Kansas University’s baseball team did something it hadn’t done in a dozen years Friday afternoon, and of couse the No. 22-ranked Jayhawks made their first NCAA postseason win since May of 1994 as dramatic as possible.
Despite trailing 5-0 after three innings with ace Kodiak Quick on the mound, KU scored nine unanswered runs thanks to four home runs and 16 hits as the Jayhawks (43-16) rallied for a 9-6 victory over No. 25 Hawaii in their NCAA regional opener Friday at Goss Stadium in Covallis, Ore.
Jared Schweitzer paced the Kansas offense, hitting for the cycle in his first four at bats.
Brendan McNamara got the win, while Don Czyz picked up his nation-leading 19th save.
Schweitzer hit a triple in the first inning, single in the third and a double in the fourth before hitting his ninth home run of the season in the sixth. The Sherwood Park, Alberta, native became the first Kansas player to hit for the cycle since Jeff Niemeier on May 3, 1993 against Benedictine.
Schweitzer’s homer broke a 5-5 tie and completed KU’s comeback after trailing 5-0 after 2.5 innings. Freshman Buck Afenir tied the game with a lead off home run to open the sixth inning.
Game Action
Kansas University’s baseball team avoided big innings by Hawaii in the first and second when the Rainbows left the bases loaded in each even though they scored lone runs in both innings, but KU starter Kodiak Quick and the Jayhawks weren’t so lucky in the third.
The Rainbows added three runs to take a 5-0 advantage in the NCAA regional opener for the two teams Friday in Corvallis, Oregon.
Kansas loaded the bases in the second, but left three Jayhawks on the base paths.
After getting a couple of quick base runners in the third, it appeared that KU was again in trouble as Hawaii recorded two quick outs.
But then Erik Morrison changed things in a hurry, launching his team-best 14th home run over left field to cut the score to 5-3.
Gus Milner hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to bring in Ritchie Price, who singled, to cut KU’s deficit to 5-4. Jared Schweitzer, who is a home run away from the cycle after hitting a double in the fourth, was stranded on John Allman’s long fly-out to right.
Kansas pitchers Quick and Brendan McNamara retired the Rainbows in order in both the fifth and sixth.
KU catcher Buck Afenir rewarded his hurlers’ work when he tied the game up with a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth.
Schweitzer followed with a two-run bomb to left, which not only gave KU its first lead, but a cycle for himself in his first four at bats.
Ryne Price added the Jayhawks’ fourth home run of the day, which gave KU the 8-5 advantage in the bottom of the seventh as Kansas has scored eight unanswered runs and collected 13 hits.
Ryan Baty added another run for Kansas on a double.
Hawaii added a run in the eight, but KU closer Don Czyz came in with two on and two outs and got the Jayhawks out of the jam.
Czyz closed the door again in the ninth, and KU won its first NCAA postseason game in over a decade.
