8B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
GAMEDAY
FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2006
Two of Big 12's best to clash
KU First Pitch AT A GLANCE:
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The Jayhawks enjoyed another successful week, winning last weekend's series against Kansas State two games to one before sweeping their opponents in the Best of the Midwest tournament in Kansas City, Kan. The team has won 10 of its past 13 games and boasts a 14-2 record at home. That mark is good enough for a No. 30 ranking on the NCBWA poll and a tie with Baylor for fourth in the Big 12.
LAST TIME OUT:
kansas pitching finally had an opportunity to shine hand-in-hand with its hitting in the team's outing against Creighton on Wednesday. Midweek starter Nick Czyz (3-1) threw a career-high seven innings against the Bluejays, allowing one hit. The Jayhawks had eight strikeouts with one walk and the offense produced nine runs off 12 hits.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Gus Milner: The senior outfielder
Gus Milner. The see is 7-of-17 in the Jayhawks past five games. He led his team's offense against Kansas State, going 4-of-10 with a pair of RBI in the three-game set. He also made his presence
known at the Best of the Midwest tournament, going 3-for-7 with another pair of RBI to bring his team-leading total to 49 on the season.
FIVE QUICK FACTS:
14 - More runs Kansas scored than both its Best of the Midwest opponents combined.
0 - Times the Jayhawks have finished the season with a winning conference record since the Big 12 was created. They are currently 9-9 in conference.
2 - Kansas 'rank in home runs in the conference, with 12.
18 - Batters that Kansas pitchers struck out in the past two games.
63 - Number of hits Milner has tallied this season, tying him for third in the Big 12.
LOOKING FORWARD:
With nine conference victories already this season and nine Big 12 games to go, the Jayhawks are just two away from the 11 victories they posted in conference last season. If Kansas can stop Oklahoma's 11-game winning streak and go on a streak of its own, it could walk into Austin, Texas, next week with a solid record before facing the defending College World Series champs.
KEY TO VICTORY:
Defense. Even though the Jayhawks posted a 4-1 record last week, they could have gone 5-0. The winning runs that Kansas State put up against Kansas in the series finale were all unearned. Offense and pitching bailed the Jayhawks out a couple of different times this week, as they committed eight errors and allowed seven unearned runs in their past five games.
Kansas vs. Oklahoma 7 p.m., Friday; 6 p.m., Saturday; 1 p.m., Sunday
KANSAS
The Jayhawks offense had an opportunity to break out again against Kansas State and its midweek opponents, Southeast Missouri State and Creighton, scoring 32 runs in its last five games. Although the boys in blue can swing the bat (they've blasted 51 long balls as a team), they have a poor habit of swinging and missing. They lead the Big 12 with 325 strikeouts. Sophomore second baseman Ryne Price is the only Jayhawk with at least a .300 average against the Sooners. But because it's possible that Price's recovery from wrist surgery two weeks ago may not yet be complete, the Jayhawks will have to find their bats amongst the tough Sooner pitching.
Defense:
Despite a successful week, the Jayhawks did not take their best defense with them to Manhattan or Kansas City. Kansas tallied a season-high four errors in the series finale against Kansas State on Sunday.
OKLAHOMA
Those errors contributed to the Wildcats three unearned runs, pushing them past the Jayhawks 5-4.The eight errors and seven unearned runs that Kansas was responsible for in its last five games simply will not fly against Oklahoma. The 62 errors Kansas has committed as a team is in contrast with the 26 Oklahoma has committed, which is the best in the Big 12.
Tuesday's victory against SEMO in game one of the Best of the Midwest tournament marked the Jayhawks 30th victory of the season. Kansas has crossed that threshold in each of the four years coach
Ritch Price has coached the Jayhawks. It is the longest streak of 30-win campaigns in school history. Alissa Rauer
Six Sooners (who qualify for the league batting title) are batting better than .300, and two are just shy of that mark. Oklahoma has only 27 home runs, though, in 43 games. To put runs on the board, the Sooners play small ball by stringing together hits and stealing bases. Oklahoma is third in the Big 12 with 470 hits and 85 stolen bases and fourth in the conference with 86 doubles and 17 triples. As a result, the Sooners have scored 324 runs - second most in the Big 12. Seniors Chuckie Caufield and Ryan Rohlinger lead the Oklahoma offense with a combined .375 batting average, 94 runs, 10 home runs, 181 total bases and 20 stolen bases.
With a 33-10 record, the Sooners aren't beaten by their opponents often. Even more rare are the times Oklahoma beats itself with mistakes on defense. Oklahoma leads the Big 12 in fielding with only 28 errors and a .983 fielding percentage. Oklahoma catchers are next-to-worst in the conference with 12 passed balls but are nailing would-be base stealers nearly one-third of the time. Despite astonishing support from their defense, Oklahoma's team ERA is 4.57. With 302 strikeouts as a staff, though, Sooner pitchers have the ability to dominate names when they're on.
Coach Sunny Galloway is in his first season as Oklahoma's skipper and has his club sitting in third place in the Big 12 at 11-4, with an outside chance of catching either Texas or Nebraska to move up in the conference standings. No matter where or who his team plays. Galloway's
19-5 at
3 on the
at neu-
and have
non-confer-
record to go
their winning
ference record.
Although his offense
has limited power,
Galloway constructed a
lineup that can score with
relative ease. And in case
his offense isn't clicking and
his pitchers aren't strik-
ing batters out, Golloway
has instilled a defense-first
mentality that is paying huge
dividends, especially in close gan
team wins. The Sooners are at home, 9-road, 5-2 tral sites a 22-6 ence with can
ames.
— Shawn Shroyer
OU First Pitch
AT A GLANCE:
Oklahoma (11-4) is right behind Nebraska and Texas in the Big 12 standings. A series victory against Kansas would keep Oklahoma in position to surpass the Huskers or Longhorns in the standings, with only one game separating the three teams. Oklahoma is riding an 11-game winning streak into Lawrence – its longest since 1998.
Oklahoma beat New Mexico on Monday, 18-9. The Sooners trailed the Lobos 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth, though, until senior outfielder Chuckie Caufield led off with a solo homer that tied the game. Oklahoma scored nine more runs in the sixth, putting the game out of reach.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
LAST TIME OUT:
Ryan Rohlinger. If leadoff man
cauldind doesn't get you, senior infielder Ryan Rohlinger will. Rohlinger is second on the team in batting average, runs, RBI and hits behind Caufield, but leads
the team with six home runs, 91 total bases and a .572 slugging percentage.
FIVE QUICK FACTS:
1 - Number of conference series Oklahoma has lost this season, the one to Texas two games to one.
-The rank Big 12 coaches voted Oklahoma to finish in the conference. Unless the Sooners fall apart in the last month of the season, they should finish no lower than third.
8 - Straight Big 12 games Oklahoma has won during its 11-game winning streak.
10 - National rank of the Oklahoma pitching staff in shutouts with five, according to boydsworld.com.
28 - Errors Oklahoma has committed - by far the fewest in the Big 12.
LOOKING FORWARD:
If Oklahoma can finish no lower than third in the Big 12, it will have earned it. Oklahoma's only break will come next week in its final home series against Kansas State. Oklahoma will then travel to a neutral site to play in-state rival Oklahoma State the following week. Oklahoma will face Nebraska in Lincoln in its regular season finale, which may decide how the chips fall at the top of the conference.
V
KEY TO VICTORY:
using a staff that should take advantage of a Kansas lineup that has 324 strikeouts and Oklahoma's
defense will certainly help its pitchers out. The Oklahoma offense must do its part and find ways to put runs on the board against a stingy Kansas staff.
TEXAS A&M (21-23, 4-14) VS. NO. 9 TEXAS (29-15, 13-4)
This series certainly won't help Texas' schedule, but if the Longhorns don't sweep the series, the series could prove even more costly to them. Oklahoma is just behind Texas in the Big 12 standings at 11-4, so to remain ahead of the Sooners, the Longhorns can't overlook the Aggies. Texas should be focused, though, as it is coming off a series loss to Nebraska at home, which was its first conference series loss of the year. Texas hasn't lost consecutive Big 12 series since March 2002. As for Texas A&M, the Aggies haven't won consecutive games since back-to-back victories against Texas Tech and Lamar on March 26 and 28. Texas A&M can, however, start a new winning streak this week after defeating Texas-San Antonio 9-3 on Tuesday, avenging a 4-2 loss to the Roadrunners earlier in the year.
TEXAS A&M (21-23, 4-14) VS. NO. 9 TEXAS (29-15, 13-4)
Around the Big 12 BY SHAWN SHROYER SSHIROYER@KANSAN.COM T N
TEXAS TECH (27-17-1, 6-10-1) VS. NO. 4 NEBRASKA (33-6, 12-3)
This series will tell the tale of two teams. Texas Tech is in eighth place in the Big 12 and hanging on for its conference tournament life. Nebraska is first place in the Big 12 and appears to be hitting its stride just in time to steamroll through the conference tournament and into the NCAA tournament. Texas Tech hasn't won a Big 12 series in three weeks and was swept by Oklahoma last week. If Texas Tech gets swept by Nebraska this weekend, it may find itself on the outside looking in come Big 12 tourney time. Nebraska's 12-game winning streak was snapped by a loss to Texas last weekend, but the Huskers ultimately won the series and haven't lost a Big 12 series all season. Nebraska is coming off an 11-0 victory over Wichita State on Tuesday. Cornhusker pitchers — sophomore left Jon Klausing, freshman right Erik Bird and freshman left Zach Herr — combined to throw the two-hit shutout.
NO. 28 BAYLOR (26-17, 9-9) VS. MISSOURI (19-20, 7-11)
NO. 29 BAYLOR (26-17, 9-9) VS. MISSOURI (19-20, 7-11)
Baylor is currently fifth and Missouri is sitting in the seventh spot. Baylor has flip-flopped the past four weekends, losing to Texas Tech, sweeping Oklahoma State, getting swept by Texas and beating A&M last weekend. The Bears were shut out for the first time all season Wednesday by McNeese State, losing 7-0. Missouri comes in with minimal momentum but if it is to salve its season, its 14-3 victory against Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday might provide just the lift the Tigers needed. The team scored nine runs in the top of the ninth, but the real story was the return of junior all-American right-hander Max Scherzer. Scherzer didn't pitched since April 8 because of an arm injury. He pitched just two innings in his start Wednesday, but allowed no runs or hits, well欺 only one and struck out five.
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