Softball Takes On Two Non-Conference Foes This Week
April 21, 2008
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Game Notes 
Softball Takes On Two Non-Conference Foes This Week<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas softball will take a break from Big 12 Conference play with two mid-week, non-conference tilts this week. The Jayhawks, who are 30-15 overall (4-8 Big 12), will travel across the state line to Kansas City, Mo. Tuesday, April 22 for a pair of games against UMKC (8-24). KU then returns home to Arrocha Ballpark for the first time in six games for a doubleheader with WichitaState (28-21) Thursday, April 24. The nightcap on Thursday can be heard live on KLWN (1320 AM) with Alex Dingman calling the action.
About Kansas
Riding its longest losing streak of the year at five games, Kansas softball (30-15, 4-8 Big 12) will look to rebound from back-to-back sweeps by Missouri and No. 4 Texas A&M in the last week. KU, who is 26-7 in non-conference games, is batting .259 on the season but has averaged .272 from the plate outside of Big 12 contests. Junior Dougie McCaulley paces the Jayhawks with a .397 average, her first time under .400 in four games, and leads the team with 54 hits. Sophomore Amanda Jobe is a .263 hitter this season but is batting .310 for KU in non-conference games with six homers. She has a team-high eight round-trippers so far this year. Junior third baseman Val Chapple (.322 average) is tops on the team with 25 RBIs, one of three players with 20 or more runs batted in. Junior Val George leads the Kansas bullpen with a 1.91 ERA. Outside of Big 12 contests, George has allowed just 12 earned runs for a 0.88 ERA. George has compiled 152 strikeouts in 142.2 innings of work and is 16-7 in a Big 12 leading 33 appearances, including all 12 of the team’s Big 12 contests so far, a league best. Sophomore Sarah Vertelka (2.61 ERA, 22 appearances) and freshman Allie Clark (3.33 ERA, 22 appearances) share time from the circle.
Series History
The Jayhawks hold a 20-1 advantage all-time against UMKC. The Kangaroos’ lone win came in 2002. KU has since won the last 10 meetings, seven of which were shutouts.
Despite KU’s 60-16 all-time record over WichitaState, the Shockers have claimed eight of the last 10 meetings including a sweep in last year’s doubleheader. However, the Jayhawks are 31-5 in games played in Lawrence.
Team Notables
– The Jayhawks suffered a no-hitter against No. 4 Texas A&M on April 19. It was the first time KU has been held without a hit since facing then-No. 17 Nebraska on April 26, 2006.
– Kansas has not been held scoreless at home this season and has at least one RBI in every contest but one at Arrocha Ballpark in 2008.
Against the MVC
Wichita State will mark the seventh and final MissouriValley opponent faced by the Jayhawks this season. Kansas is 9-1 this year against MVC schools, its lone loss coming at Creighton.
Alumni Weekend
Kansas softball will host its annual KU softball alumni weekend April 26 and 27 as the Jayhawks take on conference opponent OklahomaState. The honoring of the 1983, 1985 and 1986 teams inducted into the Booth Family Hall of Athletics by the athletic department earlier this spring will highlight the weekend. Listed below is a schedule of events for the weekend.
To register for the Kansas softball alumni weekend, please contact assistant coach Christi Musser at cmusser@ku.edu at 785-864-7964.
Jobe’s Long Ball
Sophomore Amanda Jobe tallied her seventh and eighth home runs of the season on April 16 at Missouri and is now just one shy of cracking the top 10 in KU’s single-season records. She also moved up to third in KU’s single-season list for homers by a sophomore. She is one shy of current player Elle Pottorf’s second-best mark of nine round-trippers by a second year player.
30-Win Plateau
For the fifth consecutive season and 10th time under coach Tracy Bunge, Kansas softball has reached the 30-win mark, hitting the big 3-0 against Texas on April 13. It is also the 24th time in KU softball history that a team has notched at least 30 wins in a single season.
Up Next
After the Jayhawks’ tilt at UMKC, Kansas returns to Arrocha Ballpark Thursday, April 24 for a doubleheader with WichitaState at 5 p.m. KU then welcomes OklahomaState this weekend for a two-game Big 12 series. The Jayhawks and Cowgirls will begin the series with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday followed by another single game Sunday slated for noon.
