The Kansas baseball team entered the 2006 season set on finishing in the top half of the Big 12 and reaching its first NCAA Regional in 12 years.

Led by a group of determined seniors who ignored outside expectations, Kansas tied for fifth out of 10 teams in the conference during the regular season, won the Big 12 Championship and earned a bid to the Corvallis, Ore., Regional.

Senior infielder Jared Schweitzer covers second base as Southeast Missouri State senior outfielder Chris Gibson slides in during the Jayhawks game against the Redhawks on April 25 in Kansas City, Kan. Kansas finished the season with a 43-25 record, a Big 12 Tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994.

“If you would have told me earlier in the year that Kansas University was going to win the Big 12 tournament, I wouldn’t have laughed at you, but I probably wouldn’t have believed you,” senior outfielder Matt Baty said. “To see where the program has come in the four years and to be a part of it and then go out with a bang has been an absolute privilege.”

Preseason

The Jayhawks’ triumphant season was unanticipated by some in the Big 12 before the season began. On Jan. 24, Big 12 coaches released their preseason poll and picked Kansas to tie for eighth place in the conference.

“Kansas baseball has been so bad for the last 10 years, if I was a person that decided the polls, I wouldn’t put us up there either,” Baty said.

Non-conference Schedule

Coming into 2006, Kansas had won more than 30 games each of the past three seasons under coach Ritch Price, but failed to make an NCAA Regional. As a result, Price constructed a 2006 non-conference schedule that – if his team could survive it and reach the 30-win plateau again – would guarantee Kansas a regional bid.

Kansas’ non-conference schedule included five teams that reached the NCAA tournament in 2005 – Stanford, Southern California, Clemson, Wichita State and Creighton. Stanford was the first of these five that Kansas faced and the Jayhawks took the series, winning the first two games of the three-game set.

Senior outfielder Gus Milner and senior closer Don Czyz were recognized for their efforts in the series. Milner was named Co-National Player of the Week by CollegiateBaseballInsider.com and Big 12 Player of the Week, while Czyz was named Big 12 Pitcher of the week.

Overall, Kansas went 5-5 against non-conference opponents that reached the 2005 NCAA tournament. In addition, five of Kansas’ non-conference foes – Clemson, Vanderbilt, San Diego, Wichita State and Stanford – reached the NCAA tournament in 2006. Clemson was the overall No. 1 seed and is in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Kansas went 6-5 against non-conference opponents that reached this year’s NCAA tournament.

Conference Schedule

Kansas began conference play against three of the five Big 12 teams that reached the 2005 NCAA tournament – Baylor, Nebraska and Missouri – in consecutive weekends.

Kansas went 1-4 in its first five Big 12 games, but a victory in the final game of the Nebraska series gave the team momentum that it would carry throughout the remainder of the season. Beginning with that victory, Kansas went 8-5 in its next 13 conference games and 15-6 overall.

The Jayhawks then hit a roadblock that threatened to end their season prematurely. The next two weekends, Kansas faced the two remaining Big 12 teams that reached the 2005 NCAA tournament – Oklahoma and Texas.

Kansas salvaged the Oklahoma series with a Sunday victory, but was swept by Texas. In the Jayhawk Classic the following weekend, Kansas lost back-to-back games to Northern Colorado.

Kansas completed the regular season strong at home, though, sweeping Texas A&M; in three games. After facing six Big 12 teams that would make the 2006 NCAA tournament, the Jayhawks headed into the Big 12 Championship tournament with a full head of steam.

Big 12 Championship

The Jayhawks opened the tournament with a 7-2 victory over the Sooners and moved on to beat Oklahoma State 11-6. With a trip to the championship game on the line, Kansas next took on Missouri, which was also 2-0 in the tournament.

The Jayhawks overcame a late-inning surge by the Tigers to win 4-3 and prepared to play Nebraska for the Big 12 Championship. Kansas dominated Nebraska for most of the game behind the strong pitching of freshman lefty Nick Czyz and led 8-2 at one point.

Nick allowed only three hits in 5.1 innings, but his older brother Don had to come in with Nebraska threatening to steal the win. As he’d done all season, Don sealed the 9-7 victory for Kansas with a save.

Baty earned Big 12 Championship Tournament MVP honors after hitting .421 with two home runs, three RBI and five runs. Sophomores Erik Morrison and Ryne Price were named to the All-Tournament team along with Baty.

“It was pretty awesome because, with my injury, I was told that I wasn’t going to be playing at all the rest of the year,” said Baty, who suffered a lacerated spleen and kidney in Kansas’ fourth weekend of action. “To be able to come back and be player of the tournament, that’s just an unbelievable accomplishment. But it’s not an individual award, it’s a KU baseball award.”

NCAA Tournament

Kansas was rewarded for its Big 12 title with a No. 2 seed in the Corvallis Regional, hosted by Oregon State, and the Jayhawks headed into their first NCAA regional in 12 years on a seven-game win streak.

Hawaii was the first opponent Kansas faced in the regional and the Jayhawks pulled themselves out of an early 5-0 hole to win 9-6. Senior infielder Jared Schweitzer led the Jayhawks on offense, hitting for the cycle, and Czyz came in to record his NCAA-leading 19th save.

The victory would be Kansas’ only of the regional as it fell to Oregon State in its next game 11-3 and in a rematch with Hawaii 9-5. Schweitzer was named to the Corvallis All-Regional Team after batting .583 with two home runs, four runs and four RBI. Oregon State ultimately won the regional and is in the College World Series.

Kansas (43-25) ended the 2006 season with the second-most wins in school history and put itself back on the national scene for the first time in more than a decade.

“I always dreamed of being a part of something special,” Baty said. “That’s the reason why I chose KU.”

Postseason

Even with its 2006 season in the books, Kansas continued to make headlines.

Don Czyz, whose 19 saves are still the most in the nation, was recognized as a Louisville Slugger First Team All-American, a College Baseball Foundation All-American and the NCWBA Stopper of the Year.

“He’s a great young man and he’s worked his tail off,” coach Price said. “I really believe that if he stays healthy, he’ll pitch in the big leagues some day.”

Don Czyz, junior left-hander Sean Land, Milner, senior shortstop Ritchie Price, Schweitzer and senior right-hander Kodiak Quick were all selected in the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft and senior right-hander Ricky Fairchild was signed to a free agent contract.

“To have seven players sign pro contracts in a year – which is the most in school history – I think it makes a statement that Kansas is on the rise and we’re a legitimate Top 25 program,” coach Price said.

When it came All-Big 12 selection time, six Jayhawks received recognition. Czyz and Schweitzer were named All-Big 12 First Team. Milner, Ritchie Price and sophomore outfielder John Allman were named All-Big 12 Second Team. Quick was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

Records

During the 2006 season, Kansas played in front of record-setting crowds at Hoglund Ballpark. Four of the eight largest attendances were recorded this season including the all-time attendance record when 2,324 fans witnessed Kansas defeat in-state rival Wichita State, 8-2, on March 29.

First baseman Preston Land set the Kansas freshman single season home run record with nine.

Quick (11-4) set the Kansas single season wins record.

Ritchie Price set or added onto several school records in 2006. His 312 hits, 255 games played, 1,022 at-bats, 204 runs, 34 sacrifices and 53 hit by pitches are all Kansas career bests. His 68 games played and 290 at-bats in 2006 are Kansas single season records.

“It’s been awesome to have him play for me and it’s not easy to play for your dad,” coach Price said. “He’s been part of one of the best turnarounds in college baseball the last four years. He’s one of the best baseball players I’ve ever coached.”

Czyz finished his career at Kansas with a handful of records. His 128 career appearances are a Big 12 and Kansas career record and his 37 appearances in 2006 are a Kansas single season record. His 30 career saves and 19 saves in 2006 are both Kansas records.

The 2006 Kansas senior class – Baty, Czyz, Fairchild, Milner, Price, Quick, Trey Randa and Schweitzer – leaves with the most wins of any senior class in school history.

“Our seniors played very, very well,” coach Price said. “They set the tone for the season and did an outstanding job.”