FRIDAY, MARCH 8.2002
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
Baseball team faces Texas A&M
By Ryan Wood Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team is unscathed after nine non-conference games thanks to a combination of effective pitching and flashes of explosive hitting.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
The team's biggest test to date comes today, when No. 13 Texas A&M会到 Hoglund Ballpark for a 3 p.m. game. The two teams also meet tomorrow at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Kansas' Kevin Wheeler slides into third base during Wednesday's 24-3 victory against Avila College. The Jayhawks will take on Texas A&M in a three-game series starting today at Hoglund Ballpark.
Kansas is off to its best start in team history, but it's no secret that the NAIA teams like Centenary aren't as strong as teams the Aggies have played. So is Kansas ready for the challenge the Big 12 brings?
"We have to be ready," coach Bobby Randall said. "We don't have a choice."
Texas A&M is 14-4 on the year, including a 3-0 conference mark. They last played Wednesday, defeating Texas-Arlington 15-5.
Kansas vs. No.13 Texas A&M at Hoglund Ballpark
The Jayhawk offense has scored 37 runs the last two games, but today's game could be a battle of the pitchers. Senior Jeff Davis
- Today — 3 p.m.
- Tomorrow — 2 p.m.
- Sunday — 1 p.m.
(2-0, 1.20 ERA) takes the mound for the Jayhawks, while the Aggies will start Tustin Moore (2-0, 1.38).
Despite coming fresh off a 24-run, 25-hit effort against Avila College on Wednesday, Randall said this weekend's series would be a totally different story.
"That wasn't the test," Randall said of Wednesday's game. "A&M is coming in, and it's a different pitching staff, and they're one of the best teams in the nation."
Seniors Dan Olson (3-0, 2.89) and Jake Wright (2-0, 0.75) will start the final two games of the series. The Aggies have not decided on the rest of their starters.
Notes
Junior outfielder Jason Appuhn, recovering from shoulder surgery, was substituted into Wednesday's game
and went 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, and two RBI.
Texas A&M has dominated the all-time series, 26-7, and won two of three against Kansas last season.
Contact Wood at rwood@kansan.com. This story was edited by Brooke Hesler.
Softball team defeats Emporia State
By Ali Brox
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas softball coach Tracy Bunge challenged her Jayhawks to play with more intensity yesterday than they had on Wednesday, and Kansas responded with an 8-1 win against Emporia State to improve to a 7-7 record.
The Jayhawks started slow offensively, hitting fly balls that hung in the wind and were easy outs for Emporia. But Kansas figured out the Emporia State pitching in the third inning and scored the first four runs of the game.
"Sometimes players will tell you that they have trouble adjusting to slower pitchers." Bunge said. "We didn't really have that trouble today, which I liked. We finally started hitting
Kansas Holiday Inn Softball Invitation at Jayhawk Field
Today — 1:30 p.m.
Princeton vs. Kansas; 3:45
p.m. Indiana St. vs. Kansas
Tomorrow — 11:15 a.m.
Portland St. vs. Kansas
Saturday and Sunday seeded games will be released on
www.kuathletics.com
the ball on the ground and hitting some line drives after the first couple innings."
Emporia State changed pitches during Kansas' four-run third inning, but the new hurler couldn't quiet the Jayhawks bats as Kansas scored another
four runs in the fourth.
Sophomore shortstop Melanie Wallach, who had committed a fieldingerror in the top of the fourth which ultimately resulted in the Hornets only run, came up to bat in the bottom of the fourth and got redemption with a two-run home run to deep center field. It was the second home run of her career.
Bunge said Wallach hit the ball about as hard and got it out of the park about as quick as anybody could on a windy day.
Senior catcher Katie Campbell also had a good day at the plate, going two-for-three with one run and one RBI. For the first time in the spring season, she got the opportunity to catch her sister when Kelly relieved junior starting pitcher Kirsten Milhoan in the fifth inning.
"I'm feeling more comfortable at the plate," Katie Campbell said. "I've been frustrated lately, but I stayed back today and hit pretty well. It was so fun to get to play with Kelly. It flows when she pitches and we just know what we need to do."
The Jayhawks hope they can keep their intensity and do what they need to do this weekend in the Kansas Holiday Inn Invitational at Jayhawk Field. Kansas plays Princeton today at 1:30 p.m. and immediately following plays Indiana State at 3:45 p.m.
Contact Brox at abrox@kansan.com. This story was edited by Brooke Hesler.
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