Kansas to face competitive Oklahoma State
When the two teams played each other two years ago, they combined for a Big 12 record of 14 home runs in a single game.
Friday, April 25th, 2008
If this week served as a measuring stick, Oklahoma State should have the upper hand on Kansas this weekend.
Both schools played midweek games against Wichita State with the Jayhawks losing 6-4 to the Shockers Tuesday night and the Cowboys defeating the Shockers 5-3 Wednesday night.
Then again, those are just two games. Oklahoma State (29-11, 11-7) also boasts the third-best record in the Big 12 and the No. 13 ranking in the latest Baseball America poll. Add in the Cowboys’ 17-2 record at home, and the Jayhawks (25-19, 5-10) have a lot stacked against them to climb out of their eighth-place tie in the conference.
Photo by Jon Goering
Freshman designated hitter Jimmy Waters tries to avoid a tag at home during Tuesday night's game against Wichita State.
Two years ago the two teams combined for a Big 12 record of 14 home runs in one game, which Oklahoma State won 19-7, at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. This time around, the Cowboy offense might be even more potent.
Kansas faces Oklahoma State at 6:30 tonight, in the first game of a three-game series.
“We have to pitch very, very well in order to handle that lineup in that ballpark,” Kansas coach Ritch Price said.
Entering this week, Oklahoma State was first in the Big 12 in home runs, second in batting average, runs and triples, and third in hits. In four more games, Kansas has 14 fewer home runs, 21 fewer runs, nine fewer triples and 40 fewer hits. The Jayhawks are also hitting 39 points lower than the Cowboys.
First baseman Rebel Ridling leads Oklahoma State with 10 home runs and 40 RBI. Jordy Mercer, who doubles as infielder and closer, is close behind with nine home runs and 40 RBI of his own.
Senior left fielder John Allman has been Kansas’ offensive stud lately. In his last six games, he’s 10-for-24 with seven runs, six RBI and his fourth home run of the season.
To tame the Oklahoma State offense, Price will first rely on junior left-hander Nick Czyz (2-4), who played a part in that 14-home run game in 2006. Czyz pitched the final three innings of that game for Kansas, shutting out Oklahoma State the first two innings before giving up a two-run shot in the eighth.
Czyz fared about as well in his start against the Cowboys last season when he allowed five runs, three earned, in five and one-third innings of a losing effort. Czyz knows its up to him to set the tone for his team this weekend.
“It all starts with the starting pitching,” Czyz said. “If I can go out there on Friday night and give a good performance and keep my team in the ballgame and maybe single-handedly take over a game, I think that’s huge and it’ll set us up for the whole weekend.”
Rejoining Czyz in the rotation will be senior right-hander Andres Esquibel (3-3) and freshman right-hander T.J. Walz (3-0).
Walz is coming off a victory in the third game of the Nebraska series that earned him a spot on the College Baseball Foundation’s National All-Star Lineup this past week. Walz struck out five and allowed just three runs in seven and two-third innings against the Cornhuskers.
Oklahoma State will send out left-hander Andrew Oliver (3-2) on Friday, left-hander Tyler Lyons (6-2) on Saturday and most likely right-hander Tyler Blandford (3-3) Sunday, despite his 7.08 ERA and one-inning start last weekend against Texas. Oliver and Lyons threw back-to-back complete games two weekends ago in back-to-back victories over No. 8 Nebraska.
One thing Kansas has going in its favor is the fact it’s had a light workload of late. It only had one midweek game this week after its game with Kansas Wesleyan was rained out Wednesday. This season, Kansas is 3-10 in weekend series after playing at least two midweek games, but the Jayhawks are 10-4 in weekend series after playing fewer than two midweek games.
Going back to last weekend, the Jayhawks used a total of three relief pitchers against Nebraska, so – although junior closer Paul Smyth was used all three games – the Kansas staff should be well rested.
The Kansas bullpen received a boost on Tuesday when sophomore right-hander Thomas Marcin pitched an inning of scoreless relief. The appearance was only Marcin’s 10th of the season, but based on his performance against the Shockers, he appeared to be over his throwing problems that followed him from last season on into this season.
“We were really thrilled with Marcin, that he got on the mound in front of 6,900 people and pounded the strike zone,” Price said. “We intend to have him come in and take up some of the slack from some of the guys we’ve lost to injuries.”
— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird
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