Thursday, May 10, 2007
As proud as coach Tracy Bunge was with last season’s Big 12 championship, it’s a thing of the past.
“Last year was last year, done and over with,” Bunge said.
The Kansas softball team returns to Oklahoma City, Okla., to participate in the Big 12 Championship.
A year ago, the sixth-seeded Jayhawks moved through the tournament to win their first ever Big 12 postseason championship.
The squad returns 10 letter winners from last season’s team and finds themselves ranked seventh in the field of 10.
“Last year we had six seniors that did a great deal at the end of the year,” Bunge said. “This team looks a lot different offensively and defensively and we have two seniors leading us.”
pullquote
Last year we had six seniors that did a great deal at the end of the year. This team looks a lot different offensively and defensively and we have two seniors leading us.
- Tracy Bunge, coach
Bunge also said that this year’s winner can be from one of eight teams and whoever is on the hot streak will come out as champions.
Kansas has to get going on their own hot streak.
The squad is on a five-game losing streak with their two most recent losses to the team they will face in game one of the championship, Iowa State.
The last time the Jayhawks had a five-game losing streak, they followed with a five-game winning streak.
“We stumbled last week,” Bunge said. “Mentally we didn’t seem like we were ready to play, and we let Iowa State dictate the game.”
The two teams have faced off against each other three times this season with the Cyclones having the overall lead 2-1 outscoring the Jayhawks 15-7.
If the Jayhawks can get through the Cyclones in single elimination, they will face the Sooners.
Oklahoma is ranked third in the field and split with Kansas in the regular season. Taking a look inside the numbers of the regular season shows how the Jayhawks have faired on the season.
Offensively, Kansas is 26-3 when scoring the first run of the game and 23-0 when they lead after five innings of play.
Defensively the Jayhawks are 18-5 when they don’t commit any errors.
On the other side, Kansas is 0-13 if they give up five or more runs and 2-19 when trailing after four innings.
The team is 4-11-1 when they commit two or more errors in a game.
Senior pitcher Kassie Humphreys(18-12) is one of the Big 12’s top pitchers.
Humphreys is holding opponents to a .194 batting average in 41 appearances. Humphreys’ five saves are tied with Sarah Clopton’s five in 2000 for the most in a season by a Jayhawk pitcher.
“Tournament time is to let everything that has been prepped the entire season to come out and shine.”
Kansan sportswriter Evan Kafarakis can be contacted at ekafarakis@kansan.com.
— Edited by Mark Vierthaler
Improved Iowa State stomps Kansas
Despite winning an early-season match-up against Iowa State, Kansas failed to keep ...
Softball team takes on Baylor
The softball team starts its five-game home stand at 2 p.m. on ...
Softball sweeps weekend series
Kansas' early offense helped set the tone for the weekend games. By ...
Softball finds itself in familiar spot
After winning five of its last six games, Kansas takes on the ...
Keeping streaks alive
The softball team looks to improve its 10-2 record of late, and ...
Softball looks to end losing streak against ...
A three-game losing streak looms over Kansas as it takes on Missouri ...
Softball pitcher throws no-hitter
Humphreys faced 19 batters and struck out eight while throwing a pitching ...
Softball has roller coaster season
The softball team many young players this year. The team learned from ...
Offense responsible for softball team's loss
The offense and defense both had their problems, but the offense remained ...
Softball heads to Texas to face Longhorns
Seven games in seven days has prevented the team from practicing.
Kansas readies for Missouri State
After a weekend sweep of Oklahoma State, Kansas softball has won six ...
Softball takes doubleheader from Nebraska, Creighton
After sweeping Creighton and Nebraska, Kansas will play No. 3 Oklahoma this ...
Softball series swept by Bears
The series loss to Baylor dropped Kansas’ Big 12 record 2-2. They ...
Softball looks to continue road success
After sweeping Texas Tech, the Jayhawks look to keep their momentum going ...
Softball to face No. 5 Texas A&M
Kansas takes on Texas A&M this weekend at Arrocha Ballpark. The Jayhawks ...
Kansas softball defeats UMKC
Strong team effort leads Kansas to a shutout victory against UMKC, its ...
Preparing for Texas heat
Looking to continue their three-game winning streak, Jayhawks face the No. 24 ...
Softball travels to Missouri
Kansas will face a challenge tonight at Missouri when it faces a ...
Jayhawk softball splits last home game
Senior pitcher ends career with disappointing performance. Underclassmen step in to finish ...
Softball team comes out ahead during spring ...
The KU softball team stayed busy during break with the Kansas Invitational ...
Kansas softball can't compete with Wichita State
Kansas softball loses to Wichita State Shockers on Wednesday, 1-0 and 6-4.
Softball wants to put their loss behind ...
Baylor leaves Lawrence victorious after Sunday's game. Ramirez says the team enjoys ...
Softball wins two games in tournament
Softball started off slow with two loses on Friday, but with wins ...
Softball falls to dominate Aggies
Powerhouse Aggie pitcher holds Jayhawks to one hit. Kansas pitching staff gives ...
Kansas pitcher bounces back
Despite strong pitching and winning the first game of the series, softball ...
Softball loses two games to Missouri
Jayhawks get a combined nine hits in the doubleheader but were not ...
Softball splits double-header
Kansas' offense continued to struggle as it managed just one run in ...
Softball team sweeps Texas Tech in series
Despite cold weather, the softball team led a successful sweep of Texas ...
Fall Sports Wrap-Up
Each KU fall sport team had its ups and downs this season. ...
Jayhawks hope for a series sweep
The softball team will face UMKC in a doubleheader today.
Bunge optimistic about Kansas softball
Kansan softball coach Tracy Bunge has high hopes for this season. Returning ...
Softball sweeps two-game series
Freshman pitcher Sarah Vertelka pitches complete game and leads Jayhawks to their ...
Softball earns split with Texas
Tennis prepares for Colorado
The Jayhawks meet the Buffaloes this Sunday and hope to pull off ...
Kansas softball team returns 1-1 from away-game ...
The team will play its fifth and sixth straight away games in ...
Cross country team opens with higher expectations
The Kansas cross country team brings experienced and fresh faces to the ...
A cross-conference uplift
Coaches at Big 12 Media Day say that Kansas’ championship victory put ...
The week in review
The Wave looks back at the week in softball and tennis.
Softball team returns 3-2 from tough weekend ...
Kansas won against Oregon, Portland State and BYU, and lost against Seton ...
Win in Lubbock would be 400 for ...
Kansas softball coach Tracy Bunge needs just one more win to hit ...
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID