The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-31
COLUMbIA'S TEAM
IS TRAINING HARD,
Missouri State University Believes
1t Has a Winning Base
ball Nine.
CLASS STANDING REQUIRED.
George s. Yant of keokuk, Ia,
With a Good Record, Has Been
Chosen Captain - SEIZED
ule of Games.

Columbia, Mo-. March 3o.-In spite of the
rain and the wet. sloppy condition of the
grounds the Missouri State University base
ball team has put in two hours of hard prac
tice every day during the past week. When
the weather would not permit IL. the work
has been confined to the gymnasium. which
has been fitted up for indoor practice.
The material on hand furnishes a better
prospect for a winning team this season
than has been known in the history of this
institution. There are thirty-seven candi-
dates. in all. trying for positions These
represent over 1000 students. The men are
being drilled harder this year than ever be-
fore. The training resembles much the rig
orous discipline of football candidates. and
physical endurance counts several points in
selecting players. Both the first and the
second team will probably be picked by the
last Of next week. when suits for the players
are expected to arrive.
George S. Yant of Keokuk. Ia, has been
elected captain of the team. to take the
place OF Charles Washer of Kansas City.
who had been appointed to take charge of
the team temporarily. Yant is considered
one OF the cleverest players ever on the
university diamond. He handles the ball
well and Is very effective with the stick.
His regular position Is at shortstop. yet he
can cover any ether place on the team, be-
ing also a good pitcher. This is Captain
Yant's second year in the university. He
played last year on the Keokuk team. one
Of the strongest amateur aggregations in
tho State of Iowa, winning games from the
Quincy Reserves and from the St. Louis
Burlington Stars.
Individually. the team should be %particu-
larry strong. There are seven men on the
pitching stan-Dempsey, Snyder, Rail,
Thurmand. Nichols. Vaeth and Hamilton.
Thurmand and Nichols did effective work
Tor the university last year. Joe Vaeth and
r. 8 Hamilton come to this school with
State regulations in amateur baseball cir
olek Rail Is a new man in the box. but
shows unusual speed and a good control.
Coe. a new man. and Charles Washer of
Last year. will stand behind the bat, though
the latter will probably do most of the
catching. Either Rail or Ike Cooper of last
years team. will cover first base. II. B.
AOwsley. who played on the kemper team
last year, seems to have the best hold on
second base. He is a clean player and
throws well. At third base will play either
Brcadhead or Fry, both competent men.
In the field are a large number of candi-
dates to select from. Among the most
promising are McMurtry, Coe, Frost. Nc
Caslin. Devilvis, Morgan and Stephens. Nc
Murtry. who will probably play the left
field, is thought to be far above the aver
age of amateur players. He was regarded
as the star man on the Oklahoma Cniyer-
Sity team last year.
The finances OF the Athletic Association
and the nonprofessional character CT the
playing will contribute much to strengthen
the team this season. Over 500 have been
spent SO far in procuring equipments. there
being besides considerable stuff left over
from last year. Great care is being used by
the faculty and by Doctor Heatherins ton.
physical director at the university, to see
that only students OF hfgh-class standing
be permitted to play. The rules exclude
any one who failed to pass on as many as
TWO subjects the first semester Of the pres
ent school year.
A complete schedule of games has been
arranged as follows: Grinell College, Iowa,
at Columbia, April 8; Central College of
Fayette, No., at Columbia. April u; the Ne
braska University at Lincoln, April 10 and
20; St. Mays College, Kansas. April -;
Kansas University at Lawrence. April .;
Haskell Indians Institute, Kansas. April "a;
the team at Ottawa. Kas-, April %; the
Kansas City Athletic Club at Kansas City,
April &c, and the William JEWELS College,
at Liberty, Mo-, April q. Return games will
be played at Columbia with Kansas Uni
versity, May 3 and 4, and with the Ne
braska University May Is and IA.