Oregon following the
Ducks’ Las Vegas Bowl win
over Air Force in Decem
ber, was found not guilty of
both assault and trespass.
He is currently a free agent
SMITH
in acaii^ii ui a pi Ult^MUIldl UUIlUaUl.
The charges stemmed from an early morn
ing incident on Feb. 1 when, according to the
police report, Smith and McCullough at
tempted to enter the Mill Camp through the
front door. Lacking identification, McCul
lough attempted to persuade bouncer
Michael Stam to check an Oregon media
guide for his date of birth, which Stam re
fused to do.
The players then walked around to the
building’s back entrance, and at that point
the players’ and bouncers’ accounts of the
incident began to differ.
According to Stam's testimony in the po
lice report, Smith and McCullough tried to
sneak into the club. However, Oregon head
football coach Mike Bellotti, after speaking
with the players, told Springfield Police De
tective Thomas Rappe that Smith and Mc
Cullough were trying to attract the attention
of former Duck offensive lineman Paul Wig
gins, who was inside the club and thought
to have “some pull with-the ownership.”
This was supposed to serve as a means to
gain entrance for Smith and McCullough, ac
cording to the police report.
A physical altercation ensued after Smith
and McCullough were escorted to the park
ing lot by Stam, fellow bouncer Michael Un
TurntoMILL CAMP, Page 8