University Southern California Trojans
CWS Notebook - June 12
June 12, 2000 | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - After 42 years of nursing Southern California through strains and sprains, breaks, bumps and bruises, Jack Ward is going into retirement.
This year's College World Series will be the last event for Ward, the Trojans' head trainer.
And the CWS is the perfect place to end it all, the Omaha native said.
"Now, if we can just finish it," said Ward, who has seen the Trojans win 10 of their 12 national titles.
Ward, a University of Nebraska graduate, ended up in Los Angeles after a four-year tour with the Marines that took him to Korea. Since taking over as Trojans' head trainer in 1958, Ward has treated some of the biggest names in sports.
Mark McGwire, Randy Johnson, Marcus Allen, Anthony Munoz, Keyshawn Johnson and O.J. Simpson are just a few who have passed through his training room.
"You hate to see a good thing end, but it's time for me to step aside and give some of the young guys a chance," Ward said.
Former assistant Russ Romano will take over for Ward, who will still do some part-time work during football season.
Age 65 came and went for Ward without a thought of retiring.
"I was just a kid then," he said.
Three torn rotator cuffs have slowed Ward, but he plans to be recovered enough from shoulder surgery he had a month ago to be back on the golf course by August.
"I'm not going to be throwing to the hitters, though," he said.
Ward was on the Trojans all season, telling them to get him back to Omaha, pitcher Rik Currier said.
"He's a laid back guy and he keeps the clubhouse fun," Currier said. "He's a great man and he's going to be missed. He's SC all the way through."
BOUKNIGHT HONORED: South Carolina RHP Kip Bouknight was named the American Baseball Coaches Association Division I player of the year Monday. The award, sponsored by Rawlings, is given annually to the nation's best collegiate baseball player from each division.
Bouknight went 15-0 in the regular season with a 2.81 ERA. In 144 innings, he had 143 strikeouts and 34 walks. Bouknight also was the Southeastern Conference and Collegiate Baseball player of the year.
CRUISIN' CAJUNS: Louisiana-Lafayette's pitching staff continued its stingy style in a 6-3 win over San Jose State in an elimination game Sunday.
The Ragin' Cajuns, who play Clemson in an elimination game Tuesday, still haven't given up double-digit runs this season, even after two games at homer-friendly Rosenblatt Stadium.
"I just never looked up at that red Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium sign or I might have been in trouble," right-hander Scott Dohmann said, referring to the sign attached to the press box high above home plate. "I just never acted like being in Omaha. It was just a big stadium with a lot of people."
DECISIONS, DECISIONS: At least two coaches have made surprising changes in their pitching rotations at the CWS.
Clemson coach Jack Leggett started reliever Kevin Lynn against Stanford. And LSU's Skip Bertman went with Ben Saxon over Trey Hodges. Both moves seemingly backfired.
Lynn gave up six hits and four runs over 3 1-3 innings and got the loss. Saxon's stint was a bit shorter. He left with as blister on his pitching after allowing three hits and two runs in a no-decision.
ANOTHER WIN: LSU Tigers LHP Brian Tallet picked up his second win in as many days Sunday when he claimed a victory at the team's golf outing. Tallet won the putting contest, sinking a 15-footer on the practice green.
The longest drive contest was scrapped when backup 1B Jeff Lipari, first on the tee, swung so hard he flung his driver onto the shed that houses the club's golf carts.
By DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press Writer
