KANSAN
9, 2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
MONDAY, MARCH 9. 2009
SPORTS
3B
Northwestern taken by rainy-day crimson and blues
BASEBALL
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
While lightning interrupted the Jayhawks this weekend, it wasn't the only flash of power showcased at Hoglund Ballpark.
Kansas (7-3) returned to the form of former Jayhawk teams and crushed six home runs in route to a three-game sweep of Northwestern (2-9).
"I guess we finally got some good swings on the ball," Tony Thompson said. "We got some guys busting out, hitting some balls really hard, so I was pretty happy with the way we swung this weekend."
Sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson winds up for a pitch during the Javahaws' March 4 game against North Dakota. Thompson hit two of Kansas' six home runs this weekend.
Thompson contributed two long balls. He also continued his hitting streak dating back to last season, which stands at 19 games now.
In addition to the power surge, this weekend also featured an unusual comeback, a weather delay, and a noteworthy home run won with speed and a little luck.
KANSAS 9,
NORTHWESTERN 8
Weston White/KANSAN
Zac Elgie knew the hits would come, but it's hard to imagine he could have dreamt that they'd come out of a better situation.
"Like they say, when hits come,
they come in bunches," Elgie said.
After his first career hit, a single to left field in the bottom of the seventh, the freshman first baseman came back to the plate in the bottom of the eighth. He stared down a four-run deficit, two outs and loaded bases.
He hit another single to left, cutting the lead to three runs and continued a rally that secured the Jayhawks their first comeback victory of the season.
of the rally. "When you're in a hitting count, hopefully you put a good swing on the ball. And that inning we seemed to do that."
Elgie might have just been a little excited afterward because in actuality, his single was the only hit of the inning. It was a strange comeback that saw runs scored on a walk, a throwing error and a wild pitch.
"Usually it (comebacks) starts with a couple of walks and then somebody makes a defensive mistake. Then you go bingo-bango once the floodgates open," coach Ritch Price said. "But it ended up being a great come-from-behind win."
Unfortunately the comeback was not able to reward Shaeffer Hall's performance. The junior left-hander went seven innings and gave up five runs, but only one was earned.
"He deserved to get a win," Price said. "Of all our guys today he pitched better than anybody we went out there today. We have to play defense behind him."
KANSAS 7,
NORTHWESTERN 3
In the back end of a doubleheader, the layhawks decided to take the drama out of the game early in a most unconventional way.
Junior Robby Price isn't known for his exceptional power, which is why it's fitting that he had to work for his first home run in the bottom of the second. His inside-the-park home run gave Kansas an early 2-0 lead and it never looked back.
"I died around third (base)," Price said laughing. "That was a little too far of a run for me"
As with any inside-the-park home run, a little luck is necessary to make it all the way to home plate. The Wildcat left fielder made a diving stab at Price's sinking ball, and came up just short as it careened towards the visitor bullpen wall. By the time the Wildcats recovered to make a throw to home, Price was already sliding in.
"I just couldn't believe how far the ball kicked away," coach Ritch Price said. "When he (Robby) got half way to third, I thought he had it."
It appeared that the early two-run lead would be sufficient for sophomore starter T.J. Walz's confidence. Topping out his fastball at 90 mph and combining it with his breaking ball, Walz impressed by striking out five in a row. He totaled six strikeouts through four and a third innings.
The wheels came off, though,
during the fifth, when the Wildcats struck back with five consecutive singles to score two runs and keep the game within reach.
A couple of insurance runs in the seventh made the ending less compelling. But Ritch Price said he hoped Walz could maintain his best stuff throughout an entire game.
"He threw 31 pitches in the (fifth) inning so rather than go seven he goes five," he said. "Those are the things that we're still trying to get him over the hump with because he has too good of stuff to have as few wins as he has right now."
As much as mother nature tried to prevent Kansas from completing the series sweep, the
KANSAS 10,
NORTHWESTERN 1
Jayhawks proved to be resilient against the weather.
After the rain and lightning caused the intended Saturday night game to be finished on a Sunday afternoon, the layhawks did everything but pack the Wildcats' bags themselves.
"Thompson lasered it up the gap," coach Ritch Price said. "From that point, I don't think there was any pressure on at all. Everybody was just relaxed and swung the bat."
Tony Thompson resumed his delayed at-bat in the bottom of the third with a shot into left-center field that scored two runs and opened the floodgates for the Javahawk offense.
The layhawks scored five runs in those first two innings resumed from Saturday night. Along with the double, Thompson hit a home
run, the second of back-to-back long balls.
Senior catcher Buck Afenin hit the first long ball. He said it was never easy to contribute just after a postponement because of weather.
"It was pretty awkward," he said.
"On rainy days you don't know when you're going to play, so it's up and down and you can't really get into the mental mindset."
Freshman pitcher Lee Ridenhour was able to take over after junior Cameron Selik started on Saturday. He pitched three effective innings without giving up any runs.
"Definitely just getting used to it," Ridenhour said of his comfort level. "I know I struck out more guys today than I had all year."
Edited by Sonya English
Jayhawks power through Wildcats with hot bats and a few home runs
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Forget it ever happened. It was an aberration. It's just not their style.
This weekend the layhawks sent a message about their sixgame home run drought to start the season.
"We always knew we could do this," sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson said. "We just weren't doing it for the first few. I don't think anything's changed, we're just putting better swings on the ball. I think everything's starting to come together for us, it just took a few games."
Since the power outage at the start of the season, Kansas has hit seven home runs in their last four games, including back-to-back jacks by senior catcher Buck Afenir and Thompson in the fourth inning of Sunday's game. The recent power is making the Jayhawks a little more comfortable with their offense.
"It's definitely good to know that with one swing of the bat Tony or Buck can put a two-spot up on the board," said freshman pitcher Lee Ridenhour, who threw three scoreless innings in relief Sunday and will start Wednesday night against Wichita State. "Where before it was just small ball, base hits, moving runners around, definitely this past weekend and North Dakota the bats are coming alive."
The offensive charge is being led, still, by sophomore third
baseball mpherson, who is in the midst of a 19-game hitting streak, tied for fourth longest in school history. The sophomore is hitting .395 and now has the team lead with three home runs and 14 RBIs.
behind it to bounce back into the field of play. Coach Ritch Price was in awe of the strength of the contact.
drop off past him though, as pre-season all-conference catcher Buck Afenir has stepped into the lineup and leads the team with a .500 average. He's added two home runs and seven RBIs. He started his power surge with a home run, which cleared the left field fence, hit a tree behind the wall and had enough power
"That ball Buck hit is about as hard as I've seen a ball jump out of here in the seven years that I've been here," Price said. "That ball was absolutely — looked like Manny Ramirez, as hard as that ball was hit."
"That ball Buck hit is about as hard as I've seen a ball jump out of here..."
It's not a steep
RITCH PRICE coach
Afenir said though the 0-for-6 games isn't likely to happen again, two home runs a game wasn't a realistic expectation either.
to hit 70 bombs this year. I think you should just look to hard contact, bringing guys around. We're more geared to a different sort of baseball right now," Afenir said, and paused.
"I wish I could say that, you know we're going
"But if we get a couple bombs in the process, we'll be happy."
Edited by Realle Roth
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The Jayhawks celebrate a run during a March 4 game against North Dakota at Hoglund Ballpark. Kansas swept Northwestern this weekend.
FRESHMAN HEATING UP
Freshman Zac Elgie had a breakout weekend, keying the Jayhawks' five-run, one-hit rally in the bottom of the eighth in the opening game of Friday's double-header. He started the scoring with a single then went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in that game. He closed the weekend with an RBI double and a 1-for-3 performance on
notes
Sunday. Elgie was picked in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by Oakland, but elected to play for Kansas instead.
THOMPSON SHOWS OFF
DEFENSE AT HOT CORNER
Tony Thompson, whose hit streak is still alive at 19 games and tied for fourth longest in Kansas history, did more than just hit the ball this weekend.
He made two run-saving, did you-see-that leaping catches on line drives toward the hot corner. The first, in game one, came with the bases juiced for the Wildcats and the second came in similar fashion, just a few hours later. In the eighth inning of game two, Thompson grabbed a line drive with the bases loaded to preserve a late four-run lead.
Tim Dwyer
The Emily Taylor & Marilyn Stokstad Women's Leadership Lecture
DONNA BRAZILE Veteran Political Strategist & Syndicated Columnist
Women in American Politics: Are We There Yet?
Monday, March 9 | 7:00 p.m.
Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union
This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required
A political contributor to CNN and NPR and frequent guest on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopolous, New Orleans native Donna Brazile has worked on every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000. She became the first African American to lead a major presidential bid when she served as campaign manager for former Vice President Al Gore. Named one of the "100 Most Powerful Women" by the Washingtonian and one of the "Top 50 Women in America" by Essence magazine. Brazile's passion is encouraging young people to vote, work within the system to strengthen it, and run for public office.
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