6A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2006
Kansas to start away game set
BY AUSSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN STaff WRITER
After a healthy dose of home games, Kansas is on the road again.
The Jayhawks (24-13, 6-6) headed to Stillwater, Okla., tonight for a three-game set against the Cowboys of Oklahoma State (19-11, 3-6).
Even though Kansas has been successful at home this season, posting an 11-2 record at Hogland Ballpark. Oklahoma State is a smooth 16-1 in the confines of Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. Named after New York Yankee pitching legend Allie Reynolds, the Cowboys have only left the comforts of home 13 times this season.
While Kansas will play its 25th away game of the season tonight, the team has accumulated a 13-11 record away from Hoglund Ballpark. This includes road games against seven nationally ranked opponents.
Oklahoma State, on the other hand, is 3-10 on the road, offering explanation for the Cowboys current eighth place
ranking in the Big 12 Conference.
"I think they've been a little inconsistent," Kansas coach Ritch Price said. "You look at their home record, they've played a lot of home games in their non-conference season."
The Cowboys are a perfect 3-0 in the Big 12 at home and a dismal 0-6 in Big 12 road games.
our stadium" paradise," Price said.
"It's a hitter's paradise," Price said.
"It's a short ballpark and the wind blows out. If you put the ball near, you've got a good chance of turning the game into a launching pad."
None of which matter against a team that hasn't lost more than two consecutive home games since Reynolds Stadium opened in 1981.
Out to keep balls from flying off that launching pad is senior closer Don Cyzz (5-0) and company. As a staff, the Jayhawk pitches have a 4.21 ERA, compared to a 5.08 mark the Cowboys have put up.
the Cowboys lead the NCAA with 12 saves, the Cowboys have yet to record one.
"We're going to have to pitch really well to keep the scores down," Price said of throwing in a ballpark that is just 330 feet down the left and right field lines.
That will be especially important against a team with a .322 batting average as a unit, including 39 home runs. The Jayhawks are hitting .282, but collected just 13 hits in a two-game series against the 2-26 North Dakota State Bison.
Price chose to play his younger guys in the midweek series, wanting some at bats for his less-experienced players. He kept that in mind when watching how his offense did against North Dakota State.
"You like to see those guys get on the field," Price said. "At the same time, you'd like to see them play better and deserve the right to play again. But obviously we're a completely different club when we play on the weekend."
Still looking for a Kansas-record 275th career hit, senior shortstop Ritchie Price is heading to a fairly safe bet of where to find it. Price is a
career 550 hitter against Oklahoma State, nabbing 22 hits in 40 at bats.
State, mobsbing 22 hrs.
For the Cowboys, junior third baseman Tyler Mach is on a tear. Snapping a four-game losing streak on Tuesday against Dallas Baptist University, Mach led the way going 3-5 with a career-high five RBI and a pair of home runs. Mach leads his club with nine home runs a 39 RBI.
Sitting at an even .500 in the Big 12, the Jayhawks are virtually a lock for an appearance in the NCAA tournament. All they have to do now is want it.
"It was kind of lackadaisical, like we were going through the motions," sophomore third baseman Erik Morrison said after hitting his team-leading ninth homer on Wednesday afternoon against North Dakota State. "Hopefully we'll pick it up at the end of the week and get going this weekend."
Edited by Gabriella Sauser
Third baseman gets second chance at D-1
BY SHAWN SHROYER
sshroyer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
One new face Kansas will see in the Oklahoma State lineup this weekend will be Tyler Mach. The junior third baseman and jokingly aspiring professional golfer may be new to the Cowboy lineup this season, but he's no stranger to Division I baseball.
no honors.
In 2004, Mach was named to the all-tournament team in the Oxford, Miss., NCAA Regional as a member of the Washington Huskies. But issues with his grades sent him to the junior college level.
"I fell behind in the classroom, actually, so I ended up having to go to a junior college to catch up," Mach said.
safec
The next season at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Wis., Mach made first team all-league and
got his grades in order. When it came time to return to the D-1 level, he decided a smaller environment would be better for him. That's what sold him on Oklahoma State.
"It's just a nice little college town. It's different from big Seattle," Mach said. "I wanted to give it a shot."
salt. I waited a minute.
In his first year back playing D-1 ball, Mach has started all but one game for the Cowboys and leads the team with 46 hits, nine home runs, 39 RBI and 80 total bases. He's also second on the team with a .387 batting average and third on the team with 26 runs and a .672 slugging percentage.
Travis Ingle, director of baseball operations at Oklahoma State, said Mach has emerged as a team leader.
"He's been huge for our program, the way he plays on the field and the way he carries himself off the field, as well," Ingle said. "Everything we'd heard about, he's delivered."
year in the Despite Mach's contributions, Oklahoma State has struggled as of late. The Cowboys began the season 15-4, but have dropped seven of their past 11 games and are eighth in the Big 12 with a 3-6 record. Mach can only hope his 3-for-5 day against Dallas Baptist on Tuesday with two home runs and five RBI will spark his team to play better in the conference.
Mach's numbers match up well in the Big 12, too. As of Thursday, he had the third most RBI in the conference and was tied for the third-most home runs and seventh-highest batting average.
"I'm more mature, physically and mentally, and just better prepared for the Big 12 than I was my freshman year in the Pac-10," Mach said.
"It's never fun to lose, especially getting swept," Mach said. "You just got to learn from it and move on with it."
There's nothing unusual about Mach's attitude as a baseball player and his numbers could have him playing baseball professionally someday, but Mach certainly has an interesting idea of a dream job.
Mach's personal bio on the Oklahoma State athletics' Web site says his dream job is to be a professional golfer. How it got into his bio was a mystery to him, "I don't even remember filling that thing out," he said, but he couldn't deny the advantages of such a career. "They play golf every day. You don't got to run, you just go out there and swing the club," he said.
chloe, he said.
Mach admitted his chances at being a pro golfer were slim, though. "I'm actually pretty bad at it," he said.
Edited by Gabriella Souza
Kansas hopes to rebound after Missouri shutout
SOFTBALL
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
rschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIVER
After a team meeting on the field that lasted more than 15 minutes, the Kansas softball team emerged from the dugout. Heads down, blank stares and somber faces — the disappointing loss to rival Missouri was tough to swallow.
tion this weekend. "We need to move forward," she said.
Junior pitcher Kassie Humphreys said the team wanted to take the way it felt after Wednesday night's shutout loss to Missouri and use it for motivation this weekend.
Kansas (21-20, 2-6) has an opportunity to move forward from the loss when it plays Texas Tech in a weekend series at Arrocha Ballpark. The Jayhawks and Red Raiders will face off at 2 p.m. Saturday.
urday.
Texas Tech (16-24, 4-4) split a double-header with Texas-Arlington Wednesday night. It will face another double-tight against North Texas.
Kansas hopes to extend its five-game winning streak against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are led by senior pitcher Erin Crawford, who ranks 12th in the conference among pitchers. Crawford is 10-9 on the season with a 2.47 ERA. As of Wednesday night. Tech has won four of its last six games.
day night, Teecare was well known. "They've had some good victories and they're not going to be any pushover," Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said.
cy Bunge said.
Kansas will have two days of practice before Texas Tech on Saturday, giving the team time to learn from Wednesday's loss. Once again, the Jayhawks were unable to get clutch hits. Kansas had trouble on defense as well, allowing three Missouri players to reach base on buns. One bunt rolled around on the infield and turned into a double, another rolled into right field.
double, another team the weekend will be regaining its confidence, especially on offense. The team has just four hits in its past three games. One of the bright spots has been the Jayhawks pitching. Humphreys ranks second in Big 12 pitching and senior Serena Settlemier ranks third. Each is allowing less than two earned runs on the season.
Bunge said her team needed to use the time rediscovering its confidence.
"Mentally they have to bounce back very, very quickly." Bunge said. "This game's about confidence and right now we sure don't look like a very confident team."
Edited by John Jordan