Jayhawks travel to Oklahoma State for three-game series

Game 34-36
 

Date March 31-April 2, 2017
Location Stillwater, Okla.
Notes Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
Audio Audio Stream
Stats Live Stats
 LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas softball travels south for a three-game series at Oklahoma State March 31- April 2. KU’s first Big 12 road trip of 2017 begins on Friday, March 31 at 6 p.m., at Cowgirl Stadium. All three games will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network.     

Leading off for Kansas

  • Kansas and Oklahoma State meet for the 111th time in program history this weekend. KU has won six of the last eight meetings, but OSU swept the 2016 series in Lawrence.
  • With its victory over then-No. 14 Baylor last Saturday, Kansas’ streak increased to eight-straight seasons with a win over a nationally-ranked opponent. 
  • The Jayhawks’ last three victories came in walk-off fashion, including a pair of walk-off home runs. Freshman Madison Sykes hit a long ball to end the game against Southeast Missouri State (3/19), while junior Erin McGinley hit a homer to end the game against the Lady Bears (3/25). 
  • Kansas has scored first in 17 of its 33 games in 2017. The Jayhawks have a 12-5 record when putting a run on the scoreboard before their opponent. 
  • Junior infielder Jessie Roane leads the Big 12 Conference in doubles hit with 12, which also ranks third in the country. Roane is also tied for first in the league in RBIs with 30. 

About the Jayhawks
Kansas enters its first Big 12 Conference road series with a 19-14 overall record and a 1-2 mark in league play after opening the 2017 slate with No. 14 Baylor. KU’s win over the Lady Bears on Saturday marked the first victory over a ranked opponent this year and snapped a 10-game losing skid to BU. Kansas lost its last two games against Oklahoma State, but won the six meetings before that. 

Kansas’ offense is batting .292 in 2017 with 252 hits, including the second-most home runs (28) in the Big 12, and 90 walks. Nine Jayhawks are hitting above .300 after 33 games. Junior utility Jessie Roane is batting .369 with five home runs, 12 doubles and 30 RBIs, which is tied for the most in the league. Sophomore outfielder Emily Bermel is hitting a team-best .382 after 13 starts and 21 appearances. 

The Jayhawks’ pitching staff has posted the third-best ERA in the conference with a 2.50 ERA. After a win over No. 14 Baylor, sophomore Alexis Reid improved to 11-8 on the season with 72 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA. She ranks 16th in the country in shutouts thrown with four. Junior Sarah Miller has made nine starts in the circle and owns a 3-3 record. She has a 3.05 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 43 and two-thirds innings of work.

Scouting the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State owns a 22-11 record in 2017 and opened its Big 12 Conference slate with a series sweep over Texas to sit on top of the league standings. The Cowgirls have won six of their last seven games and face Arkansas in a midweek game before hosting the Jayhawks. At Cowgirl Stadium, OSU has a 9-3 mark this season. 

Offensively, the Cowgirls are batting .318, the second-best average in the Big 12, with 268 hits, including 43 doubles, eight triples and 17 home runs, and 143 walks. Eight players on OSU’s roster are hitting above .300. Junior utility Vanessa Shippy is hitting a team-high .388 in 33 starts with a team-best 38 hits. Senior infielder Kristin Reasnor leads the team with 30 RBIs and is tied for the most home runs hit with four. 

In the circle, Oklahoma State has posted a 3.94 ERA with 117 strikeouts compared to 49 walks in 215 innings of work. Opposing batters are hitting .301 against the Cowgirls’ pitching staff. Senior Brandi Needham has a team-low 2.71 ERA with a 10-4 record. She has struck out 41 batters in 80 innings pitched. Freshman hurler Logan Simunek is 5-1 in the circle and has struck out 20 batters. She has posted a 3.59 ERA in 39 innings of work. 

Following Kansas
Listen to every pitch, home and away, all season long as part of the Jayhawk Radio Network, in partnership with KJHK, the University of Kansas’ student radio station, KLWN and KWOD. All of KU’s contests will be carried live, for free, at KUAthletics.com/radio or by clicking the link on the online schedule. Fans can also get in-game updates via twitter by following @KUsoftball.

The Jayhawk Way
From the moment a student-athlete steps on campus, Kansas head softball coach Megan Smith and her staff begin the process of instilling the Jayhawk Way into their team. The philosophy guides the Jayhawks in competing on the diamond, in the classroom and being a part of the community. There are several core values that the Jayhawks learn to live by while playing at Kansas: family, academics, character and hard work.

Up Next
Kansas returns to Rock Chalk Park to host Creighton for a midweek matchup on Tuesday, April 4 at 6 p.m. The game will air on the Jayhawk Radio Network. 

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