The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 13

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1937 The Indianapolis Star Online: www.stamews.com Infoline: 624-4636 A Look Forward To The Draft Battie, Van Horn are considered the best of the prospects available to the NBA. N. li- iV 1 Scouting could go in the top 10, or he could slip into the bottom of the first round. Other cats in the hat include Providence's Austin Cro-shere, Michigan's Maurice Taylor, Tulane's Jerald Honeycutt, Chattanooga's Johnny Taylor. Washington's Mark Sanford, Cal-State Bakersfleld's Kebu Stewart and wild-card Stephen Jackson, who outshined Kobe Bryant in the 1996 McDonald's All-America game for high school stars but hasn't played competitively since.

Battie was a late-bloomer. He left South Oak Cliff High in Dallas as a scrawny 6-7, 190-pound small forward. Three years, 4 Inches and 50 pounds later, he has developed into one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. "I think it worked out better for me, being overshadowed by some of the bigger names in college basketball," he said. "I used it as a See FORWARD Page 2 ter Tim Duncan the top pick in Wednesday night's' NBA Draft, the Sixers will step up to the microphone and, as sure as green peppers and a hard roll for your cheese steak, make Battie the No.

2 pick, right? It makes perfect sense. Except for one thing: Before last Wednesday's deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names from consideration, Battie had enough uncertainty about his own status that he hadn't hired an agent or accepted a trip to an NBA city for a private workout for fear of Jeopardizing his college eligibility. Wednesday's NBA Draft promises to be that kind of night for the large group of forward prospects. Battie, Utah's Keith Van Horn, Villanova's Tim Thomas and Iowa sips WSfW Second in a series. By Conrad Brunner STAFF WRITER The circumstantial evidence is overwhelming.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a pronounced need at center and power forward. Tony Battie, who played both positions for Texas Tech, spent his summer in Philadelphia scrimmaging with former Temple players, including his brother and advisor, Derrick. Any NBA team that wanted to work him out had to come to the city of brotherly loathe. The guy even sounds like he'd look forward to serving his rookie time under warden Larry Brown. So, after the Spurs beat the clock by making Wake Forest cen By Dick Mittman STAFF WRITER PORTLAND.

Ore. English driver Mark Blundell streaked across the finish line by a nose Sunday and no horse race could have ended more dramatically. The second-year Championship Auto Racing Teams import slid by Brazilian Gil de Ferran down the home stretch at Portland International Raceway to win the Joe's 200 by .027 of a second. That's the closest finish in CART history and beats the .043 of a second finish in the 1992 Indianapolis 500 when Al Unser Jr. held off Scott Goodyear.

Blundell was third starting the final circuit of the 1.967-mile road course before he caught de Ferran at the wire. "Sorry, mate," the winner said later to de Ferran. iMitii to is Iff lw.ni..' I nmn9.fl Prospects The Forwards EffiBITheGuaixls State's Kelvin Cato all are expected to be lottery picks. After that, it's a mystery. Cincinnati's Danny Fortson Owens do the his head trying to ignore the two Americans at the entrance to the indoor courts.

The opportunity to kid Henman was too irresistible for Sampras and Courier, who know how much beleaguered British tennis fans are counting on him to become their first men's champion since Fred Perry in 1936. Henman's face is everywhere, along with Canadian-turned-Brit Greg Rusedski, and the newspapers are filled with hopeful stories about them having realistic chances of winning. One of the See WIMBLEDON Page 2 Ilk r. ft' Lit READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL Utah forward Keith Van Horn says he's ready to make any adjustments necessary to fit a position in the NBA. Associated Press, taUdn Frustrated infielder powers the Indians to a narrow victory over the Omaha Royals.

By Kim Rogers STAFF WRfTER Infielder Eric Owens of the Indi- anapolis Indians has said his peace with the Cincinnati Reds, but his bat continues to speak volumes. Owens' RBI double with one out In the ninth inning Sunday at Victory Field lifted the Tribe to a 7-6 victory over the Omaha Royals before a crowd of 12,534. Owens also had a solo home run his fifth in the last five days and eighth of the season. He is hitting .450 (9 for 20) with five home runs in his last six games and .303 with 32 RBI overall. "I've said my peace and don't want to say anything else about the Reds," said Owens, who lately has had the feeling he's no longer in the parent club's plans.

"I Just want to go out and play. That's all I can do. I'm going to be quiet, shut up, because I've said what I Indians 7 Omaha 6 Next game: vs. Iowa, 7 p.m. today; WNDE-1260 AM, FM.

More base-bal coverage on Page 6. EC Jul needed to say." Owens felt good about a conversation with Reds assistant general manager Doc Rodgers on Friday. But he feels even better about the meetings he's had with Tribe hitting coach Jim Thrift. "I've been going though different batting stances the last month because I was told I couldn't hit in the big leagues with my open stance," Owens said. "Jim and have been working on it and finally found something that clicks.

And we both agree I'll never change again. I'm staying back, seeing good pitches and hitting the ball with a lot more power." It was a matter of adjusting his stride and quickening his stroke. "It was a designed three-week process," Thrift said. "It was something that couldn't be accomplished in three days, and to his credit he understood that." Thrift's talks with Owens weren't all about hitting. "We've always had a good rela- See OWENS Page 2 Women's sccd3 Martina Hin9's 2 Monica Seles 3 Jana Novotna 4 Iva Majoli 5 Lindsay Davenport 6 Amanda Coetzer 7 Anke Huber 8 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Mary Pierce 10 Conchita Martinez 1 11 Mary Joe Fernandez' 12 IrinaSpirlea 1 13 KimberlyPo 14 6.

Schultz-McCarthy 1 15 Ruxandra Dragomir 1 6 Barbara Paulus A 1 Learning to conserve helps Gordon triumph lets bat MS it-. Rain threatens today's first-round action at Wimbledon. from 33-1 to 12-1, while the odds on a totally dry Wimbledon were 14-1. Players retreated to Wimbledon's indoor courts Sunday for the last day of practice and a little good-natured needling. "Tim Henman! Tim Henman! Tim Henman!" Jim Courier shouted in a falsetto voice.

"He's the man," Pete Sampras chimed in, grinning as he pointed at the British player, who bowed Mark Blundell survived the slippery conditions and passed Gil de Ferran just before the finish line. The finish Raul Boesel came in third, only .055 of a second behind was reminiscent of the recent Belmont Stakes, where Silver Charm lost by a nose in his bid to win horse racing's Triple Crown. The victory was the first in CART for Blundell as well as for the Indianapolis-based PacWest team. It also comes two weeks after Blundell ran out of fuel on See BLUNDELL Page 3 Jeff Gordon did not run out of fuel until taking the checkered flag at the new California Speedway. his seventh race in 15 starts this season.

Gordon said he even learned a valuable lesson in the victory. "I learned how to conserve fuel today," he said as he celebrated his 26th career victory. "I never See GORDON Page 3 fail's S2Cd3 1 1. Pete Sampras 2 Goran Ivanisevic 1 3 Yevgeny Kafelnikov 4 Richard Krajicek I 5 Michael Chang 6 "Thomas Muster I 7 Mark Philippoussis Boris Becker Marcelo Rios 10 Carlos Moya 1 1 1 Gustavo Kuerten 12 'Patrick 'Rafter 13 Andrei Medvedev 4 tirn Wenman J15 Wayne Ferreira nffrPetrKorda I. By Mike Harris ASSOCIATED PRESS FONTANA.

Calif. Jeff Gordon wasn't worried about running out of gas until crew chief Ray Evernham began repeating himself late in Sunday's California 500. "Ray got me nervous," the former Pittsboro, resident said as he celebrated a victory in the inaugural Winston Cup race at the new California Speedway. "I wasn't nervous until he kept telling me, 'Conserve! over and over." Gordon did Just that, stretching his last tank of gasoline for 55 laps 110 miles on the 2-mile, high-banked oval and winning Staff Photo Rami Maakxif POINT OF IMPACT: Ricky Magdaleno smacks the second consecutive home run for the Indianapolis Indians against Omaha in the third inning. Weather frightful as fortnight begins MAJOR LEAGUES Baltimore 5 Toronto 2 Boston 2 Detroit 1 Cleveland 5 NY Yankees 2 Kansas City 6 Milwaukee 5 Chi White Sox 2 Minnesota 1 Anaheim 7 Oakland 6 Seattle 6 Texas 4 Florida 2 Montreal 0 Atlanta 12 Philadelphia 5 yets St.

Louis 5 Cincinnati 2 Houston 3 Chicago Cubs 1 San Diego 4 Colorado 2 San Francisco 4 Los Angeles 2 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION Indians 7 Omaha 6 By Steve Wilstein ASSOCIATED PRESS WIMBLEDON, England A year after one of the rainiest Wim-bledons in history, it's still raining. It's the same kind of weird weather that skewered the schedule last year moments of brilliant sunshine briefly interrupting spitting showers and no break in the pattern is in sight. The bleak forecast for today Is an opening day washout. The odds of rain disrupting play on Centre Court every day of the two-week tournament dropped.