Jayhawks face tough test in No. 6 Texas

By Ryan Wood     May 2, 2003

The last time Kansas University’s baseball team faced the sixth-ranked team in the country, the Jayhawks were dynamite.

That was back in February, when KU traveled to Louisiana State, scored 24 runs in three games and left Baton Rouge, La., with an improbable three-game sweep of a college baseball powerhouse.

Two and a half months later, KU will face the No. 6 team in the land again. This time, it’s Big 12 Conference foe Texas.

Start time for the first game of the three-game series is 7 tonight at Hoglund Ballpark.

“I see it as a great opportunity,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “The national champions are coming to town.”

Indeed, the Longhorns did take the crown a year ago, going 9-1 in NCAA Tournament play and beating South Carolina, 12-6, in the title game in Omaha, Neb.

And this year, it appears the ‘Horns are as strong as ever. Behind a conference-low 3.38 team earned run average, the Longhorns have compiled a 35-13 overall record. In addition, their 16-5 Big 12 mark is tops in the conference.

Kansas, meanwhile, is 32-19 overall, but stands seventh in the Big 12 with a 7-11 mark. The top eight teams will advance to the Big 12 tournament later this month.

Price, like he has all season, is showing faith in his squad as they tackle yet another quality opponent.

“We’ve been to LSU, and we played Nebraska and Oklahoma State,” Price said. “We’ve won some big games during the course of the season. Obviously, Texas is going to be our best opponent of the year.”

KU has lost three straight — two to No. 24 Baylor last weekend and one Tuesday against Wichita State. To keep a firm grip on a Big 12 tournament berth, the Jayhawks will need at least one victory this weekend.

Currently, Oklahoma (4-14 Big 12 record) and Kansas State (2-16) are the odd teams out. Iowa State and Colorado do not field teams.

“We’re going to come out and have a little extra drive,” KU junior Ryan Baty said. “We’re in a rut, and the way to get out of that is to out-hustle our opponent and out-compete our opponent.”

The series will continue with single games at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Jayhawks face tough Big 12 tournament foe in Cornhuskers

By Levi Chronister     Nov 7, 2002

The Kansas University soccer squad tied Nebraska 1-1 on Sept. 29 at SuperTarget Field, the first non-loss for the Jayhawks against the Cornhuskers in eight all-time matches.

A tie won’t be good enough tonight, though, when the teams play each other in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament at 7:30 p.m. at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio.

Kansas coach Mark Francis said the tie was a step forward from last season’s 2-0 loss in Omaha, Neb.

“We just now know that we don’t have any choice,” Francis said. “We have to win or we go home.

“If we can beat Nebraska and make a run to the final, we’ll have a good shot at making the (NCAA) tournament.”

No. 6-seeded Kansas (11-6-2 overall, 4-5-1 Big 12) must win to move on in the postseason a feat the Jayhawks have never accomplished.

Kansas is 0-3 in postseason play and 0-2 in the Big 12 tournament.

The Cornhuskers’ defense could stymie the Jayhawks, because No. 3-seeded Nebraska (11-5-3, 6-3-1) has shut out 11 opponents this year.

Kansas has played solid defense as well, with team-record lows in goals allowed (24) and goals-against average (1.22).

Kansas has struggled lately, ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak. The Jayhawks were outscored 2-9 in games against Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas, and Francis said those losses could alter the players’ confidence.

“Of course it’s going to affect them,” Francis said. “And they had been feeling really down, but we’re confident going into the tournament.”

Kansas freshman forward Caroline Smith, who has missed the team’s past five games because of a torn medial collateral ligament, is expected to play tonight but won’t start. Smith leads the team with 11 goals and 25 points and was named to the Big 12 Soccer All-Newcomer Team on Monday. She is second in the Big 12 in goals and game-winning goals, and is sixth in points.

The winner of tonight’s game will face the winner of No. 2 Texas and No. 7 Iowa State at either 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Jayhawks face tough Big 12 tournament foe in Cornhuskers

By Liz Heuben     Nov 7, 2002

The Kansas University soccer squad tied Nebraska 1-1 on Sept. 29 at SuperTarget Field, the first non-loss for the Jayhawks against the Cornhuskers in eight all-time matches.

A tie won’t be good enough tonight, though, when the teams play each other in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament at 7:30 p.m. at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio.

advertisement

Kansas coach Mark Francis said the tie was a step forward from last season’s 2-0 loss in Omaha, Neb.

“We just now know that we don’t have any choice,” Francis said. “We have to win or we go home.

“If we can beat Nebraska and make a run to the final, we’ll have a good shot at making the (NCAA) tournament.”

No. 6-seeded Kansas (11-6-2 overall, 4-5-1 Big 12) must win to move on in the postseason a feat the Jayhawks have never accomplished.

Kansas is 0-3 in postseason play and 0-2 in the Big 12 tournament.

The Cornhuskers’ defense could stymie the Jayhawks, because No. 3-seeded Nebraska (11-5-3, 6-3-1) has shut out 11 opponents this year.

Kansas has played solid defense as well, with team-record lows in goals allowed (24) and goals-against average (1.22).

Kansas has struggled lately, ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak. The Jayhawks were outscored 2-9 in games against Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas, and Francis said those losses could alter the players’ confidence.

“Of course it’s going to affect them,” Francis said. “And they had been feeling really down, but we’re confident going into the tournament.”

Kansas freshman forward Caroline Smith, who has missed the team’s past five games because of a torn medial collateral ligament, is expected to play tonight but won’t start. Smith leads the team with 11 goals and 25 points and was named to the Big 12 Soccer All-Newcomer Team on Monday. She is second in the Big 12 in goals and game-winning goals, and is sixth in points.

The winner of tonight’s game will face the winner of No. 2 Texas and No. 7 Iowa State at either 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Jayhawks face tough Big 12 tournament foe in Cornhuskers

By Liz Heuben     Nov 7, 2002

The Kansas University soccer squad tied Nebraska 1-1 on Sept. 29 at SuperTarget Field, the first non-loss for the Jayhawks against the Cornhuskers in eight all-time matches.

A tie won’t be good enough tonight, though, when the teams play each other in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament at 7:30 p.m. at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio.

advertisement

Kansas coach Mark Francis said the tie was a step forward from last season’s 2-0 loss in Omaha, Neb.

“We just now know that we don’t have any choice,” Francis said. “We have to win or we go home.

“If we can beat Nebraska and make a run to the final, we’ll have a good shot at making the (NCAA) tournament.”

No. 6-seeded Kansas (11-6-2 overall, 4-5-1 Big 12) must win to move on in the postseason a feat the Jayhawks have never accomplished.

Kansas is 0-3 in postseason play and 0-2 in the Big 12 tournament.

The Cornhuskers’ defense could stymie the Jayhawks, because No. 3-seeded Nebraska (11-5-3, 6-3-1) has shut out 11 opponents this year.

Kansas has played solid defense as well, with team-record lows in goals allowed (24) and goals-against average (1.22).

Kansas has struggled lately, ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak. The Jayhawks were outscored 2-9 in games against Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas, and Francis said those losses could alter the players’ confidence.

“Of course it’s going to affect them,” Francis said. “And they had been feeling really down, but we’re confident going into the tournament.”

Kansas freshman forward Caroline Smith, who has missed the team’s past five games because of a torn medial collateral ligament, is expected to play tonight but won’t start. Smith leads the team with 11 goals and 25 points and was named to the Big 12 Soccer All-Newcomer Team on Monday. She is second in the Big 12 in goals and game-winning goals, and is sixth in points.

The winner of tonight’s game will face the winner of No. 2 Texas and No. 7 Iowa State at either 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Jayhawks face tough Big 12 tournament foe in Cornhuskers

By Liz Heuben     Nov 7, 2002

The Kansas University soccer squad tied Nebraska 1-1 on Sept. 29 at SuperTarget Field, the first non-loss for the Jayhawks against the Cornhuskers in eight all-time matches.

A tie won’t be good enough tonight, though, when the teams play each other in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament at 7:30 p.m. at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio.

advertisement

Kansas coach Mark Francis said the tie was a step forward from last season’s 2-0 loss in Omaha, Neb.

“We just now know that we don’t have any choice,” Francis said. “We have to win or we go home.

“If we can beat Nebraska and make a run to the final, we’ll have a good shot at making the (NCAA) tournament.”

No. 6-seeded Kansas (11-6-2 overall, 4-5-1 Big 12) must win to move on in the postseason a feat the Jayhawks have never accomplished.

Kansas is 0-3 in postseason play and 0-2 in the Big 12 tournament.

The Cornhuskers’ defense could stymie the Jayhawks, because No. 3-seeded Nebraska (11-5-3, 6-3-1) has shut out 11 opponents this year.

Kansas has played solid defense as well, with team-record lows in goals allowed (24) and goals-against average (1.22).

Kansas has struggled lately, ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak. The Jayhawks were outscored 2-9 in games against Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas, and Francis said those losses could alter the players’ confidence.

“Of course it’s going to affect them,” Francis said. “And they had been feeling really down, but we’re confident going into the tournament.”

Kansas freshman forward Caroline Smith, who has missed the team’s past five games because of a torn medial collateral ligament, is expected to play tonight but won’t start. Smith leads the team with 11 goals and 25 points and was named to the Big 12 Soccer All-Newcomer Team on Monday. She is second in the Big 12 in goals and game-winning goals, and is sixth in points.

The winner of tonight’s game will face the winner of No. 2 Texas and No. 7 Iowa State at either 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Friday.

PREV POST

Duncan no longer with KU

NEXT POST

2119Jayhawks face tough Big 12 tournament foe in Cornhuskers