Sign of Spring: Kansas Baseball to Open Practice Friday

Jan. 28, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

The Kansas baseball team will open its ninth season under Head Coach Ritch Price Friday afternoon in the team’s first official practice of 2011. With high temperatures expected near 55 degrees in Lawrence Friday afternoon, the Jayhawks are hopeful that they can hold at least a portion of pr actice outside.

KU will open practice at 2:30 p.m. Friday and begin workouts at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Price’s ninth Jayhawk team is highlighted by 19 returning letterwinners, including five position starters who are back from a year ago. Included in that group are seniors Casey Lytle (RF), Brandon Macias (SS) and Jimmy Waters (LF). Waters was one of the most consistent performers on the club last season, batting .309 with nine homers and 63 RBIs. His 34 runs batted in during Big 12 contests tied for the league lead with Texas’ Cameron Rupp.

On the mound, KU has eight pitchers returning from last year’s squad including weekend starters T.J. Walz and Tanner Poppe, as well as closer Colton Murray. Walz is one of the top pitchers in the history of the program, ranking seventh in wins (20), ninth in winning percentage (.667), fourth in strikeouts (222), seventh in games started (36) and eighth in innings pitched (237 2/3).

Kansas will open the regular season on Friday, Feb. 18 against No. 1 TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. This will mark the third year in a row that the Jayhawks have played a team ranked at the top of one of the polls. The Jayhawks’ home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22 against Creighton and is one of 26 home games scheduled for the Crimson and Blue this season.