The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

May 12, 1997

In the second game of a double-header against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Redlands came back from an 18-run deficit to win, 28-27, in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Pomona-Pitzer built the 18-run lead entirely in the first inning, the fourth largest one-inning outburst in Division III history. Redlands closed the gap to 18-9 after two innings, but after the top of the fourth, the Pomona-Pitzer's lead was back up to 25-12.

But in the bottom of the eighth, Redlands scored 11 runs to knot the game at 26-26. Pomona-Pitzer scored in the top of the 10th, but Redlands finished the rally when Russell Williams' two-run single with nobody out ended the game.

Williams was a fitting hero. He was 6-for-7 for the day with three runs scored, one home run. two doubles and nine runs batted in.

Three Division III records were tied or broken in the game, which featured 13 doubles, six triples, two home runs and 88 total bases. Pomona-Pitzer's 27 runs tied for the most ever by a losing team, while the total of 57 hits and Pomona-Pitzer's 19 consecutive batters to reach base both set new standards.

Two-year star

Talk about a good season!

University of Akron junior Shelby Howell currently leads the Mid-American Conference in pitching and hitting.

Howell, who has a MAC-best earned-run average of 1.40, no-hit Pennsylvania State University, 2-0, April 23, carrying a perfect game through 62/3 innings.

In addition, she leads the conference with a .440 batting average. Her slugging percentage of .664 is tops for the team.

Stars of tomorrow

The major leagues are full of players who participated in the College World Series.

A total of 94 baseball players who played at least one game in the CWS are now active on big-league rosters.

One possible starting lineup including CWS alums (with current team and the school where each played):

C -- Mickey Tettleton, Texas and Oklahoma State, 1981.

1B -- Rafael Palmero, Baltimore and Mississippi State, 1985.

2B -- Jeff Kent, San Francisco and California, 1988.

SS -- Barry Larkin, Cincinnati and Michigan, 1983 and 1984.

3B -- Ed Sprague, Toronto and Stanford, 1987 and 1988.

OF -- Albert Belle, Chicago White Sox and LSU, 1986; Deion Sanders, Cincinnati and Florida State, 1987; and Barry Bonds, San Francisco and Arizona State, 1983 and 1984.

For starting pitchers, you could choose from among Jimmy Key (Baltimore and Clemson, 1980), Roger Clemens (Toronto and Texas, 1982 and 1983), Alex Fernandez [Florida and Miami (Florida), 1989], Alan Benes (St. Louis and Creighton, 1991) and Mike Mussina (Baltimore and Stanford, 1988 and 1990). Closers could include Bruce Ruffin (Colorado and Texas, 1985) or Jeff Brantley (Cincinnati and Mississippi State, 1985), among others.

Schoolshouse Rock

The first Schoolhouse Rock, a program presented by the University of Kentucky Athletics Association, was conducted April 11 before a rousing crowd of 2,000 fourth- and fifth-graders from 16 Lexington, Kentucky, area schools. The program was designed to teach children about the importance of academics, along with athletics.

Cincinnati Bengals place-kicker Doug Pelfrey, a former Kentucky star, addressed the crowd. "One thing you should always remember is to surround yourself with people you respect and would be proud to be around," he told the children. "That way, you stay out of bad situations and are able to grow in a good way."

Three-time NCAA gymnastics champion Jenny Hansen discussed the importance of listening.

"I think this is a great program," Hansen said afterward. "This is the kind of thing we need to do as role models. Hopefully, we really were able to reach some of the kids and give them support to stay in school."

-- Compiled by David Pickle