Jayhawks upset top-seeded Texas to open Big 12 Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY – For the second-straight season, the Kansas baseball team upset its first opponent in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, this time, defeating regular-season champion Texas, 3-2, Wednesday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
 
Kansas (27-28) relied on the arm of junior righty Jackson Goddard (5-1) to keep the Longhorn (37-19) bats at bay, that included striking out Big 12 Player of the Year Kody Clemens two times, and holding him hitless. Goddard’s day ended after six and 2/3 innings of one-run ball where he allowed just two hits while striking out seven batters.
 
Junior left fielder Devin Foyle scored two of KU’s three runs, plating a huge insurance run in the top of the eighth inning via a monster home run off the ballpark sign in left field. Redshirt-sophomore right fielder Brendt Citta scored the other run and was the only Jayhawk to boast a multi-hit day as he finished 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
 
NOTABLES
Double-digit bombs: Snubbed from the All-Big 12 First and Second Teams, junior left fielder Devin Foyle hit his 10th home run of the season to become the first Jayhawk since Alex DeLeon in 2013 to accomplish that feat.
 
Winning the first: Kansas holds a record of 2-1 in games played in the Big 12 Championship following an opening round win.
 
KEY INNINGS
Top of 4th
Junior left fielder Devin Foyle drew a leadoff walk and scored on a RBI-double by redshirt-sophomore right fielder Brendt Citta. Freshman third baseman Skyler Messinger then hit a sacrifice fly – KU 2, UT 0.
 
Bottom of 4th
Texas shortstop David Hamilton led off with a single and then stole second base to move into scoring position with no outs. Kansas junior righty Jackson Goddard settled in to retire the next three hitters, including Big 12 Player of the Year in Kody Clemens via a strikeout – KU 2, UT 0.
 
Bottom of 5th
Texas got its first two hitters aboard before catcher DJ Petrinsky roped a RBI-single. Goddard then forced a mis-execution on a bunt, strikeout and then lineout to get out of the jam – KU 2, UT 1.
 
Top of 8th
Junior left fielder Devin Foyle hit his 10th home run of the season coming with one out – KU 3, UT 1.
 
Top of 9th
Kansas got runners to the corners after a leadoff walk by senior first baseman Owen Taylor and a single by sophomore shortstop Benjamin Sems. However, back-to-back strikeouts by sophomores Mateo Zunica and James Cosentino ended the threat – KU 3, UT 1.
 
Bottom of 9th
Texas right fielder Duke Ellis led off with a single before designated hitter Zach Zubia drew a one-out walk. A two-out RBI-single by third baseman Ryan Reynolds pulled the Longhorns within a run and moved the tying run to third, but the Jayhawks got out of it for the win – KU 3, UT 2.
 
UP NEXT
Kansas plays No. 5 seeded Baylor Thursday, May 24 at 4 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on FSN or tune into an audio broadcast at KUAthletics.com/Radio or on the dial via KLWN.

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