No. 23 Kansas Faces South Dakota State in Annual Autism Awareness Game Wednesday

South Dakota State (4-18) vs. #23 Kansas (23-6)
When	Wednesday, April 2 at 6 p.m. CT
Where	Lawrence, Kan. // Hoglund Ballpark
Watch	ESPN+
Radio	Jayhawk Sports Network
Live Stats	Stats
Game Notes	Kansas \| South Dakota State
Tickets	Buy Tickets
Social Media	@KUBaseball \| @kubaseball \| Facebook

Probable Starting Pitchers
Day	Kansas	Opponent
Wed. 6 p.m. CT	RHP Patrick Steitz (1-0, 3.60 ERA)	RHP Drew McDowell (0-1, 17.47 ERA)

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas baseball wraps up its season-long six-game homestand and will take its five-game winning streak into Wednesday's matchup against South Dakota State at Hoglund Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and fans can purchase tickets by clicking here.

"We are excited for another chance to compete on Wednesday," head coach Dan Fitzgerald said. "We are also looking forward to our third annual Autism Awareness Game. Our Autism Awareness game is one of my favorite days of the year. Kelly and I are the incredibly proud parents of a son on the autism spectrum. Our hope is that our game brings more awareness and education to a disorder that is now diagnosed in 1 out of every 36 kids in the United States.

Kansas (23-6) returned to the polls this week as the Jayhawks were ranked No. 23 by Baseball America. The Jayhawks swept Oklahoma State this past weekend to improve to 6-3 in conference play, which marks the best start to Big 12 play in program history. The sweep of Oklahoma State was also the program's first since 2009. The 23-6 overall start is tied for the best 29-game start in program history with 1993, the only year Kansas has ever made the College World Series.

Through the first 29 games, Kansas leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth in the nation with 61 home runs. The Jayhawks are only seven homers shy of their entire 2024 season total of 68 homers. The program record for home runs is 75 in 2006 and 2023. Kansas is 21-2 this season when hitting a home run.

KU also leads the conference with 199 walks (third nationally), 273 runs scored (seventh nationally), a .561 slugging percentage (11th nationally), 9.4 runs per game (11th nationally), 314 hits (12th nationally) and a .434 on-base percentage (16th nationally).

South Dakota State (4-18) won its most recent midweek game with a 12-10 victory against Southwest Minnesota State. Luke Luskey has led the Jackrabbits this season offensively with a .372 batting average and 13 extra-base hits. Drew McDowell will be making his first start for South Dakota State on Wednesday.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
Wednesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Brian Hanni (play-by-play) and Wally Marciel (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Jayhawk Sports Network on KUAthletics.com and the Kansas Jayhawks app.

Live statistics can be found here, while live updates will also be provided on the team's official X page @KUBaseball.

AUTISM AWARENESS GAME INFORMATION
Kansas will be wearing special uniforms and hats that feature a design to help raise awareness for autism. Wednesday's game will feature a sensory-inclusive environment for fans attending. Stadium volume will be silenced at 5:50 p.m. and will gradually increase by inning throughout the game.

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2 every year. Information about autism and how it affects children and adults will be shared during the game, and resources will be available at the marketing table. Fans attending the game will also have an opportunity to grab assorted giveaways from the marketing table, while supplies last.

HOGLUND BALLPARK ATTENDANCE RECORD
On Friday, March 28, Kansas set a new attendance record at Hoglund Ballpark with 2,660 fans to watch the Jayhawks play Oklahoma State. The sellout was the second in Hoglund Ballpark history (2,639 fans on May 17, 2009 vs. Kansas State).

SERIES HISTORY
Kansas and South Dakota State have met 10 times in program history. The Jayhawks hold an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series. The last time the teams met was to begin the 2021 season at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota. KU won two out of three games in that series. The only time South Dakota State has come to Lawrence was in 2005 when the Jayhawks had a four-game series sweep of the Jackrabbits.

UP NEXT
Kansas will travel to UCF this weekend for a three-game conference series, beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. CT. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

No. 23 Kansas Faces South Dakota State in Annual Autism Awareness Game Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Patrick Steitz

University of Kansas Athletics

No. 23 Kansas Faces South Dakota State in Annual Autism Awareness Game Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Patrick Steitz

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