When you’re batting average is still .360 heading into a game, it’s hard to say that you’re in a slump.

But that’s what Tony Thompson found himself in entering Wednesday game after the Texas series. Picking up only one hit in 11 at-bats during last weekend’s sweep was abnormal especially considering Thompson, a sophomore third baseman, had a 23-game hit streak stretching from last season.

Consider the slump busted.

Thompson went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI to propel Kansas (15-7) to a 7-4 victory and a series sweep of Western Illinois Wednesday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.

“It just felt good to finally put some good at-bats together, more than one a game,” Thompson said. “Put our team in the lead by another run so I guess that’s the most important part.”

Thompson’s second home run in the bottom of the fifth inning put the Jayhawks up 5-2, and finally gave them some breathing room against the Leathernecks (3-12) who put up a fight all the way to the end.

It helped Thompson to log at-bats against a lower level of competition, coach Ritch Price said. Against Texas, Price felt the superior velocity of the Texas pitching staff disrupted the timing of Thompson’s swing

“He wasn’t as sharp as he had been earlier in the season as far as getting his bat released,” Price said. “Usually when he’s going good, he’s dialed in on a fastball regardless of what the velocity is.”

Both of Thompson’s home runs were to left field and were well on their way to clearing the fence by the time Thompson reached first base.

“It was good to see him absolutely smoke those two balls,” Price said. “Those two balls were crushed.”

Unfortunately for Kansas, it needed all the runs it could get on Wednesday a day after after blowing away Western Illinois 14-3 on Tuesday. The Leathernecks kept it a scoreless game until the third inning, and they never fell behind by more than four runs, much to the chagrin of Price.

“Without question,” Price said when asked if the game was too close for comfort. “I didn’t think our energy was very good yesterday, and I didn’t think it was very good in the dugout today.”

Even after Thompson’s first home run ignited a three-run fourth inning for Kansas, Western Illinois responded immediately in the top half of the fifth with two runs of its own.

Then after a two-run eighth for Kansas, Western Illinois responded yet again with back to back hits. The first was a home run by former Jayhawk Travis Metcalf’s younger brother Tyler, to keep the game within reach before Smyth induced a ground ball to get a double play to end any possible comeback.

“We could of put a few more runs up and had a couple better at-bats,” junior shortstop David Narodowski said. “But we managed to score a few runs late which just made everybody comfortable at the end.”

With upsets seemingly occurring all across America in college baseball, Thompson said a victory is all that matters in the end.

“I think any win is good,” Thompson said. “You like to have a little padding in between but you take whatever win you can get.”

Thompson has now surpassed his home run total of a year ago (five) with six home runs through 22 games. Which begs the question: Does he consider himself a power hitter now?

Thompson smiled before answering.

“I guess I’d like to think so sometimes,” he said. “I try to hit some balls in the gap and hit a few out of the park every once in awhile.”

— Edited by Andrew Wiebe