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Twenty years later, nostalgia replaces frustration as the emotion associated with Wichita State playing a baseball regional in Stillwater, Okla.

Then, playing in Stillwater meant the NCAA once again killed WSU's hopes of hosting in favor of Oklahoma State. It meant another trip to Reynolds Stadium, where the Cowboys banged home runs and played with a swagger backed up by annual trips to the College World Series.

It is OK for the Shockers to look back on those days fondly, because one day in 1988 made it so. On May 30, the Shockers defeated the Cowboys 15-5 to win the Midwest Regional and end OSU's streak of eight straight trips to the College World Series.

"That championship game is still the most memorable game I've ever pitched in," former Shocker Pat Cedeno said. "Including the (College) World Series."

This weekend, WSU returns to Stillwater for a regional for the first time since 1988. The Shockers lost there in 1983 and 1985. Three regionals. One victory. It doesn't seem like much, but no history of WSU postseason baseball can be told without Stillwater as an important part.

He might be the nation's highest-paid assistant basketball coach.

If Dalonte Hill isn't, the Kansas State associate head coach certainly is in the discussion.

The Eagle obtained a copy of Hill's contract, which he signed May 12. His base salary is $150,000, but additional compensation meant his first-year salary was $400,000.

Former Arizona assistant Kevin O'Neill, with 24 years of Division I and NBA experience, earned $375,000 last season before he became the Wildcats' interim head coach. The Tucson Citizen reported upon his hiring that O'Neill was the game's highest-paid assistant.

Hill's total jumps to $420,000 in the remaining four years of his contract.

The Wingnuts' big inning on Tuesday started with something small.

First baseman Stephen Pearson, looking to break out of a slump that has seen him relegated to a bench role while his average dropped to .171, led off the bottom of the third with a bunt single. It led to a six-run inning and an 8-1 Wichita win over Sioux Falls at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Pearson made a splash -- literally -- in Wichita's second game, hitting a home run into the Arkansas River beyond right field. Since, he has struggled, losing playing time at first base to David Gates.

"I haven't been playing so good at the plate lately," Pearson said. "I figured I needed to get it going somehow. Leading off the inning and the (first baseman) was playing back, I figured it was an easy hit. I just have to take advantage of that."

The Wingnuts lost one of their top run producers on Tuesday when seven-year major league veteran Dustan Mohr had his contract purchased by the Colorado Rockies. That moved Gates to the designated hitter role and opened up a spot for Pearson, who had two hits in the third inning and a walk in the sixth.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from returning to the NBA Finals. Bryant had 28 points and 10 rebounds and the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 93-91 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

It was the Spurs' first home loss this postseason, and the defending champions face elimination when Game 5 is played in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Reserve Brent Barry had 23 points and his last-second three-point attempt could have given the Spurs the win. He claimed he was fouled on the play by Derek Fisher but there was no call.

"If I was an official I wouldn't have called that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

The Lakers led all game after opening a 22-8 lead. The Spurs got within 81-79 in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers scored seven straight points.

Friday

At Stillwater, Okla.

No. 3 TCU vs. No. 2 Wichita State, 1 p.m.

No. 4 Western Kentucky at No. 1 Oklahoma State, 7 p.m.

Saturday

WSU's regional history at Reynolds Stadium:

1983 Midwest Regional

Oklahoma State 9, WSU 2

WSU 6, Arkansas 2

Oral Roberts 6, WSU 5

The Eagle's All-Metro teams recognize the best high school athletes in team sports throughout Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties.

Coaches in those counties were asked this month to nominate the best players in those counties they saw this season, including their own players.

The team was selected by reporter Taylor Eldridge after tabulating nominations, his own evaluations of players and additional input from coaches.

All-league teams listed are selected by the leagues' coaches.

WHITNEY BERRY

CITY LEAGUE

First team

Offense

At Riverside

Boys

U14--1. Quinn Dippel, Linsborg, def. Jake Norman, Wichita, 6-3, 1-6, 10-6; 2. Jake Norman def. Simon Beatty, Topeka, 6-1, 6-1; 3. Simon Beatty def. Tanner Lambky, Wichita, 6-0, 6-1.

U16 -- 1. Chance Joost, Tecumseh, def. Corbin Mihelic, Wichita, 6-1, 6-1; 2. Brandon Somerhalder, Wichita, def. Mihelic 5-7, 6-4, 10-6; 4. Nathan Wehrman, McPherson.

U18 -- 1. Ryan Norman, Wichita, def. Connor Brass, Salina, 6-4, 6-1; 2. Brass def. Danny Jones, Wichita, 6-2, 6-0; 3. Jones def. Matt Van Horn, Wichita, 6-3, 6-2.

A jog around the racetrack was all trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. needed to see before declaring Big Brown back -- and maybe better than before.

"He looks like an absolute picture," a delighted Dutrow said Tuesday morning after his Triple Crown hopeful resumed training while continuing to heal from a slight crack on the inside of his left front hoof.

"You would never think that he would look this good after what he's been through -- running so often and shipping, flying. He just looks unbelievable."

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner now appears set for his attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes on June 7.

With Dutrow re-energized after watching Big Brown move around the track for the first time since Friday, he was asked if the rest of the field, including top threat Casino Drive, is in trouble.

It was another day of rain, another day of dodging the weather and praying, futilely, for a chance to see one of the marquee players at the Drench Open in Paris.

There were 72 matches on the docket when French Open officials rolled out their ambitious schedule Tuesday morning, but by 8 p.m., with the weather radar showing nothing but black clouds and pouring water, they sent everyone, including frustrated defending champion Rafael Nadal, home for the night.

Fourth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is among the tournament favorites in the women's event, was one of only 13 players to go home a winner between the rain stoppages, beating Aiko Nakamura 6-2, 6-3.

On the men's side, No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko whisked through Thomas Johansson 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

BASEBALL

What made the cover

• "Oprah's outrage! Stedman's $10 million tell-all book" (National Enquirer)

• "(Prince) William & Kate (Middleton): Secret wedding!" (National Examiner)

• "Ashlee's (Simpson) joy; Jessica's (Simpson) pain -- Wedding drama: The real story" (In Touch)

What goes around, comes around

I don't understand the bad rap that musicals get. I may be biased. After all, I studied musical theater in college and performed in several productions (I played, among other characters, a pirate and a soldier and even sang "Candide").

Movie musicals have seen a resurgence in the past few years with "Chicago" winning best picture and "Dreamgirls" nabbing Jennifer Hudson an Oscar. So the genre certainly isn't dead.

But yet even in this age of music videos, a lot of people still turn their noses up at movie musicals. A friend of mine would rather chew crushed glass than see a musical.

True, I think some work better than others. And I'm not really a fan of the "classic" musicals that starred Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.

But I think the modern movie musical can lend itself to great writing and fantastic, thrilling moments.