This week Kansas plays host to the Jayhawk Invitational at Arrocha Ballpark with the softball team opening the tournament at home for the first time this season.

Kansas (11-6-1) will play Drake (7-11) at 2 p.m. and North Dakota State (12-4) at 4:15 p.m.

The Jayhawks began the season at the Campbell-Cartier Classic. The team left with a 2-2-1 record and competed with Top 25 ranked teams such as No. 10 Cal, No. 6 Oregon State, and No. 23 UMass.

At the Sunshine State Tournament the Jayhawks beat No. 22 Florida State and came away with the tournament title.

The team traveled to Louisville and came away with a 2-2 record at the Red and Black Tournament and this past weekend the Jayhawks placed second at the Tulsa Classic.

Senior Kassie Humphreys has led the team in pitching this season with a 7-2 record and a 1.33 ERA.

The Glendale, Ariz., native has 70 strike outs and has six complete games under her belt only 18 games into the season.

Freshman Sarah Vertelka and sophomore Valerie George have also pitched well this season to complement Humphreys.

Both Vertelka and George have 2-2 records.

The Jayhawk offense has been led by sophomore Elle Pottorf, as well as by consistency of other players.

Pottorf leads the team with a .372 batting average, 17 RBI and four home runs.

KU’s top five hitters this season are two freshmen, Sara Ramirez and Amanda Jobe, and three sophomores, Pottorf, Dougie McCaulley, and Stevie Crisosto.

Kansas will face New Mexico (2-7) at 11:45 a.m. Saturday before entering bracket play later on that day.

Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.

— Edited by Trevan McGee