His .293 average ranked fourth on the team, he was fourth in doubles (eight), second in walks (26) and finished third with a .398 on-base percentage, all while handling the stress of adjusting to college baseball as a third baseman.

To say that more was expected from McLaughlin this season would be an understatement. And for the first 15 games of the season, more was what the Jayhawks got.

McLaughlin, now a shortstop, opened the season on fire, hitting nearly .400 over the first few weeks and going 15 games before striking out.

That first strikeout came on March 15, during a 14-9 home loss to Murray State, and it started one of the worst slides of McLaughlin’s career.

It wasn’t necessarily the strikeout that brought on his struggles, but the 25-game stretch that followed dropped McLaughlin’s average from .327 to .240. During that time, he hit just .163.

That was until Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium, in Kansas City, Mo., where the Jayhawks rekindled their rivalry with former Big 12 foe Nebraska for one night. KU lost, 3-1, but McLaughlin finished 2-for-4 at the plate, his first two-hit game since April 1. In a big-league park. Just in time for the stretch run of the Big 12 season.

“To do it here was big for me,” McLaughlin said. “I had some success last year, and I kind of see myself as one of the leaders of these guys.”

The San Jose, Calif., native kept that last part in mind throughout the nightmare month of April, particularly on defense.

“It’s been a go-to,” said McLaughlin of his solid defense at his natural position, where he has played every inning this season. “I’ve made some good plays this year when I’ve been struggling at the plate, and I’ve turned my attitude around because of it. You have a bad punch-out, but then you go make a nice back-handed play in the hole, you’re still fired up going into your next at-bat.”

It’s not as if McLaughlin — who earned All-Big 12 honorable-mention honors while being named to the All-Freshman team last season — suddenly forgot how to hit. In fact, it was his desire to become an even better hitter that might have led to the slump.

“I kind of got away from my approach,” he said. “I’d always been a singles guy, get on base, draw a lot of walks, see a lot of pitches, and the next step in my development was turning into a guy that has a little more power. I got serious in the weight room and was hoping it would translate. It hadn’t in the first 15 games, but I was still finding ways to get on, my average was up there, and I was two hits a night. From there, I think I just got greedy having that success and wanted to do more and more, wanted to see a few more balls go over the fence and into the gaps.”

That shift in mindset created a monster. All of a sudden, the sleek, smooth, 6-foot-2 sophomore started swinging too hard, playing too big and trying to be something he wasn’t.

“This game, it’ll beat you up, and it really has the last month,” McLaughlin said. “But I’m trying to get back to that old approach, and staying within myself has been the biggest thing.”

Throughout his star sophomore’s slump, KU coach Ritch Price did his best to stay positive. But even that was difficult for the Jayhawks’ always-sunny skipper.

“It’s hard,” said Price. “It’s been in his head. You can watch the quality of his at-bats and tell how frustrated he’s been. … Hopefully he got himself going (at The K), and he’ll have a great month and finish strong.”

Even if that’s what happens, the way Price sees it, McLaughlin’s bounce-back goes well beyond the next few weeks. There’s a junior season still ahead and, after that, a stab at a pro career. Believe it or not, Price said McLaughlin’s recent slump should help both.

“I told him the other day, it’s going to prepare him for professional baseball,” said Price, whose team again sits in last place in the Big 12 at 3-8, 17-23-1 overall, and is in need of a winning streak of some kind during the final three weeks to keep its season alive. “He’s gotta learn how to limit those swoons, because that’s what gets you released in the minor leagues, and he’s hoping to play for a long time.

“He’s a really good baseball player, and I’m sure he’s gonna finish on a high note. But this is a great lesson for him. It’s part of that learning process.”