4B
SPORTS / THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
BASEBALL
Jayhawks ready to go out to the ball game
BY BEN WARD
bward@kansan.com
www.twitter.com/bm_dub
on another successful season under coach Ritch
Though bad weather may have postponed the start of the Jayhawks' 2009-2010 season until Monday, there's no doubt that baseball is back in full swing in Lawrence. Kansas is looking to build
on another successful season under coach Ritch Price, after going 39-24 (15-12) last season en route to an appearance in the Chapel Hill Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were eventually eliminated in the finals by No. 4 North Carolina, but are eager to get back to post-season play and prove they belong among the best teams in the nation.
Edited by Ally Shaw
LF - Casey Lytle (junior, Phoenix, Ariz.)
CF - Jason Brunansky (sophomore, Poway, Calif.)
Coach Price said Lytle will likely bat leadoff for the Jayhawks, where he'll need to get on base and set the table for guys in the middle. This speedster is Kansas' main base-stealing threat, and appears ready to build on a team, leading 11 steals from a season ago.
Brunansky looks to see the bulk of the action in center-field, after an impressive freshman season where he started 40 games for the Jahwaks.
RF - Brian Heere (redshirt junior, Lawrence)
An on-base machine, Heere led the team with a .459 OBP while batting, 364 for the season. A player who Coach Price considers to be instrumental to the Jayhawks success, the Lawrence High product might need to shoulder even more of the offensive load than usual while Tony Thompson is injured.
SS - Brandon Macias (junior, Flagstaff, Ariz.)
After spending the past two seasons at South Mountain Community College, Macias brings in the most experience at the position in his first year in crimson and blue. Price calls Macias "flashy" defensively, but noted that the junior needs to improve at the plate.
3B - Jake Marasco (redshirt freshman, Wichita)
because of the injury to junior Tony Thompson, Marasco will be the opening-day starter at third — though until the preseason All-American returns to the lineup, the position will be in constant limbo between Marasco, Stanfield, and redshirt freshman Jordan Dreiling.
2B - Robby Price (senior, Lawrence)
The lone senior starter, Price has been a fixture in the infield during his entire tenure at Kansas - starting 172 games. Solid with the glove and at the plate, Price's presence in the lineup won't go unnoticed.
1B - Zac Elgie (sophomore, Minot, N.D.)
Elgie impressed in a utility role during his freshman season, finishing with a .305 average, three home runs, and 27 RBI. Price expects big things from Elgie this year, who says he is prime for a break-out season.
SP - T.J. Walz (junior, Omaha, Neb.)
The departure of Shaeffer Hall to the Majors means Walz will move into the Friday night slot as the ace of the staff. Walz led the team with eight wins and 88 strikeouts a season ago, and though he'll be matched up against other top-notch starters, he should post similar numbers this season.
C- James Stanfield (sophomore, Owasso, Okla.)
Catcher remains the biggest question mark for the Jayhawks following the departure of long-time backstop Buck Afenir. Stanfield heads up a trio of players who Price said will all share playing time behind the plate to begin the year. Sophomore Chris Manship (Cave Creek, Ariz.) and freshman Alex DeLeon (Woodland Hills, Calif.) will also see plenty of action.
DH - Jimmv Waters (junior, Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Waters put up modest numbers while playing sparingly last year, but improvements during the off-season mean higher expectations this season. The junior will also see time as Kansas' fourth outfielder, but regardless of position, Price says, Waters will need to produce.
RF
2B
1B
CF
2010 projected starting lineup
STAY INFORMED AND STAY AWARE.
LF
SP
Macias
Waters
SS
DH
3B
C
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