Rain Cancels Arkansas Doubleheader, Jayhawks Return Home For Big 12 Weekend Series With Texas

April 10, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Game Notes

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Due to the recent inclement weather in Fayetteville, the Kansas softball doubleheader at Arkansas originally scheduled for 3 p.m. today was cancelled. Heavy rains in the Fayetteville area caused the cancellation and continue to be in the forecast for Thursday afternoon. The games will not be made up.

Kansas softball (29-10, 3-3 Big 12) will return home this weekend, April 12-13, for a two-game, Big 12 series with Texas (19-14-2, 5-3 Big 12) at Arrocha Ballpark. First pitch Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m., while Sunday’s finale is slated for noon.

About Kansas

Kansas will take a 29-10, 3-3 Big 12 mark heading into Thursday’s doubleheader. The Jayhawks have split their last two series to go 6-2 in the last eight games. Junior Dougie McCaulley has been the team’s most consistent offensive performer as she boasts a .388 batting average, good enough for fourth in the Big 12, and ranks third in the conference with her team-leading 47 hits. In addition to McCaulley’s steady numbers, senior Betsy Wilson has come on strong for the Jayhawks as of late, hitting a team-best .450 in the last eight games. Wilson is third on the team with 18 RBIs (one of six Jayhawks with 15 or more RBIs) having collected nine in the last eight contests. Junior third baseman Val Chapple is tops on the team with 23 RBIs and shares a team-best six home runs with sophomore Amanda Jobe. From the circle, Kansas is third in the Big 12 with a 1.99 team ERA led by junior Val George (1.21 ERA) who is third among conference pitchers. George has 129 strikeouts in 121.2 innings of work and is 15-3 in 27 appearances. She is in the top five of eight Big 12 pitching categories. Sophomore Sarah Vertelka (2.13 ERA) shares the starting nod and is 9-4 in 19 appearances. Freshman Allie Clark (5-3, 3.42 ERA) rounds out the Kansas battery.

Series History

The Kansas-Texas series dates back to 1997 with the Longhorns holding a 13-10 advantage in the all-time series. The teams have split the series the last two years, but Kansas owns a 9-3 record in games played in Lawrence.

Player Notables

– Sophomore Amanda Jobe is also the team’s second-leading hitter in road games batting .284 away from Arrocha Ballpark and has batted in a team-high 16 runs on the road.

– Liz Kocon recorded the team’s first grand slam of the season on April 5 at Baylor to help lift the Jayhawks to a 6-1 victory in the top of the seventh. It was KU’s first grand slam since March 3, 2007 when Elle Pottorf batted in four runs against North Texas.

– Junior Dougie McCaulley is third in the Big 12 rankings swinging at a .388 clip. McCaulley has been the team’s most consistent hitter connecting for at least one hit in 29 of the team’s 39 games, including seven of the last 10, and has a team-best 14 multi-hit contests.

– Senior Betsy Wilson has also been the team’s biggest offensive threat since the start of Big 12 Conference play. Through six league games, Wilson is swinging a team-high .643 average (9-for-14) with six RBI.

Team Notables

– Kansas reached double-digit hits for the eighth time this season on April 5 at Baylor. KU notched 10 hits in the 6-1 victory.

– KU failed to reach base on balls at BU on April 6, the first time all year the Jayhawks did not get at least one walk in a game and the first time since May 5, 2007, a string of 42 games.

– The Jayhawks have 22 hits and 13 RBIs in its last three road games.

– Kansas has never been held scoreless at home this season and has at least one RBI in every contest at Arrocha in 2008.

Four Baggers

The Jayhawks have recorded five home runs in their last five games, including three at Creighton on April 2, one shy of the team’s single-game high. On the season, KU has tallied 19 contests with at least one homer, nine of which had multiple round trippers.

Conference Milestone

With a 96-126 all-time record in Big 12 play, Kansas is just four league victories away from reaching the 100-win plateau.

Up Next

Conference play will continue for the Jayhawks Wednesday, April 16, as they head to Missouri for the Border Showdown. The doubleheader is slated for a 3 p.m. start. From there, Kansas will travel to Lubbock, Texas for a two-game series with Texas Tech, April 19-20. Satuday’s contest is scheduled for 2 p.m., while the series final on Sunday will begin at noon.