THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2008
SPORTS
5B
LAST TIME OUT
Kansas played three midweek games – two against Chicago State and one with Benedictine. The Jayhawks went 3-0 against the Cougars and Ravens, outscoring them by a combined score of 25-6. However, after facing pitches that throw below the radar gun all week, Kansas will have to readjust to better pitching today.
BY THE NUMBERS
.609
.609 - The percent of the time baserunners successfully steal bases against Kansas, which is the fourth best percentage in the Big 12.
4 - The number of wins junior left-hander Sam Freeman has, which leads Kansas, despite a 5.04 ERA.
6 - The number of wins Kansas has at home against Texas A&M in 15 games.
10 – Senior right-hander Andres Esquibel's rank among Big 12 pitchers with a 2.32 ERA.
34 - The number of runs senior right fielder Ryne Price has driven in, which leads the team. He had 31 RBI all of last season.
UP TO BAY
John Allman
the senior left fielder is a juggernaut offensively lately. In his last four games, Allman is 9-for-13 with five runs, eight RBI and three extra base hits.
Allman
ON DECK
Buck Afenir
home run in
The junior catcher was 3-for-5 with two runs, five RBI and a
his first game in the cleanup spot Sunday. However, since that game, Afenir is 0-for-4 in the fourth spot in the order. He not only
needs to drive
Afenir
in runs from the cleanup spot this weekend, but he'll also have to contain Texas A&M's running game from behind the plate.
IN THE HOLE
Erik Morrison
While Allman's average has
soared this week, Morrison's has plummeted during the same time span. The senior shortstop is 2-for-18 with a run and two RBI in his last
Morrison
four games. Batting .318 before Sunday, Morrison's average has dropped to .282.
Kansas (18-9,1-2)
KANSAS VS. TEXAS A&M 4 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark, Lawrence
JAYHAWKS TAKE ON AGGIES Texas A&M's powerful offense will be a challenge
PITCHING
MLB
Well, the numbers aren't pretty. Kansas has a 4.36 team ERA and sophomore lefty Wally Marciel and junior lefties Nick Czzy and Sam Freeman haven't helped that figure. Marciel's 6.14 ERA, Czzy's 7.77 ERA and Freeman's 5.04 ERA are the three highest among Kansas pitchers with more than 10 innings pitched this season. However, Marciel (2-3) was one of Kansas' top starters before joining the weekend rotation and, against Texas two weekends ago, Czzy (1-3) and Freeman (4-0) allowed just four runs in 11 combined innings while striking out six. The left-handed trio will have to pitch well enough to go deep into games this weekend, limit walks and control Texas & M's running game, which is second best in the Big 12 with 40 stolen bases this season. When the starters give the ball to the bullpen, they leave the game in good hands. Senior right-hander Andres Esquibel leads the Jayhawk bulpen with a 2.32 ERA, which is 10th best in the Big 12. Junior right-handed closer Paul Smyth leads Kansas with six saves.
OFFENSE
Kansas is third in the Big 12 in runs with 195 and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Jayhawks are averaging nine runs a game over their last nine. Senior left fielder John Allman can do it all, leading the team with a .367 batting average and .479 on-base percentage to go along with a stellar .522 slugging percentage. Kansas also packs some power potential in the heart of its lineup with Allman, junior catcher Buck Afenir, senior right fielder Ryne Price and senior shortstop Erik Morrison occupying the 3-6 spots in the order. Combined they have 13 of Kansas' 20 home runs with Price's six leading the team. Moved to the seventh spot in the order this week, junior first baseman Preston Land is already hitting better, upping his average from .250 to .271. The Kansas offense will have to be running on all cylinders this weekend in the event the Jayhawk pitching staff can't keep the Aggies off the board.
Kansas' defense ranks towards the middle of the pack in the Big 12, but the Jayhawks must keep errors to a minimum against the Aggies. Considering the efficiency with which Texas A&M steals bases, Kansas can't afford to allow extra runners on bases. The Kansas pitching staff will have a hard enough time containing the Texas A&M offense without giving the Aggies extra outs. More pressure will also be placed on Afenir, who has a .692 stolen bases against percentage. If the Aggies run too freely on Afenir, he may be replaced behind the plate by Price, who has the stronger arm of the two.
Texas A&M (18-6,3-3)
The wild card of the series will be what Kansas can get from its starting pitching. Left-handers Wally Marciel, Nick Czyz and Sam Freeman have put on Jekyll and Hyde performances all year. Kansas doesn't need this trio to be perfect this weekend, it just needs Marciel, Czyz and Freeman to go at least six innings in each of their starts and leave the game with the score close. The bullpen and offense can take care of the rest.
QUESTION MARK
—Shawn Shroyer
OFFENSE
The Aggies enter Lawrence with two of the top freshman pitchers in the nation. Texas A&M will start freshman Brooks Raley tonight, who enters the series 3-0 and a 2.89 ERA. The Saturday starter will be the other half of the freshman phenom duo, Barret Loux. While getting off to a slow start, Loux comes to Lawrence with a 1-1 record and a 3.76 ERA. Out of the bullpen, sophomore Travis Starling is 2-0 in 11 appearances with 5 saves and brings an impressive 0.69 ERA to the table.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Hideo Nomo, the legendary Japanese pitcher who is trying to make a comeback at 39, will make the trip with the Kansas City Royals to Milwaukee for a weekend series with the Brewers.
PITCHING
Japanese pitcher tries to make comeback at 39
The Aggies have been a juggernaut from behind the plate this year, outscoring their opponents by 77 runs through the season so far. Texas & A M features the Big 12 leader in hitting this season, senior third baseman Dane Carter. Carter is hitting an astounding .457 and has a .772 slugging percentage. The Aggies have three other starters hitting above .300 in,.392 junior shortstop Jose Duran,.329 junior catcher Brian Ruggiano and.326 junior designated hitter Luke Anders. The Aggies are known to put up a bunch of runs in clumps and are a force to be reckoned with from behind
are a force to be reckoned with from behind the dish.
C – Buck Afenir
B1 – Preston Land
2B – Robby Price
3B – Tony Thompson
SS – Erik Morrison
LF – John Allman
CF – Nick Faunce
RF – Ryne Price
DH – TBA
Lineup
Nomo is batting not only for the final spot in the Royals' bullpen, but a groin strain, which occurred when he was pitching Tuesday against San Diego.
While Texas A&M lights up the scoreboard on offense, their defense often hampers them in games they lose. While the left side of the infield produces power on offense, it is also often times a headache for head coach Rob Childress. Shortstop Jose Duran enters the series with 11 errors and third baseman Dane Carter has seven of his own. While the Aggies boot the ball around at times, they also get burnt on base paths. Catcher Brian Ruggiano 1-10 with runners stealing and back-upeshman Kevin Gonzales allowed ten runners to steal, while only throwing out three.
Rotation
Tyler Passmore
Friday: LHP - Wally Marceli
Saturday: LHP - Nick Czyz
Sunday: LHP - Sam Freeman
QUESTION MARK
Can the Aggies offense put up enough runs to overcome their defensive blunders? The Aggies committed a staggering 32 errors this season. Their powerful bats have made up for the bloopers, though Carter and Duran must continue with their current power streaks to prevent the errors from aiding the Jayhawks' cause.
Lineup
C — Kevin Gonzales
1B — Ben Feltner
2B — Blake Stouffer
3B — Dane Carter
SS — Jose Duran
LF — Brian Ruggiano
CF — Kyle Cooligan
RF — Nick Fleece
DH — Luke Anders
Rotation
Friday: Brooks Raley
Saturday: Barret Loux
Sunday: Scott Migl
"He still feels it today," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "It's not severe. ... We'll see how the flight affects it. He'll get a little bit more rest on it instead of maybe irritating it."
A plan for Nomo to throw off a flat surface Thursday, the Royals' final day in Arizona, was scratched
Hillman said he doesn't know whether Nomo will pitch Saturday, the final exhibition game, if he throws on Friday.
"We're not going to just put a ball in his hands on flat ground and let him play catch and then throw
him into a game." Hillman said.
"But there is a chance, if he feels really good on flat ground, that we might let him get on the mound and see how it feels in the bullpen. If he feels nothing, then we could progress him to the game."
Nomo, who has not pitched in the majors since 2005 and only in winter ball last year after elbow surgery in 2006, is 1-0 with a 4.80 earned run average in seven games. He has struck out 17 and walked only three in 15 innings.
Royals center fielder David DeJesus has not played since
spraining his right ankle in his first at-bat Monday.
"I'm hesitant to play him tomorrow," Hillman said. "I might get him in later, but I doubt if I'll start him. I might put him in for a couple of innings of defense at the end and see how that goes and hopefully play him the second day in Milwaukee."
Cleveland loses to Tampa Bay in their final spring game
the New York Yankees dropped one on their renamed Grapefruit League field. Boston didn't play and Atlanta lost but both teams got encouraging news about key starting pitchers.
The Cleveland Indians lost their final spring game in Florida while
Carlos Pena hit one of Tampa Bay's three home runs and the Rays beat Cleveland 9-7 in 10 innings Thursday in the Indians' final spring game in Winter Haven, Fla.
Minor league infielder Andy Gonzalez hit a grand slam for the Indians, who extended their 16-year stay at Chain of Lakes Park by 30 minutes with a ninth-inning
A&M FIRST PITCH
LAST TIME OUT
The No. 20 ranked Texas A&M Aggies found themselves in a dogfight with UTSA on the road. Trailing throughout the game, the Aggies put two runs on the board in the seventh to put them up 4-3. After allowing an eighth inning run, the Aggies had to rely on a two out base hit in the top of the ninth by Brian Ruggiano to slam the door. Texas A&M was once again impressive from behind the plate putting 11 hits on the board.
.457- Big 12 leader in hitting, Dane Carter's batting average.
BY THE NUMBERS
8-The longest winning streak of the year for Texas A&M
7-2- The Aggies record when scoring in the first inning.
169-92 The number of runs the Aggies have scored this year opposed to their opponents.
4. The starting time of the first game Friday, allowing fans to attend the game before the basketball game's festivities.
UP TO BAT
Dane Carter
Carter
The third baseman has torched pitchers from behind the plate this year and become the Big 12's leading hitter. Carter leads the Aggies with 5 triples.
5 triples, 5 home runs and 22 RBIs.
Kyle Thebeau
ON DECK
Thebeau
The junior pitcher has been an anchor out of the Aggies bullpen and is third on the team with 25 strikeouts. In his 8 appearances out of the bullpen,
Thebeau has a 1.12 ERA in 24 innings pitched. The Aggies will need someone to close the gap between their good starters and closer, and Thebeau is that person.
IN THE HOLE Blake Stouffer
The second baseman has struggled from behind the plate
his .213 average and 17 strike-outs. While the Aggies bats have been hot, Stouffer's has not. Texas A&M will need production from their second year.
Stouffer
basemen as he only accounts for 24 total base hits. The senior was first-team All-Big 12 as a junior and hit .398, while having 6 RBI's against the Jayhawks in '07. Being named Louisville Slugger preseason All-America first-team this year, Stouffer will need to return to his past form.
rally to tie it at 5.
"It's always bittersweet to leave a place, but times change," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "There's a lot of memories here."
The Indians are moving to a new $76 million spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., in 2009.
This was no ordinary getaway day. Moving vans replaced Cadillacs in the players' parking lot. Fans pleaded with players to sign one last autograph in the Florida sunshine.
Associated Press
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