Kansas Opens Big 12 Play At Oklahoma State Saturday
March 21, 2007
LAWRENCE, Kan . –
First Pitch
Kansas softball opens Big 12 Conference play and continues its 10-game road stand Saturday with a league series at Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks (21-9-1), winners of nine of their last 11 games, will travel to Stillwater, Okla. to face the Cowgirls (18-16) in conference competition Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) at Cowgirl Stadium. Live stats will be available for KU contests on kuathletics.com.
The Jayhawks return 10 letterwinners from last year’s Big 12 postseason championship team, including senior All-Big 12 pitcher Kassie Humphreys. Sophomore shortstop Stevie Crisosto paces the offense with a .362 batting average in 2007. Head coach Tracy Bunge is in her 11th season at KU with a 337-280-2 record.
Big 12 Opener — Oklahoma State
Kansas opens its 12th season of Big 12 Conference competition with a weekend series at Oklahoma State (19-17). The Jayhawks bring a 21-9-1 non-conference record into the series and are 86-112 overall in league play. KU finished 8-10 in Big 12 action last season but defeated four league opponents for the 2006 postseason championship, its first-ever in school history. OSU is 19-17 on the season after splitting a pair of games with Drake Tuesday. The Cowgirls had their four-game win streak snapped and will travel to instate rival Tulsa Wednesday before hosting the Jayhawks Saturday and Sunday.
Cowgirl Leaders
Senior catcher Courtney Totte, the reigning Big 12 co-Player of the Week, leads the offense with a .429 batting average, 43 RBI and 42 hits in 34 starts this season. Senior outfielder Shanel Scott is hitting .313 with a team-high 27 stolen bases on 33 attempts and senior shortstop Krystle Sanchez rounds out the top batters with a .311 average and adds four home runs this season. Senior Jessica Hoppock (10-9) leads OSU in the circle with a 3.68 ERA, 114 strikeouts and .232 opponent batting average through 106 and two-thirds innings. Freshman Anna Whiddon (6-3) holds a 2.68 ERA, 29 strikeouts and a .250 opponent batting average in 65 and one-third inning of work.
Capital Classic Leftovers
Kansas improved its non-conference record over the weekend with a 4-1 showing at the Capital Classic in Sacramento, Calif. The Jayhawks picked up victories over Pittsburgh, Colorado State, Idaho State and Georgia Southern and lost to Cal Poly, 7-3, to finish tied for third in the 15-team tournament. Senior ace Kassie Humphreys (11-3) led a solid KU pitching staff over the weekend, striking out a season-high 12 batters against Colorado State Sunday. KU is 17-17 overall in the event.
Up Next: KU Travels To Missouri State For Twinbill
The Jayhawks continue their 10-game road swing with a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday, March 28 at Missouri State. The twinbill is slated for 3 p.m. at the Missouri State Softball Field in Springfield, Mo.
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