It was the end of the fourth inning of game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader, and the Jayhawks were still tied with Chicago State (3-35). Junior starter Cameron Selik struggled through four innings of work, allowing five runs to a team that hasn’t reached double figures yet this season. The Jayhawks didn’t have an answer on the mound.

Then, the first notes of Linkin Park’s “Faint” started playing over the public address system, and sophomore Brett Bochy jogged out of the bullpen.

The Cougars didn’t score again in the game.

“Obviously, Selik struggled out of the gate for us and got behind and got hit a little bit,” coach Ritch Price said. “For Bochy to go in and put five zeroes up was really, really outstanding to see him do that.”

Bochy, son of San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, used his usual mix of a four-seam fastball with low-90s velocity, a two-seamer with a little less velocity and more tail and an off-speed slider to keep the Cougars’ lineup off-balance.

“I was just trying to get ahead of hitters, make good quality pitches every pitch,” Bochy said. “Once I got ahead, I felt like I could finish them off.”

Bochy allowed only two hits in five innings, walking just one while striking out a career-high nine to raise his season total to 45 strikeouts in 27.2 innings.

“My fastball has been working,” Bochy said. “I’ve been able to locate that pretty well, and then I’m able to use my slider off of that. I’m mainly using those two pitches.”

It was the sixth outing in a row in which Bochy has struck out at least one hitter, and his career average of nearly 13 strikeouts per nine innings is tops in Kansas history.

“I try to let my defense work for me,” Bochy said. “I just try to make the best pitch I can and it works out how it does. I’m not complaining.”

The defense behind him isn’t complaining either. Junior shortstop David Narodowski said that as long as Bochy was working quickly, the defense was better off.

“When he’s working quick and he’s dealing, it’s the best feeling to be playing behind him,” Narodowski said. “If a ball actually does come to you, you get all that confidence to make the play and get the out.”

In a season when senior closer Paul Smyth has struggled enough to raise questions about who his successor might be, Bochy has established himself as one of the candidates for that role.

“It’s good to see his velocity way up, guys,” Price said. “Now, every time we get the Inside Edge reports, it’s 91 to 94. And he was flat blowing the ball tonight. He’s got a good fastball, and when his fastball is down in the zone, it’s tough to hit.”

— — Edited by Heather Melanson