Sports Editor:
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, May 18,2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
NBA Playoffs:
Indiana vs. Miami
5 p.m., ESPN
Hank Hager
Behind the dish
Deserving
athletes
should be
praised
As much as it felt hard to laugh at an Ore
gon basketball player, that's what most of
the crowd at McArthur Court was doing Fri
day night during a charity wheelchair game
called Rollin' for a Remedy.
Aaron Brooks still tried to use his
patented behind-the-back passes, but alas,
the members of the Eugene Express caught
on too quick.
Carolyn Ganes thought she could out
wheel one of the Express members, but
wow, they were fast. Ganes found that out
before tipping over in her chair to the
amusement of the fans.
"It was weird," Brooks said. "I'm not the
strongest guy on the team. It's hard for me
to get up shots (in a wheelchair).
"I admire (the Express). They came out
and kicked our butt."
It was a hard game for the athletes in
volved, but it was important. Lauren West
endorf, the event's creator, and the 11 players
on Oregon's side should be commended,
no matter how much time was needed, for
participating in a just cause.
That cause raised bone marrow trans
plant money for Davie Untz, a 3 1/2-year
old Eugene boy.
We've been so accustomed in this society
to hearing about the bad. We almost begin
to expert athletes to run amok with the law,
almost forgetting they provide the commu
nity with positives.
The Associated Press stories run along the
wire service, and ESPN.com picks them up.
Turn to HAGER, page 9
Emerald
Oregon assistant coach Mike White has more than 25 years of fastpitch softball pitching expertise helping him coach the Ducks’ four pitchers.
Experience helps UO assistant teach
Oregon pitching coach Mike White
has adapted more than 25 years
of softball pitching experience into
two years of coaching with the Ducks
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
Mike White is part of a rare breed of college
coaches.
Most coaches and assistant coaches rarely
coach at the same time that they actively partici
pate in the same sport. But White, one of two
Oregon softball assistant coaches, took a two
week absence from the team at the end of Janu
ary to travel to New Zealand with the USA men's
fastpitch team to compete in the World Champi
onships.
It was White's sixth world series. He won four
medals when he played for New Zealand — gold
in 1984 and 1996, and silver in 1988 and 1992.
In 2000, the New Zealand native switched sides
and earned a bronze with the USA team. In Feb
ruary, USA missed playing for a medal by one
game while White was 2-0.
Those experiences — pitching against the best
players in the world — have given White the
background to coach Oregon's four pitchers
through the ups and downs of each season.
"I think I've been in every situation you can
have out on the mound," said White, who is in
his second season at Oregon. "So I try to put my
self in the pitchers' shoes and try to give them
some insight to some of the things that I've done
to be successful and help them through those sit
uations. It's tough out there in the middle — it's
just you and the hitter. A lot of it is in your
mind."
_ Ihe mental game is one
IRl i m n jr that every pitcher plays
UP with themselves and with
SOFTBALL each batter. During winter
- break this year, Oregon's
pitchers received letters
from White with tips to help them control the
mental aspect of their game.
"He taught us it because he uses it," Ani Ny
hus said.
Nyhus, a junior transfer, came to Oregon this
Turn to ASSISTANT, page 10
World Series in
store for Ducks
The Ducks beat Weber State, the defending
national champions, to earn a berth in the NCBA
World Series, starting May 26 in Brandenton, Fla.
By Kirsten McEwen
Freelance Reporter
Oregon's Club baseball team has clearly earned its trip to the
2004 National Club Baseball Association World Series in
Bradenton, Fla.
The Ducks (21-10 overall, 16-6 Pacific Mountain Conference)
— along with UC Santa Cruz, Weber State and Western Washing
ton — traveled to Kaysville, Utah, to com
pete in the NCBA's Northern Pacific Re
IU b gional Tournament.
Sports
The tournament was held at Davis High
School, and teams competed for a chance
to secure a World Series berth.
Oregon began its trek to the World Series
Saturday against Weber State (16-7 overall, 11-1 Western
Mountain Conference), the 2003 NCBA National Champions.
After seven innings, the Ducks found themselves tied at six.
Turn to SERIES, page 8
Erik R. Bishoff Photographer
Freshman pitcher Jay Tlougan, seen here earlier this season, and the Ducks defeated Weber
State to advance to the NCBA World Series.
Private plane
for Hairston
necessary,
Kent says
Kent spoke highly of his recruiting
class Monday but also defended
the use of a private plane
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent was in St.
Louis at the National Association of Basketball
_ Coaches board of direc
U& y» g&jg f tors meetings on
^ Wednesday, checking
BASKETBALL his cell phone in be
- tween sessions, hoping
for a message from Re
naissance I ligh School's Malik I lairston.
Turn to PLANE, page 8