The Times from Munster, Indiana • 150

tanZone Send us your Region newsmakers! Is there a Region athlete, current or native, that you think the rest of our readers should know about? Send your tips via e-mail to sportsdnwitimes.com or The Times, 601 W. 45th Munster IN 46321. sportnews.nwitimes.com IL WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 10 2004 PAGE C3 TRIPLE PLAY HEADLINES I 11.10.04 I THREE WATER-COOLER STORIES FROM THE WORLD OF SPORTS RACOUETBALL WEIGHTLIFTING PREP WRESTLING I i 111 JOHN BURBRIDOE THE TIMES PHOTO PROVIDED TO THE TIMES JOHN BURBRIDOC THE TIMES Amatulli making comeback JOHN AMATULLI is an Indiana Racquetball Hall of Famer and one of the area's most revered players. Sunday, Amatulli won the Omni Racquetball Classic, a title that had always been elusive to him. He beat Brian Simpson of Ft.

Wayne in the championship match. John Burbridge Johnson holds his weight ST. JOHN 16-YEAR-OLD JAKE JOHNSON took fourth at the Junior Pan American Games weightlifting competition last month in Chile. In the 62-kilo division, Johnson's top snatch was 102.5 kilos (about 225 pounds) and top clean-and-jerk was 127.5 kilos (280). Both lifts were 17-and-under American records.

John Burbridge Vega comes to Andrean LEROY VEGA, who won two state titles at 112 pounds at Portage and was a three-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, will be the co-head coach at Andrean this season. Vega and Rick Escobedo will share the coaching duties with the Waddle Pro college sports'scoops CHICAGO CUBS Brenly replaces Stone as Cubs' TV analyst a Bob Brenly was hired Tuesday by the Cubs as a television analyst to replace Steve Stone, who resigned after the team grew unhappy with his critical commentary. Brenly managed the Arizona Diamondbacks to the 2001 World Series title but was fired halfway through a dismal 2004 season. He signed a multiyear deal to broadcast the Cubs. "We're absolutely delighted to have a baseball man of Bob's caliber join WGN and the Cubs," WGN-TV vice president and general manager Tom Ehlmann said in a statement.

Stone resigned last month after 20 years with the Cubs. He criticized manager Dusty Baker and his players on the air late in the season as Chicago lost seven of nine and blew a lead in the NL wild-card race. Stone's comments angered Baker and several players. Brenly, a catcher and one-time all-star during a nine-year major league career, was a member of Baker's coaching staff in San Francisco from 1993 to95. Stone's broadcast partner, Chip Caray, the Cubs' TV play-by-play announcer for the last seven years, left the team to join the Atlanta Braves.

His replacement has not been determined. Brenly was a member of the Cubs broadcast team with WGN radio in 1990 ND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Batteast gets preseason All-America honors Notre Dame's Jacqueline JAp Batteast was honored Tuesday as one of the nation's top five players on The AP's preseason All-America team. Reliability has been the mark of Batteast's career at Notre Dame. The 6-2 senior has started 64 straight games and scored in double figures in 72 of her 90 games with the Irish. Batteast averaged 16.0 points and 8.6 rebounds last season in helping Notre Dame reach the East Regional semifinals.

"We all have one goal in mind, and we're going to do everything possible to make that happen," Batteast said. "Individual awards are great, but the success of this team is what this season will beafl about." AP GARY sTEELHEADS CBA team hits the airways for 18 games IN THE ZONE I MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL Swagger gives the Wildcats some hope Losses to NBA has Blue Devils thinner than usual BY NANCY ARMOUR APSpprts Writer EVANSTON They dared talk trash to Ohio State, then backed it up on the field. They helped derail a Heisman Trophy campaign. They've won at places they never had before and ended a bunch of ugly streaks. One thing's for certain, these aren't the Northwestern "Mild-cats" anymore.

"We're trying to start a prestige and a tradition for this university," running back Noah Herron said. At 5-4, Northwestern isn't even ranked in the top 25, much less a threat for a national title. Its 4-2 Big Ten record puts the Wildcats in fourth place, behind No. 4 Wis- kt vr in BY STEVE HANLON shanlonnwitimes.com 219.462.5151 he great distance between the haves and have nots has gotten remarkably slimmer of late. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said as much Tuesday via teleconference at Harry Caray's Restaurant in Chicago.

sophomores, that changes things quite a bit." Still, Coach is not a shoeless pauper. He has guards Daniel Ewing (12.6 ppg.) and J.J. Redick (15.9 ppg.) returning, along with forward Sheldon Williams (12.6 Plus, as per usual, he has a star freshman: DeMarcus Nelson set the California state scoring record and was the MVP of the McDonald's All-American game last spring. Last year against VU at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke peppered the Crusaders with 15 three-pointers en route to a 97-63 rout. "I do think we'll have a good team," Krzyzewski said.

For VU, it's about putting the program on the national spotlight, yet again. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Valpo will be the only college in Chicagoland playing in the United Center this season, which will make happy the 10,000 alums in Chicago. There were 11,716 fans at the VU-Notre The Chicago native spoke of the drastic changes in Division I men's basketball at the press conference to promote Duke's Dec. 4 game against Valparaiso University.

"We've had twice as many go as everyone else," Krzyzewski said of Blue Devils leaving for the solid green of the NBA. Consequently, when Duke arrives at the United Center to play the Crusaders, Krzyzewski will only have eight scholarship players. Duke was picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, its lowest preseason expectation in a long while. In a broadcast partnership announced Tuesday, 18 Gary Steelheads games Dame game two years ago at the UC. And more than 7,500 tickets have already been sold for Duke II.

Even with six freshmen suiting up for Valpo, playing Duke is a win- Iowa. But the Wildcats have an attitude this year, an air of confidence that goes beyond their record. It's the strut and swagger all good teams have, and Northwestern hopes it will be the foundation for long-term success. "We're just a lot more mature," Herron said. "Last year was a big growing experience for all of us and we're trying to just take that next step and lay the foundation as seniors and juniors." Though they got off to a rough start this year, losing in double-overtime to TCU and then to No.

20 State, they never lost their edginess. In the days before the Ohio State game, the Wildcats set bulletin boards across Ohio aflame when defensive tackle Luis Castillo described the Buckeyes' offense as "mediocre" and receiver Mark Krzyzewski has coached 10 first-round draft picks since 1998, with seven being lottery picks, and 18 in all. And with the trend of talented teenagers leaving chemistry class for limousines, it hurts programs like Duke the hardest. After making it to last year's Final Four for the 10th time under Coach Luol Deng and Chris Duhon left early for the NBA, not old enough to win. After last year's Cameron collapse, Valpo didn't lose it another game until its first-rounder in the NCAA.

"It taught us how to play against great competition, and that makes you physi-' cally better," said coach Homer Drew, who spent rromp on will be carried this season by Hammond's WJ0B (1230-AM) and Michigan City's WIMS (1420-AM). "We feel this is a great partnership for both the Steelheads and WJ0B and WIMS," said Steelheads owner Jewell Harris Sr. "They are a great vehicle for us to market our product. They provide an outstanding service for the Steelheads and to all fans tuned into the broadcasts." The Steelheads' Nov. 20 and Nov.

21 games.against Rockford will be the first two broadcast by WJ0B and WIMS. AL HAMNIK VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL Iowa all-stater Wolter commits to Crusaders Ashley Wolter, a two-vAlioJ time first-team all-state sOix selection from Iowa, recently committed to the Valparaiso University softball team. Wolter, an outfielder, has a .423 career batting average and .764 career slugging average for Denver High School. JIM HUNSLEY PURDUETFOOTBALL Orton '50-50' for Ohio State game Chicago sports talk radio. drink legally but rich enough to own a brewery.

Krzyzewski says the current college basketball climate has allowed the mid-majors to creep closer to the national superpowers. That's why playing teams like VU makes sense, March Madness sense. "Mid-majors are more capable of competing with us," Krzyzewski said. "If "We're excited about the game, but I'm concerned with our young players. I 1 i confidence early." Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will lead his Blue Devils against VU on Dec.

4. MICHAEL CONROY AP FILE PHOTO they have four seniors and a junior and we have freshmen and Philmore said they were "kids just like you out there." The remarks, taken in full context, weren't insults. They also turned out to be true. But the Wildcats hadn't beaten Ohio State since 1971, a 24-game losing streak. Who were they to mouth off to the Buckeyes? Northwestern didn't back down didn't need to after beating Ohio State 33-27 in overtime.

Purdue had won seven straight against the Wildcats and had one of the most explosive offenses in the country led by Heisman favorite Kyle Orton. The Wildcats not only beat Purdue, they knocked an ailing Orton out of the game. Last weekend's victory at Penn State might not seem as impressive, but consider that Northwestern had never won there before, losing its previous four games in Happy Valley by a combined score of 169-36. No Wolfe, no win for Northern Illinois Toledo 31, Northern Illinois 17 The Huskies couldn't mount much offense without national scoring leader Garrett Wolfe, who missed the game with injury. After missina last week's 23-21 loss to Iowa, Purdue OB Kyle Orton said he was run.

Jalen Parmele then added a 1-yard touchdown run with 9:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Huskies played without Garrett Wolfe, who missed the game with an unspecified non-football related injury. Coming into the game, Wolfe led the nation in scoring (12 points per game), touchdowns (18) and points (108). On the season, he has rushed for 1,247 net yards on 198 carries. The Rockets have won 11 straight games against Northern Illinois and lead the series 26-6.

By The Associated Press DEKALB Scooter McDougle ran for 133 yards on 28 carries and scored twice to help lead Toledo to a 31-17 victory Tuesday night over Northern Illinois. With the victory, Toledo (7-3, 6-1) can claim at least a share of the MAC West title by defeating Bowling Green on Nov. 23. If Toledo falls to Bowling Green, Northern Illinois (7-3, 6-1) can still claim the MAC West by defeating Eastern Michigan on Nov. 20.

"50-50" for Saturday's game against Ohio State. just want to throw the ball over 20 yards." Orton said Tuesday. When asked if he had a gut feeling on whether he would play against the Buckeyes, Orton said, "I have no idea. It's hard to tell. Some days I feel good, and other days I feel not so good." AP Down 17-14 at the half, Toledo scored 17 unanswered points in the second half.

After Jason Rob-bins' 25-yard field goal tied the game at 17, the Rockets took their first lead of the game with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter on McDougle's 10-yard touchdown ine uucais neeu. 10 win two of their last three to qualify for a bowl game. This weekend they travel to Michigan, where they've won just twice since 1959. 1.