It’s not like the pitching machine used by Kansas University’s softball team is growing rust. It is accumulating dust, though.
In an effort to improve her team’s puny hitting, KU coach Tracy Bunge thought it might help if the Jayhawks saw more live pitching.
“I’m not a big believer in having your pitching staff throw BP,” Bunge said, “so I’m doing a lot of it.”
Actually, Bunge, who won 78 games as a KU hurler in the mid-80s, is doing ALL of the batting practice hurling.
“My arm has gotten a lot more work this spring,” she said. “I creep in a little bit. I don’t pitch from the full distance, but my arm is holding up for the most part, and I think it’s helped.”
Last season, the Jayhawks compiled a team batting average of .228 and a slugging percentage of .319. This season those numbers are currently .285 and .409.
Bunge is quick to point out that live pitching isn’t the only difference. Her players are spending more time in the weight room and watching videos of their hitting, too.
Kansas is off to a 4-2 start in Big 12 Conference play and it’s noteworthy the four wins were against Texas schools Texas and Texas A&M. Kansas swept both schools, including 6-4 and 5-2 decisions over the No. 20-ranked Aggies in College Station last weekend.
“I think we stunned A&M,” Bunge said. “I don’t think they were expecting the way we swung the bats. People don’t expect a lot of offense from us, and if they want to continue to think that way, that’s OK.”
Kansas has three players hitting over .300. Third baseman Megan Urquhart and outfielder Erin Garvey, the lone senior on the roster, are neck-and-neck at .350 and .349 respectively. Second baseman Amy Hulse is batting .330.
Catcher Leah Tabb checks in at just .240, but her slugging percentage is .481 with 10 doubles, five home runs and 22 RBIs all team highs.
Also, outfielder Shelly Musser, rebounding from a slow start, has boosted her batting average to .274. Musser leads the Big 12 with five triples and tops the team with 15 stolen bases.
The only glitch in KU’s offensive resurgence occurred a couple of weeks ago when the Jayhawks scored just one run in two losses at Oklahoma State.
“I think that may have been more Lauren Bay,” Bunge said, referring to OSU’s sophomore pitcher. “She was sensational. She really quieted our bats. Other than that, our offense has been really good for the last three or four weeks.”
Bunge has also received solid pitching from freshman Kara Pierce, who owns an 11-7 record and a 1.93 earned run average.
Usually, Pierce pitches one game of the league two-game weekend series. At A&M, however, Pierce went the route in the first game, then had to start the second game because Kirsten Milhoan was ill. No. 3 hurler Kelly Campbell finished Sunday’s game and posted her first win over a conference team.
Kansas’ overall record is 19-16, and Bunge believes it is deceptive.
“I think we had one of the toughest early schedules in the country,” she said. “Nebraska had a tough schedule, too, but I think playing teams like UCLA, Washington and Stanford really prepared our kids mentally. And we lost of lot of tough games to ranked teams.”
Next for the Jayhawks is a twinbill at Southwest Missouri State on Wednesday. KU will resume conference play on Saturday and Sunday at Texas Tech.
