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WEEKLY SPECIALS
Edited by Erin Wilbert
Oklahoma or Texas.
Beating the Sooners or Long-
horns once is hard enough. Beating
them over a twelve game schedule
is infinitely more challenging.
The new television deal is nice, no doubt about it. But if any of the former Big 12 north schools want to even sniff a conference title in the near future, they'll search for two more schools to join the conference, thus putting the divisions back in place. Memphis, Louisville and BYU have been thrown around as possibilities, and any of those schools would be a good fit for the Big 12, especially for every school not named Oklahoma or Texas.
four south schools, Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, have had to play Texas and Oklahoma every year anyway, this new format won't really affect them negatively, either. But for Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State, this is nothing but bad news from a scheduling standpoint. The extra millions of dollars from the new television contract should help ease the pain, but the point stands.
take pain, but the point stands.
Take 2007 for example. Kansas had its most successful season in school history, winning 12 games and capturing the FedEx Orange Bowl. Conveniently, Kansas didnt have to face Texas or Oklahoma that year. Could they have beaten either squade? Sure, they could have.
But the team they lost to—Missouri—lost handily to Oklahoma twice that year. With a round robin scheduling format, 2007 wouldn't have been the season Kansas football fans remember with such joy. Maybe that's harsh, but it's the truth. Texas and Oklahoma are on a different level than 99 percent of the country, and Kansas now gets to face both schools on a yearly basis.
the plate this season. Something happened to the Kansas batters Wednesday night though — every starter recorded a hit during a 24-hour hitting virus that infected the Jayhawks in their 11-2 win over Wichita State.
"When the first guy gets that RBI base hit, it makes it contagious throughout your whole dugout," coach Ritch Price said. "When one player clutches up, the next player looks forward to doing
three straight hits scoring one run, including a double to right center by sophomore catcher Alex DeLeon.
The atypical cushion provided by the bats helped the Kansas pitching staff relax kept the Shockers silent.
The Jayhawks finished the inning with two walks and two singles to score two more runs. Keeping the pressure on, Kansas scored another run in the third off an RBI double hit by junior Jason Brunansky.
came with runners on base
"It helps your pitching. There's no pressure," sophomore starter Thomas Taylor said. "Everyone's on top of their game after you're up 6-0. No one is going to be playing nervous; they just go right after them, and good things happen."
in the quick three-inning spurt, the lajayhaws had amassed seven runs before the Shockers knew
Taylor, pitching on a tired arm after starting Saturday, often kept
Freshman Kaiana Eldredge got things started in the first inning, scoring from third off an unearned run after a Zac Elgie groundout. Kansas then tacked on another unearned run when sophomore Jake Marasco singled, knocking in senior left fielder Jimmy Waters from second after a throwing error by Wichita State shortstop Tyler Grimes.
"We get our first RBI base hit, and the next thing you know,
the seventh inning when Wichita scored one run off a single followed by a double.
Wednesday's effort led to the Jayhawks putting up season bests across the plate. Kansas rebounded nicely from a four-game skid, winning two of two against Wichita State, and gaining momentum heading into a crucial weekend series against Big 12 preseason favorite Oklahoma.
Edited by Erin Wilbert
SOFTBALL
Kansas to fight for spot in regional tournament
Chris Bronson/KANSAN The team celebrates after a home run hit by senior catcher Brittany Hile in the double-header against Okla. The team finished conference play 2-16. They hope to combine their preseason record of 26-3 with victories in their final three regular season games.
hwise@kansan.com
BY HANNAH WISE
hwise@kansan.com
The Big 12 conference has a total of 10 teams, eight of which are ranked in the top 25 nationally by either the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll or the USA Today Coaches' Poll and more often than not, both. It is an incredibly challenging conference to succeed in and the teams that are leading the standings — Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma State — are teams that do well year after year in the conference as well as in the NCAA Tournament. The
The softball team is left to rely upon three final non-conference games to bolster its regional tournament chances after weekend losses to Texas A&M, 3-2 and 13-0. The Jayhawks finished conference play with a 2-16 record, but are 31-22 overall. "It's a test."
"It's a tough conference," coach Megan Smith said. "Every team we play is ranked. It's extremely difficult. You don't get a break, but that's why you like to play in those big conferences."
The layhawks entered Big 12 play with a historic start to the season at 26-3. They won five of their six preseason tournaments, going
The final stretch begins tonight against Drake. The Bulldogs are 31-18 overall and 18-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Last week, the Jayhawks took home two victories against Wichita State (11-3 in six innings and 6-3 in the second game), another Missouri Valley competitor.
undefeated in four. The preseason start is what is helping the team's regional chances now, but the Jayhawks must win their final three games.
But the team cannot lose its focus, especially after last weekend's 13-0 loss. Coach Smith has said repeatedly throughout the season that they are going to focus on themselves and what they can do. That is what is going to carry the team through the end of the season.
they compete. The layhawks have not lost their drive. They are motivated by the possibility of still making it to regionalals.
"It's going to be an interest finish, but we are going to be locked in and ready to play Drake." Smith said.
Edited by Jacque Weber
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