Jayhawks & Alumni Play to 0-0 Tie, Crimson Beats Blue 3-0
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas baseball team welcomed back a number of former players to the second annual Floyd Temple Alumni Game at Hoglund Ballpark Saturday afternoon, where the two squads played to a 0-0 tie in an abbreviated game.
T.J. Walz (2008-11) got the nod for the alumni team, getting one inning of work in before Clint Schambach (2004-05) took the mound for the second inning. Don Czyz (2003-06) closed it out for the alumni, as the trio combined for six ground-ball outs and a strikeout, while giving up just two base hits.
Junior Connor McKay and freshman Joven Afenir had the only hits on the day for either squad in the alumni contest. McKay hit a line-drive single through the left side, while Afenir hit a double to left.
“It was great to see a lot of notable faces from our program back at Hoglund Ballpark,” head coach Ritch Price said. “Today was about getting together with our alumni and it was great to be able to do that.”
The alumni squad was captained by Chuck Dobson and Steve Renko, Jr., two former big league players who played together under legendary head coach Floyd Temple.
Dobson had a nine-year career in the Major Leagues, achieving an overall pitching record of 74-69 for an ERA of 3.78. Renko played in the majors for 15 years, starting 365 games on the bump, in which he finished 57 of them for nine shutouts.
Immediately following the annual alumni contest, the Jayhawk varsity squad split in two for a four-inning scrimmage in which the Crimson squad took the win by a score of 3-0. Freshman Stephen Villines got the call for the Crimson team, throwing three innings, giving up three singles and striking out two. In his three innings of work, Villines threw 36 pitches, 24 of them for strikes.
Offensively, the Crimson was led by freshman John Remick who had an RBI single in the in the third inning for the squad’s only base hit. Senior Tucker Tharp followed with a RBI sac fly to add to the run total.
The Blue squad saw freshman Jon Hander get the start, pitching two innings, giving up no hits and striking out one. Freshman Sean Rackoski came in relief, throwing two innings, giving up just one hit, while striking out two.
The Blue team was led by freshman MJ Farthing, sophomore Brian Poupore and junior Joe Luvisi, who each had one base hit in the contest. However, the squad could not convert to score any of its base runners as it fell, 3-0.
The Jayhawks continue their fall slate of workouts, Sunday, Oct. 6, as they are set to break off into two teams and scrimmage against one another. The team then returns to Hoglund Ballpark Tuesday, Oct. 8, for KU’s annual Scout Day, which will end in an intrasquad scrimmage. First pitch for Sunday is set for 1 p.m., while Scout Day is set to begin a 2 p.m.
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