Muncie Evening Press from Muncie, Indiana • Page 13

The Muncie Evening Press Wednesday, May 27, 1992 Page 13 Today's tip The Bulls and Cavaliers will break their 2-2 NBA playoff series tie tonight in Chicago (8 o'clock, Channel 13). It Cental search to be cut to mm the names of six candidates who are believed to have interviewed for the position. Those candidates include: Mike Drews, assistant coach at Central. Bill Green, former head coach at Indianapolis Washington and Marion high schools and the University of Indianapolis. Sources in Marion indicate would be scheduled for second-round interviews this week.

The second-round interviews might extend into early next week, also. A replacement for Bill Harrell, who retired in April, is expected to be named at the June 9 meeting of the Muncie Community School Board. Through a variety of sources, The Muncie Evening Press has learned i 7 I w'- "5V L- Rick Peckinpaugh, former Central assistant coach who coaches at McCutcheon High School near Lafayette. Keith Noftz, varsity coach at Van Wert High School in Van Wert, Ohio. Noftz has been the head coach at Van Wert, located about 35 miles east of Fort Wayne in northwest Ohio, for the past nine seasons.

-r 4 Kyle Event youngsters boy also gets a meal after the game. Welker said his Bronco players "get a kick out of it." The coach sometimes will snap a quick photograph of the batboy interacting with players between innings. "I'd like to see more Delaware County and Madison County coaches get involved with it," Welker said. "It can help a kid later on. And it doesn't take much time." Green is a virtual lock to be named head coach again at Marion High School.

That position opened last week when Dan Gunn accepted a job at NorthWood High School in Nappanee, Ind. Dave Nicholson, former head coach at Noblesville High School. Larry Bullington, ex-Ball State University player who coaches at Connersville High School. "55 I day for local Nicholas Dalton, Kiel Staker and Dustin Smith each worked a game earlier this season. For Tuesday night's game against Burris, the Broncos had three batboys: Bradley Sites, Orion Nothnagel and Alex Lee.

All of the boys are from Delaware County. "Every kid I've had wants to do it again," Welker said. "They all wish it wasn't the only game they could do." Welker gives each boy a Daleville baseball cap and each i ir a "A 1 Daleville batboy Bradley Sites performs his duties Tuesday afternoon during a game against Burris. Daleville coach brightens By TIM CLEIAND and DOUG ZALESKI Evening Press sports staff Nine candidates for the Central High School boys basketball coaching vacancy underwent first-round interviews last week with the search committee. Central Principal Joe D.

Kinnett said this morning that "two, three or maybe four" of those candidates Heavyweight picture starting to gain focus By ROBERT SELTZER KntghtRidder Newspapers Bunched up so tightly that they made a broom closet seem spacious, the top contenders waited for a shot at the heavyweight title. Waited and waited and waited, all the while refusing to fight one another. Finally conquering their fear of losing a shot at the title, they are fighting and eliminating one another. Moorer stopped Bert Cooper in the fifth round on May 15, earning what promoter Dan Duva called an opportunity to fight undisputed champion Evan-der Holyfield. Easing the crowded situation even further, Riddick Bowe will face Pierre Coetzer on July 18, and the World Holyfield Boxing Council has ordered an elimination bout between No.

1 contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock and Lennox Lewis. All of which pleases Holyfield, who will face Larry Holmes on June .19. "When the top people don't fight -each other, it takes away from the quality of championship fights," Holyfield said. say, 'Who did this guy fight? Who did that guy fight? Why do they deserve a If they fight each other and prove themselves, then I'll get the credibility I deserve." Iran Barkley, who vacated his World Boxing Association light-heavyweight title, still has another crown to defend the International Boxing Federation super-middleweight championship. Tony Thornton, the "Punching Postman" from Glassboro, N.J., is the mandatory challenger, but the suspicion continues to grow that Barkley will sidestep Thornton in favor of a bigger payday.

Rumors had spread that Sugar Ray Leonard would come back to face Barkley. A source close to Leonard said, "I know he has the itch, but I don't know if he'll scratch it." Schottzie (02) will join Reds' lineup Friday CINCINNATI (AP) Schottzie (02), the newest member of the Cincinnati Reds, is set to debut during Friday night's home game against the Montreal Expos. Schottzie (02) is the successor to Schottzie, the St. Bernard dog that served as the Reds' mascot from 1984 until her death last August Reds owner Marge Schott greeted Schottzie (02), a 10-week-old, 19-pound St. Bernard puppy, on Tuesday night at CincinnatiNorthern Kentucky International Airport.

The puppy was flown in from Los Angeles. Schott said she obtained Schottzie (02) from Bill and Sandy Buell of Riverside, Calif. "I think this is probably one of the greatest puppies we could get in the world," Schott said. "Schottzie used to get more mail than I did. And puppy, you're probably going to get a lot of mail, too," Schott said, looking down at the dog cradled in her arms.

The puppy will be a frequent visitor to Riverfront Stadium where the Reds play, starting with Friday's game, Schott said. Schott.a Cincinnati businessman, bought majority control of the Reds in December 1984, Three of Noftz's last six teams at Van Wert have qualified for the Ohio Division II final four state tournament. i "My main concern is Central's loyalty to the state of Indiana," Noftz said. "I'm not sure how they feel about an Ohio coach. "But I consider Indiana to have See CENTRAL page 16 Tough field awaits local boys track competitors By DOUG ZALESKI Evening Press assistant sports editor Local boys track competitors may be more concerned about bettering state-qualifying standards than placing in state-qualifying positions at Thursday's regional meet at North Central High School in Indianapolis.

The regional, one of eight in the state, will feature some of the top athletes in the state. "Unquestionably it's the best one in the state," said Central Coach Charlie Willis. "It lets you know where you stack up with the rest of the state in a hurry." Field events begin at 6 p.m., running trials start at 6:30 and finals get under way at 7:15. Admission is $4. The top three competitors in each event advance to the state finals June 6 at IUPU-Indianapolis.

Those who don't finish in the top three will also advance by meeting automatic qualifying times and distances. "If it wasn't for the automatic qualifying, it would be bad for everybody," said Willis. "If it was just the top three advancing, it would be extremely difficult." Central and Southside both have several athletes who have hopes of joining the state field if they don't place in the top three. The Bearcats' Ernie Young has one of the top 400 dash times in the state this season. He won last week's Muncie Sectional in a season-best :48.89 and later was clocked at :48.2 on his 1,600 relay split.

The automatic-qualifying time is :49.8. The best times in the state this year are :48.4 by Dominique Colby of Lawrence Central and :48.8 by Chris Merritt of Indianapolis Washington. Both are in the North Central Regional. Young also won the 100 in the sectional in 11.08 seconds. "His 100 time in the sectional stacks up favorably with the people in the regional," Willis said.

"There are a boatload of guys around :1 1.0 which is the automatic-qualifying See TRACK Page 14 ment. "There is nothing on this earth I can do to replace that." Sutcliffe, 35, who has two shutouts this season, a 6-4 record and a 4.52 eamed-run average has thrown so well after two seasons of arm injuries that he could be the first player to win the Comeback Player of the Year award twice (he won it with the Cubs in 1987). Age and two shoulder surgeries may have taken a little off his fastball, but they have had no impact on his determination. "The only person I have to prove right is the doctor," said Sutcliffe, who beat the Mariners on Tuesday night. "He said I would be back to 100 percent, but it will take time.

I think I'm throwing the ball as well I ever have now." Sutcliffe's shoulder problems go back to 1987, when he had a piece of cartilage removed. Then he hurt himself by coming back too soon. He underwent arthroscopic surgery in May 1990, and the doctors told him he'd be 100 percent healthy by the 1991 All-Star break. Again, he rushed it. See SUTCLIFFE Page 15 i the kids be around the older kids who play ball.

They get to be in an environment that they usually don't get to be in. "Plus, it gives them a sense of responsibility. We let them run the scoreboard, we let them pick up the bats, and we let them chase foul balls. It's just been fantastic." Taryn Poti, executive director of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, provided Welker with several batboys. Chad Johnson, Brandon Sites, i i.

'4 Associated Pr new mascot, Schottzie (02). Sutcliffe keeps dream alive after career nearly ended "I really enjoy this game, every fifth day. I have an absolute ball. There is nothing on this earth I can do to replace that." Baltimore's Rick Sutcliffe By TIM CLELAND Evening Press sports editor It's an idea that lay Welker hopes attracts the attention of other coaches. Welker, varsity baseball coach at Daleville High School, contacted Big Brothers-Big Sisters of East Central Indiana and asked if that agency could supply batboys for his team's home games this spring.

"I've been wanting to do it for a couple of years," Welker said. "I just think it's a good idea to let ft I 1 ilJ Reds owner Marge Schott meets the .7 By BOB SHERWIN Seattle Times SEATTLE fust before the 1 989 National League baseball playoffs between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco, pitcher Rick Sutcliffe of the Cubs made his most effective delivery he went to the hospital. He visited a Chicago children's hospital where young cancer patients face the daily battle with life. The hopeless looks and sad faces brighten when they recognize the 6-foot-7. 240-pound bearded redhead, who has been visiting hospitals since 1981.

He offers them a picture, a ball, a cap or Sutciiffa just encouragement and tells them when (not if) they get out, he'll have free tickets to the ballgame. He gives all of them his home phone number. On this day, he wasn't ready for what he encountered. "The boy turned away from me and wouldn't shake my hand," Sutcliffe said. "You could tell he was upset.

His mother even asked me to leave. She said, 'Can't you tell my son doesn't want you It was the first time Sutcliffe had encountered such a reaction, and he 2 i felt awkward. As he left, he began to question if what he was doing was right. A week later, he received an apologetic letter from the mother. The boy, Sutcliffe recalled the letter saying, "was too embarrassed and didn't know how to show his excitement." But the mother said her son was thrilled and even told her, I got to meet him.

He was in my "That broke me down," Sutcliffe said. "I called the little boy and talked to him. It wasn't a week later that he passed away. "It solidified any question whether what I'm doing is right. When I take this uniform off, I'm not going to have near the impact.

That sparkle in their eye is not going to be there. I can still write the checks, but I really think that's had a part in me being able to continue to play the game and my wanting to play." There's another part to it, too. "I really enjoy this game, every fifth day. I have an absolute ball," said Sutcliffe, who was signed by the Baltimore Orioles to be a role model and has been a solid invest 3.