In-state rival Wichita State on tap for Jayhawks Wednesday

at WICHITA STATE
March 20
6 PM
Wichita, Kan.
Eck Stadium
COX YurView
Listen
Game Notes

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas baseball team plays its 20th-straight game away from Hoglund Ballpark when the Jayhawks travel to in-state rival Wichita State Wednesday, March 20 for a 6 p.m. tilt at Eck Stadium.

Kansas (13-6) is coming off a 12-day road trip where it finished with a record of 5-3. Wichita State (8-11) enters the midweek matchup after splitting a four-game weekend series with Rhode Island.
 
Fans can listen to the contest on the Jayhawk Radio Network via KUAthletics.com/Radio with Nick Springer calling the action.
 
QUICK HITS

  • Kansas’ all-time record: 1,925-1,849-18
  • Head coach Ritch Price’s record in Division I: 722-694-4
  • Price’s record at Kansas: 505-466-3
  • All-time record in March: 506-414-4
  • Kansas plays its 20th game away from Hoglund Ballpark when the Jayhawks travel to Wichita for a midweek matchup against the Shockers.
  • Wednesday’s game marks the 81st time the two squads face off against one another with Wichita State holding a 10-game advantage over Kansas in the all-time series (45-35).
  • The Jayhawks outscore their opponents 5.7-4.2 runs per contest.
  • Kansas is a perfect 10-0 when it scores six or more runs and 7-1 when holding opponents to two runs or less.
  • Due to the inclement weather this spring, Kansas will play its first 24 games of the season away from Hoglund Ballpark – that ranks as the most contests away from home to open up a season in program history.
  • As a result, the Jayhawks’ first home contest will not come until March 29 against Baylor.
  • Twenty-four of the Jayhawks’ 56 games slated for 2019 will be against 2018 NCAA Tournament teams, including six against squads that advanced to the College World Series.

PITCHING DEEP
For the first time this season, Kansas saw two of its weekend starters pitch eight innings. Junior righty Ryan Zeferjahn tossed eight innings of scoreless baseball Friday (March 15) at St. John’s. Redshirt-juinor right hander Ryan Cyr followed up with a complete game (eight innings) on Saturday (March 16). Both outings marked career days for the duo.

PERFECT AT THE PLATE
Junior left fielder Brett Vosik enjoyed a perfect 5-for-5 effort at the dish against Central Connecticut State in the Snowbird Classic (March 12). He became the first Jayhawk to record five hits in five sequential at bats since then-junior left fielder Michael Suiter accomplished the same feat vs. Missouri State (April 23, 2014). Vosik finished the day with four singles, a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.

THE SAVIOUR
Redshirt-sophomore Jonah Ulane continues to embrace his role as the Jayhawks’ closer. The righty has racked up a Big 12-leading six saves on the season in eight appearances and ranks fourth nationally in the same category. In addition, Ulane has faced 35 batters and struck out more than half of them (18).

THE PRICE IS RIGHT
With the sweep over Northern Illinois (March 1-2), head coach Ritch Price reached the 500-win mark as the Jayhawks’ skipper. Price is already the all-time winningest coach in program history with 62 more victories than legendary head coach Floyd Temple (438).

BRING OUT THE BROOMS
Kansas earned its first three-game series sweep over an opponent when the squad took three-straight from Northern Illinois (March 1-2) in Grand Prairie and Melissa, Texas. It was the team’s first sweep since March 9-11, 2018, against St. John’s

LONG RELIEF
Redshirt-junior reliever Blake Goldsberry turned in one of the best relief performances as of late when he retired 12-straight Northern Illinois (March 1) hitters to pick up the four-inning save. Goldsberry faced the minimum in his 45-pitch effort where he recorded two strikeouts in the process.

BACK ON THE FIELD
Redshirt-senior reliever Ryan Ralston made his first appearance on the mound since May 20, 2016 (1,008 days or two years, nine months and two days) when he toed the rubber against Texas Southern (Feb. 22). Ralston missed all of 2017 and 2018 with injuries.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After a three-home run performance opening weekend, junior catcher Jaxx Groshans was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 18). Groshans reached base seven times in 13 plate appearances, including four hits and three walks during the first three games of the Jayhawks’ season-opening series at USC Upstate. Groshans finished with a league-best three homers and six RBIs in those three contests, while batting .400 (4-for-10). In addition, Groshans scored the second-most runs in the conference on the weekend at four. In the Monday finale, Groshans batted 1-for-1 with a single and a RBI while drawing a career-high three walks. He is the first Kansas Big 12 Player of the Week since 2013 when Michael Suiter earned the same distinction (March 11).

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Junior righty Ryan Zeferjahn became the first Kansas baseball player to earn a Preseason All-America Team recognition from Baseball America when the publication announced he landed on its third team. Zeferjahn was one of 42 players from around the country representing 35 different schools to be honored.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12
Junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn earned his second preseason recognition when the league’s coaches voted him to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. The team consists of 18 players from across the conference with Zeferjahn earning one of the six pitching spots.

PRICE NAMES 2019 CAPTAINS
Head coach Ritch Price announced that James Cosentino, Ryan Cyr and Rudy Karre will represent the 2019 squad as captains. The trio is each holding the honor of captain for the first time in their careers and represents what the Kansas baseball program is all about.

THE DEAN OF BIG 12 BASEBALL
Kansas head coach Ritch Price is the most tenured skipper in the Big 12 Conference as he has coached in 404 league games – 260 more than any other current coach.

1. 404 – Ritch Price, Kansas (17th season)
2. 147 – Tim Tadlock, Texas Tech (Seventh season)
3. 142 – Jim Schlossnagle, TCU (Seventh Season)
4. 140 – Randy Maze, West Virginia (Seventh Season)
5. 139 – Josh Holliday, Oklahoma State (Seventh Season)

JAYHAWK DUO INVITED TO SPRING TRAINING
Two former Kansas baseball players got the call to Major League Spring Training as non-roster invitees. Blake Weiman of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Stephen Villines of the New York Mets will be learning from the big-league guys in their month-long stint in Florida. Both Villines and Weiman were drafted in the top-10 rounds of the 2017 MLB Draft and have perfected their crafts all the way to their respective Double-A affiliates.

FOUR DRAFTED IN 2018
The Jayhawks saw four players get their names called in the 2018 MLB Draft: righty Jackson Goddard, third round, Arizona Diamondbacks; closer Zack Leban, 12th round, Miami Marlins; Devin Foyle, 17th round, Oakland Athletics; and Brendt Citta, 38th round, Pittsburgh Pirates. In addition, Owen Taylor signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Rockies.

UP NEXT
The Jayhawks travel to Oklahoma to open up conference play against the Sooners March 22-24 at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

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