Volume 125 Issue 116
kansan.com
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
COMMENTARY
Kansas baseball is on edge
The Jayhawks were on the ropes.
Like a prizefighter from yesterearth, Kansas baseball took a solid shot to the chin and stood wavering on the brink of a knockout in the Big 12 conference race after suffering the sweep in West Virginia.
The uppercut, served at the hands of the Mountaineers, still lingers in the minds of many around Kansas baseball. It still comes up in interviews and conversations among fans, but there's a shift in the tone of these conversations.
A shift that winning made evident. A shift that winning made essential.
The Jayhawks weekend series sweep of the Baylor Bears got the Jayhawks off of their heels and back into the fight. Not just back in the fight, but back and throwing haymakers. Every one-run victory the Jayhawks reeled off over the weekend moved the conversation closer to resurgence.
After the weekend in West Virginia, it seemed apparent that the Jayhawks were playing for second place in the Big 12 conference. After sweeping Baylor, the Jayhawks are back within a game of the conference-leading Oklahoma Sooners.
That fact is embedded in the minds of Kansas players and coaches.
"Every game from here on out is pretty much a playoff game because we have to get our record up to get an NCAA regional bid," senior third baseman Jordan Dreling said. "I think everybody knows that in the back of their minds, and everybody believes they can contribute."
Per usual in a Ritch Price dug,
out, no one is getting ahead of
themselfs. The Jayhawks can't
afford to look forward.
Living in the moment has been a strength of this Kansas squad. That being said, the moment calls for a midweek victory against a red-hot Wichita State at Eck Stadium and a must have series victory against another solid Kansas State Wildcat squad.
There's no doubt Kansas baseball is on edge. Their knees shook, and hitting the mat seemed like a solid option at one point, but they stuck with the Big 12's rigorous schedule and found themselves back in the fight. The attitude has shifted, and what seemed like an impossibility is now quite real.
Is a Big 12 baseball championship heading to Lawrence?
The Jayhawks don't face 34-1 odds in winning the Big 12 Conference. But doing so won't be easy.
The Jayhawks need a perfect storm in the midst of this unseasonable Kansas weather. The odds are longer than the 34-1 posted for Golden Soul in the Kentucky Derby. Three horses faced stiffer odds, but Golden Soul finished runner-up.
The odds say no, but the prize-fighter in the Jayhawks is saying there's a chance.
Edited by Paige Lytle
THE MORNING BREW PAGE 7
FIGHTING FOR FIRST
RENEWED OPTMISM
Jayhawks have a big week ahead battling in the NCAA Tournament
TREVOR GRAFF
tgraff@kansan.com
A weekend sweep of the Baylor Bears brought a renewed sense of optimism to Kansas baseball.
The Jayhawks' 12-9 conference record lands them in second, within a game of conference-leading Oklahoma.
a must-win midweek matchup against the Missouri Valley-leading Wichita State Shockers.
"It's just baseball," senior third
"We thrive in the situation. We get energy from it. It's fun for everyone."
baseman Jordan Dreiling said. "You've got to flush the last week and a half. We have to take care of business again on Tuesday and over the weekend, but I guess now it's just taking care of business."
"It would be nice to put up some runs and not deal with this every night," Drilling said. "We thrive in the situation. We get energy from it. It's fun for everyone."
The Jayhawks flushed last week in grand fashion with a series sweep against the Bears that included three one-run wins and walk-off RBIs hit by Dreiling and senior shortstop Kevin Kuntz.
JORDAN DREILING
Senior third baseman
Kansas has won 10 games in one-run fashion. The regularity of close victories doesn't make them any less stressful.
"We have to treat it like another Big 12 game," Dreiling said. "These midweek games are just as important when we're trying to get into NCAA regionals. Everybody is coming with the same mentality, and we just have to compete on every pitch."
tough times. Dreiling said the mindset of the dugout is focused heading to Wichita.
The energy hasn't left the Kansas dugout through the
The playoff feel of Tuesday's game is enhanced by the talent level across the diamond from the Jayhawks. Wichita State's 14-4 Missouri Valley record leads the
conference by one and a half games.
The Jayhawks are embroiled in a conference race of their own, but Kansas is putting the Big 12 aside against Wichita State.
"It's a huge week," coach Ritch Price said. "We were in the NCAA Tournament going into West Virginia, and we played ourselves out, and we've turned around and played oursels back in this week. Next week will be huge."
Edited by Madison Schultz
KELSEY WEAVER/KANSAN
Kansas takes its fight for the NCAA Tournament to Wichita State's Eck Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. The Jayhawks' senior right-handed pitcher Tanner Poppe is set to take the mound.
Kansas baseball players take a moment to converse with a coach during their match against Baylor. The Jayhawks defended the Bears, 6-5.
PITCHING
Wichita State pitches are solid Junior right-handed pitcher Cale Elam leads the squad with a 5-2 record and a 2.26 ERA. Elam's 59 strikeouts lead Shocker pitches. In their appearance in Lawrence, freshman right-handed pitcher Garrett Brummett started the game throwing four innings and giving up four hits in a scoreless appearance. Junior right-handed pitcher Brandon Peterson was credited with the loss.
HITTING
FIELDING
Wichita State struggled fielding the ball at Hoglund Ballpark. The Jayhawks failed to take advantage of the three errors committed by the Shockers. Guilty parties included freshman second baseman Tanner Dearman, junior shortstop Erik Harbutz and freshman right-handed pitcher Garrett Brummett.
The Shockers continue their hot play at the plate. They've risen to sole possession of the lead in Missouri Valley Conference, one and a half games ahead of Illinois State. Shockers junior outfielder Garrett Bayliff continues to lead the squad with a 348 average, 62 hits and 27 RBIs. In his appearance in Lawrence, Bayliff ended a hitting streak by going hitless in four at-bats with a strikeout.
PITCHING
The Jayhawks committed five errors on the series against Baylor. Unfortunately, several of these errors occurred in key moments. Senior Shortstop Kevin Kuntz uncharacteristically booted a ball in the late stages of a game in which junior closer Jordan Piche' earned the save. Regardless of the spotty errors, the Jayhawks continue to play solid defense.
HITTING
There was no shortage of heroes in the Kansas lineup this weekend against the Baylor Bears. One could point to any of the position players in the lineup and find a contribution to the three one-run victories notched over Baylor. The lineup showed a bit of pop on Sunday. Sophomore right fielder Connor McKay hit two RBI doubles in the 5-4 10th-inning victory, one of which came in the bottom of the ninth to extend the game.
X
A
FIELDING
Kansas pitching didn't overpower the Bears by any means, but overpowering pitching isn't the Kansas way. The Jayhawks did, however, pitch to contact and allow a defense, functioning at their highest level of the season, to take over and win close games. The Jayhawks gave up 11 runs on the weekend. Tanner Poppe makes the start after his best appearance of the season in the midweek last week.
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