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/ SPORTS / MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
MEN'S BASEBALL REWIND
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Senior shortstop Brandon Macias slides into home for a run Friday against Nebraska. Macias scored three of the Jayhawk's five runs in the victory.
Series to remember
Jimmy Waters, left fielder
The senior left fielder had six RBI and three runs on the weekend, including a three-run, oppositefield home run on Sunday. He hit four homers in Lincoln last year and stayed hot against Nebraska during this series.
Waters
Series to forget
Ka'iana Eldredge, position
His struggles at the plate continued, going 1-10 on the weekend and striking out twice. He made an error in Saturday's loss that led to two unearned runs in the fifth inning.
Quote of the weekend
Eldredge
"One of the things you preach to players is, if you make a mistake, learn how to redeem yourself and make a big play later. I thought that was really a special play."
— coach Ritch Price on freshman Kalana Eldredge turning a double play after recording an error on the previous play.
Price
Series notes
Saturday's attendance of 1,743 was the 13th largest crowd in Hoglund Ballpark history.
Senior lefty Wally Marcel pitched two innings on Saturday, his first appearance since the Missouri State game on April 5. He could start the mid-week game Tuesday at Iowa.
Stat of the weekend
10 The number of wins Kansas has when leading after the third inning. Kansas is 0-14 when trailing after the third.
Key game
In a deciding game on Sunday, Kansas lit up the scoreboard with eleven runs and took the rubber match at Hoglund Ballpark.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Sophomore third baseman Jake Marasco fires the ball to first for an out Friday. Kansas won the game improving to 5-5 in Big 12 play.
Game 3
Walz shows promise as a Friday night ace
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
Friday night pitchers are of a different breed.
1 They're grinders. They're polished. They've got command and old-fashioned guts.
For Kansas, that's T.J. Walz.
"He showed the maturity of what a Friday night starter in this conference has to have to be successful," coach Ritch Price said.
Walz, a senior from Omaha,
Neb., trumped the Cornhuskers,
his hometown team, for the third
time in his collegiate career on
Friday night.
But it all started in game one, when the Friday night ace set the tone for the rest of the starting rotation.
Walz went six innings, surrendered four runs, only one earned, and struck out six. With the help of his timely performance, the Jayhawks won 5-4. Walz's work kicked off the weekend series with a positive note, which ended with an 11-5 Kansas victory in Sunday's rubber match.
On Saturday, sophomore Tanner Poppe followed Walz's lead, threw six innings and allowed only two earned runs. But the Jayhawks couldn't get their bats going and lost 4-2.
Sunday's 11-5 victory was a bit of an anomaly, as freshman Alex Cox struggled on the hill, but got
enough run support. Hits are contagious and so is good pitching.
Early in the season, Walz got rocked. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, in just four innings at then No. 1 Texas Christian University on February 18. His control of pitches was erratic and the results were shaky. But as the season progressed, Walz slightly altered his mechanics to improve the balance in his windup. After a 6-2 victory against Baylor on April 1, an earlier Friday night showcase, Walz said that the minor change has made all the difference.
"I've been able to locate the fastball a lot better, and I'm not getting behind batters near as much so I can attack with the slider," Walz said.
When he's hitting his spots with the fastball, his changeup becomes that much more deceptive.
In his recent three starts, Walz was 2-0 with a 1.69 earned run average and 27 strikeouts.
"That's as good a changeup as he's had all season", Price said after the Baylor victory.
Pair an effective changeup with an already sneaky windup, and you've got opposing hitters that can do no better than guess at the plate.
With Walz's leadership and cool demeanor on the mound, Kansas has won three of its first four conference series.
In a sport as unpredictable as baseball, Kansas has a consistent ace in the rotation. And his best stuff is most always on Friday night.
— Edited by Emily Soetaert
Junior outfielder Jason Brunansky connects for a base hit Friday against Nebraska. Brunansky went 3-3 with one RBI and two runs.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
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