TULSA, OKLA. ? Kansas University is the kingpin of men’s college bowling.
Led by Rhino Page, Kansas rallied to down Saginaw Valley State, 2-1, Saturday to capture the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships at Riverlanes.
“We’re extremely excited,” KU coach Mike Fine said about the school’s first national men’s bowling championship since 1963.
After SV State won the first game by a score of 223-201, the Jayhawks recovered to win the best-of-three match 222-181 and 193-187.
“We bowled a great game in the first game and got beat,” said Page, a sophomore from San Diego, who was named the Most Outstanding Performer in the men’s division. “We knew we were going to have to post a good number and hang together as a team. It worked out for us.”
Earlier in the semifinals, Kansas outlasted Fresno State, 4-2.
“We were down in about four of the matches Saturday, so it was no big deal at all,” Fine said. “This team has shown remarkable resiliency this weekend … they just find a way to make things happen.”
Other members of KU’s championship team are Marc D’Errico, a senior from Rochester, N.Y.; Alan Emmons, a senior from Loveland, Colo.; Jason Reese, a junior from Lenexa; Chris Dilley, a freshman from Overland Park; and Trent Overbey, a freshman from Berryton.
Kansas stood in fourth place after Thursday’s qualifying, then won all three of its matches Friday to reach Saturday’s semifinals.
“We’re thrilled to bring the Helmer Cup back to Lawrence,” Fine said. “This means a lot to the program. They’ve worked extremely hard for this.”
Pikeville College defeated Wichita State on Saturday for the women’s championship. KU’s women finished fifth. KU’s Kelly Zapf earned honorable mention All-American.
The IBC is the climax of the college bowling season, with the top 16 men’s and top 16 women’s teams squaring to determine the national champions.
Round Rock, Texas ? Casey Spanish hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning Sunday to rally Kansas University’s baseball team to a 5-2 victory over UNC Charlotte on the final day of the Express Classic.
The Jayhawks, 3-0 for the second year in a row, are the only unbeaten team in the Big 12 Conference.
Kansas starter Jake Wright (1-0) allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings. Freshman Chris Smart and junior Doug Lantz both pitched one inning of scoreless relief, and Lantz earned his first save.
Wright, a right-handed junior from Allen County Community College, ran into trouble in the fourth inning. UNC Charlotte (1-5) broke a scoreless tie when doubles by Brad Erwin, Brad Lamm and Mike Taylor gave the 49ers a 2-0 lead.
Wright retired six of the last seven batters he faced before being relieved by Smart the younger brother of KU senior pitcher Pete Smart at the start of the eighth.
Kansas scored all the runs it would need in the fifth. Sophomore Jason Appuhn drew a one-out walk off starter John Maine (1-1), and senior John Nelson followed with a single. Spanish then homered down the left-field line.
The Jayhawks added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth. In the seventh, Spanish singled, stole second and came home on a pair of wild pitches. The sophomore was 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.
Sophomore Kevin Wheeler led off the KU eighth with a double, and pinch runner Kevin Farmer scored on Appuhn’s single.
Nelson and Appuhn both had two hits for KU, which had nine hits against three 49er pitchers.
The Jayhawks will take on St. Mary’s Thursday at Phoenix in the Rawlings Tournament.
