Kansas in sunny Florida for Snowbird Classic

SNOWBIRD CLASSIC
March 8-13
12:30 PM | 4 PM |
8:30 AM | 9 AM | 9 AM
Port Charlotte, Florida
Charlotte Sports Park
Listen
Game Notes

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas baseball team begins a 12-day road trip at the Snowbird Classic when it travels to the Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, March 8-13.
 
The Jayhawks (8-3) will face off against Saint Joseph’s (2-6), Georgetown (2-10), Ball State (5-7), Central Connecticut State (0-3) and Seton Hall (1-6) during the first seven days of the trip.
 
All five games of the Snowbird Classic can be heard on the Jayhawk Radio Network via KUAthletics.com/Radio with Nick Springer calling the action.
 
QUICK HITS

  • Kansas’ all-time record: 1,920-1,846-18
  • Head coach Ritch Price’s record in Division I: 717-691-4
  • Price’s record at Kansas: 500-463-3
  • All-time record in March: 501-411-4
  • Kansas makes its third trip since 2014 to the Snowbird Classic at the Charlotte Sports Complex in Port Charlotte, Florida.
  • The Jayhawks will face Saint Joseph’s, Georgetown and Seton Hall for the first time in program history, and Ball State and Central Connecticut State for just the second time.
  • 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.
  • Twenty-four of the Jayhawks’ 56 games will be against 2018 NCAA Tournament teams, including six against College World Series teams.

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 since March 9-11, 2018 when the Jayhawks swept then-No. 20 St. John’s at Hoglund Ballpark, when the squad took three-straight from Northern Illinois (March 1-2) in Grand Prairie and Melissa, Texas.

ULANE FOR THE SAVE
Redshirt-sophomore Jonah Ulane powered himself to two saves on the weekend against Northern Illinois (March 1-2) when he closed out the final two games against the Huskies. Ulane struck out five of the hitters he faced and has now racked up a Big 12-leading four saves on the season.

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.

QUALITY STARTS
For the first time in 2019, the Kansas starting rotation of junior Ryan Zeferjahn, redsirt-junior Ryan Cyr and redshirt-freshman Eli Davis each turned in a quality start on the hill in a three-game series with Northern Illinois (March 1-2). Combined, the trio logged 18 and 2/3 innings, gave up one earned run and struck out 14 batters. Head coach Ritch Price believes it is key for his squad’s success to get that kind of performance each weekend out of his starters.

SIX HOME RUNS
Junior catcher Jaxx Groshans hit six home runs in his first eight games of 2019, including two, two-bomb efforts. Those multi-home run games mark the first time someone recorded more than one multi-home run game in a season since 2009 when Tony Thompson (3) and David Narodowski (2) accomplished the same feat. Those six home runs also rank first in both the NCAA and Big 12 Conference.

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.

KANSAS PICKED EIGHTH
With 22 letterwinners, five position starters and two starting pitchers returning from 2018, the Big 12 Conference coaches picked the Jayhawks to finish eighth in the annual preseason poll.

  1. Texas Tech
  2. Baylor
  3. TCU
  4. Texas
  5. Oklahoma State
  6. West Virginia
  7. Oklahoma
  8. Kansas
  9. K-State

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. 144 – 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)

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 Queens, New York, for a three-game series at St. John’s (March 15-17).

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