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At some point during the stretch of four scoreless, hitless innings, the unfairness of the situation had to hit the Southern Illinois dugout.

It's Sunday, when many teams are picking names out of a hat for a starting pitcher. Wichita State rolls out Anthony Capra, the Missouri Valley Conference leader in wins and ERA.

Capra struck out nine and gave up four hits in No. 7 WSU's 8-3 victory over SIU at Eck Stadium. After the third inning, no Saluki reached base until two outs into the eighth.

"We love having Capra on the mound," WSU shortstop Dusty Coleman said. "That is a pretty good feeling that we have three weekend starters who could go any day because they all have good stuff."

Capra gave up a home run to Bret Maugeri in the second inning to give SIU (20-17, 4-8 MVC) a 1-0 lead. In the third, Capra got out of a two-on, two-out jam thanks to a diving stop by first baseman Tyler Hill.

An open date awaits the Royals today back in Kansas City. Good thing. They can use the day off to lick their wounds from an abysmal weekend in the picturesque East Bay.

Oakland completed a three-game sweep Sunday afternoon with a 7-1 victory primarily because just-returned Luke Hochevar couldn't put the brakes on a five-run fourth inning. All five runs scored with two outs.

The Royals have lost four straight and eight of 11. They come limping home with a losing record (9-10), after completing a 2-5 road trip that included 1-1 splits in Seattle and Los Angeles before this three-game flop at McAfee Coliseum.

So, yes, the open date comes at a good time before Cleveland and Toronto come to Kauffman Stadium for three-game series.

"There's not a guy in here happy about the way we finished this road trip," manager Trey Hillman said. "We've just got to regroup, have a good homestand and get our rear ends back above .500."

WSU men win first title in five years

Jesse Buss will have to make room on his hand for a national championship bowling ring, because it isn't the only piece of shiny jewelry he's been promised this week.

Buss started the week by proposing to his girlfriend (she accepted), and finished it by leading the Wichita State bowling team to a national championship.

With a 2-0 sweep in a best-of-three series over Nevada-Las Vegas, the Shockers captured the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships at Northrock Lanes. It's WSU's first men's title since 2003 and eighth overall.

The Shocker women also advanced to the title series, but were swept by Pikeville (Ky.) College and denied a second straight championship and ninth overall.

Southern Illinois pitcher Shawn Joy, a Topekan, liked everything about Saturday's challenge. He was back in his home state and throwing against a top-10 team in front of a crowd of 5,037.

"I wasn't scared of these guys," he said. "I wasn't scared of (Aaron) Shafer. A guy like that, that makes you elevate your game. I was excited to be in this kind of an atmosphere."

Joy, a senior left-hander, never once looked scared, or even mildly uncomfortable, in a 3-0 victory over No. 7 Wichita State at Eck Stadium. He held the Shockers to five hits and didn't walk a batter in his first complete-game of the season. Shafer, WSU's starter, struck out 12 and allowed five hits. That's good enough to win on most days. Not against Joy , who didn't allow a Shocker to reach third.

"He really changed his speeds pretty well, hit his spots and didn't make too many mistakes over the plate," WSU shortstop Dusty Coleman said. "When he did, we really didn't punish him too hard."

WSU (29-7, 8-3 Missouri Valley Conference) run-ruled SIU (20-16, 4-7) in a 10-0 rout Friday. The Shockers stole nine bases and ran the Salukis silly. One day later, Joy kept the Shockers off balance and off the bases.

So this is what happens to the Royals when Zack Greinke, like Brian Bannister, isn't in top form.

Other flaws get exposed and, right now, the Royals don't have enough to overcome them.

The Royals blew a four-run lead Saturday in a depressing 6-5 loss to the Oakland A's at McAfee Coliseum. They are back to .500 for the first time since winning their season opener after suffering a third straight loss and falling to 9-9.

"We just kind of fell flat there," second baseman Mark Grudzielanek said. "When you get a team against the ropes, you've got to keep putting it on and keep having quality at-bats. We fell off in that in the middle innings.

"That gave them a chance to get back in the game."

The backup kicker saved the evening from being a disaster.

Up until Josh Cherry's 51-yard field goal with 12:43 to go in the final quarter of Kansas State's spring football game on Saturday, there was nothing.

No touchdowns. No field goals. No points. No noteworthy plays -- none positive, at least.

Cherry, kicking for the White team, provided the only points in the 3-0 win for the Dave Brock-coached squad, which earned steak dinners for the effort. The Purple team's consolation prize was bologna sandwiches.

Cherry played mostly as kickoff specialist as a freshman last season, serving as the backup place kicker to Brooks Rossman. Earlier in Saturday's game, he missed a field goal from 51 yards.

Blue Jays 5, Tigers 3 -- David Eckstein hit a three-run homer for Toronto.

• A.J. Burnett (2-1) issued a season-high six walks in five innings but still managed to win for the first time in four starts. He allowed three runs and four hits.... Toronto released Frank Thomas before the game, one day after the slumping designated hitter became angry for being taken out of the lineup. The move leaves the Blue Jays on the hook for the remainder of the $18 million, two-year contract the 39-year-old Thomas signed in November 2006.... Nate Robertson (0-2) remained winless, giving up five runs and eight hits in five innings for Detroit.

Mariners 4, Angels 2 -- Miguel Batista scattered eight hits over 7 2/3 scoreless innings, Richie Sexson hit a two-run homer and Seattle avoided a three-game sweep.

• The Angels scored twice in the ninth before Ryan Rowland-Smith struck out Garret Anderson on a full-count pitch with the bases loaded to end it.

Twins 2, Indians 1 (10) --Justin Morneau singled home Brendan Harris in the 10th, lifting Minnesota to the win.

New York Yankees reliever Kyle Farnsworth was suspended for three games and fined Saturday for throwing a fastball behind the neck of Boston slugger Manny Ramirez earlier in the week.

Farnsworth said he was "shocked" by the decision and would appeal the penalty, which was to start Saturday night against Baltimore. He will be eligible to pitch until a hearing is held.

"I can't agree," he said. "We will appeal, and then we'll go from there."

Manager Joe Girardi also expressed his shock at the ruling by Bob Watson, vice president of on-field operations for Major League Baseball. The amount of the fine was not disclosed.

"I am shocked and I don't understand it. I disagree with it. It doesn't make any sense to me," Girardi said, adding that there have been far worse incidents that have gone without penalty this season.

ESU batting: Crumbliss 1-3, Majors 1-2, Shortell 1-3, Hernandez 2-2, Dreiling 2-3, Wempe 0-2, Lane 0-3, Marasco 1-3, Anderson 1-2.

ESU pitching: Applehans 5-1, Waggoner 2-0.

ESU 15, NW Missouri 6

The St. Louis Cardinals are certainly glad they've seen the last of Tim Lincecum in 2008.

Lincecum pitched seven sharp innings and beat St. Louis for the second time in a week, leading the San Francisco Giants over the Cardinals 3-0 Saturday.

The two teams conclude their three-game set on Sunday, which is also their last scheduled meeting this season. And that means Lincecum will need to go pick on someone else.

Lincecum (3-0) gave up six hits and struck out five in his 10th major league victory -- three of those wins have come against St. Louis.

"You kind of get lucky from time to time against certain teams," Lincecum said. "Those guys were swinging early, so I had to try to take advantage of it."

Blue Jays designated hitter Frank Thomas was livid Saturday after getting benched in favor of Matt Stairs and being told by manager John Gibbons he can expect further cuts to his playing time.

Thomas did not shake hands with his teammates following Toronto's 3-2 victory over Detroit on Saturday and left the clubhouse without speaking to reporters.

"I'm angry, I know I can help this team. My career isn't going to end like this," he said before the game.

The 39-year-old Thomas is hitless in his past 13 at-bats and has gone 4 for 35 since homering in three straight games April 5-8. He has 516 home runs, putting him 18th on baseball's career list.

Thomas signed a two-year, $18-million contract with Toronto in November 2006. The deal includes a $10 million option for 2009, but only if Thomas makes 376 plate appearances this season.

Former major leaguer John Marzano died Saturday after falling down a flight of stairs at his Philadelphia home. He was 45.

The cause of his death was not immediately clear, police said.

Marzano was from Philadelphia and had been working for Major League Baseball's Web site, where he co-hosted a show on weekday mornings.

"John was a beloved member of our team, a personable, terrific friend to all with whom he worked," said Bob Bowman, chief executive officer of MLB Advanced Media. "He was an engaging, informed interviewer. His energy, knowledge of the game and comedic touch produced admirable results. We miss him dearly already."

In a statement announcing his death, MLB said Marzano had fallen. MLB.com will establish an internship program in Marzano's name, the release said.

KU batting: Larson 1-4, Price 1-5, Allman 2-5, Afenir 2-3, Price 1-4, Morrison 2-5, Land 2-4, Thompson 0-3, Faunce 1-4.

KU pitching: Esquibel 5 2/3-6, Hkall 1 2/3-1, Smyth 2/3-0.

Kansas State 7, Texas Tech 4

Sunday's box score

On the offense

Wichita State's 12 hits were its most against an NCAA Division I opponent since the Shockers produced 13 against Missouri State on April 6.

The Missouri Valley Conference leader board is full of Wichita State golfers entering the men's conference tournament. It will be a surprise if it's not full of Shockers when the tournament ends Tuesday.

The Shockers have heard that story before -- last spring, as a matter of fact.

"Last year, we were favored to win; and we didn't," WSU senior Ryan Spears said. "We have some evil spirits to fight off."

The Shockers tee off today as the heavy favorite at the Davenport Country Club in Davenport, Iowa. In the backs of their minds is last season, when Illinois State upset WSU with a 13-stroke victory. Teams play 36 holes today and finish with 18 on Tuesday.

The Shockers expect to reclaim the title and win their seventh championship in the past 12 seasons. They received eight of the nine possible first-place votes from conference coaches in pre-tournament voting. Five of the top six golfers in the Golfstat head-to-head rankings are Shockers.

A 5-1 formation with Wichita State hitter Emily Stockman on the front row with the setter is good. The 5-1 with Stockman removed from the setter is even better.

WSU volleyball coach Chris Lamb called it the spring of the 5-1 as he used practices and tournaments to integrate freshman setter Mary Elizabeth Hooper and experiment with lineups to get the most out of Stockman. Toward that end, junior-to-be Lindsay Eckenrode stepped forward with a strong spring.

"Her play allows me to consider that Emily Stockman doesn't have be sitting next to Mary Elizabeth Hooper," Lamb said. "It really allows me to be creative with Emily."

Everybody knows Lamb loves to be creative.

Stockman is WSU's top returning attacker and its most effective scorer from the back row. If Eckenrode plays well on the front row, Lamb can move Stockman opposite the setter, the role filled last season by Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Sara Lungren. That will allow Hooper to rotate on the front row with two hitters and use Stockman attacking from the back row. Defenses would face Stockman, two hitters in the front and Hooper's ability to dump the ball.

Boo knows birdies, especially at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Defending champion Boo Weekley continued his amazing start at Pete Dye's magnificent masterpiece with a 65 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head Island, S.C.

No one's taken to the tricky layout of tight fairways, smallish greens and railroad ties as quickly as Weekley, who posted his seventh round in the 60s since first teeing it up here last spring.

When Weekley came here, he said it felt like his old home course, Tanglewood Golf & Country Club in the Florida Panhandle. Ever since, he's played Harbour Town like a member.

"I've hit the ball pretty well, and I've kept it in a place I know I can score from," he said.

Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mount Carmel are the lone unbeaten teams in the City League boys golf race.

The two schools, square off today at Braeburn Golf Course, with the winner most likely having the inside track to the regular season title.

Despite being two of the more tradition-filled programs in the state, they have won only one league title apiece in the last six seasons. The Crusaders won last season, while the Eagles won two years ago.

"When we won league, it was a pretty big deal to us," Bishop Carroll coach Mark Berger said. "Add in that we play Kapaun and it would be a nice way for our seniors to go out."

Kapaun and Carroll have the top two scoring averages in the league, 78.9 and 80.3 respectively, and both have gotten there with underclassmen leading the way.

The City League's two remaining unbeaten teams will meet in the pool Tuesday.

Northwest and North will compete along with Bishop Carroll at North.

"Whoever wins this meet will likely win the City League championship," Northwest coach Doug Vannaman said.

North is off to a strong start, winning the Heights Invitational in addition to its four CL duals. North ended East's four-year unbeaten dual streak last Tuesday.

"We are right where we want to be," North coach Megan VonFange said. "After the Heights Invitational, we knew we had a strong team. We've met our expectations so far, but now we have to get stronger and faster."

Baldwin Invitational

Independence 45, Andover Central 37, DeSoto 27, Ottawa 20, Gardner-Edgerton 19, Lenexa St. James 17, Paola 14, Iola 13, Baldwin 4, Neodesha 4.

No. 1 Singles--1. Konetzni, DeSoto, def. Romans, Independence, 8-6; 3. Edwards, DeSoto, def. Poland, Iola, 8-6. No. 2 Singles--1. Ysusi, Independence, def. Maupin, Andover Central, 8-3; 3. Corcorcoran, Ottawa, def. Smith, Gardner-Edgerton, 8-5.

No. 1 Doubles--1. Noyes-Rasmussen, Andover Central, def. Schroeder-Greenhaw, Independence, 8-3; 3. Fibelkorn-Maguire, Gardner-Edgerton, def. Elmer-Hudson, DeSoto, 8-4. No. 2 Doubles--1. Flynn-Pettersen, Andover Central, def. Posch-Schroeder, Independence, 8-3; 3. Hasty-Allen, Ottawa, def. Toth-Obermeier, Lenexa St. James, 8-3.

A familiar face had a settling effect for Mike Flores.

Running in his first Kansas Relays, Flores was nervous coming into the final of the boys 400-meter dash Saturday. However, once the junior from Maize looked back and saw Dylan Hartnett of Dodge City, those butterflies flew away. Flores fought off Hartnett down the final straightaway to take home his first KU Relays title with the state's fastest high school 400 time this season at 48.79 seconds. Hartnett had posted the fastest time at 49.83. Southeast's Clarence Anderson finished sixth. Kapaun Mount Carmel's Shane Torgler, who qualified for the final, did not race.

"It feels great," Flores said. "It was crazy. I was so nervous, but I thought to myself that I had not lost to (Hartnett) yet and I didn't want this to be the first time."

Flores and Hartnett, a senior from Dodge City, are developing quite a rivalry. The two first met in last year's regionals and once again at the state meet. Both times Hartnett came into the finals with a faster time before falling to Flores. Hartnett, running in lane four Saturday, qualified with a time of 48.98 while Flores in lane five qualified with 49.28.

"He is a great runner," Flores said. "I knew I'd be in front of him so I just wanted to go all out.

Goddard was the top area finisher at the Wichita Collegiate Tournament of Champions on Saturday, finishing second behind Joplin (Mo.) Jefferson.

The tournament was held at Goddard, where more courts were available.

The Lions had a semifinal singles player, Danny Jones, and its doubles team of Raymond Nola and Matt Vanhorn made it to the championship match against at team from Jefferson.

Jefferson swept all three first place finishes capturing singles, doubles and team championships.

"We did really well after preparing for this tournament for 2 ½ months," Jefferson coach Diego Camacho said. "They put in the extra work on the weekends so they deserve this."

CL Standings

Four events that every high school sports fan should know about this week. Check The Eagle and Kansas.com for coverage of these events and others.

Monday

Baseball: North vs. Northwest, 6:30 p.m. at West Side Athletic Field, 571 NW McLean Blvd.

Why: North and Northwest are vying for a City League championship. Northwest comes in undefeated in the City League while North was handed its first lost in an upset by Bishop Carroll last Monday.

Tuesday

Baseball

Valley Center 20, Winfield 5

Valley Center 12, Winfield 5

The Eagle track honor roll lists the top three times, distances and heights, regardless of class. Then the remaining class leaders, not covered in the top three, are listed. Even if a team goes to an out-of-town meet, it is the responsibility of coaches to report statistics (1-800-825-NEWS or 268-6252.) One may also e-mail results to stats@varsitykansas.com. The Eagle wishes to thank Carol Swenson for his assistance in compiling this honor roll.

Boys

100 meters

Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history today, taking the Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps.

Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves after leader Scott Dixon went in for a pit stop with five laps remaining.

"It's a long time coming, finally," Patrick said. "I was managing to save fuel and keep the speed up and when I saw Helio I knew he was the one to beat."

The race in Montegi, Japan, was rescheduled because of wet track conditions Saturday.

Champ Car series to wrap up -- It looks like the Champ Car World Series is going to go out with a flourish.

It looks like the Champ Car World Series is going to go out with a flourish.

Friday felt like the good old days at Long Beach: the paddock packed with cars, drivers besieged for autographs and the turbocharged Champ Car engines reverberating off the walls of the downtown highrises.

Today's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will be the last race for the soon-to-be-defunct Champ Car, which has been largely absorbed into the rival IRL IndyCar Series through a unification announced in February.

Nine former Champ Car teams and several former drivers from that series have already made the transition to the IRL for its first two races but, because the IRL could not get out of a commitment to run in Motegi, Japan, it was decided the scheduled Champ Car event in the streets of Long Beach would go on.

All of the teams that ran in Champ Car in 2007 are here, racing their Panoz DP-01 chassis and turbocharged Cosworth engines for the final time, with the only real difference that the points they earn will count toward the IRL championship.

Marco Sturm kept Boston's hopes alive when he scored with 2:37 remaining and the Bruins overcame three deficits to beat the Canadiens 5-4 Saturday night in Boston and force a seventh game in Montreal.

The Bruins, who lost all 20 previous best-of-seven series in which they trailed 3-1, will try to complete their bid to eliminate the top-seeded Canadiens on Monday night.

Sturm scored after rookie goalie Carey Price stopped his first shot but failed to control the rebound. Sturm collected it, skated across the crease from left to right, and a sprawling Price couldn't get to the other side in time.

So the Bruins still have a chance to win a playoff series for the first time in nine years and complete an improbable comeback after they began the series seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference.

Capitals 3, Flyers 2 --Washington stayed alive by knocking Philadelphia off stride early and holding onto the lead with another solid game from goaltender Cristobal Huet.

Joe Calzaghe didn't stop punching after a terrible start against Bernard Hopkins, and now the Pride of Wales is the best light heavyweight in the world.

Calzaghe remained unbeaten with a split-decision victory Saturday night, tenaciously rallying in the final rounds against his cagey 43-year-old opponent to end his long-anticipated U.S. debut with a flourish.

Hopkins (48-5-1) put on a master class in the veteran skills of their sport at the Thomas & Mack Center, knocking down Calzaghe (45-0) with a sneaky right hand just 70 seconds in before repeatedly frustrating Calzaghe's attempts to trade blows.

But after floundering against Hopkins' defense through the early rounds, Calzaghe never stopped working and wearing down his older opponent, eventually gaining control in the final rounds.

"I knew this wouldn't look pretty tonight," Calzaghe said. "He's so awkward. He gave me some good shots. It wasn't my best night, but I won the fight. The world title in a second division and a win in America is just icing on the cake for my career."

Joan Benoit Samuelson can see the finish line, and this time her legs are steady.

The 50-year-old Olympic gold medalist plans to run in her last competitive marathon today in the trials that will choose the U.S. team for Beijing. Deena Kastor, who won the bronze medal in Athens in 2004, is a heavy favorite to make the team. Two more berths are available for a group that includes Mary Akor, Samia Akbar, Zoila Gomez and Kate O'Neill.

Samuelson won the inaugural women's Olympic marathon in 1984, running into the Los Angeles Coliseum to the cheers of the American fans. She may not be a threat to return to the Games, but almost 30 years after the first of her two Boston victories the women's running pioneer is being hailed in her adopted hometown.

"Joan, so many years later, continues to inspire so many people, supporting women and distance running in general," said Kastor, the only other American woman to medal in the Olympic marathon. "Even before I started running, she was an inspiration to my entire household. It's a great honor to be a part of the event with her."

Although "The Star-Spangled Banner" hasn't been played at the Boston Marathon since Greg Meyer won in 1983, this year's Olympic trial gives organizers and fans a chance to salute an American winner.

Organizations: Kansas Golf Association (KGA), Kansas Junior Golf Association (KJGA), Kansas Women's Golf Association (KWGA), Wichita Golf Association (WGA), Women's Golf Association of Wichita (WGAW)

April

21-22--MVC Men's Championship, Davenport C.C., Davenport, Iowa

25-27--Big 12 Women's Championship, Karsten Creek, Stillwater, Okla.

26-27--Big 12 Men's Championship, Whispering Pines G.C., Trinity, Texas

Young area artists will soon be banding together to help keep the arts flourishing in Greensburg USD 422 schools.

Heart of Art: Next Generation will hold a benefit concert titled "Inspired" for the schools' music and art program at 7 p.m. Friday in Century II Concert Hall.

Walter Girton, event coordinator, said organizers saw an area in the rebuilding efforts that still needed help.

"I always tell people how the arts are overlooked," Girton said.

He said the proceeds from the event would go to the Greensburg school district to help buy new musical instruments and other art supplies.

Heavy weighs the karaoke crown. Many weeks, "American Idol" has ranked No. 1, 2 and 3 in the Nielsen ratings. But are those cracks we see beginning to emerge in "Idol's" mighty battlements? Last week, the charity special "Idol Gives Back" drew 17.6 million viewers. Last year, the same show attracted 26.9 million viewers. Is it just compassion fatigue?

No, "Idol's" erosion appears to be the real deal.

Last Tuesday, 23.7 million viewers tuned in to see the top seven sing Mariah Carey songs. That's the smallest audience for an "Idol" performance show in three years. All told, "Idol" is down 7 percent from last season and nearly double that among young adults.

Why the decline? Simon Cowell is blaming it on the lack of personality among this year's contestants. And the wicked wasp of pop music has a point. Every time I see the sanctimonious Brooke White go into her Mother Theresa act I want to throttle her neck until her eyes bug out. (Gee, did I just type that?)

Other problems need fixing as well. These one-artist theme nights are tedious. How do you make the Beatles sound boring? This batch of kids managed to do it -- twice! But Dolly Parton night? Mariah Carey night? And this week, Andrew Lloyd Webber night? Please make it stop!

Ethan Coen, the quiet one, has lots to say.

It just takes awhile before he spits it out. He'll do a version of the Stevie Wonder neck roll, looking around and past you, as if to focus on the improvisational teleprompter of his mind. The answers come slowly at first, punctuated by "Yeah... yeah." Long pause. Then, an elongated "Yeeeeeeah."

Usually Ethan is the Teller to his brother Joel's Penn in the Coen Brothers moviemaking dynasty.

On this day, he jokes about his typical reticence as he parks himself for late-afternoon coffee at an Italian restaurant in his lower Manhattan neighborhood. "I've got lots to say -- depends on the day. Not usually, actually."

But he's eager to engage in a rare interview because this film writer/director/producer wants to talk theater: He's written an off-Broadway play.

MARIAH CAREY

"E=MC2"

(Island Def Jam)

With her new album, "E=MC2," Mariah Carey has assembled a collection of perfect little pop pleasures that will charm even the staunchest naysayer.

There were songs on "Mimi" that felt a little forced, a little too desperate to be liked, but there's none of that on "E=MC2." In fact, the first notes of the album come from one of her patented high-register, dog-whistle flourishes that get her so much grief. But because she surrounds it with the irresistible hip-hop groove of "Migrate" with T-Pain, even that works.

Like many other rock and pop artists, Sheryl Crow knows that the days when her albums routinely sell several million copies have passed. With downloading and file sharing, record sales are down significantly in every genre. She no longer expects to get her songs played on commercial radio, and finds that satellite radio and National Public Radio are now her main outlets for airplay.

"I think pop radio is very driven by beats, by young artists, a lot of dance music, a lot of R&B," Crow said in a phone interview last week, ahead of her performance Tuesday night in Wichita. "It's just a different time. It's about what sells, and it's much more difficult to get on pop radio."

So how will Crow keep her career on track in this environment? The best strategy, Crow said, is simply to stay true to her earthy brand of pop music and the heartfelt lyrics that populate her songs.

"The best I can do is make records that matter to me, that I think have integrity, and just trust that there will always be a need for singer-songwriters, and it's not all about dance music," she said.

Crow certainly follows that mission on her latest CD, "Detours," which is widely seen as the most personal and outspoken of her career.

Ed Harrison knows what you're thinking when you learn he's a maracas virtuoso.

Yes, the maracas -- those gaily painted balls-on-sticks that rattle when you shake them, usually found in kindergarten music boxes and on the walls of Mexican restaurants.

Harrison knows what you're thinking because he thought the same thing when he was told he just had to hear this guy play maracas.

"Of course," Harrison said, "when you hear that, you go, 'Maracas? You guys have been in the sun too long.' But then I went to see this guy play. It was unbelievable what he could do with a pair of maracas."

Since that introduction in a nightclub in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1983, Harrison has become one of the best maracas players in America. From his post as a percussion instructor at Chicago Conservatory at Roosevelt University, he has written papers on playing techniques and given workshops on the maracas across the country.