Coach Ritch Price revealed the scouting report after the 6-5 series finale loss against No. 7 Texas (28-10, 9-3) on Saturday.

“Don’t let Russell beat you,” Price said, reciting the report.

Longhorn right fielder Kyle Russell entered the weekend leading the nation with 18 home runs. The Kansas (18-20, 4-8) pitching staff was successful in keeping the sophomore in the park in the games one and two.

He couldn’t be contained in game three.

In the top of the fifth, sophomore lefty Andy Marks put two runners on via walks, bringing Russell to the plate with two on and one out. He put an 0-1 delivery over the right field fence to put his team ahead, 4-1.

Russell continued to pester Marks, who needed one more out to escape the seventh with the 5-4 lead when Russell sent a solo shot out to tie the game at five. He was the last batter Marks faced.

When Marks was lifted for closer Paul Smyth in the top of the seventh, he had given up only four hits to Texas. Unfortunately for Kansas, three of the four were home runs.

“It’s really frustrating,” Marks said. “I can’t say which one of those would’ve been home runs if the wind wasn’t blowing. A couple of them I didn’t think were going to be out — I think the wind definitely got a hold of them.”

Sophomore Buck Afenir agreed with his sentiment. He went 3-for-4 and scored a run as the designated hitter on Sunday. As the Jayhawks usual starting catcher, Afenir knows first-hand how the wind can affect Kansas pitchers.

“Sometimes this ballpark will come back and get you,” Afenir said. “It can help you out but it’ll can come back and bite you. The wind plays a big part in this ballpark.”

For the Jayhawks offense, however, the wind didn’t play nearly the factor that it did for the offensive powerhouse Longhorns. Although the Jayhawks out-hit their opponents 11-7, they didn’t benefit off any home runs.

Kansas instead used nine singles, two doubles and a pair of walks to hang with the Longhorns and even hold the lead for a half-inning after a four-run fifth.

Afenir’s leadoff double and freshman third baseman Robby Price’s RBI single with two outs highlighted the inning. A pair of walks from starter Joseph Krebs and a costly Longhorn error gave the Jayhawks the 5-4 lead.

“They’ve been awesome lately,” Marks said. “The way they’ve been battling back for us, the pitching staff, when we’ve been struggling. That last guy came in and shut the door a little bit, we didn’t have any left. But I can’t say enough about the offense the last couple of weeks.”

The Jayhawks’ bats have been able to keep them in games lately. Sunday’s loss marked the third time the Jayhawks have dropped a series by one run on the third day.

“It’s been tough to deal with, no doubt about that,” coach Price said. “We’re real close to winning three of the four series we’ve played. At the same time, we’ve only won one game each series now.”

Sophomore closer Paul Smyth (2-2) took the loss on Saturday after surrendering the Longhorns’ final run in the top of the eighth. His 2 1/3-inning appearance marked his second loss in as many weeks.

Despite the series loss and temperatures in the mid-30s, more than 1,000 fans showed up to watch the series decider. Although a good chunk of the fans were clad in burnt orange, Price and his players said they were grateful for the ones bundled up in Kansas gear.

“The fans have been fabulous,” Price said. “I saw the enthusiasm in the crowd last night and I couldn’t believe those people could sit through that for how cold it was yesterday.”

Kansan senior sportswriter Alissa Bauer can be contacted at abauer@kansan.com.

— Edited by Ashley Thompson