The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 83

Gift CHie Sunbaj) Pantagraplj SUNDAY, SEPT. 30, 1984 CENTRAL ILLINOIS EDITIOH SECTION Scoreboard on C5 JjMARNHART i ll -VI He's bird-dogging I i 1 Ov) ary Nickels sighed in relief when I told him I wasn on the phone to ask for Dlavoff and World Series tickets. 4. m. it ilk MfaiaJtaWW And the Illinois Wesleyan University graduate, who's been scouting the Detroit Tigers since Sept.

10, admitted most of the phone calls he receives are from people with a plea in mind. Brandy Davis, the Chicago Cubs' national scouting supervisor, and Nickels, the Cubs' Midwest regional supervisor, were in New York Friday and Saturday to scout the Tigers, who were playing the Yankees. Davis and Nickels pack their suitcases again today Sffi MM WSm m. Illinois State linebacker Jeff Mcintosh, 37, met Drake running back Carlos head on in yesterday's game at Hancock Stadium. i and head for Kansas City where they'll examine the American League playoffs.

"Brandy has done this before," said Nickels. "So, I'm learning from him. I think that sometimes advance scouting can be over-rated but we're compiling information for use by the manager, pitching coach, and the pitchers themselves. "I'm keeping a chart 1SU thr ftles Drake, Foster and certainly not for a team of this caliber. "Illinois State was well prepared and you saw a mature senior-laden team that physically took it to us in the first half.

We got away with murder in the first half because if it hadn't been for ISU mistakes, it could have been worse. "We have a lot of things to be unhappy with and not much to be pleased about. It was a case of how badly Drake played and how well Illinois State played." When asked if Illinois State was the best team Drake has played this season, Shelton replied, "I don't know who would have come close." Winters, who gained 196 yards at Indiana State last week, accounted for 171 yesterday despite being sub-par because of a week-long lingering cold and an upset stomach. "The cold plugged up my chest and I had trouble breathing," said Winters. "After I got oxygen, I was ready to go Ni on eacn ueirou piayer to show how he hits the ball, the type of pitches he hits, and the location where he hits.

This will help the Cubs defensively. "We don't go to the pitchers and tell them, 'Here's what you have to do'. There's no way an advance scout is going to a major league pitcher and tell him that. Rick Sutcliffe, Dennis Eckersley, and Steve Trout know how to pitch Detroit, having been in the American League. We're just making information available that says, 'Here's what he We've been compiling this as we go because, hopefully, the Cubs won't need it for a week.

By JIM BARNHART Pantograph sports editor Drake University has not opened its Missouri Valley Conference football schedule with a road victory since 1951. Wait until next year is the bai.le cry of the Bulldogs who had their teeth dulled by Illinois State University's tenacious defense as ISU whipped Drake 280 in a conference game played before a Parents' Day crowd of 12,136 people at Hancock Stadium yesterday. While ISU quarterback John Coppens was passing over and tailbacks Virgil Winters and Jason Johnson were running through the Bulldogs, the defensive Redbirds limited Drake to seven first downs, 60 yards by rushing, and 180 total net yards. Coppens threw 15 and 10-yard touchdown passes; Winters scored another on a 26-yard run; and Mike Prior intercepted a Drake pass and returned the ball 74 yards for a touchdown. Paul Politi, the transplanted Scot, Pantograph photoMAUREEN O'CONNOR back.

At halftime, I was kind of dizzy and vomited. But the line blocked real well and that helped." Winters and Johnson, who gained 59 net yards in 14 carries, were most effective on what Otolski called a draw trap play. "We set it up with our passing," said Coppens, who completed 22 of 34 passes for 229 yards. "We would throw two passes in a row and then use it. Our linemen would come up in the same stance as thoueh thev were Dass block ing.

It seemed to be effective no matter who ran it." Coppens completed 15 of his last 18 passes and Otolski said the two interceptions charged against the senior were not necessarily his fault. "Our pass blocking has been good for two years," said Otolski. "John had all day to throw the ball but our receivers have to get open. And if they don't come back for the ball, it gets intercepted. Plea tea ISU, next page 8:46 remaining.

Trudeau didn't waste much time getting that score back, however. He moved the Illini 68 yards in eight capped by the touchdown pass to Grant in the back of the end zone. cap a four-run first inning off Danny Cos, 9-11, and he also singled in a run in the sixth. Willie McGee had three hits for the Cardinals. McGee singled and scored in the first and also singled and drove in two runs in a three-run seventh at the expense of reliever Reggie Pattersons The Cubs added a pair in the seventh on run-scoring singles by Thad Bosley 7, and Dan Rohn and two in the eighth on Bosley run-scoring triple and an RBI single by Sandberg.

Jaj Lee Smith pitched the ninth for Chi-! cago. '8V Iowa halts lllini's Big Ten streak Some of our people have been following San Diego and that's the information the club needs now. We'll put a book together next week." I asked Nickels if he could give me the scouting report on Detroit first baseman Dave Bergman, an Illinois State University graduate. "I could but I won't," said Nickels. Nickels admits this is the time of the year when living out of a suitcase can be tiring.

"But, at least, we're staying in cities for longer periods of time," said Nickels. "This is a tough assignment but we're pleased the success of the Cubs made it possible and we're looking forward to postseason play. "Hopefully, I'll get a vacation soon after the World Series is over. But there'll be free agents to see in the warmer climates; they'll be junior college players who are playing in October and November." Shawon Dunston, the heir apparent to the Cubs' shortstop position who was scouted and signed by Nickels, is in the Instructional League and will play winter ball in Venezuela. "He was good in flashes and also struggled in Des Moines," said Nickels.

"He hit about .235 and had seven homers. The feeling is that he'll go back to Iowa next season. But they wanted him to play this winter so he'd report to spring training and at least be ready to compete for the "About the first of August, (Dave) Owen, (Tom) Veryzer, and (Larry Bowa) were competing for the shortstop job. But, when the going gets tough, Bowa is there. He's faced the pressures before.

kicked four points-after-touchdown to run his consecutive total to 47, an ISU record. The old record of 43 was set by Isaac Camargo from 1978-80. Illinois State snapped a two-game losing streak and has a 2-1 conference record and a 3-2 season mark. Drake, which was making its conference debut, has a 14 season record. The Redbirds polled up 510 yards total offense and the score would have been worse had it not been for 150 yards in penalties, three pass interceptions, and a lost fumble.

"I'm pleased that we could say we did not play well in any particular area, but yet we won," said ISU coach Bob Otolski. "In past years, we've had to play well just to win." Drake coach Chuck Shelton admitted the point spread could have been higher. "The difference in the game was the very beginning," said Shelton. "Before the game, I didn't think we were ready wanted this time. Iowa, with Gill contributing 115 yards in 16 carries, amassed 313 yards on the ground.

"I don't know what happened," said Illini middle linebacker Sam Ellsworth. "The pursuit was not there. Speaking for myself, I didn't play well or do my job:" Illinois, stymied by its own errors for most of three quarters, came alive in the final period. Trudeau, who ended with 26 completions in 33 attempts for 230 yards, connected on all 10 of his passes in the last 15 minutes as the Illini scored a pair of touchdowns. Iowa's All-Big Ten quarterback Chuck Long, suffering through an off day, kept the ball on the ground in the last quarter and with good reason.

The Hawkeyes gained all 163 of their fourth-quarter yards rushing, but more importantly, kept Trudeau off the field. "Our game plan was to control the ball as long as we could, mix it up early and then settle down," said Iowa coach Hayden Fry. "We thought we'd take it to them later. "I knew it would hurt Chuck's stats, but I had a long talk with him and he said, 'whatever it takes to That's why we put the emphasis on running today." Long finished with seven completions in 14 attempts for 73 yards, and had two intercepted in the first half, one in the end zone by Illini cornerback John Ayers in the second quarter. Illinois cut Iowa's lead to 14-9 on an 8-yard Trudeau scoring pass to tight end Jerry Reese with 12:14 remaining.

The to for two-point con Cubs' feature page on C9 it helps a lot," said Sandberg. "It makes you want to do it. Not just for yourself, but for them. You don't want to disap-' point them." Sandberg still has a shot at becoming the first player to get 200 hits, 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. All the goals have been passed except homers and triples.

He needs one of each with only one game to play. "If the wind is blowing out tomorrow, who knows" said Sandberg. "The wind I 1 Mil 1 By JIM BENSON Pantograph staff IOWA CITY, Iowa Just when the University of Illinois offense started to ignite here yesterday, Ronnie Harmon ran to put out the And ran, and ran, and ran. Harmon, a reluctant wide receiver a year ago, led an awesome Iowa running attack with 191 yards in 28 carries as the Hawkeyes stopped Illinois' 12-game Big Ten Conference winning streak with a 21-16 triumph before a record Kinnick Stadium crowd of 66,322 and a national television audience. The loss left the Itlini with a 3-2 overall record and 2-1 league mark.

Iowa improved to 2-2 and respectively. With quarterback Jack Trudeau on a roll, Illinois cut Iowa's lead to the final margin on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Randy Grant with 6 minutes, 18 seconds remaining. Trudeau could only watch from the sidelines the rest of the way, though. With Harmon and fullback Owen Gill sharing the load, the Hawkeyes ran out the clock as they moved 83 yards to the Illini 1-yard line as the game ended. "The credit goes to Iowa," said Illinois coach Mike White.

"They did what they had to do when they had to do it. "It was the running, especially of Harmon there at the end, and the ability to sustain a drive when it really counted that was the difference for Iowa." The Hawkeyes, held to a measley 15 Iowa running back Ronnie Harmon went over the top of Illinois defenders for a first down in yesterday's Big Ten tilt at Iowa City, Iowa. Vttl Ua mailing 111 a Jtru iwoa uuuuu lllllll UCUUCU gv lui a iwu-puiiu wu- last season, literally ran wherever they version and were called for delay of Nichol's kick put Iowa ahead, 21-9, with ILLINOIS, next pag. Sandberg gets 200th hit; Cubs pound Cards CHICAGO (AP) Ryne Sandberg 1 blowing in today and along with Jody Davis drove in two runs tc yards rushing a last season, literally ran wherever they CHICAGO (AP) Ryne Sandberg Illini decided go a Jody Davis drove in two runs to The Mets have great talent but I think our vets provided a little more leadership than New York had. You take Bowa, (Ron) Cey, and (Gary) Matthews and they gave us a big lift." When we discussed pitcher Rich Bordi not making the Cubs' playoff roster, Nickels said, "Those rosters are tough.

You make decisions on short-term goals. They're not always the same as a full-season roster. You take Ron Hassey, who made it. He's a left handed hitter and he can play first as well as catch." One of the things Cubs general manager Dallas Green is bitter about is the playoff schedule, according to Nickels. "Dallas feels baseball negotiated with the television networks on the playoffs and the World Series without considering the Cubs," said Nickels.

"It was as though they said only one of the 26 teams doesn't play at night but we'll write the contract without considering that team because they won't be there. He feels that no one took us seriously." Nickels told an amusing story about Jack Sikma, another Illinois Wesleyan grad now playing with the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Assn. Sikma has been a Cubs fan forever and, before he became famous, opted for the bleachers at Wrigley Field. "Sikma doesn't like to go to those player rep meetings but they were having one in Chicago when the Mets were in town," said Nickels. "He called me for tickets.

I was able to get tickets for him but had to pay for them because things were tight and all the comps were gone. "I told my wife I felt badly about that. But she told me I shouldn't because Jack's only making a million and a half a year." game before Trudeau's pass was knocked down in the end zone. Harmon then took charge, gaining all but six yards on an 80-yard Iowa drive that concluded when Harmon took a pitchout and went 12 yards around the left side of the Illinois defense, torn the cold and high infield grass, it's tough to get hits." Sandberg very obviously was proud of reaching 200 hits in one season. "A lot of guys play this game for a long time and never do it," said Sandberg, who is in his third season with the Cubs.

"I'm happy and proud." Along with his four hits, Sandberg drove in two runs and scored three while Jody Davis drove in three runs with a pair of singles. Dennis Eckersley, 10-8, allowed five hits and one run in the five innings. in 30 loss to Illinois reached his goal of 200 hits yesterday and he gave the Chicago Cub fans their share of credit for the achievement. When Sandberg came up in the eighth inning seeking his 200th hit, the crowd of 33,954 began cheering "M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P." "Sure it pumps you up," said Sandberg who responded with a single, his fourth hit of the game, in leading the Chicago Cubs, National League East champions, to a 9-5 triumph yesterday over the St. Louis Cardinals.

"When you have that many people all cheering at once, it gets pretty loud and.