Wednesday, May 2, 2007
The Kansas softball team is following a similar script to the one it has used the past two seasons.
Sophomore third baseman, Val Chapple, pulls off the bag after a force out at third. Kansas split the series with Oklahoma, after a loss on Sunday, 14-4.
The Jayhawks (32-19-1, 7-9) travel to Wichita State (32-26, 16-8 MVC) today for a double-header with a feeling, as coach Tracy Bunge put it, of déjà vu.
“When it comes down to the end of the year we’ve been in the same position the last two years,” Bunge said.
Heading into the Wichita State game last season the Jayhawks had a 27-24 overall record and a 6-10 in the Big 12 Conference
The team was seventh in the Big 12 at this point of the season, where the current team stands, and last year Kansas won the Big 12 Championship.
This year’s team returns 10 letter winners from last year’s team, which knows what it takes to repeat and improve on what it did last year.
“What you do the last 10-15 games of the year is important and our returning players understand that,” Bunge said.
The Jayhawks will meet in-state rival Wichita State for the 75th time, with the Jayhawks holding a 60-14 all-time advantage against the Shockers.
The Shockers are fourth in the standings for the Missouri Valley Conference.
“We can’t afford to look over this game,” senior pitcher Kassie Humphreys said.
Bunge also stressed that this week was no cake walk for the Jayhawks, who are winners of five of their last six games.
Offensively, the team is getting back into the swing of things by posting an average of almost four runs per game. Defensively, the team gives up an average of just over one run per game during victories.
Sophomore shortstop Stevie Crisosto leads the offense with a .310 batting average and 32 runs scored.
Sophomore catcher Elle Pottorf is swinging the bat well leading the team in RBI (37) and slugging percentage (.500).
Humphreys has been back on track as well as recording a team high 18 victories on the season while holding a 2.15 ERA.
Sophomore pitcher Valerie George (9-4) leads the pitching staff with a 1.90 ERA.
“We know who we are; we know what we do well,” Bunge said.
Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.
— Edited by James Pinick
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