"Is one day going to make everything feel
better? Probably not. Will three weeks?
Probably. But I don't have three weeks. ”
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman TVoy Glaus following a recent losing streak
still IN the
GAME
Marcus Kent has exhibited an
undying dedication to the game
of basketball despite his injuries
SHAWN MILLER
SPORTS EDITOR
Marcus Kent has suffered through knee in
juries, media scrutiny and living life on a
pedestal as a son and former student-athlete of
Oregon men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent.
Determination combined with religion, a
strong support system, an interest in people and
love of athletics have created a dynamic indi
vidual who is changing the world one person at
a time.
“Athletics has always been a huge part of my
life, and the experience from athletics has made
me who I am,” Kent said.
Kent is in his final year at Oregon,
expecting to graduate next spring with a
degree in sociology.
“Just knowing how different personalities
and backgrounds work together” intrigues
Kent, he said, an interest that he can use in
various outlets including bringing teams to
gether in locker rooms as well as co-workers
in break rooms.
That knowledge is also helpful at home.
A family in the spotlight
If there is a family that is known from father
to ch 'dren in Eugene, it is the Kents. Dad,
Ernie, heads one of the winningest basketball
Tim Bobosky | Photo editor
Marcus Kent,
son of Oregon
men’s
basketball
coach Ernie
Kent, reviews
the playback
at a recent
Eugene
Emeralds
game. Kent is
currently a
part-time
videographer
for KEZI. He
will join the
Oregon men’s
basketball
staff as an
undergraduate
assistant next
season.
programs on the West Coast. Youngest son, Jor
dan, is a star for the Oregon track and basket
ball teams. Daughter, McKenzie, is a cheer
leader for the Ducks. Marcus is the oldest of the
Kent children.
The Kents value the family role and try to
spend as much time together as possible.
“We try to get together once or twice a week
for a family dinner,” Kent said. “Family is defi
nitely something we make time for.”
That bond is important, especially in a town
that can become immersed in and sometimes
obsessed with the “love of the game.”
“This town has a tendency to gobble you up,”
Kent said. “You find you are sacrificing yourself
to live up to other people’s expectations.”
With only one professional sports team in
the state (the Portland Trail Blazers), Kent
said collegiate athletics fills the void that
many Oregonians feel; he believes this is both
positive and negative.
“It’s the only show in town,” Kent said.
“Everybody gets psyched out of .their minds.
You have die-hard fans that have grown up here
and have been feeding this stuff to their kids. It
kind of multiplies over the generations.”
On the flip side, the fans “hold you to a high
er expectation,” he said.
“When you do make a mistake and they
find out you are human, they are more disap
pointed than they would be otherwise,” Kent
said. “I always thought it would be interest
ing to show up at the fan’s job at a coffee
shop with the team and ride his tail every
time he made a latte.”
Spending parts of his childhood in different ar
eas of the country, Kent said the comparison of
Oregon fans to California fans is very different.
KENT, page 6
Ems come close to perfection despite one loss
Only two weeks into the minor-league system,
the players came together to defeat Salem-Keizer
BY SHAWN MILLER
SPORTS EDITOR
Putting together a flawless com
plete game, including pitching, hit
ting and defense, is nearly impossi
ble in baseball.
Despite the challenges of only
playing together for two weeks in
a minor-league system, the Eugene
Emeralds almost pulled off the im
possible Friday night in a 5-3 vic
tory over Salem-Keizer.
“The hardest thing to do in a
short season like this is to pull the
band together,” Eugene manager
Roy Howell said. “They are com
ing from across the country. These
guys have come in with the under
standing that when they walk in
those clubhouse doors, they are
ready to play baseball.”
Eugene first baseman Daryl
Jones keyed the offensive attack
with two extra-base hits, including
the game-winning two-run homer
in the sixth inning to give the Ems
a 4-0 lead.
“I didn’t think it was going to go
out at first,” Jones said of his first
home run of the season. “It feels
good to get one out of the way, es
pecially at home.”
Jones has admittedly struggled
in the first two series of the season,
both at the plate and in the field.
Friday didn’t begin particularly
well either.
“The day started off bad,” Jones
said. “I lost my cell phone.”
Day might have been ugly, but
night turned into celebration after
Jones earned player of the game
honors with two runs and two RBIs.
“I feel great,” Jones said. “I’m
still bummed about my cell phone,
but you can’t turn down two hits.”
The Ems got on the board in the
first inning when Mike Sansoe
scored on an RBI single by Brian
Cavanaugh. Sansoe earned a sev
en-pitch walk to get on base, stole
second and slid under the tag on a
play at the plate.
After slapping a double down
the third-base line in the second
inning, Jones scored the Ems’ sec
ond run of the game when Josh Al
ley tore into a two-out RBI single.
Ems’ pitcher Stevie Delabar im
proved his record to 2-0 after al
lowing two runs on six hits in six
plus innings, while striking out
three batters.
“Another good outing,” Howell
said of Delabar’s performance. “He
just tried to throw strikes and use
his pitches.
“He’s throwing strikes with his
two-seam and four-seam (fast
balls) and mixing in a slider.”
Delabar started the seventh in
ning, but didn’t last long. He gave
up back-to-back singles before re
liever Brandon Higelin came in.
Higelin lasted one batter, sending
him to first base with a four-pitch
walk to load the bases. John Mad
den replaced Higelin and gave up
Tim Bobosky | Photo editor
Salem-Keizer Will Thompson (37) slides under the tag of Eugene first baseman Daryl Jones. Jones scored the Ems’ second run after belting a
double in the second inning and added a two-run homer in the sixth to propel the Ems to a 5-3 victory on Friday.
an RBI single before a controversial
play allowed Salem-Keizer to score two
more runs.
D J. Dixon hit a possible double play
ball into the infield. After getting the out
at home, Eugene catcher Nick Hundley
was taken out as he threw the ball to first
base. The ball lofted into the outfield,
giving Hundley an error and Salem-Keiz
er its second and third runs.
“As a baserunner he did exactly
what you want him to do,” Howell
said. “I was contending that he was too
far out from the base.
“It was a good play on their part.”
Madden enticed the next batter
into a groundout, and with the tying
run on base, induced a flyout to get
out of the jam.
Eugene added an insurance run in
the eighth inning when Alley hit a sac
rifice fly to score Drew Davidson.
Davidson, who walked to start the bot
tom of the inning, was moved to sec
ond base on a sacrifice bunt by Billy
Richardson. A wild pitch was thrown
during an intentional walk to Jones, al
lowing Davidson to third. Jodam
Rivera was walked to load the bases
before Alley’s sacrifice fly.
“It is a different guy every night,”
Howell said in reference to collecting
the big hit. “That is what makes a good
ball team.”
Alfredo Fernandez earned his
league-leading fifth save of the season
after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
BASEBALL, page 6