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Page 48. Mike Bello, Sports Editor Page 3B
Calendar
of Events
Behrend
Athletic
Events
Friday
Women’s Water Polo
Behrend Tournament
vs. Mercyhurst
Junker Center
6 p.m.
Saturday
Men’s Tennis
Pitt-Greensburg
Pennbriar Athletic Club
11 a.m.
Men’s Baseball
@ John Carroll w/ JV
1 p.m.
Women’s Water Polo
Behrend Tournament
Junker Center
Behrend vs. Gannon A
1 p.m.
Mercyhurst vs. Gannon B
2 p.m.
Behrend vs. University Park
4 p.m
Gannon B vs. E. Michigan
5 p.m.
University Park vs. Gannon A
6 p.m.
Behrend vs. lUP
» 7 p.m.
Tuesday
*Men's Baseball
@ Hilbert
2 p.m.
Friday, March 22
Men’s and Women’s Track
and Field
@ Clarion Invitational
10 a.m.
Saturday, March 23
Men’s and Women’s Track
and Field
@ Clarion Invitational
9 a.m.
Men’s Tennis
Penn State Altoona
Pennbriar Athletic Club
1 p.m
Men’s Baseball
Penn State Altoona (DH)
Behrend Baseball Field
1 p.m.
Women’s Softball
Penn State Altoona (DH)
Behrend Softball Field
1 p.m
Intramurals
*
Schedule
Friday, March 22
Intramural Soccer: Men’s,
Women’s, and Coed - $3 -
Teams are allowed any two
combination of two varsity or
ex-varsity, no restrictions on
number of players
White Water Rafting in
Ohiopyle, PA - $39 - Trip set
for April 27, transportation
will be provided
All entries must be at the
intramural office by 4 p.m. on
the scheduled date
* Subject to change
Behrend Baseball Field, 2:30
Baseball springs to success in Florida
by Mike Bello
sports editor
If spring training is a harbinger of
things to come, then the Behrend
baseball team’s anticipation level
must be through the roof. The Lions
returned home from their spring break
trip with a 6-3 record, including a
ninth-inning loss, and geared up for
the first game on their new field.
"(The field) has made a great
change in our program. Our guys are
having a blast," said coach Paul
Benim. "It’s going to be an asset once
we get out there on a daily basis and
(are) able to utilize it and get
comfortable with it."
The Lions begin their season up
north against John Carroll on
Saturday. Behrend is scheduled to
play its first home game on March 23
against Penn State Altoona at l p.m.
That may change if Tuesday’s away
game against Hilbert gets switched to
Erie for a 2:30 p.m. start, a strong
possibility. The team, no matter where
it plays, knows that any chance it can
get to use the field will help down the
road.
"i think we are more prepared this
year than ever because of the new
facilities," said catcher Luke Bundy.
"The new facilities cave an
opportunity this year to do so much
more in practice."
Despite getting only one outdoor
practice in before spring break, the
Lions weren't the least bit rusty.
Behrend won six of its first seven
games at Fort Myers. Fla. before
dropping its last two games to Beloit.
The Lions were more than happy
to enjoy a week away from the Erie
weather and a chance to catch some
rays.
"I would say (the highlight of the
trip was) just being outside playing
baseball and the day we spent on Ft.
senior athletic profile
Jason Karas: Relaxing on and
off the diamond leads to
by Kale I.evdansky Pctrikis
assistant sports editor
Jason Karas, Behrend baseball
player, started playing when he
was 5-years-old. Karas has played
infield since he started playing
baseball, until this year when he
made a change to the outfield. He
now plays left field, and said his
job is much easier.
"I just catch the ball and throw
it to the cut-off man,” said Karas.
"There are no more bunt defenses
and double plays, just simple base
ball.”
| Karas, a graduate of Charters
| Valley High School in Bridgeville,
| Pa., said his coaches at Behrend
| have taught him to be a good per
son on and off the field.
| "The ball does not always roll
■ your way and sometimes you have
■ to take the initiative to go and get
it.”
J Karas juggles school and base
ball but said he manages his time
I easily. He said all he has to do is
I get things done ahead of time, and
I not wait until the last minute. Prac
| tices for baseball early in the sea
| son were at night because of bas
| ketball. Now, they are typically
| held from 4 to 6 p.m. on the base
| ball field.
| In his spare time, Karas lifts
■ weights, hunts, fishes, and hangs
out with friends.
Karas prepares for games by lis
tening to relaxing music.
I “Baseball is a thinking game,
Myers beach," said
Bundy.
Teammate Jason Karas
agreed. "On the field (the
highlight) was coming
away from Florida with
a 6-3 record. Off the
field, (it) was going to Ft.
Myers beach and seeing
some bikinis."
Behrend’s first loss, a
10-9 decision against Mt.
Union on March 6, didn’t
lack in the suspense
department. The Lions
were down 7-1 after three
innings, but rallied late in
the game. Behrend
scored three runs in the
lop of the ninth inning
before making the third
Jake Boyle, the AMCC
Player of the Week, had * [ >• ~
three hits and three RBIs, *' V 4NMHKfcMP
as did Tony Azzato, who PHOTO BY MIKE BELLO / BEHREND BEACON
also hit the team’s first Tyler Wiand throws to third baseman Tony Azzato during one of the few prac
honie run of the season, tices on the new baseball field. Azzato batted .407 and knocked in 10 runs in
Craig Ottaviani, Karas, Florida.
Chris Shearer, and Vinnie Canzano
each added two hits. Karas and
Canzano also scored two runs on an
explosive day at the plate for
Behrend.
In Behrend's opening game, Ryan
Sey ler gave up one run in five innings
in a 5-1 win over Hiram, the first
game of a doubleheader. Adam Best
scored two runs, Keith Lepionka had
two RBIs, and Boyle had two hits.
Best also stole three bases in the
The Lions followed that up with a
5-4 win in the second game against
Hiram (0-2). Ottaviani scored two
runs and stole three bases in the
leadoff position, while Mike Couts
knocked in two runs. Best added two
of Behrend's seven hits. T.J. Aldrich,
and I have the tendency to get ex
tremely fired up to the point where I
can not think," said Karas. "So, I lis
ten to relaxing music to calm my
self down. My game preparation
would be much different if I was
playing a different sport. For me,
with playing baseball, having a clear
and relaxed mind is the best."
Karas said his two strongest char
acteristics are his sense of humor
and his ability to get along with any
one.
Karas’ biggest influence in his life
is his father.
"I am very close to him, and if it
was not for him, I would [have]
never played baseball," said Karas.
"He makes me want to succeed in
anything I do and is the best person
I know.
He also said his role models are
his familv.
"They mean everything to me, and
I look up to all of them,” said Karas.
"I have two older brothers who
taught me some very valuable les
sons through life.”
Karas is majoring in marketing,
but is not sure why he picked it as
he nears graduation.
"I thought I knew why I picked
that major, but my perspective on
life changed,” he said.
After graduation, Karas plans to
go to graduate school at the Univer
sity of Pittsburgh to get his masters
in sports management. He hopes to
become a college coach or become
a high school athletic director.
not to be outdone, pitched five innings
while giving up one run and striking
out nine. Brian Pifer picked up the
win, pitching the last two innings.
Two days later, on March 5,
Behrend exploded for eight runs in
the fifth inning to win 14-9 over
Shenadoah (3-7). Boyle provided the
punch on offense, going 3-for-6 with
two runs scored and five RBIs. Karas,
Best, Bundy, and Canzano all scored
two runs. Best stole three more bases,
bringing his three-game total to
seven. Chris Kechisen pitched 4 1/3
innings for the win.
After nine games in seven days, the
Lions learned a lot about the team’s
character.
"We learned we could win close
games and come back late in the
PHOTO BY MIKE BELLO / BEHREND BEACON j
Jason Karas is such an intense player on the field that he listens |
to music before the game to relax himself. It’s worked so far, as i
coach Paul Benim praised Karas’ abilities. “Jason Karas is a very, i
very dangerous hitter,” said Benim. “He can hit with a wooden bat
and not everyone can do that.”
game,” said Karas. "Also, we can
compete with any team that comes
our way.’
"We learned we can win a close
ballgame when we need to and I think
we gained confidence as a team that
we can play with anyone," said
Bundy.
The team's confidence grew after
three more wins improved its record
to 6-1, including a couple nail biters.
On March 7, the Lions gave up
three runs in the bottom of the ninth
to Emory & Henry (3-5) but hung on
to win 12-7. Behrend, which hit .320
as a team during the trip, pounded out
13 hits, one more than Emory.
BASEBALL SPRING TRIP
success
—. _—— ____ _ .J
continued on page 3B
Mad about
March (but not
about May)
Why is it that the word "madness"
is used to describe the NCAA
basketball playoffs, but not the NBA
playoffs? It’s not because more people
check into psychiatric wards in March
than any other month, although I can
understand if they do after listening
to Dick Vitale for one game.
"It's awesome baby! Prime time!
a Nothing beats
March Madness!
It’s crunch time.
¥*'*»»* Personal foul
Mike Bello
baby! Somebody
get me off this speed before I burst!”
Well, we can only hope on the last
part.
Even if you are one of the many
people who pays close attention to the
Sweet 64 yet watches maybe two
games total during the regular season.
March Mania is still a great time in
sports. It’s exciting to predict who will
knock off whom, and which team will
be this year’s Gonzaga.
That’s what makes March Madness
so interesting. It’s unpredictable. The
teams are so close that there are
always shocking upsets during the
playoffs. And the fact that this year,
two of the top seeds didn’t even win
their division titles, makes it all the
more exciting. It leaves everyone
scratching their heads as to who will
It’s also what makes March
Madness that much better than the
NBA.
If you think the NBA playoffs can
compete with the NCAA onesTthen
you need a reality check. The NBA
playoffs are about as exciting as
curling or intramural floor sweeping.
Sure, the NBA is a step up from the
NCAA as far as talent level goes, but
that is the area where the NBA falls
flat.
I livery year we have to watch the
| same teams win again and again. I’m
| so sick of Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and the
| Lakers. I also can’t stand Mr. Iverson
| in Philly, who looks like a street thug
| with an attitude.
j. The championship series between
■ the two teams last year wasn’t worth
■ watching one lick. You knew who was
t going to win anyway. In the same
| sense, who really wanted to watch the
I Bulls win all those championships?
| Not only did we know they’d win the
I title before the season started, we
j knew no other team would stand a
| chance.
Dominant teams ruin sports. What's
worse, dominant teams and flashy
players ruin the NBA.
The NBA is full of self-absorbed
players like Kevin Garnett, Iverson,
Bryant, O’Neal, Vince Carter, Latrell
Sprewell, Jerry Stackhouse, and to a
certain degree, Jordan. They love the
spotlight and think they are the pride
and joy of civilization. Their only
gripe is we’re not bowing down to
worship them.
Of course, that’s what happens
when an education stops at eighth
grade. Or when people "help” you get
through high,school and college. They
don’t know how to handle fame,
money, and the whole glamour show
we now call "professional” sports.
With college basketball, it’s
unlikely you’ll find players high on
themselves. It’s because coaches
don’t take crap like that and the game
is almost completely team oriented.
The biggest reason you don’t find
self-absorbed players in college
basketball? Those green papers with
dead presidents on them hidden inside
your wallet.
Without paid contracts, it’s hard for
college players to become self
absorbed. For the most part they do
not run the show. If they want to be
the center of attention, they can enter
the draft. For now, they have to use
the concept of teamwork to have a
successful season.
NCAA'S SUPERIORITY
continued on page 3B
• 1-,