THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY MARCH 23, 2009
SPORTS
5B
BASEBALL
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
The Jayhawks celebrate a run during Sunday's match against No. 1 Texas. The Jayhawks finished the game 4-3, winning all three games of last weekend's series play.
Smyth redeems himself by closing out victories over No.1 Longhorns
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Three one-run games, three pressure situations, three shutdown performances from senior closer Paul Smyth — talk about a confidence boost.
Smyth, who has seen some early struggles this season with three blown saves, showed the ice water that runs through his veins when he silenced the potent bats of the No.1 Texas Longhorns.
Just two days before, what Smyth said was one of the best moments of his Jayhawk career, struggled in a mid-week save opportunity
against San Diego State. He gave up a couple runs and earned the loss in one and a third innings of work. Coach Ritch Price said Smyth's ability to rebound as well as he did is a testament to the character of the closer.
"Especially when you look at that he's blown three saves earlier in the season," Price said, "for him to come back out and hold on to three one-run victories I think speaks volumes about him. I was real proud of how tough he showed he was this weekend."
Smyth talked earlier in the season about having a short memory after coming off two blown saves in the first weekend. Apparently, that
holds true with the good moments too.
"I remember select things, I don't really remember specific pitches," Smyth said. "I don't even remember the first two hitters from today, just the last batter."
Lee Ridenhour, freshman pitcher, who set the stage for the jayhawk victory by going six and two-thirds innings with three earned runs in his first weekend start, said that the entire bullpen would take away a confidence boost from the jayhawks sweep.
"It will just give us a boost for everyone," Ridenhour said. "Blank (junior reliever Travis Blankenship) comes in and gets the lefty-on-left,
Colton (Murray) comes in and just throws that nasty slider, and it's just altogether, just a huge team effort."
Smyth couldn't have returned to form in the more influential situation for the Jayhawks, who for the first time in the school's history swept Texas, a perennial baseball powerhouse.
"Every year they're going to end up in the top three or four in the conference, if not number one," Smyth said. "So to fend off the losses that people predict against Texas and to come away with three wins, it sets you up to finish top-five in conference."
Edited by Realle Roth
BOX SCORE
No. 1 Texas 0 00 011 100 — 390
Kansas 0 00 300 X 491
Texas Longhorns ab r h RBI
Tucker 2b 4 0 1 1
Torres 3b 4 0 1 0
Belt 1b 4 1 2 0
Moldenhauer lf 3 0 1 0
Shepherd ph 1 0 0 0
Keyes rf 4 0 0 1
Rupp dh 4 0 0 0
Clark c 4 1 2 0
Mickan pr 0 0 0 0
Loy ss 4 1 2 0
Rowe cf 2 0 0 0
Maitland ph 2 0 0 0
Totals 36 3 9 2
Kansas Jayhawks ab r h RBI
Narodowski ss 4 0 2 1
Heere rf 4 1 2 0
Price 2b 3 0 1 0
Afenir c 3 0 0 1
Thompson 3b 3 1 0 0
Waters dh 3 1 1 0
Land 1b 4 1 2 0
Faunce lf 3 0 1 1
Burnansky cf 3 0 0 1
Totals 30 4 9 4
2B-Kansas:Heere (3)
3B-Texas: Belt (1)
Pitchers Texas Longhorns IP H R ER BB SO Green 3.0 7 3 3 1 3 Shinaberry 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 Dicharry 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 Jungmann (3-2) 2.0 2 1 1 0 0
Kansas Jayhawks IP H R ER BB SO
Ridenhour 6.2 8 3 2 0 4
Blankenship (3-0) 0.2 0 0 0 0 0
Murray 0.2 0 0 0 0 1
Smyth (S,6) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1
T-2:34. A-871
notes
WEEKEND OF FIRSTS
The Jayhawks were 11-33 all-time against Texas entering this series, and they've won only two in a row against the Longhorns. Kansas now owns a four-game winning streak against them. It was also the first time Kansas has swept a No. 1 team as far back as school records go — to 1991.
HOME COOKING
The Jayhawks have been unbeatable at Hoglund Ballpark this year, winning their first ten home games of the season. It's the first time Kansas has won ten straight at home since a 12-game streak spanning the last five games of the 2001 season and the first seven of 2002.
BASEBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"He's a great competitor and he relishes the opportunity to
Wednesday against San Diego State, but he didn't let that bother him this weekend.
compete at a high level." Price said. "I was really proud how tough he showed he was this weekend."
Kansas now sits as the only undefeated team in the Big 12. Though all the players agreed being 3-0 in the Big 12 Conference mattered most, Narodowski played junior college ball in Texas last season and said Texas' baseball
history makes the sweep all the sweeter.
— Edited by Sonya English
"That's all you hear is Texas baseball, and Texas this and Texas that," Noradowski said. "After two rough years, coming here I feel like I have new hope, new life, I love it."
MLB Pitcher earning $6 million sent to minor league team SURPRISE, Ariz. — Yasuhiko Yabuta is among four players the Kansas City Royals has assigned to minor league camp. The 32-year-old Yabuta pitched 12 years for Chiba Lotte in the Japanese League before signing a two-year, $6 million contract before last season with the Royals. In seven appearances in spring training, Yabuta had an 8.53 ERA with opponents hitting .375 off him. He allowed a dozen hits, including two home runs, and five walks in 6 1-3 innings.
In other roster moves, the Royals assigned outfielder Chris Lubanski, catcher J.R. House and right-hander Oscar Villarreal to minor league camp.