Monday night’s baseball game against Notre Dame was rained out.
Sports
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
BASEBALL
page 5
Strings attached to limited scholarship funds Maximum NCAA allotment only 11.7 Luke Johnson Sports Writer
11.7. It’s not a nice, even number, but it’s one that college baseball teams and coaches know better than the bounces of their infield or the dimensions of their stadium.
Each Division I baseball team is authorized to use a maximum of 11.7 scholarships on 27 scholar athletes. So how do you divvy 11.7 scholarships among 27 athletes? That’s the golden question — and one that may never be answered satisfactorily. “They should increase it,” said former LSU outfielder Mikie Mahtook. “If you have a team of 35 guys, you’ve got to have more than 11.7 to split.”
The numbers are a result of the 1972 Title IX laws, which give female athletes an equal opportunity to participate in sports. While women’s sports have steadily risen in the 40-plus years since Title IX went into place — an undeniable positive — some men’s sports foundered. Baseball is included in that count. Wisconsin scrapped its program entirely, and Cal-Berkeley
First in a two-part series
committed to discarding its program in 2010 before fundraising earned enough to keep it afloat. “Women didn’t want to kill men’s sports; they just wanted it to be equal,” said former LSU athletic director and baseball coach Skip Bertman. “I think baseball is pretty much a victim of Title IX.” The NCAA mandates a roster limit for each team, allowing only 35 players. Just 27 are allowed to receive any sort of scholarship.
NCAA COLLEGE BASEBALL REGULATIONS: • Roster size maximum of 35 players • Only 27 players can receive any amount of scholarship money • Partial scholarships must be at least 25 percent of student’s costs
“You can’t even cover a full backup spot,” said former LSU first baseman Blake Dean. “You need at least a full 18 scholarships. … You could field two full teams with 18 SCHOLARSHIPS, see page 7
Tigers’ season to end in Oregon
LSU no match for the ‘Pit Crew’ MIC’D UP MICAH BEDARD Sports Columnist
Should the Lady Tigers advance past the first round, they will face the winner of No. 4 seed Penn State (24-6) and No. 13 seed University of Texas-El Paso (29-3). The second-round contest will tip off March 20 at the PMAC. Connecticut (29-4) holds the No. 1 seed in the Kingston regional and would face LSU should both teams advance to the Sweet 16. “We understand what region we’re in and what road we have to take, but that’s part of March Madness,” Caldwell said. “You’re going
1,977 miles. That’s the distance the LSU men’s basketball team will have to travel in order to extend its season at least one more game. Lurking in Eugene, Ore., is LSU’s first-round opponent in the National Invitational Tournament — the capable, battle-tested Ducks. It’s a huge accomplishment for the Tigers to reach the NIT, but unfortunately they drew a tough matchup. Not only does LSU have to play Oregon — winners of six of its last eight games — but the Tigers will have to make the longest road trip of the season. Oregon calls Matthew Knight Arena, one of the most intimidating venues in college basketball, home — impressive considering the arena only opened a year ago. The venue is named in honor of chief donor Phil Knight’s son, who died at the age of 34 in a scuba-diving accident. Knight, the co-founder of Nike, attended Oregon and pumps millions of dollars into the athletic program. I lived in Eugene for eight years. Oregon fans can get rowdy. I’ve never gotten the chance to step inside the $227 million venue that is Knight Arena, but I remember the days when Oregon greats Luke Jackson, Luke Ridnour and Fred Jones graced McArthur Court, the Ducks’ former arena. I witnessed many big Oregon victories inside
TOURNAMENT, see page 7
OREGON, see page 7
CONNOR TARTER / The Daily Reveille
LSU women’s basketball coach Nikki Caldwell speaks Monday evening at the PMAC to a crowd of fans before the NCAA tournament selection show is aired.
Scott Branson Sports Contributor
What a difference a year makes. After missing out on postseason play last season, the LSU women’s basketball team jumped at the news of receiving the No. 5 seed in the Kingston, R.I., regional of this year’s NCAA tournament. LSU (22-10) will face No. 12 seed San Diego State (25-6) in the opening round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship on Sunday at the PMAC.
The Lady Tigers, surrounded by fans and family, watched the NCAA selection show Monday night on the PMAC scoreboard monitor. “It’s always good to see your name across that board when the 64 teams are being called,” said LSU coach Nikki Caldwell. “This team has worked extremely hard to position themselves.” Caldwell said she’s familiar with San Diego State because of the time she spent coaching at nearby UCLA prior to her landing at LSU. “I’m very familiar with [San Diego] Coach [Beth] Burns,” Caldwell said. “I know she’s going to have her team very fired up.”