Baseball historian Bill James was in the nearly full house, which was fortunate timing for him since some baseball history was made on a windy Wednesday night at The Hog.
That’s what the ballplayers call Hoglund Ballpark, Kansas University’s on-campus baseball stadium. James was one of the 2,324 spectators to form the largest crowd in the ballpark’s history.
The festive outdoor gathering was the place to be in town. Bob Davis, voice of the Jayhawks, was there. So was KU basketball center Sasha Kaun, who took a few hours off from practicing his free throws to take in a baseball game and shake a lot of hands.
Former KU basketball players Al Kelley, Jerry Waugh and Mike Maddox also watched the Jayhawks rap 15 hits in an 8-2 pasting of in-state rival Wichita State. So did Lawrence High baseball coach Brad Stoll.
All the spectators missed the most charming part of the night, a slice of humble pie big-league players never taste. After the victory was in the books, the KU players remained at work, doubling as the grounds crew to roll out the tarp in anticipation of rain.
The masses didn’t see that, but maybe James and 2,323 of his closest friends witnessed more than an attendance record. Maybe they saw the night KU toppled Wichita State from its long-standing perch as the state’s dominant baseball program.
The polls and records of the teams don’t reflect that. Wichita State (21-7) is ranked 13th in the country. KU (18-10) is unranked. Yet, when they get together, KU has the edge under coach Ritch Price, winner of five of nine against the Shockers.
Price cringed when told left fielder John Allman (3-for-5, three RBIs) said KU is “definitely the best team in the state,” because the rematch will be played Wednesday in Wichita. Inside, though, Price had to be proud just to hear those words uttered by anybody.
KU freshman lefty Andy Marks, a native of St. Louis, is aware most of the world thinks Wichita State and names like Joe Carter and Darren Dreifort when it thinks college baseball in Kansas.
“I think that’s starting to change,” said Marks, who tossed three shutout innings of relief. “We’re finally making a name for ourselves. It’s going to be a KU-dominant Kansas from now on. K-State and Wichita don’t get to play the nonconference schedule we do, so it makes us a better team.”
Toughened by the 23 games played away from home, KU is making recruiting strides.
“The community getting behind us the way they did tonight and supporting us the way they support basketball and football is the final step for us in recruiting,” Price said.
He beat out Missouri for Marks, who like so many lefties has nice movement on his pitches. When Marks informed the Missouri assistant coach recruiting him that he was going to KU, the next thing he heard was a dial tone.
“He wrote me a letter a month later and congratulated me,” Marks said.
Mizzou visits The Hog this weekend for a three-game series. Marks hopes to take the mound.
“I have a lot of friends on that team, and I’d like to show them I made the right choice,” he said.
Some 2,324 people made the right entertainment choice Wednesday night.
