One day after going hitless for just the second time since April 5, KU catcher Michael Tinsley returned to the hit column in KU’s series finale at Kansas State.
Tinsley, who actually made four plate appearances [in Sunday’s 8-5, rubber-match loss to the Wildcats,][1] recorded an RBI sacrifice fly in the third inning to give KU a 4-0 lead. He also scored a run in the loss.
Tinsley was back behind the plate after being removed from Saturday’s lopsided 12-2 loss late in the game in order to give the Jayhawks’ top hitter a little extra rest.
KU, which fell a game and a half behind the Wildcats and Baylor Bears for the eighth and final spot in the conference tourney, now has three conference games remaining in the regular season (Thursday through Saturday at Oklahoma State) and a single non-conference match-up with Wichita State, giving Tinsley four more guaranteed games to attempt to finish at or above .400.
We won’t be there for all of Tinsley’s at-bats, but we will track his chase for .400 in this blog right here, as he attempts to become the first Jayhawk since Joe DeMarco in 1997 (.439) to finish a season above .400 and just the seventh Jayhawk to accomplish the feat since 1971.
Let’s take a look…
Updated Batting Average: .392
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**Name:** Michael Tinsley
**Year:** Junior
**Position:** Catcher
**Measurables:** 6-foot, 194 pounds
**Bats:** Left
**Throws:** Right
**Multi-hit games:** 25
**Most recent outing:** 1-for-3 in 8-5 road loss at K-State on Sunday, May 15.
**Details:** Tinsley’s up and down day at the plate included a walk in the first inning on a full count, the RBI sac fly in the third, a fly-out to center field in the fifth and a bunt single on the first pitch of his at-bat in the Top of the 7th inning. Later, with the leadoff batter reaching first base after a walk in the Top of the 9th with KU trailing 8-5, Tinsley grounded into a 1-6-3 double play to all but put an end to KU’s hopes of a late rally. From here, if Tinsley were to average four at-bats per game during the final four games of KU’s regular season, he would need to record eight or more hits down the stretch to bring his average back above .400.
**Up next:** 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night at Wichita State.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2016/may/16/baseball-oss-k-state-blow-jayhawks/
