Kansas baseball season began with a 2-1 loss against Illinois-Chicago in Corpus Christi, Texas, despite the club scoring 23 runs in total in its first three games.
Central Arizona College transfer Patrick Steitz, a junior from Peoria, Arizona, had by far the most success on the mound during a difficult weekend for the Jayhawks’ pitching staff. On Sunday, he helped KU defeat the Flames 8-2 by pitching six scoreless innings with four hits and zero walks allowed.
On Friday, the Jayhawks suffered an 11-9 setback, and on Saturday, they lost 13-6. On Friday, the two games of the series saw KU rally to tie the score at 5-5 entering the eighth inning before Kolby Dougan issued a walk and transfer reliever Ethan Lanthier gave up two RBI singles and a three-run home run. In the first five innings of the game on Friday, starter Reese Dutton and reliever Evan Shaw combined to give up nine earned runs.
Over the weekend, the Jayhawks did demonstrate a great deal of promise at the bat. With two outs in the ninth inning on Friday, Kodey Shojinaga went 6-for-13 with two doubles and two home runs. A newcomer from Heartland Community College, Ben Hartl, first baseman, and catcher Jake English each blasted two home runs, while Hartl drew six walks, more than twice as many as the next closest player on his squad.
The Diamondbacks’ MLB Draft selection from the previous summer, Dominic Voegele, a freshman, started for KU on Saturday night in addition to Dutton and Steitz. Before Grant Adler, a transfer from Wichita State, took his place, he only lasted 3 1/3 innings and gave up one earned run on five hits and two walks.
With a game against nearby Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday night and the Round Rock Classic over the weekend, the Jayhawks’ revamped pitching staff will have plenty more opportunities to showcase their skills this week.
