College Confidential

TCU 9, BYU 2 (F)

The Horned Frogs got the nasty taste of Wednesday's loss out of their systems with a 9-2 romp over BYU Thursday afternoon at Lupton Stadium.
The Frogs will play at 3 p.m. Friday against the loser between Utah and San Diego State, which play at 7 p.m. Thursday night.
TCU starter Kyle Winkler, a freshman, pitched his first-career complete game and improved to 6-0 as he scattered 11 hits, but only three for extra bases. Winkler had six strikeouts and didn't walk a batter. 

Vern shows his power in 8th

An inning after he stole two bases, including home, Matt Vern slammed his 15th home run to right field to give the Frogs a 9-1 lead heading into the top of the 9th.

Vern steals home, TCU up 6-0 in 8th

Matt Vern stole home and Bryan Holaday drove in Chris Ellington wit a single up the middle to give TCU a 6-0 lead heading into the eighth inning. With two outs in the seventh, Vern doubled and stole third on BYU left-hander Jared Miller. Vern took off for home and got to the plate just after Miller's pitch reachedcatcher J.T. Musso. Musso had no chance to block the plate or apply a tag because Vern's outstretched hands had already touched home for the run.

UTA advances in baseball

Matt Otteman hit a two-run home run and Nathan Long pitched seven strong innings as No. 5 seed  UT-Arlington defeated eighth-seeded Stephen F. Austin State 7-4 today to stay alive in the Southland Conference baseball tournament in Corpus Christi.

Otteman's home run in the fifth inning gave the Mavericks a 4-1 lead. UTA scored in six of nine innings to back Long, who gave up eight hits and three runs in seven innings.

UTA will play an afternoon game Friday in a bid to come out of the loser's bracket and earn the Southland's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Mavericks lost their opening game Wednesday night when Lamar rallied with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 4-3 victory.

Otteman, Michael Choice, Andrew Kainer, Mitch Putman and Chad Comer each had two hits in a 12-hit Mavericks attack.

Adam Boyston pitched 1 1/3 innings for the save.

TCU drops tournament opener

After the Horned Frogs lost their opening-round game in the Mountain West Conference tournament Wednesday, TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle wanted to clear his player's heads of their postseason prospects.
"We don't need to be thinking about regionals, hosting regionals, seedings," Schlossnagle said. "We need to be thinking about winning one game. We sure did lay an egg in front of a good crowd."
The announced attendance was 2,112 but the crowd was noticeably thinner after Utah took an 8-4 lead with a six-run fourth inning.
TCU is the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 6 seed in the MWC's 10-year history.
The Frogs play at 3 p.m. Thursday against the winner of the 11 a.m. game between BYU and New Mexico.
-- Stefan Stevenson

Country singer to fling first pitch

Country singer and Fort Worth resident Pat Green will toss the ceremonial first pitch before TCU takes on Utah at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lupton Stadium. The No. 10-ranked Horned Frogs are the top seed in the Conoco Mountain West Conference tournament, which began Tuesday. No. 6 seed Utah upset No. 3 seed BYU 2-1 Tuesday. The Frogs had a first-round bye. TCU has won five consecutive conference tournaments, including the last three in the MWC.
-- Stefan Stevenson  

Patillo's dismissal hurts OU hoops

A major challenger to Kansas and Texas in next season's highly-anticipated Big 12 basketball season may have fallen back with the news over the weekend that Oklahoma's Jeff Capel has dismissed forward Juan Pattillo from the program.

The release stated it was for a second violation of team rules and Capel promised no comment on the matter. But many close to the program believe that Pattillo's downfall was in particular in his lack of committment to doing his due diligence in the classroom and his failure to understand there is more to major college basketball than just playing the game.

Pattillo was projected as a major contributor next season along what was to be and now most certainly will be an inexperienced front line because of the loss of Blake and Taylor Griffin. He provided a January boost for the Sooners after shedding a redshirt, though he faded in significance as the season progressed. He was suspended for the Feb. 28 game against Texas Tech for another violation of team policy with the subplot again a failure to grasp the big picture. Doubtful he will get it elsewhere.

His loss means real dependence on the emergence of a group of young and promising freshmen (Tiny Gallon, Kyle Hardrick and Andrew Fitzgerald) among five signed frontcourt players, and returnees Orlando Allen and Ryan Wright if OU is to be a strong contender. The Sooners nevertheless should be able to play to the level of NCAA Tournament capability led by sophomore guard Willie Warren and the ultra-talented power forward Gallon.

Pattillo overaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds over 18 games but blew a promising finish to his major college career.--Mike Jones.

Wayman Tisdale and his smile will be sorely missed

The effervescent smile is what we'll all remember the most about Wayman Tisdale. Almost every time I saw him, or interviewed him during his NBA playing days, Tisdale always flashed his trademark smile that would just light up a room.

Unfortunately, we won't see that smile again. Tisdale lost his two-year battle with bone cancer Friday when he died at a hospital in his hometown of Tulsa, OK.

He was only 44 years old.

For those of us who knew Tisdale, it's as if we just lost a brother, a friend or a close confidant.

Sam Perkins, the vice-president of player relations for the Indiana Pacers, was a teammate of Tisdale's when the United States captured the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. They had first met earlier when Tisdale's Oklahoma Sooners faced Perkins' North Carolina squad on the basketball court.

"First off, Wayman was like my little brother,'' Perkins said in a statement released by the Pacers. "I enjoyed being around him all the time. The way we met made it so much sweeter, and I know he may have had the same impact on all the people he came in contact with, because Wayman was just that way. 

"He was a great, fun person who just loved to joke around and laugh. Our Olympic friendship was the best.''

Tisdale was a three-time All-American who also played 12 years in the NBA. He was the No. 2 overall pick by the Pacers in the 1985 NBA Draft -- behind Patrick Ewing -- and never met a person he didn't like.

"We are deeply saddened with the news on the passing of Wayman Tisdale,' Pacers' co-owner Herb Simon said in a statement. "His personality, his smile, his laugh and his positive outlook on life were such that anyone who ever came in contact with Wayman immediately loved him.

"He was a very good basketball player, but an even better human being. He was a much-loved and respected member of the Pacers' family. The Indiana Pacers send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Regina, their children and the entire Tisdale family.''

The last time I talked with Tisdale was last year. A pretty darn good jazz musician, I wrote a story about his jazz career and about how he was coming to the Metroplex to stage a jazz concert.

Other job commitments that night kept me from attending the concert. But I do have a copy of one of his CD's, and I'm telling you, his music abilities were just as good as his basketball skills.

Tisdale's debut album, "Way Up,'' spent four weeks on top of the contemporary jazz charts after its release in July of 2006. 

"We had a great time when we got together, and playing alongside of him was just icing on the cake,'' Perkins said. "He had a heart as big as Texas and Oklahoma put together. His smile was genuine and I will miss my brother because he was music for the soul.''

One of only 10 players who were named college All-Americans in three different seasons, Tisdale discovered he had a cancerous cyst below his right knee after he broke his leg while falling down a flight of chairs at his home in Feb. of 2007. Tisdale's right leg was amputated last August, but that never dampened his spirit.

Tisdale, who was selected last month to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, just kept on smiling and kept on being a positive influence for others.

"I just felt good in his presence because he was a real friend,'' Perkins said. "He loved you for you, and I loved him for being my friend and allowing me into his life. I would be surprised if he had any enemies.

"As a father, husband and friend you just can't say enough about him, because he was more than words can describe. I will miss him.''

So will everybody else whose life he touched. So will I.

_ Dwain Price

UT's Wangmene gets OK on medical redshirt

Texas sophomore forward Alexis Wangmene has received notification that he will be awarded a medical redshirt for the past season that will allow him three more years to complete his college eligibility.

Wangmene is a 6-foot-7 forward whose return from last season's knee injury is expected to boost the Longhorns' front line next season, especially in the areas of defense and rebounding. Because of his athleticism and reach, he is expected to back up Dexter Pittman and give Texas a change of pace option for the 6-foot-10 center.

"Lexy is tough, fearless and he will go at it and rebound and defend," coach Rick Barnes said. "He is a really good one-on-one post defender and he has improved his offensive skills. Everyone has forgotten about him."

Wangmene struggled with a knee injury in preseason camp last fall. He played in four of the first five games before it was determined he would need surgery to correct the situation and he did not play the rest of the year. As a freshman, he played in 37 of 38 games and averaged 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds with 18 blocked shots.

He was cleared to resume full training in April.

"One thing I know I do for sure is play defense and bring toughness," Wangmene said in a recent interview. "And I've worked a lot on my hook shot. All those things combined, I should be a good weapon for next season."

-- Mike Jones

TCU baseball underway

After an hour and 15 minute delay due to lightning TCU's baseball game against Utah has started. Righthander Paul Gerrish is on the mound for the Horned Frogs.