Friday, April 11, 2008
The University of Kansas softball team returns home this weekend to face the University of Texas Longhorns. It is the Jayhawks’ first home contest in more than one week.
The team was supposed to have one last road series against Arkansas before returning to Arrocha Ballpark, but heavy rains cancelled the games. The games will not be made up.
Coach Tracy Bunge said the team didn’t necessarily need to get those games for momentum or any other reason, but having them cancelled let the team focus on Texas.
“If anything, you look at it right now from a coaching point of view as they were nonconference games. It would’ve been nice to get them in, but by not playing them, it really allows us to turn our focus, a day earlier, to Texas,” Bunge said.
The weather looks inclement again for the weekend, but it’s something that Bunge and the team are used to, even though they await the spring weather.
“We joke that we live in the tundra,” freshman right fielder Liz Kocon said.
The team comes off almost a full week without playing a game, but Bunge said that could end up helping the team.
“If anything, hopefully, maybe it gives us a little bit more time for some bumps and bruises to get healed,” Bunge said.
Bunge said Kansas’ goal for the Texas games was to aggressively attack the pitching.
“Offensively, we’ve got to challenge ourselves to go out in both games and take it to Texas early,” Bunge said.
She also said a key to winning would be taking control of the game away from Texas, because that is when the Longhorns are dangerous.
Kocon said the team was looking forward to getting back on the field, especially against Texas.
“We have a lot of rivalry with them,” said Kocon. She also said that there would be a lot of passion in the games over the weekend.
Bunge set a goal of 40 wins for her team at the beginning of the season. Now the Jayhawks are getting deep into Big 12 play and the schedule is getting tougher.
“We don’t have any patsies left on the schedule, if any,” Bunge said. She still believes that the team can finish strong, though.
Kocon said the team favored the underdog role and dealt with critics overlooking it all season, but as it got deeper into conference play, it knew it had to keep up its intensity.
“You go big or go home is what we always say,” Kocon said.
The Jayhawks start the tough Big 12 stretch at 1 p.m. Saturday at Arrocha Ballpark.
— Edited by Jared Duncan
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