Jayhawk Offense Powers Through Cold, Downs HBU 14-1

Sunday, March 2

Grand Prairie, Texas

11:00 AM

University of Kansas

Houston Baptist

Jayhawk Offense Powers Through Cold, Downs HBU 14-1

3/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Drew Morovick tossed five innings for the win, allowing just one hit in 17 batters faced.

Kansas 14, Houston Baptist 1
QuikTrip Park // Grand Prairie, Texas

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
HBU	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	4	2
KU	1	1	1	5	1	5	X	14	18	0

Box Score (.pdf)

Season Stats (.pdf)

Batting Leaders
Kansas	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
J. Protacio	5	3	4	3	0	0
M. Tinsley	3	0	2	3	0	0
HBU
C. Jones	2	0	1	1	0	0
J. McCoy	2	0	1	0	0	0

Pitchers
Kansas	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
D. Morovick (3-0)	5.0	1	0	0	2	4
C. Toalson	1.0	2	1	1	0	0
J. Piche’	1.0	1	0	0	1	2
HBU
R. Kennell (0-2)	3.2	10	8	4	0	3
M. McCollough	1.1	2	1	1	0	1
M. Hernandez	0.1	4	4	4	0	1
B. Waid	0.2	2	1	1	1	0

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Faced with tough playing conditions at QuikTrip Park Sunday afternoon, the Kansas baseball team rallied together to pound out 18 hits en route to a 14-1 drumming of Houston Baptist in a shortened seven-inning game.

The victory improved the Jayhawks to 11-1 for the best start in school history. No small feat for a program that threw its first pitch in 1880.

Game time temperature registered at 31 degrees, but junior shortstop Justin Protacio wasted no time heating up the offense. He led off the game with a triple and went on to anchor the Jayhawk lineup with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate, driving in three runs while touching home three times. That was the second four-hit game by a Kansas player this season, with junior utility man Blair Beck achieving the same feat against BYU (Feb. 15).

Freshman designated hitter Michael Tinsley and junior left fielder Michael Suiter each tallied two hits on the day to round out the multi-hit performances for the Jayhawks. Tinsley drove in three runs, while Suiter drove in a run and scored once.

Thirteen different Jayhawks added to the offensive attack, which was more than enough for junior right-hander Drew Morovick (3-0) who cruised through five innings of work. He allowed just one hit and two walks, while striking out four batters in the 66-pitch effort.

The Jayhawks scored at least one run in all six offensive innings, putting up a five-spot twice, in both the fourth and sixth innings. Houston Baptist (7-5) struggled on the mound, allowing head coach Ritch Price the opportunity to use every one of his position players in the win.

Freshman catcher Lee McMahon and freshman infielder MJ Farthing recorded their first-career base hits in the sixth inning, with Farthing driving in his first-career RBI.

Kansas is back on the diamond Tuesday, March 4, as they play host to Creighton for its home opener. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

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