Jayhawks Travel to In-State Rival Wichita State

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 LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas baseball team closes out non-conference play when it travels south to take on in-state rival Wichita State, Tuesday, May 17, at Eck Stadium.

The Jayhawks (20-31-1) have won seven-straight games against the Shockers (19-33), and look to tie the longest winning streak either team held over the other in the 77-game history.

JAYHAWK RADIO NETWORK
The game against the Shockers can be heard on the Jayhawk Radio Network and on the dial on KWOD 1660 AM with Steven Davis and Mitchell Glessner calling the action.

On the web
KUAthletics.com/Radio

Mobile
Kansas Jayhawks app – search “Kansas Jayhawks”

COX KANSAS / ESPN3
The game against Wichita State can also be seen on Cox Kansas and on ESPN3 outside the state.

On TV
Amazon Fire TV; Apple TV; Chromecast; Roku; Xbox One; Xbox 360.

On the web
WatchESPN.com; ESPN3.com

On Mobile/Tablet
WatchESPN app; ESPN app

QUICK HITS

  • Kansas’ all-time record: 1,855-1,780-18 (.510).
  • Head coach Ritch Price’s record at Division I level: 651-627-4 (.509).
  • Price (435-398-3 [.522]) is just four wins from becoming KU’s all-time winningest coach (Floyd Temple, 438).
  • Tuesday, May 17 marks the 77th meeting between Kansas and Wichita State.
  • The Shockers lead the all-time series 44-32 with a 21-15 clip in games played in Wichita.
  • Kansas is riding a seven-game winning streak over WSU and has won eight of the last 10 games dating back to 2011.
  • The longest winning streak by either team during the in-state rivalry is eight, accomplished twice by Wichita State (1958, 1986-1988; & 1995-98).
  • During the seven-game winning streak, KU has outscored WSU 55-31 and batted .311 with 79 hits including 15 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 50 RBIs compared to the .265 average, 67 hits, 12 doubles, one triple and three home runs of the Shockers.
  • Junior catcher Michael Tinsley leads the Big 12 Conference with a .392 batting average and 78 hits, while ranking second in on-base percentage with a .472 clip.

ALL-TIME SERIES vs. WICHITA STATE
Overall Record: 32-44
Current Streak: Won 7
Longest Win Streak: 7, (2013-present)
Longest Winless Streak: 8, (1958, 1986-1988; & 1995-98)
Last 10 Meetings: 8-2
In Lawrence: 17-23
In Wichita: 15-21
Neutral Sites: 0-0
Under Ritch Price: 16-12    
First Meeting: April 5, 1952 (W, 6-5)
Last Meeting: April 19, 2016 (W, 9-3)

SCOUTING REPORT
Wichita State enters Tuesday’s midweek bout with a 19-33 record including a 15-15 mark at Eck Stadium. Of their last 11 games, the Shockers have just won three – Indiana State, #25 Creighton and at Illinois State. WSU holds a team batting average of .286 with 94 doubles, 10 triples, 33 home runs and a .405 slugging percentage. The squad averages 6.2 runs per contest, but gives up an average of 7.0 runs per game to its opponents. The Shockers have five regulars in their lineup batting over .300 with Trey Vickers leading the way with a .324 average. Gunnar Troutwine produces the most runs with seven doubles, one triple, a team-high seven home runs and 36 RBIs. Alec Bohm leads the team with 13 doubles and a .475 slugging percentage, while Mikel Mucha has stolen a team-best 10 bases. On the mound, Wichita State holds a 6.13 ERA and a 1.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio (373 strikeouts, 224 walks). WSU will throw righty Connor Lungwitz (2-2, 9.20 ERA, 14.2 IP, 8 BB, 14 K).

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Kansas plays its final four games on the road – at Wichita State (May 17) and at Oklahoma State (May 19-21) – as part of a seven-game road swing to close out the regular season. The Jayhawks hold a record of 4-15 in true road games – 3-6 Big 12 – and a 5-19 clip in games played away from Hoglund Ballpark. In true road contests, KU scores an average of 4.8 runs per contest compared to the 7.7 runs per game by its opponents. The Jayhawks are batting .263 on the road with 36 doubles, two triples and 11 home runs, while their opponents hit .332 with 41 doubles, nine triples and 25 home runs. Three of those road wins came at the hands of senior lefty Ben Krauth (at Baylor, at Texas and at K-State), who holds a 3-2 record in seven starts on the road. The third win came at Samford when junior closer Stephen Villines pitched three innings of shutout baseball before the Jayhawks scored four runs in the ninth to win it.

7-0 AGAINST THE SHOCKERS
The current Kansas senior class (fourth-year seniors) has never lost a game against Wichita State in seven tries, something no other four-year class can boast in KU baseball history. In order for it to hold true, the Jayhawks must win Tuesday night at Eck Stadium. Senior second baseman Colby Wright has started in four of those games and holds a .571 batting average (8-for-14) with two doubles, one RBI and seven runs scored. Senior third baseman Tommy Mirabelli made two starts in 2015 and batted .429 with a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored. Junior centerfielder Joven Afenir and junior catcher Michael Tinsley have done their part to help sustain the streak. Afenir batted .400 (6-for-15) in four games with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored while Tinsley holds a .375 average (6-for-16) with a double, a home run, four RBIs and four runs scored.

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
With the series loss at K-State (May 13-15), the Jayhawks have a tough road ahead of them in order to make the Big 12 Conference Championship in Oklahoma City (May 25-29). If Kansas sweeps Oklahoma State and Baylor or K-State loses its series, KU will go. If the Jayhawks win their series at OSU, they would need either BU or Kansas State to get swept. If all three teams sweep, all three win the series or KU wins its series and either the Wildcats or Bears win at least one game, Kansas is left out. BU plays at UT and K-State plays at TCU.

FOUR GAMES LEFT TO .400
Junior catcher Michael Tinsley leads the Big 12 Conference with a .392 batting average including a league-best 78 hits. The lefty bat ranks No. 7 in the NCAA among Power Five conferences in average and third in hits. He averages 3.8 at bats per game and if that holds true, he would finish the season with 214 at bats. In order to eclipse the .400 mark, Tinsley would have to register 86 hits (.402), or eight more in the next four games (2.0 hits per game). The last Kansas player to accomplish that feat was Joe DeMarco in 1997 (.439). If accomplished, Tinsley would become just the eighth Jayhawk since 1955 to bat .400 or better. The last Big 12 player to hit .400 or better was K-State’s Nick Martini (.416) in 2010.

SAVE ME
Junior closer Stephen Villines proves time and time again to be old reliable for Kansas out of the bullpen. At Kansas State, Villines picked up his fifth save of the season and has 26 for his career. He ranks third all-time in career saves at Kansas behind Paul Smyth (27) and Don Czyz (31). That save also marked his first since March 29, when he closed out a game against then-No. 15 Missouri State. Villines’ current 1.81 ERA, 5-2 record and 43 strikeouts in 44 and 2/3 innings pitched mimics his freshman campaign where he earned NCBWA Second-Team Freshman All-America honors (1.50 ERA, 2-2, 23 K, 48 IP). He needs two more saves to crack the top 10 in career saves in the Big 12.

UP NEXT
Kansas closes out the regular season at Oklahoma State (May 19-21). The Big 12 Conference Championship (May 25-29) would follow if the Jayhawks land in the top-8 in the conference standings by the end of the weekend.

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