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SPORTS
KANSAN.COM
Junior receiver Stephen Villines pitching late in the game against Northern Colorado. He earned a win in his appearance on Monday in Kansas' walk off victory.
EMMA GREEN
@emmalee_green
Coming off a sweep of Northern Colorado, the Kansas baseball team will travel to Surprise, Ariz. to compete in the Big 12/Pac 12 challenge for the second straight year.
Kelcie Matousek/KANSAN
Kansas (2-1) will start and end the challenge with games against Utah (1-3) on Friday and Monday, and games against Oregon State (3-1) on
Saturday and Sunday.
In the Jayhawks' three games so far this season, they have struggled offensively, despite scoring nine runs total and winning two games.
Kansas dropped its first game against Arkansas-Little Rock 4-2, scoring both runs on the same play in the third inning and having only four hits in the game.
Kansas left a total of 19 men on base but still managed to score seven runs, winning the first game of the series on a walk-off walk.
During its two game series against Northern Colorado,
The Jayhawks' defense has struggled as well, committing six errors only three games into the season. Three of those errors came on the same play—a botched pickoff in the third innning of the first game against Northern Colorado.
Softball looks to rebound at tournament in Florida
▶ BRIAN MINI
@daftpunkpop
The tournament will start Friday morning as Kansas takes on Wisconsin. The Badgers started off well at 4-1 but have slipped to 5-4.
After finishing with a 4-6 record after the first two tournaments of the season, the Jayhawks look to bounce back in the South Florida Tournament this weekend.
Taylor-Paige Stewart, a senior pitcher from California, led the Badgers. Her most impressive effort of the season came against NC State where she allowed just two hits through seven innings while striking out eight.
If the Jayhawks manage to avoid Stewart, whose opponents are hitting a meager .245 against, they'll have to capitalize against the Badgers offense that is hitting just .237, fourth worst in the Big 10.
If the Jayhawks are going to get back on track this season, they must capitalize on their next matchup. The South Florida Bulls — the
Jayhawks' second Friday opponent — are currently just 3-7 this year.
Of the nine games played, South Florida has given up double-digit runs three times. It should bode well for a Kansas offense that ranks first in the Big 12 in home runs and is fourth in RBIs.
That leaves a third opponent. On Saturday morning, Kansas will take on a 7-4 UNLV squad with a potent offense.
Sophomore pitcher and outfielder Janine Petmecky is batting .515 in the 33 at bats this season for the Rebels. She's also started four games at pitcher, but has an 0-2 record with a 5.02 ERA.
Junior pitcher Kwyn Cooper is another pitcher leading UNLV's offense. As a batter, she's hitting 444, but as a pitcher, she might be even better. She has a team leading 3-0 record with a 2.43 ERA.
The Jayhawks will also play a second game on Saturday as well as one on Sunday morning based on the seeding from the first three
games.
Despite a 4-6 record, the Jayhawks have had some impressive starts to the season heading into the third tournament.
Sophomore first baseman Daniella Chavez is first in the Big 12 in hits, home runs, RBIs and is in the top three for batting average.
Freshman pitcher Ania Williams ranks fifth in both ERA and opponent batting average.
Sophomore outfielder Erin McGinley has also played well enough to earn more playing time in the South Florida Tournament. McGinley is on a five-game hitting streak, including five RBIs in her last three games.
Depending on the matchups, the series could be just what the Jayhawks need to get back on track in Florida, before heading to the Southern Illinois Tournament next week. The team will return to Lawrence on March 11.
- Edited by Candice Tarver
Kansas' saving grace has been its pitching, with the strongest starting performance coming from sophomore Blake Weiman in the 2-1 win over Northern Colorado.
winning five straight, eventually becoming Kansas' best starting pitcher.
rence last season. Utah won the series 2-1 and also holds the all-time advantage at 5-2.
Kansas and Oregon State last met up in the 2015 Big 12/Pac 12 challenge, where Oregon State won 15-5. The Jayhawks are 0-2 all-time against the Beavers.
Starting for the Jayhawks on Friday is redshirt sophomore Jon Hander, who hasn't pitched since his freshman season in 2014. Hander missed the entire 2015 season recovering from Tommy John surgery but managed a 3.18 ERA during the 2014 season.
The Jayhawks have faced off against the Utes seven times in program history, with the most recent being a three-game series in Law-
Senior Ben Krauth will make his second start of the season against Oregon State on Saturday after letting up four runs in the season opener. Last season, Krauth lost his first two games before
On Sunday, freshman Jackson Goddard will start the second game against Oregon State, following his collegiate debut against Northern Colorado. Goddard was shut down in the fourth inning against Northern Colorado, but he still managed to show off a very effective pick off move.
Weiman will round out the Jayhawks' starting rotation for the Big 12/Pac 12 challenge, pitching against Utah on Monday.
The challenge will be played in Surprise Stadium, which is the spring training home of both the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. The Major League teams are set to begin spring training games just two days after the Big 12/Pac 12 challenge wraps up.
The first game against Utah will begin Friday at 6 p.m.
Edited by Michael Portman
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