Tennessee Classic up next for Jayhawks
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas softball travels to Knoxville, Tenn., to take part in the Tennessee Classic at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium Feb. 22-24.
The Jayhawks start tournament play against host school and No. 7 Tennessee on Friday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. (CT) and the game can be heard on the Jayhawk Radio Network or watched live on SEC Network+.
Day two of the Tennessee Classic has KU starting the day against Louisville at 8:30 a.m. (CT) and concluding play against Bradley at 4 p.m. (CT).
The weekend finale for Kansas is slated for 8:30 a.m. (CT) against Virginia.
QUICK HITS
• Kansas started the 2019 season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona, finishing with a 0-5 record, and secured its first two wins of the season at the Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom Invitational.
• Against UMASS Feb. 15, the Jayhawks defeated the Minutewoman 4-2 for their first of the season and first win of head coach Jennifer McFalls career.
• Kansas holds an 11-9 overall record against the four teams – Virginia, Tennessee, Bradley and Louisville – that it is slated to play in the Tennessee Classic.
• Kansas finished the 2018 season 27-25, 2-16 in Big 12 play and wrapped up last season on May 6 with a victory at Iowa State (4-1).
• The Jayhawks tallied a 17-3 record through their first 20 games of 2018.
• Becki Monaghan played in her 100th career game at Kansas when the Jayhawks clashed with Missouri (2/19/19) at the Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom Invitational. Monaghan has the most active game starts in a Kansas uniform, tallying 95 through her three seasons at KU.
WHERE THEY RANK
• Kansas holds the fifth highest batting average (.280) in the Big 12 and 108th nationally.
• The Jayhawks rank first in the Big 12 and 50th in the NCAA in double plays per game (0.50).
• KU is 108th in the NCAA in home runs per game (0.60) and fifth in the Big 12.
SCHEDULE CHANGE
• Kansas was originally slated to play five games at the Tennessee Classic, but due to potential inclement weather the tournament was altered. KU now is slated to play four games and moving their season total to 52 games.
60
• Junior Madison Sykes became only the second active Jayhawk to start 60 games in a Kansas uniform, joining fellow junior Becki Monaghan. Sykes registered her 60th start against Missouri (2/19/19).
MAKING THE SWITCH
• Sophomore Shelby Gayre has seemlessly made the swtich from shortstop to catcher. Gayre started 42 games last year at SS, and has become the go to behind the plate, starting nine of the 10 Kansas games this season.
• Gayre has a team-high .393 batting average, while tying for the team lead with Sykes in hits (11).
VIRGINIA
• Virginia leads the one-game series between the Jayhawks and Cavaliers, defeating KU 3-2 in Tallahassee, Florida on March 13, 1999.
• Virginia has played in two tournaments – FAU First Pitch Classic and Elon Softball February Classic – and compiled a 4-5 record. VU started the season with five-straight losses, but rebounded in week two, defeating its four opponents.
NO. 7 TENNESSEE
• Tennessee holds a 3-2 edge over Kansas, winning the previous two meetings, while splitting the two games the teams have played in Knoxville, Tenn.
• The Lady Vols have compiled an 8-2 record in 2019, including a six-game win streak to start the season. UT’s two losses came at the hands of two ranked foes, no. 23/25 James Madison and no. 1/2 Florida State at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational.
BRADLEY
• Kansas command a 6-3 lead in the overall series against Bradley, but the series is tied 2-2 in neutral contests. The Jayhawks tallied an 8-0 victory in their last meeting on Feb. 13, 2015 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
• BU enters the tournament with a 5-5 record and also opened the season at the Kajikawa Classic Feb. 8-10. Bradley earned its first win of the season against Seattle Feb. 8 before rattling off four more wins to start the Troy Cox Classic.
LOUISVILLE
• The Jayhawks hold a 3-2 lead in the overall series with Louisville and a 1-1 mark in neutral play. In the previous meeting between the two schools, Kansas defeated Louisville, 1-0, in the first game of the 2015 NCAA Regionals in Columbia, Missouri.
• The Cardinals enter tournament play with a 4-5 record with wins over Cal State Fullerton, Buffalo, Utah State and Michigan.
UP NEXT
After the Tennessee Classic, Kansas splits time between two tournaments in North Carolina – The NC State Invitational and Duke Invitational. The Jayhawks are slated to play Campbell and NC State in Raleigh, and Mississippi State, Duke and Charleston Southern in Durham.
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