All week, as Senior Day drew closer, the Arkansas City native told her teammates that all she wanted before her KU career was over was one more home run.

During her two-year career at Cowley Community College, Hatfield was known as a power hitter, mashing 11 home runs in two seasons before coming to Kansas.

She played all of 2013 without leaving the yard and had just two to her credit this season. That was before Saturday, when she upped that total to three with a no-doubter in the second inning that gave the Jayhawks (32-21 overall, 6-11 Big 12) a 2-0 lead and sent them on their way to another easy victory over the Cyclones (23-30-1, 2-14).

Asked where her latest home run ranked on her all-time list, Hatfield smiled big and left no doubt about its place in history.

Richard Gwin

“This is by far the best one,” she said. “Just going out like that on Senior Day … it was kind of a blur. It wasn’t until I kind of settled down that I realized what happened.”

Hatfield, who was honored alongside fellow seniors Nikki Bruce, Alex Jones and Ashley Newman, was one of nine Jayhawks either to score or drive in a run Saturday. Sophomore Chaley Brickey also added a two-run home run in the fifth.

While KU’s offense has been red-hot in this series, the Jayhawks’ defense has carried them all season.

After setting a school record for fielding percentage in 2013 (.975), KU entered the weekend ranked fourth nationally in that category (.979) and has made just 29 errors in 53 games and no errors in eight consecutive outings.

“Defense is one of our strongest points, and we all work really great together,” said Newman, a four-year starter who was 1-for-4 with a run Saturday. “We always talk about how we’re going to raise our standards. We’re setting the bar higher every year, and this year I think we’ve surpassed that bar.”

Richard Gwin

Starting pitcher Kelsey Kessler limited the Cyclones to three runs on nine hits and striking out seven. Two of the three runs came on a single swing when ISU’s Sara Davison ripped a home run to left-center field in the top of the sixth to cut KU’s lead to 5-3.

The Jayhawks answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning to put any thoughts of a Cyclone comeback on ice.

That allowed the focus to shift to honoring the four seniors, who will play the final home game of their careers at noon today.

“Right when the game ended, all of the emotions came rushing back,” Newman said. “It’s crazy how fast it went.”

KU coach Megan Smith summed up this year’s senior class in three words.

Richard Gwin

“Really special group,” she said. “Two of them (Bruce and Hatfield) have only been here two years, but they’ve been huge additions to our program. I looked out there and said, ‘Four great softball players, but four great people,’ and sometimes you can’t say that. I’m really excited that they were a part of our program.”

Today’s series and season finale also marks the final game ever played at Arrocha Ballpark, as the Jayhawks will be moving to a new facility at Rock Chalk Park next season.

“Our first game here this season, I told our girls that it was time to bid farewell to Arrocha in style,” Smith said. “We wanted to leave here with lots of wins this season.”

Today’s game figures to be packed with emotion.

“This field means a lot to me and to all of us,” Hatfield said. “And we definitely have to go out with a win.”

Iowa State 000 012 0 — 3 9 2

Kansas 020 035 x — 10 10 0

W — Kelsey Kessler, 19-14. L — Paris Imholz, 4-10.

2B: Sarah Hawryluk, Liana Henry, ISU; Maddie Stein, KU. HR: Sara Davison, ISU; Taylor Hatfield, Chaley Brickey, KU.

KU highlights: Kessler 7 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 7 K; Brickey 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI; Lilly Behrmann 2-for-5, 2 runs; Maddie Stein 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 runs; Ashley Newman 1-for-4, SB, run; Hatfield 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBIs, run; Chanin Naudin 0-for-2, RBI, run; Taylor Dodson 0-for-1, RBI; Kylee Kennedy 0-for-0, RBI.