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Kansas bullpen holds off Nebraska-Omaha
▶ WESLEY DOTSON
@WesDotsonUDK
Kansas coach Ritch Price knows his team's greatest strength.
Coach Ritch Price talks to the umpires and the Omaha coach before the game. Kansas defeated Omaha 6-5, on March 8.
"The best part about our team is our bullpen." Price said after Wednesday's game against Nebraska-Omaha.
Price used his strong bullpen effectively en route to Kansas baseball's win at Hoglund Ballpark on Wednesday, which was highlighted by the efforts of junior reliever Blake Weinman and senior closer Stephen Villines.
Kansas (5-7) held onto a 6-5 lead to defeat Nebraska-Omaha (1-12) for the second time this season. The Jayhawks previously captured a win over the Mavericks at home, 11-1, on Feb. 21.
Weiman, who has arguably been the team's best pitcher this season, was, again, virtually untouchable. He went two scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out one batter. He lowered his ERA to 0.84, and was especially effective in consistently throwing his changeup and curveball for strikes.
"When I'm doing that,
I usually have pretty good success," Weiman said.
Miranda Anaya/KANSAN
Then came in Villines, who entered the game in the top of the eighth inning with two outs and Nebraska-Omaha outfielder Cole Patterson on first base.
Weiman said handing the ball over to Villines with a lead is "huge" for the team's success.
"Not only for momentum for the offense, but you always want to put up zeros when you get to the bullpen," Weiman said. "It also keeps tax on [Villines'] arm. You don't want your closer out there throwing three innings."
Villines was limited to 1.1 innings of work and excelled in capturing his second save of the season. He retired all four batters he faced, including a strikeout.
games."
Price echoed Weiman and also said using both Weiman and Villines at the end of games to preserve leads is essential to Kansas' success.
"We're trying to use Weiman when the game is tied or when we have the lead, and we're only trying to use Stephen [Villines] when we have the lead," Price said. "If we can get the ball to Weiman's hand and Villies' hand then we have a really good chance to win at the back end of
However, the bullpen's successful efforts did not come in the middle frames of the game.
Davis had a 6-3 lead to work with, but he allowed two hits and two earned
When Kansas junior reliever Tyler Davis entered in the top of the sixth inning, he was nothing short of erratic.
runs in 2/3 innings. His ERA plummeted to 11.81.
"We've got to get Tyler Davis going," Price said. "He's throwing his breaking ball at a higher percentage for strikes and he's throwing his fastball
... He got himself into trouble by not being able to locate his fastball today and he's got way too good of stuff."
Price said he still believes Davis has the potential to be a regular middle-innings reliever for the Jayhawks, despite the early-season struggles.
"If we can get him to start commanding the ball better and finish guys with that slider, he can be a sixth inning guy that sets us up to hand the ball to Villines and Weiman late
in ballgames," Price said.
Next, Kansas will open up a three-game series and host Houston Baptist (7-4) at Hoglund Ballpark this weekend. First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for 3 p.m.
- Edited by Brenna Boat
Khechfe brings KU swim and dive season to a close
--in the one-meter springboard dive than her performance in the three-meter springboard dive. In the three-meter dive event on Monday, Khechfe would have needed 19.4 to reach her, nearest competitor. The same point total in the one-meter dive would shoot her up to No.28.
Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN
Junior diver Nadia Khechfe takes her run in the one-meter dive on Sept. 30, 2016.
▶ SHAUN GOODWIN
@ShaunGoodwiriUDK
Junior diver Nadia Khechfe brought Kansas' swimming and diving season to an end Tuesday afternoon at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Missouri. Khechfe competed in the NCAA Zone D Diving Championship's one-meter springboard dive, and finished No. 37 in a field of 44 divers.
Khechfe, from Lincoln,
Nebraska, racked up a total of
232.10 points over the
course of six dives,
improving upon her score
of 204.35 the day before
in the three-meter spring-
board dive, which landed
her at No. 40 on the leader-
board.
Despite not finishing in the top 18 and qualifying for the final, Khechfe was a lot more competitive
"Her comfort with the dive list was pretty solid and I think it showed," said diving coach Gabe Downey.
Downey said he believes that right now, Khechfe is Kansas' best diver, and freshman Peri Charapich shows great potential. With these two divers, along with the rest of the team, Downey is hopeful that Kansas will be fighting for NCAA final spots in the 2017-18 season.
"We have pretty lofty aspirations going forward," Downey said. "We improved significantly this year and we should be fighting for the NCAA finals next year and expect to be in the finals for the Big 12."
All the signs point toward improvement next year for the swim and dive team as a whole. For the second straight year, Kansas recorded its program-best points total in the Big 12 Championship, finishing second with 683.5 points. Several strong swimmers and divers will be returning to Kansas next season, bolstering Kansas' chances of fighting for a Big 12 Championship and NCAA qualification spots.
Edited by Frank Weirich
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