Kansas baseball falls short in Regionals

By Jason Baker

Monday, June 8, 2009

Kansas baseball was one of 64 teams competing in the Regionals rounds of the NCAA Tournament during the last weekend in May but fell short of making it to the Super Regionals.

For Kansas baseball, this was the final note on a well-played season. The Jayhawks swept a then No. 1 Texas Longhorns team in March, had a 30-3 record at home, were ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in three years and made it all the way to the finals of Regionals.

Coach Ritch Price said this was a step in the right direction for the team as it grew and matured.

“And I think we’ll be better for the experience a year from now and in the future that we were able to get to the championship game today,” Price said.

The 64 teams were broken up into groups of four in 16 cities across the country to battle it out in a double-elimination tournament.

The winner of the Regionals tournament competes in the Super Regionals, which leads to competing in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, their run for Omaha ended when they fell short of making it out of the Regionals round in the final game against North Carolina.

Kansas competed in the Chapel Hill Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C., as the number three seed. Kansas started off on the wrong foot, losing to Coastal Carolina 11-3 in the first game.

On the brink of being eliminated early, Kansas rebounded with a 16-0 victory against the number four seed, Dartmouth University.

In that game, Kansas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to senior catcher Buck Afenir’s two-run home run. Afenir went 3-for-3 on the day, scoring four runs.

The Jayhawks were able to keep Dartmouth from scoring thanks to the left arm of junior pitcher Shaeffer Hall.

Hall threw for a complete game, allowing only five hits and getting six strikeouts.

“We had to,” Hall said in a press conference on May 30 about pitching the whole game. “With some upcoming games, I had to go deep.”

Hall said he focused on one inning at a time to help him get through.

Price had nothing but praise for his starting pitcher.

“I think after we got beat up yesterday on the mound, especially when you need to turn you team around, you start with the starting pitcher,” Price said in a press conference on May 30. “And he was really special today.”

With the victory against Dartmouth, Kansas went 1-1 and played the second seed Coastal Carolina Chanticleers again in the semi-finals. The Jayhawks won 5-1. “Obviously they’re one of the top programs in the country, and it’s a great win for Kansas,” Price said in a press conference.

Kansas got an early lead thanks to sophomore right fielder Brian Heere’s single that allowed junior second baseman Robby Price to score 1-0. It wasn’t until the seventh inning before either team scored another run.

Catcher Jose Iglesias scored the only run for Coastal Carolina off a home run in the top of the seventh inning. But the Jayhawks responded in the bottom of the seventh scoring three runs, including a single by junior shortstop David Narodowski into left field, allowing freshman first baseman Zac Elgie and senior center fielder Nick Faunce to score.

With that victory, Kansas faced the number one seed North Carolina in the Regional finals. The winner would move on to the Super Regionals and have a chance to play in the College World Series.

With the help of pitcher Adam Warren, the North Carolina Tar Heels held the Jayhawks scoreless until the ninth inning. Warren pitched 6 and 2/3 innings, allowing only five hits and striking out eight batters.

“He kept us in check most of the day, and hats off to him,” sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson said of Warren in a press conference on May 31. “He was a fantastic pitcher, one of the best we’ve seen all year.”

Thompson was the only Jayhawk to score a run against the Tar Heels, hitting a home run in the ninth inning before the Jayhawks fell to the Tar Heels 12-1.

“My compliments to North Carolina,” Price said after the game. “Certainly they deserve to be a national seed.”

Although its journey to Omaha came to an end early, the team was pleased with the way season turned out.

“I think we put Kansas baseball on the map with what we’ve done this year.” Thompson said.

— — Edited by Derek Zarda

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