Apparently, David Narodowski can hit for power.

It hadn’t shown through the Jayhawks’ first 39 games, as he had amassed only 10 extra-base hits during the course of the season. In game No. 40, an 11-2 Kansas victory against Baker, Narodowski, junior shortstop, showed off some of that previously unseen strength, going 2-for-2 with two long home runs, his first as a Jayhawk.

“Finally,” Narodowski said. “Finally, I got it done. I got the first one out of the way and then the pitcher left one high in the second at-bat and I got the second one. It feels good. Finally.”

Narodowski, who transferred from Vernon College in Wichita Falls, Texas, started the season hitting from the cleanup spot for Kansas, a slot normally reserved for a power hitter. That trait, ironically, wasn’t demonstrated until well after he was removed from the heart of the lineup.

Coach Ritch Price said the performance during fall games was the reason he decided to put Narodowski in the cleanup spot.

“He hit like five in the fall. He was physical with the bat in the fall and he had a lot of doubles,” Price said, “so as shocking as you guys probably thought that was, he was physical enough to hit there.”

Narodowski’s first home run, on a 3-1 fastball that he took deep to right-center field, jump-started the Kansas first. The Jayhawks went on to score four runs in the frame, claiming an early lead they would never relinquish.

“It just gives your pitchers a little breathing room,” Price said. “Once you get ahead early it makes it easier for the next guy to hit.”

Narodowski’s second home run led off the second inning for Kansas, and this one was a no-doubter, hammered high into the trees beyond the left-field wall. The Jayhawks once again followed his lead in producing a multi-run inning.

Sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson also drove in runs in the first two innings, finishing with four RBIs.

“He’s on fire,” Narodowski said. “If guys are on base, he’ll bring them in. He’ll hit the home run when we need it. It gets everybody livened up in the dugout.”

In addition to the offensive barrage, the Jayhawks’ pitching was true to the form they’ve demonstrated all year, allowing only two Wildcat runs on seven hits. Junior Cameron Selik started the game, but because of tenderness in his throwing arm, he was held to a pitch count of 50. Selik had offseason Tommy John surgery and is still trying to return to full health.

“The reason we put him on the shelf last week was to try to get him well,” Price said. “He’s still trying to overcome, probably, the first time of being extended after that Tommy John surgery. Obviously, we missed him this weekend at Texas Tech.”

After 2.2 innings of three-hit ball, Selik gave way to freshman Kevin Burk, who threw 3.1 scoreless innings in relief while the Jayhawks amassed a double-digit lead the Wildcats would have no chance of recovering from.

— — Edited by Chris Horn