Wednesday, April 1, 2009
After a week-long hiatus, the Jayhawk softball team returns to action tomorrow at 4 p.m. for a doubleheader against the Missouri Tigers in Kansas’ Big 12 Conference home opener. Kansas (10-19, 0-2) hopes to contain No. 13 Missouri (30-4, 3-1), which comes into Lawrence after winning their last five games.
Despite the rivalry, coach Tracy Bunge didn’t shy away from giving credit to a talented Missouri ballclub.
“They’ve had a very consistent year,” she said, “They aren’t one-dimensional either; they have a good mix of speed and power. They’re a well-balanced club.”
TODAY
Kansas vs. Missouri
4 p.m., Doubleheader
Arrocha Ballpark
Admission is free for students with a valid KUID.
The Tigers indeed boast a solid all-around game. Senior pitcher Stacy Delaney was just named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week for her two victories last week and will certainly be a presence from the circle. From the plate, the Tigers are just as deadly — they currently lead the Big 12 with a .334 team batting average.
Missouri has a number of weapons, but for Bunge the catalyst of the Tiger’s success has been speedy sophomore outfielder Rhea Taylor. Taylor, last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year, has been a menace when she gets on base — with 16 steals on the season. It isn’t surprising, then, that Kansas has been working hard on defense in practice.
“We’ve spent a lot of time trying to simulate Missouri’s speed — slapping the ball around and letting our base-runners cheat a bit,” she said, adding that the Jayhawks would need to keep Taylor off the basepaths.
Although the Jayhawks come into the Border Showdown with five consecutive losses, coach Bunge is encouraged by their recent performance in practice.
“We’ve had a great couple of practices — the team has really come together and played with intensity,” she said, “I’m really anxious to see how the girls come out and play; they are really looking forward to playing Mizzou.”
Missouri’s 30 wins speak to the team’s skill, but the Jayhawks still believe they can steal a few a couple of wins from the Tigers.
“Well, you look at their record — they obviously don’t beat themselves,” she said, “But we know that if we play well, we can play with anyone; it’s just going to take two solid, consistent games to beat them.”
TEXAS A&M GAMES RESCHEDULED
Last weekend’s games against Texas A&M, which were postponed due to weather, have been rescheduled as a doubleheader for Thursday, April 30, at Arrocha Ballpark. The games are slated to begin at 11:15 a.m.
— — Edited by Chris Hickerson
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