Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-08
AVERAGES.
NEBRASKA'S BASE BALL RECORD
Team Closes Its Season
with a Remarkable String
of Victories.

The base ball season at the University
Of Nebraska ended in a FINAL blaze Of glory,
the Cornhusker lads administering a
%trouncing most complete TO the strong
emi-professional Havelock team, the
score standing 10 to 8. On the day fol-
lowing Creighton university was booked
to close the Nebraska schedule, but the
state interscholastic field meet took pos
session Of the campus by reason Of prior
claim and the collegiate base ball cham
pions Of the west were compelled to give
way. Manager shidler Of the state uni
versity team declares that he scheduled
the Creighton game in the utmost good
faith and was perplexed when informed
that the High school athletes had secured
first claim on the ground for the date in
question.
Especially successful has been the year
with the state university diamond crew. in
fact nc college aggregation in the west,
or, for that matter. in the entire collegiate
world, can compare records for 1902 with
the lads who sport the Nebraska colors
and battle in the UNFOLDING Of its honor.
Twenty games against college opponents
we're on the Nebraska schedule. OF these
the Cornhuskers were victorious in seven
teen, a percentage of $50. This. in itself,
is remarkable, but the record of the Ne
| DGhthhQS SHINES Win Sui greater lusLtT
when the fact is taken into account hat
fifteen of these games we're played on
foreign grounds and before hostile as
semhlages. Nebraska also has to her
credit the longest tour ever made by a col
lege base ball team in the country. The
distance covered was upwards Of $500
miles. and out Of twelve games played on
this journey nine resulted in victories.
Against the teams included in the ia
nous big nine" or conference colleges Of
the middle west, the Cornhuskers were sue
eessful to a degree that shows conclusively
that college base ball in no section Of the
country presents a stronger or more I'm
ished article of the national pastime than
right here in the west. Five games were
played against big nine" teams, and OF
these Nebraska was victorious in three.
Minnesota, low and Purdue universities
succumbed to the prowess of the Corn
] huskers, while only two. Northwestern and
I Notre Dame. were able to defeat Ne
braska. In every instance the varsity
played on the grounds Of its adversarles,
an admitted disadvantage to visiting
teams. Kansas has credit for one win
: from Nebraska, but the Jayhawkers have
} lost three games to the Cornhuskers this
year, so that the score is quite satisfac-
tory to Nebraska on the whole.
Other college teams over which Nebraska
has triumphed are: Nebraska Wesleyan,
Washburn. twice; Highland Park. Luther
DEBORAH. Ia. Knox. Missouri University,
st. Mary's. Kansas Agricultural, Creighton
and Drake.
A close study of the Nebraska team
makes 1t rather difficult to attribute TO any
- l. -. .-- IL. -.
cess. The batting has been timely, the
fielding much better than that Of oppo-
nents, the base running far ahead Of adver-
saries and the team work in general de-
veloped 20 an unusually successful degree.
II cannot be gainsaid. however, that the
battery work has been high-class. Bender,
q pitcher last year and a good one, too,
was developed as a catcher early in the
) season, and the stocky little fellow has
, shown himself almost a phenomenon. His
J arm works as on a pivot and his throwing
to bases Is we'll nigh faultless. In fact, he
D backstopped no less than fifteen games dur
D ing the collegiate season and had less thar
a half-doEen sacks purloined on him during
that period. Doane, a veteran. is a capable
! catcher. but was handicapped early in tn,
: season by sustaining a split thumb, which
: threw the bulk Of the work on his team
/, mate, bender.
For pitchers, Letherby. Gaines and Town.
, send performed on the rubber and tn,
, record achieved by this trio in all truth hai
bordered on the remarkable. Letherby
= perhaps. is entitled to the palm. although
|, this conclusion is not disparaging to eitheI
= OF the others. His speed is terrific and hi
: shoots so mystitying TO opposing batsmel
/, that every game In which he went ont
a the slab 1t was almost a f~oregone conclu
sion that the Cornhuskers would win
Leiherby twirled in the Notre Dame game
which Nebraska lost. but through no faul
y Of his. fielding hobbies giving the IrishmeI
y their two runs, while only & phenomena
catch by q Notre Dame fielder OF a ia
n drive from Captain Bells bat, with full
y bases, shut on a home run and prevente
e four Cornhuskers from oozing over III
plate. Gaines has only one defeat on hi
ledger. and the same record pertains as {
e Townsend. In all cases loose fielding wa
W responsible. which demonstrates that on tn
a score Of pitching not & game should tn
d Nebraskans have lost.
a Next year practically every member Q