10B GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY MAY 4 2007
KU OPENING PITCH
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The postseason and whether or not Kansas will take part in it is at stake every single day. The Jayhawks' performance in Norman, Okla., last weekend will help their chances of landing in the top eight and making the conference tournament, but it will take more than that. Kansas State holds a half-game lead over Kansas in the standings, which leaves plenty of room for the Jayhawks to switch them places should they pick up the sweep. Right now, nothing is more important to the Jayhawks than making the tournament in which they are the defending champs.
STAR WATCH
Kyle Murphy, senior center fielder, proved his worth again in
Murphy
his team's last time out. His two-run bomb in the top of the eighth inning last Sunday put the Jayhawks out of the Sooners' reach. Murphy had at
least a hit in each contest of the series and drove in four runs. He alone accounts for one-third of Kansas' stolen bases.
QUESTION MARK
On the offensive front, Ryne Price, junior second baseman, continues to be helpful. Price went just 1-for-6 last weekend, but he also scored three times and accumulated six walks. However, last Saturday, Price committed a pair of errors, bringing his total on the season to 19. That is more than double any other Jayhawks' error count. His bat is there, but his glove could be a possible liability.
52—April 3 was the last time Kansas traveled to Kansas State. The opening inning lasted 52 minutes.
20—The Jayhawks have played in three more games than the Wildcats, but have tagged 20 more homeruns.
36—Saturday's game will be shown on basic cable, Fox Sports Net, on channel 36.
1—The number of games that Kansas State has won in Lawrence in the past five years.
3—Kansas' starters did not allow more than three runs in any of their outings last weekend.
SHOWDOWN WEEKEND
Jayhawks, Wildcats meet in both Lawrence and Manhattan
KANSAS VS.KANSAS STATE 6:30 Tonight, Tointon Stadium, Manhattan
Kansas 22-26,8-13 Big 12
OFFENSE
After an 8-10 loss to open the series against Oklahoma April 27, Kansas kicked its offense into gear in time to take home the series victory. Despite being out hit in each game of the series, the Jayhawks found ways to score while holding the Sooners on base. To make up for the lower hit tally in the contests, Kansas instead used well-timed extra base hits to do the damage needed. Last weekend, the Jayhawks hit six doubles, a triple and three homeruns. Though the hometown boys' offense is still ranked last in the Big 12 with a .275
team batting average, they do rank
fifth in the conference in home runs (39) and third in doubles (100). As senior center fieldier Kyle Murphy continues to be hot at the plate, his work and success as the leadoff hitter will likely induce some small ball to manufacture runs as well.
PITCHING
The Jayhawk pitching staff continues to steadily improve, lowering its team ERA from 4.71 to 4.65 in a week. Besides last Friday, Kansas has not been blown out since March 14 against Wichita State. Before the Oklahoma series, Price mentioned that the offense was the strength of the first four weeks of conference play, but now his pitchers are shouldering a bigger chunk of the workload. As a staff, Kansas pitching now ranks No.1 in the Big 12 in strikeouts (367) despite sitting ninth overall. Sophomore lefty Andy Marks' (3-6) 74 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings of work ranks fourth amongst Big 12 pitchers. Though he took the loss last Friday, Marks surrendered just three runs into the sixth inning. Fellow sophomore southpaw, Nick Czyz (3-6) picked up his first Big 12 victory of the year following a solid six-inning outing while freshman Wally Marceli (4-2) is settling nicely into his new role as the Sunday starter.
Kansas State 29-17,7-11 Big 12
MOMENTUM
Kansas finally has conference momentum heading into tonight's series opener. The series victory at Oklahoma boosted Kansas out of the last place spot in the Big 12. The ninth place ranking they now hold may not look any more glamorous, but their eight conference victories is one more than the Jayhawks' neighbors to the west have. This means that Kansas stands a chance of making a substantial jump in the standings, putting themselves in a sure spot of making the Big 12 tournament and then some.
OFFENSE
To say the Wildcats have scoring down to a science wouldn't be entirely accurate. Until scoring 30 runs in two games against Chicago State this week, Kansas State was averaging only 5.89 runs per game, just ahead of Nebraska's 5.88 average. Out of 18 conference games, the Wildcats have scored in double-digits only three times and are averaging 5.78 runs per game. On the flip side, they've only been shut out once all season. Kansas State is fifth in the Big 12 in batting average, hitting .295, but has had to play small ball with only 19 home runs. The Wildcats have used a hodgepodge of lineups with 3 players who have started at least 17 games. However, center fielder Byron Wiley has been a one-man wrecking crew with a team-best .377 average in 42 starts. He also leads Kansas State in hits, runs, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, on-base percentage and stolen bases.
- Alissa Bauer
Robby Price
PITCHING
In addition to its lack of offensive power, Kansas State lacks a power pitching staff, averaging only 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings. The Wildcats are tied for seventh in the Big 12 with a 4.39 ERA, but it's hard to keep runs off the board while leading the conference in walks, averaging 4.13 walks per nine innings. Right-hander Brad Hutt has been a solid starter for Kansas State with a 7-3 record and a 3.23 ERA. However, left-hander Chase Bayuk (4-4) has been erratic with a 4.40 ERA and 41 strikeouts to 38 walks. Right-hander Trevor Hurley (1-2) is Kansas State's third starter, but he only has two starts on the season after left-hander Ben Hornbeck lost his spot in the weekend rotation. If Kansas State can get to its bullpen with a lead, though, it's been efficient at staying ahead. The Wildcats are tied for the conference lead with 14 saves, of which closer Daniel Edwards has 10.
MOMENTUM
Kansas State might be hitting its stride on offense after a pair of midweek victories against Chicago State this week The Wildcats outscored the Cougars 30-4 in the two games, run-ruling their non-conference opponent in seven innings both games. However, the Wildcats have hit a cold spell during conference
play. Since winning its series with Big 12 cell-dweller Texas Tech five weekends ago Kansas State is 4.8
12 cellar-dweller Texas Tech five weekends ago, Kansas State is 4-8 against conference opponents. The Wildcats could benefit from the first game being held in Manhattan. If they can take game one, all they have to do is split the last two games in Lawrence to win the series. Kansas State is in dire need of gaining some momentum as it battles Kansas, Baylor and Texas Tech for the final two spots in the Big 12 Tournament.
— Shawn Shroyer
KSU OPENING PITCH
WHAT'S AT STAKE
This series is a must-win if the Wildcats hope to reach the Big 12 Tournament. After Kansas, only No. 13 Texas A&M and Baylor remain on Kansas State's conference schedule. The Wildcats are battling the Jayhawks and Bears for the last two spots in the tournament and have a leg up, sitting in seventh place, just thousandths of percentage points ahead of them. A series victory this weekend would give Kansas State the inside track to making the tournament.
STAR WATCH
Kansas State's offense revolves around sophomore outfielder Byron Wiley. He leads the
Wildcats in 11 offensive categories and by a wide margin in most of them. In 151 at-bats this season, he has a .377 batting average, 36
Wiley
runs, 57 hits, five home runs, 33 RBI, 80 total bases, 32 walks, a .530 slugging percentage, a .500 on-base percentage and 12 stolen bases. As Kansas State's everyday center fielder, Wiley has only two errors on the season.
QUESTION MARK
What kind of start will Kansas State get out of Trevor Hurley?
The sophomore right-hander (1-2) only has two starts this season, but put up solid numbers out of the bullpen. Hurley has a 3.40 ERA in 34 innings this season with 27 strikeouts to 10 walks. However, those numbers didn't translate in his last start. Against Nebraska last weekend, he surrendered three runs in 4.2 innings, striking out one and walking three.
5 QUICK FACTS
.973 — The Wildcats fielding percentage this season, which is third best in the Big 12.
4 — The number of wins Kansas State has against ranked opponents in 13 tries this season
19 The number of home runs Kansas State has hit this season, which is worst in the conference.
28 — The highest ranking the Wildcats have earned this season, jumping into the NCBWA Poll in the third week of March, only to lose their first two games of that week and fall back out of the poll.
2002 — The last season Kansas State qualified for the Big 12 Tournament.
JAYHAWK STATS
TOP 5 HITTERS BA R HITS HR RBI John Allman .335 32 55 3 33 Kyle Murphy .315 39 56 4 24 Buck Afenir .293 22 36 6 28 Robby Price .281 32 50 1 23 Erik Morrison .278 31 50 6 32
TOP 5 PITCHERS W-L ERA IP K BB
Wally Marcel (4-2) 4.31 48.0 36 14
Paul Smyth (3-3) 1.47 43.0 35 10
Nick Czyz (3-6) 4.21 62.0 56 27
Andy Marks (3-6) 6.15 67.1 74 25
Zach Ashwood (3-4) 5.88 56.2 47 31
PITCHING MATCH-UPS
Marks
Andy Marks
3-6
vs.
Brad Hutt
8-1
Hutt
SATURDAY MATCH UP
Nick Czyz — KU (3-6) vs. Trevor Hurley — KSU (1-2)
SUNDAY MATCH UP:
Wally Marceli — KU (4-2) vs. Chase Bayuk — KSU (4-4)
TOP 5 HITTERS BA R HITS HR RBI
Byron Wiley .377 36 57 5 33
Nate Tenbrink .299 28 40 2 27
Eli Rumler .299 24 43 1 19
Drew Biery .287 24 39 3 28
Rob Vaughn .288 19 34 2 20
WILDCAT STATS
TOP 5 PITCHERS W-L ERA IP SO BB
Daniel Edwards 3-0 0.95 28.1 41 9
Brad Hutt 7-3 3.23 69.2 40 25
Chase Bayuk 4-4 4.40 57.1 41 38
Trevor Hurley 1-2 3.40 34 27 10
A.J. Morris 3-1 4.17 36.2 19 21
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