KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 / SPORTS
7A
The Jayhawk classic comes into town
Double-header weekend
KANSAS VS. ST.LOUIS AND IOWA 11 a.m., HOGLUND BASEBALL STADIUM, Lawrence
ST.LOUIS
KANSAS
Alex Alemann
RHP, sophomore
IOWA
Zack Smith RHP, junior
STARTING PITCHERS
Alemann, the Atlantic 10% Rookie of the Year, had a strong first outing for St. Louis, pitching five innings and giving up just one earned run against Illinois-Chicago. Smith, a transfer from Johnson County Community College, struggled to UT-Pan American in his first start this year. Smith pitched four innings and gave up three runs giving him the loss.
T. J. Walz RHP, senior (0-2)
Tanner Poppe
RHP, sophomore
(0-0)
Last start vs. TCU:
ND, 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H,
5K, 5 B
Wally Marceli LHP, RS senior (0-1)
Last start vs. TCU:
L, 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 K
Walz needs to forget the start to his season. The hard-throwing rightly leads the Jayhawk pitching staff for the fourth straight year and has all the tools to do it. Look for him to return to form this weekend with the two losses behind him. Marcel recovered after undergoing Tommy John surgery last season. He kept the Jayhawks in the game in his first start and should continue to gain confidence in his throwing elbow. Poppe was the team's Rookie of the Year last season. He's 6-foot-5. He throws hard and in the three spot. He's an integral part of this rotation.
Jarred Hippen,
LHP, junior
(0-1)
Nick Brown RHP,junior (0-0)
Hippen didn't look like it on opening day but he's a workhorse and the pitching staff ace, which is why College Baseball Daily named him Preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. He's lead the team in IP each of the past two seasons — 99.1 last year alone — and his 3.71 season-ERA in 2010 ranks seventh in team history. The 6-foot-3 lefty does more than eat innings: last season he threw four complete games, struck out nine batters twice and pitched three games without issuing a walk. The guy can dominate. Junior Nick Brown posted a quality start in his first outing and Matt Dermody provides another strong left arm for the Hawkeyes. Iowa's rotation is solid with these three at the top.
Matt Dermody,
LHP, sophomore
(0-1)
Andres Wiltz RHP, sophomore
Steve Jensen RHP, junior
BULLPEN
Jordan Jakubov RHP, RS junior
Scott Heitshusen RHP, RS senior
The St. Louis bullpen has been strong for the Billikens in their first four games. In Saint Louis' two losses this season, the bullpen has only given up two runs, and was not a major culprit behind either loss. The bullpen has yet to face any competition comparable to that of Kansas or Iowa though.
Colton Murray RHP, junior (Closer)
Zach Kenyon RHP, senior
This trio of righties needs to be sharp. The Jayhawks are not lighting up the scoreboard and in these close games the relief pitchers don't have a lot of wiggle room. Murray has the best stuff in the bullpen and he'll get the chance to slam the door if Kansas needs him. His stat line against TCU looked more like a starter's: 7 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 6 K, BB. He'll be ready to build on that; it's up to the offense to put him in position.
Patrick Lala RHP, junior
Kevin Lee RHP, senior (Closer)
INTHEFIELD
If a save situation arises, Lee is getting the call. He led the Big 10 in 2010 with 13 saves and an opponents batting average of .127. He converted all save opportunities he had and prior to this season was named to the National Collegiate Writer's Association Stopper of the Year Watch List. Lala, a Kirkwood Community College transfer, is a bit of an unknown but got the call in a close game against Pittsburgh last Saturday. Lefties struggled against Kenyon last year, batting just .205 off the reliever.
The Billikens are coming off a year in which they frequently struggled in the field. In 2010 St. Louis committed 81 errors for a fielding percentage of .966.The struggles have continued in 2011. In the Billikens' last two games, they have committed a staggering total of seven errors.
The Jayhawks aren't short on athleticism in the field. They've committed just four errors in five games and will need that same consistency this weekend. Of course if the defense is solid, the pitchers should feel comfortable attacking hitters, trusting the gloves behind them. The defense could be the calling card of this team and, along with timely hitting, could win the team some ballgames.
Senior Trevor Willis covers centerfield for Iowa after starting 40 games in left last year. His eight assists in 2010 put him in the country's Top 50. He'll have more opportunities with the glove this year as he leads an otherwise inexperienced outfield. Senior catcher Tyson Blaser threw out four baserunners last weekend for an iowa defense that committed just three errors in three games.
AT THE PLATE
The bats were alive in the Billiken's first two games this season, putting up eight and then an impressive 17 against Illinois-Chicago. St. Louis' second two games against UT-Pan American were a different story though, as St. Louis only managed to score four runs in their first game and were shutout in the second meeting. Senior infielder Jon Myers leads the Billikens lineup. Last year he hit .365 with 16 home-runs and 72 RBIs.
The Jayhawks have been unstable with the bat and are yet to score more than four runs in a game this season. It starts with the seniors at the top of order: leadoff hitter Casey Lytle, cleanup hitter Jimmy Waters and shortstop Brandon Macias. The three are a combined 9-for-52 through four games and have drawn just one walk. Junior Zac Elgie has swung the bat well; he leads the team with four RBI and one long ball. Kansas needs production from their better bats at the top before the runs start pouring in.
A slow start might be an overstatement. The Hawkeyes scored two runs, one of which was unearned, in 29 innings in Florida this past weekend while playing in the Big East-Big 10 Challenge. In those three games, the offense combined for 25 strikeouts and just six walks while stranding 24 baserunners. There's no denying it. Iowa's bats are cold — which might mean they're due. Look for senior Zach McCool and junior Mike McQuillan, both of whom batted .344 last season, to spark the Hawkeye offense.
Prediction:
Kansas W, St. Louis L
ADVANTAGE
Pitching Advantage: Iowa Batting Advantage: Kansas
TRACK AND FIELD
Prediction:
Kansas W, Iowa L
Jayhawks hope to become the newest indoor champs
BY GEOFFREY CALVERT gcalvert@kansan.com
Last season, the women's team finished fifth while the men's team finished tenth. The Jayhawks return four athletes who are looking to defend individual Big 12 titles, including sophomore Mason Finley in the shot put, which would give him his fourth victory of the season. Despite his success, Finley isn't concerned about the competition and knows that the key to being successful this weekend is sticking to his routine.
The Kansas track and field team will look to continue its impressive indoor season at the Big 12 Indoor Championships this weekend in Lincoln, Neb.
"A lot of times you get overexcited and just think about trying to throw it far instead of focusing on form," Finley said. "If you focus on
The layhawks also hope to do well in the women's 4x400 meters, where freshman Diamond Dixon joins sophomore Denesha Morris, junior Shayla Wilson and senior Kendra Bradley in their attempt to improve on last year's fourth place finish. This lineup has already won three times this season and wants to make it four.
form you'll end up throwing far. If you just focus on throwing far than you won't throw far."
"One of our strengths when we come together is pumping each other up. It helps the morale and energy," she said.
Senior pole vaulter laci Perryman is confident the team will be successful because of the bond the whole team shares.
Finley agrees. "I think we actually have a pretty good chemistry as far as the team this year," he said. "We all hang out during the weekends. It's not like it's just the throwers or the sprinters or the jumpers. It's one Kansas team."
Perryman will lead a group of pole vaulters that includes freshman Alex Bishop, who has two top-three finishes this season. Perryman has two victories of her own, along with a second place finish at the Bob Timmons Challenge. She also placed fifth in the championship division at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational.
"I think the keys are just trusting myself and trusting my training and technique instead of over thinking it," Perryman said.
To earn team titles, the men will have to unseat Oklahoma, while the women need to knock off Texas A&M, which has captured four straight Big 12 indoor titles.
Edited by Tali David
Ashleigh Lee/KANSAN
Senior spinner Keron Toussaint makes a turn around the indoor track field in Lawrence. This weekend is the Bin 12 Indoor Championship.