Kansas baseball ended its four-game losing streak with an 18-12 win against Wichita State on Tuesday at Hoglund Ballpark.
Tuesday’s marathon was over four hours long, included 30 combined runs, 29 combined hits and ten combined hit batters.
Jackson Hauge had maybe his best performance of the season, finishing four-of-six with a home run, two doubles and four RBI and scoring four times, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
“Oh yeah. I was actually the triples leader at (Minnesota State) Mankato,” Hauge said postgame with a laugh when asked if the cycle was on his mind when he held up at second instead of stretching for a triple in the seventh inning.
Kansas right-hander Malakai Vetock made his first start of the season for the Jayhawks on Tuesday, recording just two outs and allowing four runs on three hits.
Wichita State opened the floodgates early, with Camden Johnson leading off the top of the first with a double, followed by a hit batter, a couple wild pitches and RBI hits from Kam Durnin and Ryan Callahan to give the Shockers a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.
“I’m proud of the guys for being resilient. That was as choppy of a start to a baseball game as I’ve been a part of in a long time,” Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald said postgame. “I tell the guys, you can’t write the script but you have to be able to figure it out.”
Kansas forced pressure on Wichita State right-hander Colton Vercoe in the bottom of the first, when Dariel Osoria worked a nine-pitch walk and Jackson Hauge belted his 10th double of the season down the left field line. Brady Counsell drove in his 39th run of the season on an RBI groundout to cut the Wichita State lead to 4-1 and get Kansas on the board.
The Shockers’ offense continued its host start into the top of the second, tallying multiple infield singles and scoring on a throwing error by Kansas left-hander Gavin Brasosky to make it a 5-1 game.
Kansas once again answered back with a rally of its own, taking the lead in the bottom of the second and plating five runs in the frame. Ty Wisdom kicked off the half-inning with a single, followed by a walk worked by Tommy Barth, giving the Jayhawks another chance to cut into the deficit. Max Soliz Jr. delivered an RBI single through the left side, plating Wisdom, with Derek Cerda following his lead and driving in his 20th run of the season on a single, scoring Barth. Jackson Hauge flipped all the momentum for the Jayhawks, launching his 16th home run of the season over the left field wall to give Kansas a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the second.
Wichita State took back the lead in the top of the fourth, going up 7-6, courtesy of RBI singles from Ryan Callahan and Cole Dillon. The rally was started by a double from Jordan Rogers off the center field wall, and capped off by two RBI hits to give the Shockers a 7-6 lead. Kansas right-hander Thaniel Trumper entered in the top of the fourth and worked out of a bases-loaded jam.
The offensive shootout didn’t stop there, however, with the Jayhawks plating seven runs in the bottom of the fourth and jumping out to a 13-7 lead after four. Sawyer Smith kicked off the seven-run frame with his seventh home run of the season. The Jayhawks stayed hot in the fourth, with four different players driving in runs to give the Jayhawks a six-run lead after four innings.
As the game continued, so did the scoring. The Shockers plated a pair in the top of the fifth, scoring on a two-out RBI single by Callahan. Callahan entered the contest with eight RBI’s on the season, but doubled his season total and drove in five runs on Tuesday.
Just when you thought the two teams couldn’t score enough, they proved you wrong. Kansas plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth, courtesy of multiple two-run hits. Brady Counsell drove in two runs with a double into the left field corner, followed by a two-run single by Michael Brooks to give Kansas a 17-9 lead.
“We needed all of it tonight,” Fitzgerald said about the nonstop scoring from the Kansas lineup throughout the game. “I love the guys, but we also have to learn from mistakes and be better.”
The top of the sixth consisted of an unshocking multiple runs from the Shockers. Jordan Gustafson drove in a run on an RBI single, which was followed by an RBI sac fly by Lane Haworth, making it a 17-11 game.
Kansas slugger Brady Ballinger was not in the lineup for the second consecutive game for the Jayhawks, but manager Dan Fitzgerald said he was being cautious so Ballinger could be fully healthy for the Kansas State series later in the week.
“Brady could’ve gone tonight. He could’ve pinch hit if needed, but I thought the smart move was to let him rest and be ready for Friday.”
All eyes now go to the upcoming series against the Wildcats, one of the most anticipated Sunflower Showdowns in years.
Jackson Hauge was asked about the team’s attitude as it gets ready for the matchup after the losing streak that ended Tuesday.
“Prepare. Get back to what we do and execute at a high level. We play a lot of games and you can’t win them all,”
Kansas improved to 28-10 on the season with its win over the Shockers on Tuesday. With the loss, Wichita State fell to 12-24 on the season.
The Jayhawks are set to take on Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown this weekend at Hoglund Ballpark. The series opener is on Friday, with first pitch at 6 p.m. Central. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
James Madden is a freshman from Abington, Massachusetts, and is studying sports media. In his free time, he enjoys hanging with his dog, Jerry Garcia and supporting Jayson Tatum and his mighty Celtics. James is also an avid supporter of Tottenham Hotspur (unfortunately). Find him on X @Jmadden1632
This article was edited by sports editor Liam Carson. Contact him at carsonlo@ku.edu for feedback or errors.
