Kansas University’s baseball team, which has won six of its last eight games, returns to Big 12 Conference play today.
The Jayhawks (14-11 overall, 2-7 Big 12) will play host to Baylor (18-8, 6-3), which is ranked as high as 16th nationally, in a three-game, three-day set beginning at 3 p.m. today at Hoglund Ballpark. The teams also will play at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
“We’ve been on a couple of streaks, but we haven’t had a Big 12 streak,” KU coach Bobby Randall said. “We’d like to start one now. We know we’re measured by the conference games. The only blemish on our record is conference games. If we had won half of our one-run games, we’d be 4-5, and that’s a big difference from 2-7. But we’ve got 21 left, and we want to play well in conference.”
That’s just what Baylor has done. The Bears, tied for second in the Big 12 standings, are led by catcher Kelly Shoppach, who will carry a .467 average with 29 RBIs into today’s game.
The Bears lead the Big 12 with a staff earned run average of 2.33. Kansas’ team ERA is 5.59, 10th in the 11-team league.
“They’re probably one of the best teams in the conference,” Randall said. “They’ve got a great catcher and great pitchers. Steven White has pitched 40 innings and only given up 21 hits.”
White, a sophomore right-hander who is 5-0, will pitch Saturday, opposite Kansas ace Pete Smart (6-0, 3.77 ERA).
“I hope,” Randall said, “it’s a good game, a good matchup.”
Today’s game will be the ninth in a 12-game homestand. After a Tuesday trip to Arkansas, the Jayhawks will return home for a three-game weekend set with Texas and a single game at home on April. 4 against Wichita State.
Thus, KU is in the midst of a string where 16 of 17 games will be played at Hoglund Ballpark.
“Just wait until April,” Randall said. “It’s funny. All of February, we’re gone. All of March, we’re home. All of April, we’re gone again. All of May, we’re home.”
So it’s no wonder Randall is putting a premium on KU’s upcoming Big 12 home games.
“We’ve never conceded any games and we’ve never taken any for granted,” Randall said. “It seems like everybody wants to play a gotta-win game. But I think that every game, every weekend. It’s a challenge. But we’ll play Baylor as well as we can play Baylor and try to win every game. We’re never going to stop playing hard. We’re never going to stop working.”