Friday, March 6, 2009
Sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson makes a throw to first base for an out during Wednesday afternoon’s 6-3 win against North Dakota.
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THIS WEEKEND Kansas (4-3) vs. Northwestern (2-6)
Friday Doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Saturday Single game, 7 p.m.
Sunday Single game, 1 p.m.
The event is free for students with a KU ID.
You’d think it would be safe to assume that the Kansas offense is back on track. They scored 14 runs in a two-game sweep of the North Dakota Sioux earlier this week. But... not so fast.
In each game, Kansas batters did most of their damage in the first three innings. Coach Ritch Price would like to see that change during this afternoon’s doubleheader against Northwestern (2-6).
“We’re not physical enough with the bat to not be competitive every time there are runners in scoring position,” Price said. “I thought we had some really noncompetitive at-bats where guys took pitches that were in the hitting zone.”
The Jayhawks scored only three runs, total, in the last five innings of both games against North Dakota.
“I think we need to have some better at-bats,” sophomore third baseman Tony Thompson said. “I think our offense looks pretty good. We just need to have some better at-bats down the stretch.”
It’ll be a work in progress for a team that lost last year’s third, fourth and fifth spot hitters. Price expects better at-bats to come once the team has matured this season.
“With so many young guys playing, we’ve had some guys get off to slow starts,” Price said. “It gives them four games and a chance to get a lot of at-bats and make some big progress this weekend.”
In addition to better at-bats, Kansas could certainly use some power, the lack of which has been well documented this season. Tony Thompson, sophomore infielder, finally put the first Jayhawk home run on the board against North Dakota, and ended jokes from opposing pitchers at the expense of the Jayhawk hitters.
“Most of those guys (pitchers) hit in high school,” Price said. “They like to tell those guys that they are better than they are. Some good-natured stuff going on.”
Joking aside, a potential boost for Jayhawk batting could be the weather change. Wednesday’s temperature was in the high 60s, and, coincidence or not, Kansas hit their first home run that day. The good weather is expected to continue into this weekend. Thompson thinks a combination of the weather and settling in at home will wake up the bats from winter hibernation.
“It’s great to be home again,” Thompson said. “We’re going to play some good competition this weekend, and the bats are going to warm up once the weather starts warming up. I can feel it.”
— — Edited by Justin Leverett
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