Jayhawks open the series with a win over McNeese State
The Kansas baseball team responded Friday night with its best performance of the young season, rolling past McNeese State 11–2 at Joe Miller Ballpark.
Kansas outfielder Jordan Bach opened the game by driving the second pitch he saw over the wall in left-center field, marking the second time this season he has led off with a home run.
Kansas built its advantage over the next few innings. Tyson LeBlanc delivered an RBI groundout in the third, Brady Ballinger later scored on a wild pitch, and Ballinger added an RBI double in the fourth to stretch the margin to 4–0. Max Soliz Jr. chipped in with an RBI single in the fifth as the offense continued to apply steady pressure.
McNeese trimmed the deficit to three with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Kansas answered immediately. LeBlanc, playing in his home state of Louisiana and in front of a large group of family and friends, launched a two-run homer over the scoreboard in left-center in the sixth to restore control. He finished with a team-high three RBIs.
[Three-game series with McNeese State]
The Jayhawks put the game away in the ninth, capitalizing on extra opportunities. Soliz doubled in a run, two more scored on wild pitches and Dariel Osoria added a sacrifice fly as Kansas pulled away for good.
On the mound, junior Dominic Voegele set the tone with six strong innings, allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out four. The bullpen followed with scoreless work from Toby Scheidt and Manning West to close it out.
“I thought Dom was great with 83 pitches through six,” Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “He had another inning in him for sure. He scattered just the two hits with a couple untimely walks in there, and McNeese did a really nice job of spoiling two strikes. His stuff was great and I thought he did a really nice job of lengthening the game for us.”
Fitzgerald also praised the bullpen’s ability to finish the night.
“Then, Toby was fantastic,” Fitzgerald said. “Three punchouts in two innings with no walks, and I thought Manning was great slamming the door.”
With the victory, Kansas evened its record at 3–2 and can win the series in Saturday’s second game. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. The second game will not be streamed on ESPN+, but the broadcast will return for the series finale on Sunday.
