Those poor Hoglund Ballpark walls. They can’t seem to hold anything in.
Kansas University’s baseball team once again was in an offensive shootout Tuesday night, earning a 12-7 nonconference victory over Southwest Missouri State.
The Jayhawks hit three home runs, nearly hit two more and yielded a tape-measure blast to SMS catcher Tony Piazza.
With the victory, Kansas improved to 23-11, winners of back-to-back slugfests.
“This team is really physical,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “If you’re going to be successful in Division One baseball, you’ve got to be physical.”
Participants in home run derby Tuesday were sophomore Travis Metcalf (who belted a grand slam after SMS pitcher Paul Marsala walked three straight batters), junior Jake Kauzlarich (who has three homers in just 34 at-bats this season) and senior Kevin Wheeler (who hit his team-leading eighth).
Southwest Missouri (15-10) managed just one homer, a 430-foot shot by Piazza that hit the top of a tree beyond the center-field wall. Fortunately for Kansas, nobody was on base.
On a night that featured two heavy-hitting squads, it was KU that prevailed, erasing an ugly season series last year that saw SMS rout the Jayhawks twice, 15-7 and 20-8.
“For our seniors, that’s a huge game,” Price said. “We turned right around and turned that table on them tonight. We were very physical with the bat.”
Kansas now gets a two-day rest, before starting a three-game home series Friday with Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers sit atop the Big 12 Conference standings, making KU’s momentum-building victory Tuesday all the more important.
“It’s been a long week,” Metcalf said. “It seems like we’ve been playing forever these four days in a row. This is a good boost having two wins going into Nebraska.”
Junior Chris Smart was a rare pitcher with an answer to the offensive explosion Tuesday. Smart faced the minimum number of batters in four innings, giving up just a single by the Bears’ Clay Wheeler. Smart eventually picked off Wheeler at first base.
“I hope that he can be a savior for us,” Price said. “We took him out of the ballgame after four innings so he could be ready to go on Saturday.”
Metcalf also singled and had five RBIs. Senior Casey Spanish was the only other Jayhawk with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with a double and his team-high 11th stolen base.
The Jayhawks can only hope that the productive bats keep going. They’ve averaged nearly nine runs a game over their last four, all quality opponents.
Nebraska, meanwhile, has won nine straight following a 16-2 victory Tuesday over Western Illinois.
“Nebraska’s hot right now too,” Metcalf said. “We’re going to have to bring it this weekend.”
Kansas 12, Southwest Missouri 7
Kansas 034 013 10X — 12 11 1
W-Chris Smart (1-1). L-Paul Marsala (1-1) S-Brandon Johnson (4)
HR- Kansas: Kevin Wheeler (8), Travis Metcalf (5), Jake Kauzlarich (3); SMS: Tony Piazza (8).
KU highlights: Travis Metcalf 2-for-4, HR, 5 RBIs; Casey Spanish 2-for-4, 3 R, 2B, SB (11); Matt Baty 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 SB (7).
Those poor Hoglund Ballpark walls. They can’t seem to hold anything in.
Kansas University’s baseball team once again was in an offensive shootout Tuesday night, earning a 12-7 nonconference victory over Southwest Missouri State.
The Jayhawks hit three home runs, nearly hit two more and yielded a tape-measure blast to SMS catcher Tony Piazza.
With the victory, Kansas improved to 23-11, winners of back-to-back slugfests.
“This team is really physical,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “If you’re going to be successful in Division One baseball, you’ve got to be physical.”
Participants in home run derby Tuesday were sophomore Travis Metcalf (who belted a grand slam after SMS pitcher Paul Marsala walked three straight batters), junior Jake Kauzlarich (who has three homers in just 34 at-bats this season) and senior Kevin Wheeler (who hit his team-leading eighth).
Southwest Missouri (15-10) managed just one homer, a 430-foot shot by Piazza that hit the top of a tree beyond the center-field wall. Fortunately for Kansas, nobody was on base.
On a night that featured two heavy-hitting squads, it was KU that prevailed, erasing an ugly season series last year that saw SMS rout the Jayhawks twice, 15-7 and 20-8.
“For our seniors, that’s a huge game,” Price said. “We turned right around and turned that table on them tonight. We were very physical with the bat.”
Kansas now gets a two-day rest, before starting a three-game home series Friday with Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers sit atop the Big 12 Conference standings, making KU’s momentum-building victory Tuesday all the more important.
“It’s been a long week,” Metcalf said. “It seems like we’ve been playing forever these four days in a row. This is a good boost having two wins going into Nebraska.”
Junior Chris Smart was a rare pitcher with an answer to the offensive explosion Tuesday. Smart faced the minimum number of batters in four innings, giving up just a single by the Bears’ Clay Wheeler. Smart eventually picked off Wheeler at first base.
“I hope that he can be a savior for us,” Price said. “We took him out of the ballgame after four innings so he could be ready to go on Saturday.”
Metcalf also singled and had five RBIs. Senior Casey Spanish was the only other Jayhawk with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with a double and his team-high 11th stolen base.
The Jayhawks can only hope that the productive bats keep going. They’ve averaged nearly nine runs a game over their last four, all quality opponents.
Nebraska, meanwhile, has won nine straight following a 16-2 victory Tuesday over Western Illinois.
“Nebraska’s hot right now too,” Metcalf said. “We’re going to have to bring it this weekend.”
Kansas 12, Southwest Missouri 7
Kansas 034 013 10X — 12 11 1
W-Chris Smart (1-1). L-Paul Marsala (1-1) S-Brandon Johnson (4)
HR- Kansas: Kevin Wheeler (8), Travis Metcalf (5), Jake Kauzlarich (3); SMS: Tony Piazza (8).
KU highlights: Travis Metcalf 2-for-4, HR, 5 RBIs; Casey Spanish 2-for-4, 3 R, 2B, SB (11); Matt Baty 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 SB (7).
