Jayhawks Take Conference Break With Three Mid-Week Softball Games
March 23, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas Game Notes vs. Missouri State & Creighton 
Kansas softball takes a break from conference play as it returns home for the first three games of a seven game homestand this week with games against Missouri Valley foes Missouri State and Creighton. KU will take on MSU Tuesday, March 24 in a single game at 3 p.m. and then host Creighton on Wednesday in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
Admission to Tuesday’s match up is just $3 per person, while fans can buy one ticket and get one free at Wednesday’s game.
Jayhawks Online
Live stats are available for all 2009 Kansas softball contests online at www.KUAthletics.com, the official website for Kansas Athletics.
About Kansas
Kansas suffered a two-game setback at Oklahoma State last weekend in its conference opener as KU takes a 10-16 record into this week’s games. Senior Val Chapple continues to lead the KU offense batting .361 on the season along with a team-high 26 hits and 15 RBIs. Sophomore Allie Clark has also batted in 15 runs, all of which have come in the last month of play. Over the last three games, the Jayhawks have received an offensive boost from fellow senior Dougie McCaulley, who went 6-for-10 (.600) last week and improved her batting average by 30 points following the team’s series at OSU. McCaulley, who is averaging .276, leads the team with eight stolen bases. KU’s three-person bullpen is led by senior Val George, who has a 2.89 ERA and 7-8 record. Her 98 strikeouts rank fifth in the Big 12. Junior Sarah Vertelka has also seen significant time from the circle tossing 43.1 innings over 16 appearances. She is 3-3 with a 3.07 ERA.
Season Tickets Now On Sale
2009 Kansas softball season tickets are on sale now! General Admission tickets are $40. KU Faculty and Staff tickets are $32. The Kansas Softball Big 12 Flex Pack is also available for just $20 and includes one general admission ticket to five Big 12 games of the buyers’ choice. Order your tickets today by calling 800-34-HAWKS or by visiting www.KUAthletics.com.
Calling on McCaulley
Not necessarily known as a power-hitter for KU, Dougie McCaulley has shown signs of becoming one as of late as the senior center fielder went 6-for-10 (.600) during last week’s games, including a pair of doubles, for an .800 slugging percentage. After her busy offensive week, McCaulley improved her batting average by 30 points as she takes a .276 average into this week’s contests.
Home Sweet Home
The Jayhawks should stand a good chance of improving their offensive stats this week since KU’s numbers at home are noticeably better than on the road. As a team, KU is averaging .325 from the plate at Arrocha Ballpark compared to just .208 away from Lawrence. Additionally, Kansas has averaged 8.2 hits per game at home this season and 5.1 on the road.
Bunge Closing In on Milestone Victory
In her 13th season at the helm of the Jayhawks’ softball program, coach Tracy Bunge is quickly closing in on another milestone victory. The 1986 All-American is just two wins shy of reaching 400 career wins at Kansas. Through 12-plus seasons, Bunge is 398-325-2 (.548) all-time at KU and became the program’s winningest softball coach last season.
Up Next
Following their three mid-week contests, the Jayhawks remain at home as they return to Big 12 Conference play this weekend, March 28-29, against Texas A&M for a two-game series. The teams are scheduled to play at 2 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.
