K-State Slate, 5/5/08

Two more exams, two more exams, two more exams...

Cats Salvage Sunday: Despite dropping the first two games of last weekend's set with Missouri, the Bat Cats displayed some guts in coming from behind to win Sunday's contest, 4-3, in 10 innings.  After Mizzou picked up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, the Cats pushed a run across on Justin Bloxom's sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth.  In the 10th inning, K-State managed to score the go-ahead run without even recording a hit, when a throwing error by MU catcher Trevor Coleman allowed Adam Muenster to score.

Here are your up-to-date Big 12 standings:

Texas A&M 18-3
Nebraska 15-5-1
Oklahoma State 14-7
Missouri 11-10
Texas 12-12
Baylor 10-14
KU 8-13
K-State 7-14
Oklahoma 6-14-1
Texas Tech 6-15

As you can see, K-State is clinging to a precarious half-game advantage on OU for the last spot in the Big 12 tournament.  On the other hand, the Cats only trail KU by one game for the seventh spot.  Did I mention we play at OU next week before splitting a series with KU to end the season?  This is going to be interesting.

Surprise!  At the K-State men's basketball award's banquet Sunday night, Michael Beasley was named the team's most valuable player for 2007-08.  Others receiving awards were Bill Walker, Clent Stewart,  Blake Young, Dominique Sutton and Darren Kent.  Congrats to all, and thanks for all the hard work this season.

Sad Anniversaries:  As much fun as Cinco de Mayo is, or is for those who aren't studying for exams, it appears May 4th is at the other end of the spectrum.  Those in Kansas need no reminder of that, for it was one year ago when Greensburg was leveled by an EF5 tornado.  On Saturday night, I took a break to watch part of a Discovery Channel show about the tornado and how Greensburg is rebuilding.  (For the record, yes, I realize how completely pitiful it is to be watching Discovery Channel on Saturday night.)  From this young man goes much applause to the residents of the town for (a) rebuilding after such a devastating event, and (b) doing it in an environmentally friendly fashion.  The show I watched is sort of the pre-cursor to a 13-part special about the entire rebuilding process, which will air this summer.

From natural disaster to human disaster, we move from Greensburg to Kent, Ohio.  Bill Reiter does a fantastic job of exploring the anniversary of the Kent State shootings from the perspectives of Nick Saban and Gary Pinkel, who played for Kent State and lived in the area, respectively, when the shootings occurred.  Maybe you don't have a whole lot of interest in either of those figures, but the story is well worth a read from a historical perspective.

If I missed anything, post it in the comments or in a diary.  Or email me at bringonthecats --at-- gmail --dot-- com