Meet the President - Rockhurst University

Hawk Talk 4 4 4 4 4 4Star Pitchers Aim to Become DoctorsTeammates Colby Parks, ’06, left, and Andrew Silver, ’06,are bound for medical school after they graduate in May.Colby Parks and Andrew Silver not only havereceived high marks on the Rockhurst baseballteam over the past three years, but the two seniorright-handed pitchers also have posted impressive gradesin the classroom.Parks, Kansas City, Mo., and Silver, Maryland Heights,Mo., are the top two pitchers for the Hawks this spring.“Colby and Andrew are both four-year starters,” saidRockhurst baseball coach Gary Burns. “They are greatteam players and provide tremendous leadership,”Both straight-A students are completing chemistrydegrees and already have been admitted to the SaintLouis University Medical School for the fall semester.“I might go into orthopedics, but I haven’t decidedyet,” said Parks, who chose to attend Rockhurst overseveral other schools because of its reputation as havinga winning baseball program. “I’ve had a lot of opportunitiesin baseball at Rockhurst, and it’s a really goodacademic program.”Parks was the team’s Pitcher of the Year and named tothe All-Heartland Conference team in 2004, posting a 5-0record and 4.64 ERA. Silver received the same honors in2005, collecting a 10-2 record and 3.37 ERA.“I want to become an orthopedic surgeon and wouldlike to continue playing baseball in the St. Louis area,”said Silver. “I’ve had a real good experience at Rockhurst.We went to the NCAA Division II regionals my freshmanyear, and last year was a really good year for me.”RU Hosts Free Tennis Clinic for Local YouthNearly 300 eighthgraders fromnine Kansas City,Mo., schools are comingto campus this month totake part in a tennis clinictaught by Rockhurst Universitycoaches and studentathletes.The free clinic isoffered in conjunction withthe 2006 NCAA Division IIMen’s and Women’s TennisChampionships co-hostedby Rockhurst.The championships areexpected to draw more than250 of the top collegiatetennis players to KansasCity. Rockhurst, along withthe Kansas City SportsCommission, are hostingfour-day tournaments featuringthe top 16 men’s and16 women’s teams in thecountry. The matches areplayed at the Plaza TennisCenter in Kansas City, Mo.,and the Homestead CountryClub in Prairie Village, Kan.The clinic is part of theNCAA’s Youth EducationThrough Sports (YES) program,which aims to helpexpose underserved youthto sports through free clinicstaught by collegiate student-athletesand coaches.Rockhurst is offering a freetennis clinic to nearly 300local eighth graders oncampus this month.18 Rockhurst4spring 2006