⚾️ Kansas Hosts Buck O’Neil Classic Tuesday at Hoglund Ballpark Against Nebraska
| #20 Nebraska (22-7) vs. Kansas (15-14) | |
| When | Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. CT |
| Where | Lawrence, Kan. // Hoglund Ballpark |
| Watch | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ |
| Radio | Jayhawk Sports Network + KLWN (101.7 FM/1320 AM) |
| Live Stats | Stats |
| Notes | Kansas | Nebraska |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Social Media | @KUBaseball  | @kubaseball | Facebook  |
| Probable Starting Pitchers | |||||||||
| Day | Kansas | Nebraska | |||||||
| Tue. 6 p.m. CT | RHP J’Briell Easley (0-0, 2.25 ERA) | RHP Ty Horn (1-0, 4.85 ERA) | |||||||
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The third year of the Buck O’Neil Classic will take place in Lawrence this season as Kansas will host No. 20 Nebraska on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT. Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Kansas (15-14) holds a 2-0 record all-time in the Buck O’Neil Classic, with both games being played against Texas Southern the previous two seasons. The game has previously been played at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas, where the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association currently play.
Bringing the game to Lawrence this season allows both teams to celebrate the location of the first night game the Kansas City Monarchs ever played being in Lawrence in early March 1930.
The Jayhawks will start redshirt junior J’Briell Easley on Tuesday night. Easley made his first career start a week ago at Wichita State. He threw two scoreless innings and recorded four strikeouts of the 10 batters he faced.
Nebraska (22-7) is coming off a series win against Ohio State this past weekend. The Cornhuskers are 10-3 this season on the road. Offensively, Nebraska has hit .289 as a team and have posted a 3.88 ERA on the mound. Nebraska will throw Ty Horn on Tuesday night who is 1-0 with a 4.85 ERA in 13.0 innings this season.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets by contacting the Kansas ticket office at 785-864-3141 or by visiting the ticketing page here. Students receive free admission all season by presenting their KU student ID at the ticket booth.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Brian Hanni (play-by-play) and Kevin Wheeler (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on KLWN (101.7 FM/1320 AM) and 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.
MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Jake English and Dominic Voegele were both named to midseason All-American lists on April 3. English was a Midseason Second Team All-American by D1Baseball and Voegele earned a spot as a Midseason Second Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game.
English is second in the Big 12 in on-base percentage (.508) tied for third in walks (29) and doubles (13), third in slugging percentage (.719), tied for fourth in home runs (9). He leads the team in batting average (.354), slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, runs scored (33), total bases (69) and walks and is tied for the most RBI on the team (25).
Voegele is second in the nation among all freshmen and second in the Big 12 with a 2.25 ERA. His 2.25 ERA also ranks 30th in the country.
HITS FOR TEACHERS
Michael Brooks started a campaign prior to the start of the 2023 season to personally donate $20 for every hit he had this season to Lawrence Schools Foundation to provide school supplies for teachers and students. He finished the 2023 season with 59 hits, making his donation $1,180.
Brooks has continued that initiative for the 2024 season. He is donating $20 for every hit and will make a $40 donation for each home run. This season, he already has 34 hits, three of which are home runs, to bring his current donation total to $740.
Brooks currently has a 10-game hitting streak, which is tied for the longest by a Jayhawk this season. He has raised his season batting average from .279 to .318 over that stretch.
SERIES HISTORY
Kansas and Nebraska have a long history that dates back to 1892. Nebraska currently leads the all-time series 143-102-1. Tuesday will be only the second time the teams have played since Nebraska left the Big 12 following the 2011 season. The last time the teams played was April 27, 2016 at Kauffman Stadium in the College Baseball Hall of Fame Classic when Nebraska won 3-1. Kansas won two out of three games in the series the last time the teams played in Lawrence in 2011.
UP NEXT
Kansas will host a three-game series against Pacific this weekend, which begins on Friday at 5 p.m. CT.
ABOUT NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM:
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. The privately funded, 501 c3, not-for-profit organization was established in 1990 and is in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri’s Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District. The NLBM operates two blocks from the Paseo YMCA where Andrew “Rube” Foster established the Negro National League in 1920. To learn more about the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit nlbm.com.
