Kansas Baseball Returns West to Face #8 Stanford

Feb. 8, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

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Matchup: Kansas (4-1) at #8 Stanford (3-0)Dates/Times: 
Friday Feb. 10 7 p.m. (CT)Saturday Feb. 11 3 p.m. (CT)Sunday Feb. 12 1 p.m. (CT)Location: Palo Alto, Calif.Stadium: Klein Field at Sunken DiamondCapacity: 4,000Internet:GameTracker at KUathletics.comRadio: Stanford radio broadcast at: http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/Series: Stanford leads Kansas 6-0KU Coach: Ritch Price (12th season, 4th at Kansas)Record: 323-316-2, 106-88-1 at KUSU Coach: Mark Marquess (30th season at Stanford)Record: 1,227-590-5

Leading Off
The University of Kansas baseball team will return west to play a three-game series against Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. KU (4-1) and Stanford (3-0) will open the series Friday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. central. The Jayhawks opened the season winning four of a five game series at Hawaii-Hilo. Stanford made a big jump in the rankings after sweeping No. 5 Cal State Fullerton last weekend. Junior Sean Land (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will take the mound for KU on Friday while Stanford will throw junior Greg Reynolds (0-0, 1.35 ERA).

Quick Hits
-The last time KU played a Top 10 non-conference series on the road was in 2003 when the Jayhawks swept then No. 6 LSU in a three-game series. KU defeated the Tigers by a combined score of 24-17 at Alex Box in Baton Rogue, La.

-KU is 8-12 against Top 10 teams during the Coach Price era.

-After not pitching in last season’s series against Stanford, KU pitcher and Stanford transfer Kodiak Quick will start Sunday’s game against his former team. The Belton, Mo., native played two seasons (2003-04) and made 42 appearances for the Cardinal.

-2006 marks the third straight season KU has traveled to Palo Alto, Calif., to face Stanford in a three-game set. KU is looking for its first win against the Cardinal.

A Look at Stanford
After being unranked in the 2006 preseason Baseball America poll for the first time since the publication began the rankings in 1981, the Cardinal burst back into the national spotlight with a three-game series sweep of No. 5 Cal State Fullerton last weekend. After pulling out one-run victories in the first two games, Stanford defeated the Titans 6-3 on Sunday.
The young squad used seven freshmen in its first series of the season. Frosh pitchers Jeremy Bleich, Sean Ratliff and Austin Yount – nephew of MLB Hall of Famer and Milwaukee Brewer Robin Yount – picked up victories on the mound for Stanford.

Sizzling Seniors
KU’s four senior starting position players got their final season at Kansas off to a sizzling start at the plate during the Jayhawks season opening series in Hawaii. The foursome of Jared Schweitzer (.684), Gus Milner (.556), Matt Baty (.417) and Ritchie Price (.304) combined to hit 41-for-86 (.477) during KU’s five-game series against Hawaii-Hilo.

All in the Family
Three sets of brothers adorn the 2006 KU roster. Senior pitcher Don and freshman pitcher Nick Czyz, junior pitcher Sean and freshman first baseman Preston Land, and senior shortstop Ritchie and sophomore second baseman Ryne Price. Ritchie and Ryne are the sons of KU head coach Ritch Price.

Ready to Take the Next Step?
Baseball America listed the University of Kansas as one of 64 teams the magazine projects to make the NCAA Tournament field in its annual preseason guide. The Jayhawks are looking to take the next step and earn an NCAA berth for the first time since 1994.

Czyz On Watch List
Senior pitcher Don Czyz was named to the second annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award watch list. The Overland Park, Kan., native is one of 30 players named to the list for the award that will be given to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball.
Czyz recorded 10 saves in 2005, the second most in KU history, and was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. The right-hander’s 36 appearances last season set a new Kansas single season record. He currently holds the school record for career appearances with 94.

Quick on Watch List
Senior pitcher Kodiak Quick was named to the 2006 Wallace Watch released by the College Baseball Foundation. The Brooks Wallace Award is presented to the national college baseball player of the year.
A native of Belton, Mo., Quick set a new Kansas school record with 10 wins last season and led KU’s staff with a 3.41 ERA and was named All-Big 12 Second Team in 2005.

Putting the `Student’ in Student-Athletes
The KU baseball team recorded a program-best 2.96 grade point average during the Fall semester and had 15 players named to the A.D.’s honor roll. Red-shirt freshmen Justin Ellrich and Nick Faunce and freshman Kevin Bedford earned perfect 4.0 GPA’s. Achieving GPA’s above 3.0 were: John Allman, Max Ellenbecker, Ricky Fairchild, Ryotaro Hayakawa, Ross Kelling, Sean Land, Erik Morrison, Ryne Price, Trey Randa, Brock Simpson, Paul Smyth and Andrew Spitzfaden.