The Kansas softball team will travel to Carbondale, Ill., this weekend to compete in the Kay Brechtelsbauer Classic.

The Jayhawks will take on Ball State and Southern Illinois Saturday. They will take on Valparaiso on Sunday, and will either play in the championship or consolation game later that day.

Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said the Jayhawks could win this tournament. She said beating Southern Illinois and the other teams would be good regional victories.

The Jayhawks rebounded last weekend, winning three of five games in the Palm Springs Classic and moving to 7-7 on the season. Bunge said the team improved every game, but, as always, there was room for improvement.

“We need to be more consistent on offense,” Bunge said.

While the offense has improved this season, the Jayhawks could use more production from the lower half of the batting order.

Pitching is another area that needs improvement. The Jayhawks need to cut down on the number of walks per game. When the KU pitchers get ahead in pitching counts, they are too passive when they need to be aggressive, Bunge said.

The strongest area on the team is fielding. Led by Destiny Frankenstein, junior shortstop and co-captain, the Jayhawks have a .970 fielding percentage.

The four freshmen have also played well this year. Elle Pottorf, freshman catcher, has also been important behind the plate, Bunge said. Jackie Vasquez and Cyndi Duran, freshman outfielders, have also contributed by adding speed around the bases.

Christina Ross, freshman pitcher, continues to develop into a collegiate pitcher. Bunge said adjusting to the mound-to-plate distance — from 40 feet in high school to 43 feet in college — would take some time before it was comfortable for Ross.

After a month of playing, the team is still figuring everything out and making improvements every game, Bunge said.

She said Southern Illinois was a quality team, but she felt Kansas could win the tournament.