Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-28
Methodist Pitcher Has Sport with
State School Artists.
SOUTHERN TRIP NEAR AT HAND
Coach Will Rub OF Rough Edges Be.
fore Start.
OMAHA OR NOTHING FOR AGe1Es
Manager EaRer VIII Leave lows
school ON Schedule Unless IL
Consents TO Metropolis
Game.

LINCOLN, March ~. - especially - The
first week of outdoor practice at the state
university brought a great Improvement
in the playing form of Coach Billy Fox
base ball youngsters, During this period
only one day produced weather that mar
red the workout and then the Cornhuskers
laid off in order to give the elements full
sway. On the whole. though, the condi-
tons for the diamond play have been much
better than were expected for this month
and the collesians intend TO make the
most Of them while they last,
Gradually during the last few days the
Cornhuskers have been getting the stiff
ness and soreness out OF their legs and
arms until now they are in much better
shape than they we're at the same time
last spring. AS their muscles have yielded
to the training on the diamond the uni
versity candidates have pushed into the
work with an increased vigor and interest
that gives promise OF putting them into
first-ciass winning form before they start
on their southern trip into Kansas and
Missouri.
This week Witnessed the initial game or
the spring. a meeting taking place with
the Wesleyan Methodists al University
Place. While the Cornhuskers basged the
contest, they had only a small. edge ON the
suburbsnities and were lucky TO get away
with the long end OF the score. 1t was just
the meeting the scarlet and cream repre-
sentatives needed, for 1t afforded Coach
Fox an opportunity OF picking out tbs de-
fects in his aggregation. There were some
there, too, as had been expected. and
Billy will try to remove them before
the southern journey Is begun,
stick work Is Bad.
+ Tho most apparent weakness In the play
Of the Cornhuskers was the work at the
, bat. About The only thing the bunch were
able 10 hit with any certainty was the air
or the catcher. This may have been due
TO the extraordinary twirling that was done
by Farthing. who held down the slab job
Tor the Methodists. He had plenty Of speed
and great control and retired thirteen OF
the eighteen Nebraska batters who faced
him without giving them a chance to. ap-
proach first sack, But even against
Farthing the Cornhuskers should have
pegged the ball more frequently. Some of
them tried to hit balls that would not have
ruzsled a high school lad. They banged
at anything that looked good when It was
yet several feet IN front Of the plate.
Practically all of the men who faced
Farthing showed poor batting judgment.
Coach FOX chose TO work out only a
few OF his pupils against the Methodists
and used only ten players during the game.
These were stationed as follows: Catcher.
Carroll; first base. SturtEenegger: second
base, Greenslit; shortstop, Metcalfe; third
base, Captain Better; left field. Mattison:
center field, Pip Cooke: right field.
Clarke; pitchers, Mathers and olmstea6,
This will. not be the permanent personnel
of the nine, although a majority Of the
men who appeared In this lineup will be
on the regular varsity. The meeting with
the, Methodists, indeed, showed Coach. Fox
a few places where he probably would i'm
mediately have to flash the recall signal.
Nattison slated for Bench.
Madison, who cavorted in left garden on
that day, is likely to be the first youngeter
to get the message OF retirement unless he
can show more goods than he had on his
person Tuesday. He was shy OF mental
action in his section of the field when a.
neat fly went sailing his way and allowed
it to drop several feet in his rear when a
little better Judgment would have permitted
him to have bagsed II. At the bat he put
himself on record as a vaudeville artist
and took his trio Of strikes in each Of the
three times that, he faced the pitcher.
At the initial bag Sturtzenegger made a
disappointing showing and covered himself
with a suspicion of doubt which he will
have to reHove before the fans will be
convinced that he Is the logical man for
first. Coach Fox, however, believes Tues
day was an off day for sturtzeneEEer and
says the youngster will get into the run
ming within a short time. The young sophie
more recruit has the natural agility for a
first-elass player and ought TO prove a
~redoubtable man for the first sack before
the season is fairiy advanced.
An abundance of catchers that placed
Sturtzenegger at first also switched Green
slit to second base. He performed there in
proved style and appeared to have the
goods to make that station a
berth for him. His proclivity for sluSsInE
the ball also Is a great point in favor OF
keeping him in the regular Cornhusker
lineup. Though he did not punish the
sphere to any great extent in the game with
the Methodists, he is known to have a good
batting eye and will get il 10 working be-
fore many days have rolled around.
MetesIfe Good for Job.
Youngster Metcalfe was allowed 10 paIsde
along shortstop. eagerly waiting for a ball
10 come his way. None were rs,.ted 20 him.
ho"eNsI' anu ne alo not rave an oppor-
tunity TO show his real caliber in the I'm
field His work in practice at Antelope
this week has marked him as a strong ad-
diion TO the nine and with an even break
Of luck-both in his studies and in his stick
work-he viii probably get a contract for
the season
Captain Better was on the third sack
Thursday and COY ered himself with sloFy.
He 10 playing classy ball and undoubtedly
IL one OF tbs strongest college PLAYERS IN
the Missouri valley this spring He plays
his position like a major Lacquer and IL
aaila enouEh 10 mnvn In The hant Of uraat.rn