Switch to NCAA not impossible, just improbable
Mike Givler
Capital Times Sports
Athletic Director Duane Crider has
recently proposed that Penn State
Harrisburg move from the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) to the ranks of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Division 111.
"The change will give the school
national recognition," Crider said.
"People understand what NCAA means -
and are unfamiliar with the NAIA."
Crider added that a four-year program
for the school is almost a necessity for
this goal to be achieved. The reason for
this is because the college would lack
the student numbers to fill the NCAA
requirement of sports teams. A
minimum of eight varsity sports
consisting of four each for the men and
the women must be met in order for a
school to become a member of the
NCAA.
"We need the kids to be able to go
Baseball season opens Monday
Jon Fleck
Capital Times Sports
As the major league baseball teams
break camp and head north for the start
of the season this Monday, it's time to
pick the contenders and pretenders.
Rather than thinking about what
scandal may rock America's pasttime
this summer, this is the time of year
when everybody starts fresh and visions
of championships run through the minds
of even the lowliest of teams.
Starting off in the National League
East with the Pirates and Phillies, the
Pirates will be hard pressed to repeat as
division champs and the Phils can look
forward to another season in the lower
half of the divsion.
On paper the Chicago Cubs look
stacked with the additions of power hitter
George Bell, pitcher Danny Jackson, and
reliever Dave Smith. Add these players
to All-star infielders \e Sandh and
through the system," Crider said. "We
[currently] lack the student numbers."
Crider added that a good ahtletic
school needs to have the athletes in the
system for four years so the school can
build up its athletics. He said that the
underclassmen are needed to maintain a
solid athletic base so recruiting will be
easier.
According to Crider, the main
problem with meeting the requirements
of the NCAA is fulfilling the four-sport
women's requirements. At the present
time the college only has one women's
varsity sport and that is volleyball.
Crider said softball has plans to go to
a varsity schedule in the near future and
tennis and basketball could be offered for
women if enough interest is shown. He
said the main problem with achieving
this goal would not be the participation,
but the money.
"We need roughly $lO,OOO to start a
women's program," Crider said, "and we
are already $5,000 to $B,OOO short."
Crider said that the move to the
NCAA would also save the college
Mark Grace along with outfielder Andre
Dawson, and the Cubbies could bring
the division title back to Chicago.
In the National League West, the
Cincinnati Reds will also have a tough
road to not only repeat as world champs
but to merely win their division again.
The Los Angeles Dodgers added
power and speed in outfielders Darryl
Strawberry and Brett Butler, respectively.
If pitcher Orel Hershiser returns to
anywhere near 1988 form, Dodger Blue
could be seen well into October.
. The San Francisco Giants have the
power with a murderers' row of Will
Clark, Kevin Mitchell, and Matt
Williams. They added speed in outfielder
Willie McGee and pitching with the
acquisitions of former-Yankee closer
Dave Righetti and starter Bud Black.
Turning to the American League,
the AL East could very well be the worst
See Baseball, page 12
SPORTS
money because the NCAA only charges
in the hundreds of dollars for yearly dues,
whereas the NAIA requests $2400 a year.
Crider also said that with the recent
budget crunch the only way the college
survived this year was due to a program
called salary savings. According to
Crider, it's this program that takes
money away from coaches and staff who
are unable to continue their duties at the
college due to an illness or injury.
Crider added that a strong intramural
program and the teaching of physical
education at the college would be a great
start in achieving this goal.
"Varsity sports are a reflection of the
intramural sports," Crider said.
"Intramural sports represent what the
student body wants to do and these
students in turn support the varsity
athletics."
"Physical education teaches people
how to play sports and this feeds people
into the intramural ranks," he said.
"Then when people learn how to play at
the intramural level, they try out for the
Weather hinders sluggers
Mike Givler
Capital Time Sports
"March showers bring April make-up
games." At least that's what the Penn
State Harrisburg baseball team is saying.
In the last three weeks the team has had
11 games cancelled or post-poned due to
bad weather. Here’s what happened in the
two that were played:
March 20: PSH 6 (8 innings), 5
Lincoln Univ. 5,3
Keith Lapinas pitched 8 1/3 innings
in the double header and picked up a win
and a save while striking out 12 batters.
In the opener, a clutch base hit by
John White with two outs in the seventh
tied the game and a two run outburst in
the eighth provided the nail in the coffin
as the Lions won their first game of the
year.
Scott Werkheiser belted out two hits,
got walked twice and had a clutch RBI in
the eighth. Mike Givler went 3 for 5
April 5, 1991, CAPITAL TIMES
varsity sports which strengthens the
whole program."
Crider believes that our intramural
system is already fairly strong and that
within a couple of years the college
would be very competitive in the NCAA
ranks with its varsity program. He added
that the real missing link in athletics
here is the teaching of physical
education.
Crider also proposed that the college
teach physical education, a concern
brought up by a student four years ago.
Though the college does not have a
physical education requirement for
graduation, he believes that these
electives could help strengthen the
program. He said that University Park
has already agreed to the proposal and
now it is up to the administration if they
want it.
Crider said a three-year trial period
would have to take place for the college
if it plans to go to the NCAA. During
which the school would "beef-up" team
schedules to include more Division 111
opponents.
with 3 RBl's to help the Lion cause.
A four-run first inning by the Lions
opened the second game up early, but the
defense held off a late Lincoln comeback.
Buddy Dodson went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Givler also pitched 6 2/3 innings in
the second game, but had to get bailed
out of a bases loaded jam by Lapinas in
the seventh
April 3: Wilmington College B,ll'
(6 innings) PSH 1,1
In the conference opener for the
Lions, a close game was broken open in
the late innings by some clutch
Wilmington hitting and some Lion
miscues.
Buddy Dodson headed the offense
with 2 hits in 4 at-bats while Tim
Gallagher went 1 for 2 and Werkheiser
had a double in three at-bats. In the
second game, 6 costly Lion errors lead to
6 unearned runs in a game shortened by
the ten-run rule. Gallagher (1 for 2) and
Werkheiser (1 for 3) had the only hits in
the game for the Lions.