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Sports • Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Photo by Alex Voskoboyev, Washburn Review
Wind up: Junior pitcher Brett Ash picked up his third win of the season last Friday in seven innings pitched. Ash gave up three hits and no runs.
Bods go 3-1 at home Rob Burkett
senior second baseman Boone Plager—who finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and a walk— Offense was the name of as the Bods scored 12 runs on the game last weekend as the the Lions. Senior pitcher Kerry Washburn baseball team took Schachenmeyer tallied the win on Missouri Southern State with a six-inning performance, University in a four-game mash including two strikeouts, while fest. spreading nine hits over his The Lions came into Falley stint on the mound. Field after being swept in three On Saturday, MSSU got off games against the University of the mat offensively, unloading Central Missouri the previous an avalanche of runs. After a weekend. Washburn continued rain delay, the first game would MSSU’s struggles, taking three turn into a one-sided affair in of four games from them. the Lions’ favor. Led by junior On Friday, the two teams infielder Sam Ryan, who had a played a first game that was game-high seven RBI, MSSU relatively sedate in slowly as WASHBURN started comparison to the neither team was BASEBALL rest of the matchups. able to get on the Junior pitcher Brett Ash opened board in the first two innings. up action on the mound for the From the third inning on, howIchabods. Ash proved masterful ever, MSSU pummeled away from the bump as he took down at the ball as they scored three the Lions, throwing a complete in the third inning, six in the game, three-hit performance, fourth inning and three more including six strikeouts. Ash in the fifth inning. They would had a no-hit performance go- finish off the game, scoring 14 ing through 4 and 1/3 innings runs on 13 hits while surrenderbefore MSSU finally managed ing just one hit. to break through. Washburn’s “It was a great team effort,” offense provided just enough said Ryan. “It was nice to get pop to take the win, 3-0. this one to help put the brakes “Brett just did what he is on a tough opponent.” capable of,” said Washburn After taking a beating from Head Coach Steve Anson. “It the Lions, Washburn’s lineup was a great effort by him.” awoke in the rubber match of In the second game, Wash- the weekend. In a wild game burn’s offense exploded early that featured three lead changes and often as the Ichabods, led by and a tie, the Ichabods turned WASHBURN REVIEW
to a platoon of pitchers with no one lasting more than four innings in the game. After jumping out to a one-run lead in the first inning, MSSU reeled off six straight runs in the second and fourth innings to build a lead. Washburn responded by scoring a combined seven runs in the middle third of the game. The Lions wouldn’t give up, however, as they clawed back into the game, tying it in the top of the ninth with a three-run rally. Pinch hitter junior catcher Richard Swan came up in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on and laid down a single to left field, scoring the go-ahead run for the win. “This was a gutsy win for us,” said Anson. “I’m just glad we were able to get this one back.” Looking forward, Washburn looks to take on a four game set against Lincoln University (Mo.) over three days this coming weekend. Washburn is currently in fourth place in the MIAA while LU will continue to look for just its fourth win in the conference as the Blue Tigers attempt to climb out of the conference cellar. Rob Burkett is a senior mass media major. Reach him at robert. burkett@washburn.edu.
Upcoming Games Lincoln University
April 13 - 4 p.m. April 14 - 2 p.m., 4 p.m. April 15 - noon
at Central Missouri
April 21 - 2 p.m., 4 p.m. April 22 - 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
at Rockhurst University
April 24 - 6 p.m.
Mock draft: Columnist predicts top ten NFL Draft picks Josh Rouse
WASHBURN REVIEW
The Indianapolis Colts are on the clock for the 2012 NFL Draft, which kicks off April 26. With that said, here’s how I see the first ten picks of the first round shaping up. 1. Indianapolis Colts: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford University—This is perhaps the most obvious pick in the entire draft, as Peyton Manning was let go in anticipation of the Colts taking Luck with the No. 1 overall pick. Luck has a terrific arm and all the intangibles you could hope for in an NFL quarterback. Most importantly, he is a great athlete. At the NFL Combine, he put up numbers similar to last year’s top overall pick, mobile Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. All
in all, he has the makings of a future star if his offensive line can keep him on his feet at the pro level. With his athleticism, that shouldn’t be a problem. 2. Washington Redskins: QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor University—With the second most obvious pick in the draft, the Washington Redskins traded up for St. Louis’ No. 2 pick from the No. 6 spot, specifically to get a shot at snagging RG3. Griffin is a terrific mix of size, speed and precision, completing 72.4 percent of his passes for 4,293 yards and 37 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, and rushing 179 times for 699 yards and 10 touchdowns his senior season. He is like a more accurate version of Michael Vick, which makes him one of the most dangerous picks in the draft.
3. Minnesota Vikings: OT Matt Kalil, USC—As a longtime Vikings fan, I would not be surprised to see the Vikings attempt to trade down in this situation. They have multiple needs, including wide receiver, cornerback and safety, but their most glaring issue has been the offensive line for the past few seasons. If they hold on to this pick, they will most likely target this big beast to play left tackle. If they decide to trade down, they will either target Justin Blackmon or Morris Claiborne. 4. Cleveland Browns: RB Trent Richardson, University of Alabama—After losing their top runningback, Peyton Hillis, to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, look for the Browns to reload at this position. While they could benefit from adding
a top-flight receiver, they probably would have taken Richardson even if Hillis had stayed. 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Morris Claiborne, LSU—Despite an underwhelming performance on the Wonderlic test, this guy has a terrific football IQ. What’s more, the Buccaneers are always looking for a great cornerback to eventually replace Ronde Barber. While they do have troubled former-Jayhawk Aqib Talib, he is at best maybe one arrest away from obscurity. 6. St. Louis Rams: WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State University—An almost sure-fire stud at the next level, Blackmon seems like the perfect go-to guy for Sam Bradford. His mixture of size and speed gives him exceptional potential to become a great pos-
session receiver in the next two or three years. 7. Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame—Most draft sources have South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram going to the Jags at the No. 7 spot. However, the Jaguars are notorious for making unusual first round picks (see Matt Jones, circa 2005). While either Ingram or North Carolina DE Quinton Couples would be ideal, this pick wouldn’t surprise me. Also, be aware that the Chiefs are looking for a quarterback and may trade up to grab Ryan Tannehill away from the Miami Dolphins. 8. Miami Dolphins: QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M—Assuming the Chiefs don’t trade up to No. 7, this seems like a done deal. Miami offensive coordinator Mike
Sherman would love a chance to mentor his former Aggie quarterback at the pro level. 9. Carolina Panthers: DE Melvin Ingram, University of South Carolina—It’s either Ingram or Coples, simple as that. The Panthers need a pass rusher on the defensive line. They could decide to go for a defensive tackle like Dontari Poe of Memphis, but defensive end makes more sense. 10. Buffalo Bills: OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford University—The Bills took care of their defensive needs in free agency, so expect them to shore up their offensive line with this draft pick.
Josh Rouse is a senior mass media major. Reach him at joshua. rouse@washburn.edu.