In an ideal season finale, John Nelson would have stolen third base when he had the chance, and Kansas would have finished with a sweep of Texas-Arlington.
Nelson, who was looking to break the school’s single-season record for stolen bases, was picked off in his only opportunity during the first inning of the second game, and the Jayhawks were forced to settle for a split Sunday at Hoglund Ballpark. Kansas won the first game 6-5, then blew a late lead and lost the second game, 6-4.
“We got the first one, and I really thought we would steal the second,” Jayhawks coach Bobby Randall said. “But these guys have worked very hard this year.”
It was stereotypical Kansas on Sunday. After times this year when Kansas played better competition and rose to it two wins against Wichita State, for example the Jayhawks sunk to the level of the Mavericks, who finished 24-30. Kansas also was swept Saturday in a lethargic senior night effort.
“It’s been an emotional week,” said Lawrence High graduate Shane Wedd, who finished his final college doubleheader 3-for-6, including a double and home run in the first game. “I think this has been a tough week for everyone. We’re a very close group.”
Kansas won the first game on a bases-loaded single by Doug Dreher in the bottom of the seventh inning before bad karma took over.
Nelson, who will likely be selected in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft, tried to steal third to set the stolen-bases record. Instead, he was caught for the fifth time this year, and finished with 42 tying the mark set by Pat Karlin in 1990.
“I was going for it the whole week,” Nelson said. “I knew how close I was. It’s a shame, but I’m more disappointed that we didn’t get both wins.”
Kansas led 4-1 after five innings before combustible relief pitching hindered the Jayhawks. The top of the sixth turned into a four-run debacle which KU could never recover from. Randall chose to replace starter Ryan Schmidt after he went five innings, allowing four hits. Randall cited Schmidt’s pitched count, which hovered around 75, as a reason for the replacements, who faired much worse.
Jeff Davis gave up five hits and four runs in his one inning to drop his record to 4-3.
“We needed to put them away,” Wedd said. “We had a lot of chances.”
Kansas loses five seniors from this year’s team, and underclassmen Nelson and pitcher Brandon O’Neal may opt to turn professional. Kansas finished 25-30 this season, a vast competitive improvement from 14-40 a year ago. Randall, whose contract is up, said he did not see any reason why he would not be brought back.
He expressed concern about the issue of his return being mentioned.
“My guys go to class,” Randall said, “and they graduate. They’re good men who work their tails off on the field. That should be enough.”
