THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
SPORTS
9B
BASEBALL
NORTHWESTERN
(2-6)
PITCHING
Eric Jokisch is the clear staff ace, with two starts and a 2.30 ERA.
Jokisch
the governorence, with an average of more than seven innings per start. Apart from him, the arms in the bullpen are limited. The Wildcats allow
almost seven runs per game, but that's not all because of the pitchers. Twelve unearned runs are too high for a major conference team.
★★★☆☆
OFFENSE
Northwestern's junior desig-
Kenneth
Avila won't -fool anyone into thinking he's a serious long-bail threat—he stands only 5-foot-9 and tips the scales at 165—but
Avila
his.481 average from the leadoff spot negates his lack of power. The Wildcats have trouble scoring him even when he gets on base, though, as they average only 3.25 runs per game.
★★☆☆☆
For a moment it seemed as if the Wildcats would be riding a high coming into their Kansas series. They homered three times to come from behind and steal a win against Massachusetts, but they were swept in a two-game series against Northeastern in dramatic fashion, Jumping out to early leads before surrendering in both games.
MOMENTUM
Weston White/KANSAN
Tim Dwyer
Team requires a solid offense
Against Northwestern, Kansas must improve upon earlier victories
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
You'd think it would be safe to assume that the Kansas offense is back on track. They scored 14 runs in a two-game sweep of the North Dakota Sioux earlier this week. But not so fast.
In each game, Kansas batters did most of their damage in the first three innings. Coach Ritch Price would like to see that change during this afternoon's doubleheader against Northwestern (2-6).
"We're not physical enough with the bat to not be competitive every time there are runners in scoring position," Price said. "I thought we had some really noncompetitive at-bats where guys took pitches that were in the hitting zone."
The Jayhawks scored only three runs, total, in the last five innings of both games against North Dakota.
"I think we need to have some better at-bats," sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson said. "I think our offense looks pretty good. We just need to have some better at-bats down the
THIS WEEKEND
Kansas (4-3) vs North western (2-6)
It'll be a work in progress for a team that lost last year's third, fourth and fifth spot hitters. Price expects better at-bats to come once the team has matured this season.
Friday Doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
"With so many young guys playing, we've had some guys get off to slow starts," Price said.
bats down the stretch."
Saturday Single game, 7 p.m.
Sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson makes a throw to first base for an out during Wednesday afternoon's 6-3 victory against North Dakota.
Sunday Single game, 1 p.m.
Admission is free for students with a KU ID.
"It gives them four games and a chance to get a lot of at-bats and make some big progress this weekend."
In addition to better at-bats, Kansas could certainly use some power, the lack of which has been well documented this sea-
"...and the bats are going to warm up once the weather starts warming up. I can feel it."
TONY THOMPSON third baseman
in high school," Price said. "They like to tell those guys that they are better than they are. Some good-natured stuff going on."
son. Thompson, finally put the first Jayhawk home run on the board against North Dakota, and ended jokes from opposing pitchers at the expense of the Jayhawk hitters.
"Most of those guys (pitchers) hit
Joking aside, a potential boost for Jayhawk batting could be the weather change. Wednesday's temperature was in the high 60s, and, coincidence or not, Kansas hit their first home run that day. The good weather is expected
to continue into this weekend. Thompson thinks a combination of the weather and settling in at home will wake up the bats from winter hibernation.
weekend, and the bats are going to warm up once the weather starts warming up. I can feel it"
"It's great to be home again," Thompson said. "We're going to play some good competition this
Edited by Justin Leverett
.130
He'll look to lower it against Northwestern's inferior lineup.
Opponents'batting average against Shaeffer Hall
(4-3)
In only four innings of relief work, Bochy has more K's than three Kansas starters.
PITCHING
3. 14
Hall
Strikeouts by Brett Bochy
KANSAS
key stats
Easily the reason why Kansas has a winning record so far is its pitching.
fide ace, and
right now, look for the Jayhawks to ride him for as many wins as possible. Only the bullpen's early struggles prevent this from being five stars.
What more can be said of the starting rotation? A combined 1.000 780
the starters is a breathtaking stat especially considering how young and inexperienced the rotation is. Shaeffer Hall is a bona fide on road
OFFENSE
Tony Thompson has exploded onto the scene for the Jayhawks.
Kansas'team ERA
Thompson
the team's only home run, but leads the team in hits and RBIs. His emergence has partially overshadowed the struggles of Nick Faunce
Home run by Kansas.
Hard to ignore the lack of pop in the Jayhawk lineup.
Robby Price and David Narodowski. This is the group's last chance to corral some momentum before brutal West Coast games against San Diego State and Arizona State
★★★☆☆
MOMENTUM
Kansas is coming off a two-game sweep of North Dakota exactly what the doctor ordered. Northwestern is only a slight upgrade in competition and, if not for two blown saves, the Jayhawks would be 5-1 instead of 4-3. This will also be the last chance for Kansas to garner any momentum before heading west to face two historically great programs.
— Josh Bowe
TRACK & FIELD
One more chance to qualify for NCAA Indoor Championships
BY JASON BAKER
jbaker@kansan.com
The Kansas track and field team knows its current situation. Junior pole-vaulter Jordan Scott is the lone Jayhawk definitely competing at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas. And that doesn't sit well with the rest of the team.
"We've got to give him some company," freshman sprinter Keith Hayes said. "We can't let him go by himself and spend time with just the coaches."
Jokes aside, the Iowa State Last Chance track meet in Ames, Iowa, will be the layhawks' final chance to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships
to do last weekend for the first time at the Big 12 Indoor Conference Championships, placing fifth in the finals.
For the Jayhawks, this indoor season has been a learning experience. For Hayes, it was being able to run the 60-meter hurdles under eight seconds, which he managed
"Now that I realize what it takes to run under eight, I'm going to try to not run over eight again," Hayes said.
Hayes will attempt to go less than eight seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. Hayes said that if he doesn't make it to nationals, then he feels that he didn't complete his season.
For senior sprinter Victoria Howard, other than getting victories in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Kansas vs. Missouri duel, she has struggled in the past few meets. Howard had difficulty getting through the preliminary rounds in both events.
"My performances this year period haven't been going well at all and it's been a disappointing season," Howard said. "Hopefully I can get it together and have one
last chance."
Like Hayes, sophomore sprinter Keron Toussaint made it to finals at the Big 12 Indoor Conference Championships. Toussaint qualified in the 600-yard dash, placing sixth.
Toussaint said that despite the challenge, he felt confident in his team's ability to make it to nationalals.
"Basically this is what we've prepared for, it's a challenge and you got to step up to every challenge," Toussaint said.
BONDS AND WISSEL
COMPETE AT
NOTRE DAME
Colby Wissel has been a fan of the movie "Rudy" since he was a little kid. The 1993 movie about a small town kid walking on for the famed Notre Dame football team is one of Wissel's favorite sports movies of all time.
Wissel joked. Fortunately for Wissel, he'll get the opportunity to travel to South Bend, Ind., to compete at the Alex Wilson Invitational. Accompanying Wissel is junior distance runner Lauren Bonds, and both will be trying to make their case for why they belong at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Both provisionally qualified for the indoor nationals at previous meets, Bonds in the one-mile and Wissel in the one-mile, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter run. However, Wissel said he will focus on the 3,000-meter run.
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
Freshman Keith Hayes clears a series of hurdles during the Jan. 16 meet against Missouri in Lawrence. Hayes placed fifth in last weekend, running the 60-meter in under eight seconds.
"I watch it about twice a week."
Wilco labeled
"It's my best last chance meet for my event in the country." Bonds said. Bonds managed to knock his first attempt at the mile by 20 seconds. "This weekend will be a good indicator of how well and how smart my training was," Bonds said. "This week, we've been keying up for, it feels like the miles over winter break
is paving off."
For Wissel, it's his last attempt in his final indoor season to go to nationals.
Wissel he would ideally want to run under 7:56 in the 3,000-meter and with all the training he's put
in hopes to go out in good fashion for his last indoor season. "I just want to try to have the same success as Rudy did," Wissel said.
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