Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-30
ATHLETICS At UNIVERSITY
Nebraska Men Devote Their Time to Base
Ball Chiefly.
FIRST GAME SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK
Omaha LeREue Team VIII Give the
Varsity Players q Tryout
on the Field at
Lincoln.

Athletics at the University OF Nebraska
are now centering chiefly around base ball.
Even the track game is being neglected on
account OF the great interest in the diamond
representatives, who will play through the
longest and hardest schedule this spring
that the institution has ever known. The
base ball squads have passed through the
limbering-up and toughening stage and are
down to hard work. They are developing
very fast play and their progress Is watched
with keen interest each evening by crowds
OF students despite the cold winds.
The chief feature Of the last weeks work
on the diamond has been the promotion OF
several new players to the first squad from
the scrubs. They are: Reynolds, Roth,
Wright. Thompson, the Indian. Leatherbee
and Sinner. Leatherbee is young under,
graduate from Fremont, who pitched re-
markable ball all through north Nebraska
last summer as a member OF an amateur
team. He had the country mines all afraid
Of his twirling, and made considerable Of an
agitation in the one brief season.
ST Reynolds has been taken on as an
additional backstop, and he is pressing
Doane and Maloney hard for the lead in
that place. Wright is a utility man, tall
and lanky and good anywhere you put him.
Roth is a fast outhelder. while Sinner Is
expected to prove a valuable adjunct to any
one OF several places. Thompson is the only
one Of the new men taken on the first team
who is a pitcher, and he is making a great
tear in the box.
The second team, meanwhile. though
somewhat crippled by losing this half dozen
Of its best players. is extremely enthusiastic
and during the workout games expects to
give the 'varsitys all they can do.
Deacon Koehler, center on the varsity
foot ball eleven for three years, has been
elected captain Of the second team. This
aggregation has the grounds from 1880 to
$3.50 each day. while the old men are
given the field the rest of the afternoon.
Il is certain that the base ball team will
be on the best basis this season that IL has
ever known, not only as an aggregation OF
ball players, but also in the matter Of
equipment and grounds. The members will
be fitted with new playing togs throughout.
suits and all, and the diamond is better
than it has ever been. A new backstop has
been substituted and the grsndstand
erected last fall for the foot ball games
offers comfort in seeing base ball contests
that has not been known on University field
before. A long bleacher was built directly
across right HELD Tor the loot pail season
and this has been swung around behind the
home plate, offering still more seating ca
pacity.
The frst game will be played with the
Omaha league team at Lincoln on April Z,
with two more on the two days following.
These contests are being awaited with great
interest. The boys are very anxious to go
against the cracks from the professional
ranks, even though they know 1t is a
mighty hard nut for collegiate youngsters
to crack. They hope to make a good show
ing and feel that they will have far the ad-
vantage in condition at least
At base ball mass meeting held IN
chapel last week great interest was mani
tested by a crowd which filled the hall to
the walls. Coach Booth exhorted on be-
half OF the team and the game and said
that he could promise better batteries this
year than last, although he was not yet
prepared to predict as to the balance Of the
team.
Tennis players have taken advantage OF
the few balmy days and have resorted to
the courts already. improvements on these