Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2001)
Wednesday Best Bet MLB: Seattle at New York 4 p.m., Fox Sports Net Runge and Moos meet; report expected soon RUNGE ■A complaint filed with the Oregon Board of Investigators suggests Bond, Schoeneck & King may be conducting the evaluation illegally By Adam Jude Oregon Daily Emerald For just the second time since the end of the season, Jody Runge met with Oregon Athletic Director Bill Moos Monday to reportedly dis cuss some of the controversies surrounding the women’s basketball program. “We don’t have any details about the meet ing, we only know that they met,” University spokeswoman Pauline Austin said. Eight unidentified players met with Moos March 4 to request that the women’s basket ball coach be fired. Moos responded on March 27 by hiring Bond, Schoeneck & King, a Kansas City-based law firm with a reputation for assisting troubled athletic departments, to compile an “objective analysis” about Runge’s program. The three-member team of investigators completed its interviews of more than 80 in dividuals about three weeks ago. Austin said the firm’s report could likely be finished and handed in to Melinda Grier, the University’s general counsel, by the end of the week. Once Grier receives the report, she will give it to Moos, who will then decide Runge’s future with the program. “We anticipate something happening this week,” Austin said. “But that is only specula tive.” Runge and Moos could not be reached for comment. Additionally, at a meeting last week, the Oregon Board of Investigators reportedly dis cussed a complaint that Bond, Schoeneck & Turn to Runge, page 10 ii We anticipate something happening this week. Pauline Austin spokeswoman, _tl A fresh. . start ■ Hyped tailback Onterrio Smith is eager to begin play at Oregon after an up-and-down freshman year at Tennessee By Jeff Smith Oregon Daily Emerald A few minutes before Oregon’s third scrimmage was to begin Thursday, the Ducks were practicing their kick-offs and returns. Kick after kick, small return after small return. Nothing too special. But then an elusive Duck caught the kick and cut right, then left, then right and left again. He shaked and baked two more defenders, before being tackled around 40 yards later. “Whoa, there!” one Oregon fan yelled. “Who was that?” “I don’t know,” his friend respond ed. “But we better hold on to him whoever he is.” “Let me see that roster,” the first guy said. “Hmm... number 2? Oh hey, it’s that new guy, Onterrio Smith!” “Onterrio... I think we’re going to like this guy,” the friend said. Onterrio Smith has been flattered by the welcome he has received by his , Oregon teammates and the Eugene community. He wasn’t sure how he would be treated after transferring to Oregon from Tennessee under contro versial circumstances. Almost a year ago, on May 3, Smith was kicked off the Tennessee football program for “repeated violations of team policy,” which later was reported to be marijuana use. There also was his Jan. 15,2000, arrest for allegedly hitting the mother of his daughter, which Smith was later found innocent of in court. So to say that Smith, a 5-foot-ll, 200-pound tailback, is happy to have a fresh start as a Duck would be an un derstatement. “I would say I’m fortunate and also blessed because my career could have easily ended,” Smith said. “The day I got kicked out of Tennessee could have been the last of it right there. But I have been brought in here with open arms and I really have a lot of love for that.” Smith has top-notch talent, that much has never been in question. But now he also realizes how important the game of football is to him and how much he enjoys being a part of a quali ty Division I program. Smith was a highly sought-after re cruit as a 1998 SuperPrep All-Ameri Turn to Smith, page 12 Tom Patterson Emerald Oregon sophomore transfer tailback Onterrio Smith has been all smiles since his arrival in Eugene last season. Oregon State sweeps Civil War with a walk-off home run Emerald Except for two costly pitches, junior Connie McMurren pitched a "fantastic” game in a 4-3 loss. ■A home run in the seventh gives the Beavers their eighth straight win over the Ducks and overshadows pitcher Connie McMurren’s four-hit performance By Adam Jude Oregon Daily Emerald CORVALLIS — Connie McMurren deserved to win this one. The Oregon ace — shelled by Oregon State in her last outing 10 days earlier — allowed just four hits Tuesday against the 16th-ranked Beavers. But it’s amazing how two pitches can change an entire game. A first-inning, three-run jack off the bat of Oregon State’s Shawna Feldt and a seventh-inning, walk off blast by Steph Adams were enough to propel the Beavers to their eighth straight Civil War victo ry, 4-3, and their third win in four games at the new OSU Softball Complex. In between the two homers, however, “Connie * Mac” was nothing short of remarkable—especially considering her struggles in the last month. “I’ve just had this really, really bad run lately,” said McMurren, who is now 8-14 this season. “But to get past that first inning and pitch well was a huge boost for my confidence. ” For five and 2/3 innings — from the second to the seventh — McMurren allowed just two hits and no runs, while tallying three strikeouts and no walks. Connie did a fantastic job today,” head coach Rick Gamez said. “We wanted her to break out of her slump, and after the first inning, she held her compo sure and threw a great ball game. It was a hard-fought game and it really came down to those two pitches.” After two quick outs to start the bottom of the seventh, the game appeared to be headed into extra innings when McMurren got ahead of Adams 0-2. But Adams fouled off a few pitches and worked the count full before blasting a McMurren fastball over the left field fence. “It felt good,” Adams said. “Once I looked up and saw how high it was, I knew it was gone.” Said McMurren: “I’ve known Steph since I was Tu rn to Softball, page 10
