Kansas, Oklahoma State set for three-game series
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas continues its four-game Oklahoma road swing at No. 13/16 Oklahoma State at Cowgirl Stadium. Originally scheduled to be three games over three days, the weather again has altered the Jayhawk schedule.
KU and OSU are now slated to play a doubleheader on Friday, April 5 starting at 4 p.m., and a single game on Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m.
The Jayhawks enter the series with a two-game winning streak after beating Baylor March 31 in the series finale with the Lady Bears and winning a single game contest at Tulsa on Wednesday, April 3.
Oklahoma State last competed on April 3, falling to UT Arlington, 2-1, but own Big 12 series victories over Baylor and then-No.9/10 Texas.
Fans can listen on the Jayhawk Radio Network via KUAthletics.com/Radio with Jackson Schneider calling the action.
QUICK HITS
• The Jayhawks earned their first away victory of the season, beating Tulsa 7-4 at the Collins Sports Complex Wednesday, April 3.
• Senior Jennifer Marwitz, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, hit her second home run of the season against Tulsa, and second in three games.
• Freshman Lexy Mills earned her team-leading sixth win of the season after pitching 4.2 innings against Tulsa on April 3.
• The series victory over Baylor is the first Big 12 opening series win for the Jayhawks since March 28-30, 2014, when Kansas swept Oklahoma State.
• The series win over Baylor is the first since April 13-14, 2001. Kansas beat Baylor 6-2 (4/13) and 6-0 (4/14).
• Brynn Minor pitched her fifth complete game of the season against Baylor in game one of the doubleheader.
• Jennifer Marwitz hit her first career home run in a Kansas uniform against Baylor (3/31).
• Kansas tallied 12 hits in the second game of the doubleheader against Baylor, the seventh time this season KU has had 10-or-more hits.
• Lexy Mills tallied seven strikeouts against Baylor and has seven games of seven-or-more strikeouts this season.
• KU earned its first Big 12 opening game win after beating Baylor (9-8) since March 28, 2014 when the Jayhawks beat Oklahoma State, 1-0, in Lawrence, Kansas.
• Kansas completed a three-game series sweep over Green Bay (3/22-23), earning its first series sweep since May 12-14, 2016 against Iowa State.
• Hannah Todd earned her first career victory at Kansas, pitching 5.2 innings with no runs allowed in relief vs. Green Bay (3/23). Todd’s 5.2 innings pitched are a career-high.
• Sydnee Ramsey finished the three-game series vs. Green Bay with a team-high seven RBI, while also earning 11 total bases.
• Todd, Lexy Mills and Brynn Minor each finished with a 0.00 ERA vs. Green Bay (3/22-23) and pitched four innings or more against the Phoenix.
WHERE THEY RANK (as of 4/1)
• Kansas ranks second in the Big 12 and 33rd nationally in double plays per game (0.47).
• The Jayhawks rank fourth in the Big 12 and 75th in the NCAA in doubles per game (1.38).
• KU is 128th in the NCAA in home runs per game (0.62) and sixth in the Big 12.
• Lexy Mills is ranked 23rd in the NCAA and sixth in the Big 12 in strikeouts per seven innings (9.0).
• Mills is also ranked 6th in the Big 12 and 53rd nationally in hits allowed per seven innings (4.85).
• Morgyn Wynne is ranked 11th in the Big 12 in slugging percentage (0.623) and home runs per game (0.623), while Becki Monaghan is fifth in the conference and 64th in the NCAA for toughest to strike out (121.0).
MARWITZ | BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Senior outfielder Jennifer Marwitz was named Big 12 Player of the Week on April 2 for her performance against Baylor March 30-31. Marwitz led the conference in hits, and tied for the conference high in on-base percentage (.700). She also was the game-winning run against Baylor in the 9-8 comeback win, while hitting her first career home run in game two.
WIELIGMAN | OKLAHOMA STATE
• Associate head coach Rich Wieligman was the head coach at Oklahoma State from 2007-15. He led the Cowgirls to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2011 Women’s College World Series.
• Over those nine seasons, Wieligman won 275 games while coaching 24 all-conference selections, 19 all-region players and one All-American.
RALLY FISH | CARL
• Following the loss to Tulsa on March 15, the team gained an unoFISHal mascot, a beta fish that was later named Carl. Since the inclusion of Carl as a member of the team, Kansas has a 9-3 record, which includes KU’s first series victory over Baylor since 2001, its first series sweep of the season (Green Bay | 3/30-31) and its first road victory of the season over Tulsa (4/3).
CONSISTANCY IS KEY
• Becki Monaghan played in her 125th career game at Kansas when the Jayhawks clashed with Tulsa on Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Monaghan has the most active game starts in a Kansas uniform, tallying 120 starts through three seasons.
RECAPPING BAYLOR
• Kansas earned its first series victory over Baylor since 2001, beating the Lady Bears in the series opener and the finale.
• In the series opener, Kansas overcame 12 walks by its pitching staff and a 7-0 early Baylor deficit. KU scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory.
• The second game went to the Lady Bears, who held KU to only two runs in the 3-2 defeat. Jennifer Marwitz hit her first career home run in the contest.
• Kansas left no doubt in the series finale, earning the 7-1 victory after scoring three runs in the third inning and two in the sixth. Freshman Lexy Mills pitched a complete game, while striking out seven Baylor batters.
RECAPPING TULSA
• Two three-run scoring innings helped Kansas earn its first road victory of the season, beating Tulsa 7-4 to avenge two early season losses to the Golden Hurricane.
• Lexy Mills earned the start and pitched 4.2 innings, while allowing four earned runs for her team-leading sixth victory of the season. Hannah Todd pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn the save.
• Redshirt-freshman Sydnee Ramsey hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning and Jennifer Marwitz hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. Marwitz, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, hit her second career home run and second home run in three games.
VS. OKLAHOMA STATE
• No. 13/16 Oklahoma State enters the three-game series with Kansas 26-11 and last competed on Wednesday, April 3, falling to UT-Arlington, 2-1. The Cowgirls are ranked third in the Big 12 with a 4-2 record and have series wins over Baylor and then-No. 9/10 Texas.
• OSU last played on Wednesday, April 3, falling at UT-Arlington 2-1. Prior to that exchange, the Cowgirls tallied five wins in their last eight contests, which includes a loss to recent Kansas opponent Tulsa (3-0) on March 20.
• Oklahoma State is led at the plate by Chyenne Factor, who has a team-high .343 batting average and .687 slugging percentage. The Cowgirls command a .292 batting average, while their pitching staff holds a 2.64 earned run average. OSU has two pitchers – Clakley (2.02) and Show (2.15) – with sub-3.00 ERAs. Show leads the team in innings pitched (101.0), strikeouts (70), wins (11), game appearances (20) and games started (16).
UP NEXT
• Following the three-game Big 12 series at Oklahoma State, Kansas returns to Lawrence to host No. 2/2 Oklahoma at Arrocha Ballpark April 12-14.
