Senior Ryan Baty remembers what it was like to be the whipping boy of the Big 12 Conference during the early stages of his Kansas University baseball career.
Now Baty is feeling that way again with the Jayhawks’ record a dismal 2-12 in conference play.
“One of the things I’ve learned here in the past is how to respond to adversity,” Baty said. “When you’re backed up into a corner, the only thing you can do is fight your way out and I think this team is willing to do that.”
Baty and the Jayhawks will open a three-game series with No. 25-ranked Texas Tech (28-13, 8-6) at 7 tonight at Hoglund Ballpark.
Senior left-handed pitcher Ryan Knippschild (4.85 ERA, 5-6) will start for Kansas on quarter hot dog night. The game be broadcast on KLWN 1320 AM.
Texas Tech has won its last three Big 12 series — beating Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas State.
Kansas has lost 12 of its last 15 games and has four one-run losses in league play.
“We all understand what we’re playing through,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “This is not fun to go through, but at the same time if you don’t handle it properly, pretty soon you turn into a loser. That’s the one thing that I’ll make sure doesn’t happen. It won’t happen here.”
Even though the losses are mounting, Price said he has no reason to believe the Jayhawks can’t turn things around quickly. After all, KU is just two games back of eighth-place Missouri, and eight teams will qualify for the league tournament.
Also, Kansas has played mostly top-tier teams. In addition to Tech, first-place Texas, Missouri and last-place Kansas State remain on the schedule.
“There’s still plenty to play for,” Price said. “We recognize that we need to start winning some series. If we do that we can make the Big 12 tournament and have back-to-back 30-win seasons.”