Leber identifies plenty of reason for optimism

Vikings linebacker Ben Leber looks back to last season and is confident that with a break here or there, the team will be much improved this season.

"We had a lot of close calls last year and a lot of games could have went either way, and some of them didn't go our way," Leber said. "So, we're hoping that in a lot of situations, the ball will bounce in our favor a little bit, and actually, hopefully, we can control our destiny a little bit more and not hope that it comes down to luck.

"But, we're looking for a much better season, we know we have a much better team, and if we just control the ball and have a little bit more ball security, we're going to be a pretty dominant team on offense and defense."

Leber, in his seventh NFL season and third with the Vikings, said it's hard to tell how much the team has improved. "I know that we have improved, but as to what scale I don't know," he said. "We've looked pretty pure in all the [organized team activities] in the offseason, communication has been great, adjustments have been very well. So, we're playing together very well. It just still remains to be seen how much we've improved."

The presence of Jared Allen at defensive end should be a big help, according to Leber.

"Obviously, it's just his presence as far the pass rush goes," Leber said. "Everybody knows what he can do against the pass, and he's proven that in the years before in Kansas City. I think obviously, people are going to be looking for an improved pass defense, but there's a lot that goes into it. It's not just one guy.

"We have to shore up a lot of stuff in the back seven and kind of let the guys up front do the work. So, we'll see. We obviously are very excited for it. We can't wait for the season to start and see how well we do."

Liriano holding up Francisco Liriano, who has had three good performances for the Twins since coming back up from Class AAA Rochester, admitted he is not throwing as hard as he did before his arm went bad on him and he had to have elbow ligament replacement surgery.

"I'm not throwing that hard, but everything feels good. It doesn't hurt at all, so everything is fine," Liriano said after he pitched seven innings without giving up an earned run Friday night against Seattle. "Yeah, I'm throwing my pitches, throwing my changeups a lot, everything, I'm throwing everything right now. I'm throwing 93, 94 [miles per hour] tops and so everything is fine."

Liriano looked like a different pitcher in his past three outings than he did the first time he was with the Twins this year, when he went 0-3 with an 11.32 ERA. In the past three starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA.

"I'm pretty confident," he said. "I'm feeling comfortable throwing my pitches and you've just got to take it one by one, get ready for my next start. I mean, it's fine. I don't get sore at all, so everything is good."

Liriano sang the praises of Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson. "He's helping me stay patient and not rush too much," Liriano said.

But coach Tim Brewster expects to see improvement despite the losses.

"We've got some really young talented kids, and I think we've got some tremendous battles going on," Brewster said. "Trey Davis and Jeff Tow-Arnett at center. And then, I'll tell you what, we've really got a good one in Ryan Orton and D.J. Burris at left guard. Ryan Orton has had just a spectacular camp. He's a big, physical guy that understands the game. He comes from a great program [Eden Prairie]. He was extremely well-coached in high school. So he's really put himself in a position for the battle.

"Ryan Wynn, we think, is going to be one of our better offensive linemen as he progresses. We're playing him at right tackle some now. Ned Tavale is having a good camp along with Chris Bunders; they're in good competition. And Dom Alford at left tackle has really been a solid player for us. So, we don't have a whole lot of experience up front, but we've got some talented guys that I think are really going to grow together in a very strong way."

Jottings Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said that the original cost of the university's new football stadium was supposed to be $248 million, but when the plans came in it came to $288 million. Some of that $40 million-plus was saved when the cost of the bonds was less than expected.

Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith can breathe easy now that all five of his recruits, including guard Devoe Joseph, are enrolled and will be available on Oct. 17 when the team opens practice. There was concern for a time that Joseph, because he is Canadian and the high school rules are different, might not have qualified, but he passed the NCAA Clearinghouse the other day and will be a member of the team. ... Cory Joseph, Devoe's younger brother and also a point guard, was ranked as a four-star player and also is being recruited by the Gophers and Smith. The younger Joseph is attending Findlay College Prep School in Henderson, Nev., and will be a junior this fall. ... The Gophers and Nebraska are talking about a four-year men's basketball contract, with the first game between the teams to be played in the 2009-10 season.

Steve Plasencia, who was named to succeed Phil Lundin as Gophers men's track and field coach, named two new assistants in Paul Thornton and Lynden Reder. Thornton, a native of Northfield, was the track coach at Washington University in St. Louis and will coach sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers. Reder, a former Gophers All-America who had been the coach at Hamline the past two years, will oversee throwing events. Incidentally, Plasencia will continue to coach Gophers cross-country as well.

Hamline second baseman Dan Kaczrowski was named Player of the Year of the Central Illinois Collegiate League. He hit .389 for Danville and broke a 33-year-old league single-season record with 79 hits.