Melissa Lacey/Journal-World PhotoIt may seem strange, but these days Kansas University’s baseball team expects to win every game it plays.
Never mind losing seasons seven of the last eight years. Forget the preseason poll that picked the Jayhawks to finish in the Big 12 Conference cellar.
Futility is a memory these Jayhawks can chuckle at now.
No. 17 Kansas added another victory to its surprising start Friday, topping Western Michigan, 7-2, in front of 785 rowdy fans at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Jayhawks improved to 15-4.
“It’s been fun to watch,” first-year KU coach Ritch Price said. “I feel good that we’re getting good starting pitching, our bullpen’s been solid, and we also play outstanding defense.”
Add a couple of big hits, and the result is a team that has won four straight and 10 of its last 11.
“It’s a different mentality,” outfielder Casey Spanish said. “We don’t whine, we don’t complain. We just play hard.”
Spanish has been the big stick in KU’s last two victories. The senior was 3-for-4 Friday, drilling his fourth triple of the season and stealing two bases. One of his swipes was on the front end of a double steal that allowed Jason Appuhn to slide in safe at home with KU’s first run.
Like the KU team, Spanish is experiencing quite a turnaround.
After 19 games last season, Spanish was hitting .083 (4-for-48) with five RBIs.
After 19 games this season, he’s hitting .435 (30-for-69) with 19 RBIs.
“Last year I think I tried to do too much,” Spanish said. “This year with our new coach, he’s letting us play to our ability level. He says to do whatever’s relaxing. That’s been the difference.”
Spanish’s triple in the seventh inning Friday drove in junior Matt Tribble, who reached base by crushing a Shawn Morrison pitch off the right-field wall. The double extended Tribble’s hitting streak to 19 games, tying a KU record. He’ll get his chance to break it at 1 p.m. today in game three of the four-game set.
Senior Kevin Wheeler (3-0) earned the victory, pitching six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out three.
Free State High graduate Brandon Johnson continued his sensational spring, pitching two scoreless innings of relief. Johnson is 4-1 with a 1.09 earned run average this season.
“Wheeler didn’t have his good stuff he normally has,” Price said. “But he found a way to get us to the seventh inning. That’s what we’re asking our starters to do — get us in position where we can get to Johnson out of the pen.”
Despite a respectable outing by starting pitcher Brad Mumma, Western Michigan (0-7) is still looking for its first victory.
W. Michigan 000 110 000 — 2 8 2
Kansas 000 132 10X — 7 11 1
W — Kevin Wheeler (3-0). L — Brad Mumma (0-2)
KU highlights: Casey Spanish 3-for-4, 3B, 2 SB; Sean Flynn 3-for-4, RBI; Matt Tribble 1-for-3, 19-game hitting streak (ties KU record).
