⚾ Jayhawks Set to Tangle With 8th-Ranked Horned Frogs
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — The Kansas Jayhawks are set for a three-game series in Fort Worth against No. 8 TCU. Following these three games, nine of the most recent 13 games in the series will have come in Fort Worth, with just two coming in Lawrence.
The Jayhawks last played at TCU in 2019, winning the final game of the series and salvaging a game against the Horned Frogs.
TCU enters the series with a record of 27-9 and is 10-2 in the Big 12 after sweeping No. 19 Oklahoma State last weekend in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs are riding a five-game winning streak entering the weekend and have won 16 of their last 18 games.
Kansas is coming off an 8-1 loss to UT-Arlington on Wednesday night after topping Baylor on Sunday in its most recent Big 12 game.
With the win against Baylor, Kansas is now 19-0 on the season when leading after seven innings and 17-0 when leading after eight, which is something to watch this weekend.
Offensively, Kansas is led by freshman centerfielder Tavian Josenberger, who is riding a 19-game hitting streak after picking up a single agaisnt UT-Arlington on Wednesday night. Josenberger has also reached base safely in 24 straight games. The freshman is the team’s leading hitter at .354 and also has committed just one error in center and has a fielding percentage of .990. The last time Josenberger didn’t have a hit was on March 21 against Creighton. During his 18-game hitting streak, Josenberger has raised his batting average 81 points. He currently ranks ninth in the Big 12 in batting average.
Skyler Messinger is also a catalyst offensively for Kansas. He leads the Big 12 in doubles with 15 and is fourth in the country. He’s batting .319 overall and leads the team with 26 RBI.
Arguably the hottest hitter in the Kansas lineup is senior outfielder Brett Vosik. On the final day of March, Vosik’s batting average stood at .167. He enters this weekend with a .287 batting average. So far in April, Vosik is batting .438, going 21 for 48 at the plate with three extra-base hits. He also has six walks and is sporting a .518 on-base percentage for the Jayhawks in April.
On the mound, the Jayhawks will start righties Ryan Cyr and Cole Larsen on Friday and Saturday respectively, before going to left-hander Eli Davis on Sunday. TCU will start left-hander Austin Krob on Friday and right-hander Johnny Ray on Saturday. The Horned Frogs are TBA for Sunday’s series finale.
– Friday: RHP Cyr (3-5, 6.05 ERA, 9 GS)
– Saturday: RHP Larsen (4-3, 2.48 ERA, 8 GS)
– Sunday: LHP Davis (3-4, 5.48 ERA, 9 GS)
It’s (Josen)Berger time!
Tavian Josenberger completed a feat that no other Jayhawks has in program history, rattling off six hits against a Big 12 opponent. The freshman from Kansas City, Missouri went 6-for-6 with a double and triple against the Sooners April 10. The six-hit performance tied a program record for hits in a game with current Jayhawk assistant coach Ritchie Price, who belted six hits against Oakland on Feb. 26, 2004. Josenberger sits atop the NCAA rankings for hits in a game this season with seven others, and is the only player to complete the feat against a P5 opponent.
Following the two-game Air Force series, Josenberger reached a 15-game hitting streak and a 20-game reached base streak. Both team highs this season. Both streaks have been extended to 19 and 24 respectively.
MORE ON THE STREAK
Josenberger’s 19-game hitting streak is tied for the second-longest by a Jayhawk in the past 12 seasons. With his hit Wednesday, he is now tied with Brian Heere (2011) for the second- longest hit streak by a Jayhawk since 2010, behind only Robby Price’s 22-game hitting streak in 2010.
LONGEST KU HITTING STREAKS SINCE 2010
1. Robby Price, 2010: 22 games
2. Tavian Josenberger, 2021, 19 games
2. Brian Heere, 2010, 19 games
4. Connor McKay, 2015, 15 games
5. Colby Wright, 2016, 14 games
5. Jimmy Waters, 2011, 14 games
Josenberger’s 24-game on-base streak is tied for the sixth -longest streak since 2010 and is the highest on-base streak since 2016.
LONGEST ON-BASE STREAKS SINCE 2010
1. Connor McKay, 39 games, 2015
2. Michael Suiter, 32 games, 2014
3. Jimmy Waters, 29 games, 2010
4. Justin Protacio, 28 games, 2014
5. Michael Tinsley, 25 games, 2016
6. Tavian Josenberger, 24 games, 2021
6. Colby Wright, 24 games, 2016
6. Robby Price, 24 games, 2010
Cole in control
Cole Larsen continues to dazzle opposing batters and recorded his fourth victory of the season after another strong outing against West Virginia March 27. The win was the first conference win of his career.
Larsen allowed just six earned runs in 49 innings prior to the series at Oklahoma. He has a 4-3 record with a 2.48 ERA. He has gone at least six innings in each of his eight starts.
He logged back-to-back nine strikeout performances to start the season, and logged a career-high 10 strikeouts against Creighton March 20. In every apperance this season, he has five-or-more strikeouts.
Larsen was named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week March 15 after a complete-game shutout against Omaha.