Kansas Stops At Creighton For Mid-week Doubleheader

April 1, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Game Notes

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<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas Stops At Creighton For Mid-week Doubleheader

Looking for its third-straight series sweep, Kansas softball (27-8, 2-2 Big 12) will take a break from Big 12 Conference action for a mid-week doubleheader at Creighton (25-10, 5-0 MVC) this Wednesday, April 2. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Creighton Sports Complex.

About Kansas

After completing series sweeps over MissouriState and Texas Tech last week, the Kansas softball team takes a 27-8 overall record into Wednesday’s game winning nine of its last 11 games. Junior Dougie McCaulley has been the team’s most consistent offensive performer as she boasts a .404 batting average, good enough for second in the Big 12, and ranks third in the conference with her team-leading 44 hits. In addition to McCaulley’s steady numbers, senior Betsy Wilson and junior Stevie Crisosto have come on strong for the Jayhawks as of late hitting .444 and .400, respectively, in the last eight games. Wilson is third on the team with 18 RBIs having collected nine in the last four games alone. Crisosto leads the squad with 24 walks, which ranks fourth in the conference. Junior third baseman Val Chapple is tops on the team with six home runs and 22 RBIs. Freshman Brittany Hile trails closely behind adding 19 runs batted in. From the circle, Kansas is third in the Big 12 with a 1.82 team ERA led by junior Val George (1.14 ERA) who is third among conference pitchers. George has 113 strikeouts in 104.1 innings of work and is 13-2 in 23 appearances. She is in the top five of six Big 12 pitching categories. Sophomore Sarah Vertelka (1.92 ERA) shares the starting nod and is 9-4 in 18 appearances. Freshman Allie Clark (5-2, 3.00 ERA) rounds out the Kansas battery.

RPI Rankings

In the first RPI rankings of the 2008 season released March 28, Kansas came in at No. 44 out of 283 Division I softball programs (prior to KU’s doubleheader with Texas Tech). The Jayhawks also ranked 27th with a .742 winning percentage.

Jayhawks In the NCAA Rankings

In the first release of NCAA statistics released March 23, Kansas found itself ranked in the nation’s top 50 in three categories — ERA (49th, 1.88), fielding percentage (27th, .973) and win/loss percentage (25th, .742). In individual rankings, KU pitcher Val George was 44th in the country with a 1.18 ERA.

Big 12 Non-Conference Records

Among Big 12 opponents, Kansas has the second-best non-conference mark with an .806 winning percentage (25-6). Texas A&M leads with an .829 (28-6) winning percentage outside Big 12 games.

Against the MVC

Creighton marks the sixth Missouri Valley Conference opponent faced by the Jayhawks’ this season. Kansas is 8-0 this year over MVC schools after its sweep over MissouriState on March 26. After the Bluejays, Kansas will still have one more MVC foe on its schedule in WichitaState (April 24).

Up Next

Kansas travels to Waco, Texas for a two-game series with Big 12 opponent Baylor, April 5-6. First pitch on Saturday is set for 2 p.m., while Sunday’s contest will start at Noon. The Jayhawks wrap up their six-game road trip in Fayetteville, Ark., April 10. A doubleheader is scheduled with the Lady Razorbacks for 3 p.m.