New Feature at Rock Chalk Talk: Ask Coach Price

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 11:46 AM CDT in Kansas Jayhawk Baseball

Kansas baseball head coach Ritch Price has agreed to take questions from fans through Rock Chalk Talk for the rest of the season. I’m sure it goes without saying that his offer is very much appreciated and that we are lucky to have a head coach here at Kansas willing to do thing like this.

If you have a question you can either post it in the comment section below or e-mail it to me at jqku at hotmail . com. Each week I’ll send three or four questions to Price and post his answers here on the site. Please include a name and your location with your question, or, if you prefer to submit the question anonymously indicate so.

For example: "Dear Coach Price. Why don’t you play Donny more often at shortstop? I am sure he is the best shortstop on the team." (Donny’s Aunt, Topeka)

Kansas (18-12) @ Iowa (11-15)

Kansas visits Iowa for Tuesday and Wednesday games. First pitch for both games is now 4PM. KU will provide a free audio web cast of the games. Just link here, go to schedule and log in from there.

Probable Starters

Tues 4PM: Cameron Selik (1-1, 5.47 ERA) vs. Phil Schreiber (1-0, 3.38 ERA)

Wed 4PM: Brett Bollman (3-0, 1.80) vs. Zach Robertson (2-1, 12.38)

Iowa is not having a good year. The Hawkeyes are 9-15 vs. D-I opponents and their RPI is at #215. They can’t blame their woes on a tough schedule. Iowa’s strength of schedule is ranked #176 and Kansas will be the best team they have faced so far. However, there are some cautionary factors at work here for KU fans. First off is that these games will be in Iowa City and the Jayhawks are only 1-7 on the road. Iowa is 2-3 at home vs. D-I teams. The second area of concern is Tuesday’s pitching match-up. Iowa sends freshman righty Phil Schreiber to the mound. Schreiber has good control (2 walks in 16 innings) a low ERA (3.38) and is controlling left handed hitters very well (.167 batting average against.)

Iowa is a fair offensive team. The Hawkeyes are slugging .443 as a team and they also have a lot of speed on the base pads (43 stolen bases in 26 games). All this adds up to an average of 6.8 runs scored per game on average. The Hawkeye pitching staff is somewhat below average but much better than KU’s last two mid-week opponents. The Hawkeyes give up 7.6 runs a game on average. They look to have a few decent arms in their bullpen - Patrick Schatz (2.01 ERA in 22.1 innings) and closer Mike Schurz (3.38 ERA in 10.2 innings).

Hopefully KU will not stumble this week and bring some momentum back to Hoglund where they will face Oklahoma State this weekend.

Tweet Comment 23 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

In your opinion...

who do you believe on this team has the best shot at making it in the Majors?

"People thought they saw something when Baylor was there. This means more than the national championship to us." - Leo Lyons

by jco8394 on Apr 7, 2009 2:28 PM CDT reply actions

Jordan Carroll, Lawrence

"People thought they saw something when Baylor was there. This means more than the national championship to us." - Leo Lyons

by jco8394 on Apr 7, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks jco,

I have my opinion here. I’ll be interested as to Price’s response.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions

majors?

The best shot at ever reaching the majors is as a pitcher, so i would guess on the safe side and select a Jayhawk pitcher. Marciel,Jakubov,Ridenhour,Marcin,Murray and Bochy but all of these guys have major question marks due to either youth or injury so its a toss up.

I like the chances of a Tony Thompson, Narodowski,Brunansky,Zak Elgie and Afenir as well, just because of position scarcity, upside and they all have nice potential with the bats as well.

by bkmhoxx on Apr 8, 2009 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions

Tuesday: Kansas 3 - Iowa 2 (7th)

I just got home and KU is up 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. Brian Heere has gone 4-4 at the plate with a run and an RBI. Tony Thompson has gone 2-4 with the other RBI. Cameron Selik went 6 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs (1 unearned) 3/2 BB/K.

Iowa is on their third pitcher. Kody McManis now pitching. KU has Kevin Burk on the mound to protect the lead.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 6:19 PM CDT reply actions

Offensive frustration

Kansas has 12 hits, one walk, one hit batter and Iowa has committed three errors yet KU only has three runs. KU has no extra base hims. By my rough calculations it looks like KU has had about 15 base runners. You would think that type of production would plate more than three runs.

Burk got the first two outs than gave up a single and a walk. Graves pulled him for Colton Murray. Runners on first and second, two outs, bottom of the seventh. KU 3-2.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 6:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Kansas 3 - Iowa 3 (end 7)

With two outs Colton Murray gave up a single to Nick Brown to tie the game. Murray gets out of the inning.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 6:34 PM CDT reply actions

Kansas 3 - Iowa 3 (end 8)

Murray struck out the side in the 8th inning.

KU has Heere, Afenir, Thompson, Faunce due up in the top of the 9th. That looks good to me.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 6:52 PM CDT reply actions

Kansas 5 - Iowa 3 (bot 9)

Heere singles to left. Heere is 5-5 today! First Hawk with 5 hits in a game this year. I love Heere.
Iowa brings in their closer Mike Schurz. Senor right handed side-arm delivery.
Afenir flies out to RF. Tom Hedrick said it was ball four that he hit. 1 out.
Thompson singles to left field. Heere to second. Thompson 3-5 so far today. KU with 15 hits.
Faunce hits into an E5. Bases loaded. Iowa has 4 errors today.
Elgie single to left. 2 RBIs. Faunce to 3rd. Elgie 3-5 today.
Colton Murray at bat? Hit by pitch. Bases loaded again. Why was Murray hitting?
Stanfield hits into a double play with the bases loaded. Inning over.

Colton Murray to stay in and pitch the bottom of the 9th. Tom just said Paul Smyth has his arm in a sling.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 7:15 PM CDT reply actions

Kansas 5 - Iowa 4 FINAL

Murray makes it interesting in the 9th. He walks two and gives up a single. With the bases loaded an one out he gave up a ground ball to bring home one run and then struck out Iowa first baseman Phil Keppler after a long battle with runners at 1st and 3rd and two outs.

Jayhawks escaped today.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 7, 2009 7:31 PM CDT reply actions

Welcome your new closer

Colton Murray is the new guy. The rookie makes it interesting but gets the job done. Another close one but an ugly win it is.

by Upswing on Apr 7, 2009 10:46 PM CDT reply actions

For Coach Price:
Who is coming in next year for the Jayhawks, and do you feel that your recruiting strategy will center more on potential “HS to MLB” players with last year’s success.

by SweedishHamma on Apr 7, 2009 11:17 PM CDT reply actions

For Coach Price:

1) What is your relationship like with Bill Self and Mark Mangino?

2) Who is the best player you’ve ever coached?

by rockchalk on Apr 7, 2009 11:50 PM CDT reply actions

Questions

I sent off the first group of six questions received. Hopefully Coach Price will have a chance to reply in the next few days. I’ll post his answers. Keep sending in questions and I’ll start working on the list for the next batch.

RC, just a by the way. I’ve seen Mangino at Hoglund a few times. I guess it is a bit hard for him to go to things like this because he has fans coming up to him all game. And everyone recognizes him of course. He seems to be a sincerly nice guy. He takes time to talk with people. I did meet him once at an on campus event. He shook my hand and looked me in the eye and we talked for a few minutes. He made a good impression on me.

I’ve not seen Bill Self at any of the baseball games but some of the basketball players come down from time to time. They are normally surronded by kids looking for autographs and such. It’s nice. Sasha Kaun used to come to the games pretty regularly. He is a big guy in person. Russell Robinson was good with young kids. He smiled a lot and would let them sit alongside him during the game. Just thought I would pass this along. Its all good stuff.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 8, 2009 5:53 AM CDT reply actions

Seems like I remember Mangino...

commenting that baseball was possibly his favorite sport for some reason.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen on Apr 8, 2009 9:11 AM CDT up reply actions

no no no no

not “for some reason.” “For every reason.”

I’ve was thinking about asking Mangino if he wanted to take in a game with me sometime and do a casual interview. The only problem is that I just don’t know the football team well enough to be able to talk with him in any depth. That and I suppose he would be surronded by kids the whole game. Those are problems. The other one is that he probably would have no idea who I was and say “no.”

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 8, 2009 9:24 AM CDT up reply actions

JQ - I've got an idea and sending you an email

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen on Apr 8, 2009 9:30 AM CDT up reply actions

If you are thinking about getting Mangino to try out for the baseball team

I don’t think that will work out.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 8, 2009 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions

He never played college athletics though...

he’s still got 4 years of eligibility…I could see him as quite the intimidating figure on the mound.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen on Apr 8, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions

yeah he's a big baseball guy

his son was a lot better at baseball than football in HS (mostly because of size) so I saw him at quite a few baseball games back then

by I need more Esteban on Apr 8, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions

Great feature,

I’ll have to come up with something for the next go around, was out of town and away from the computer for a few days this time.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen on Apr 8, 2009 9:11 AM CDT reply actions

For Coach Price

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge about running a program at a cold-weather school like Kansas?

by I need more Esteban on Apr 8, 2009 10:33 AM CDT reply actions

Esty,

This one didn’t make it in for the first batch. I’ll remember to send it over next week. I think it’s a good question. I’ve spoken with Price about this topic a few times. I know he has a lot of trouble finding good RPI teams to visit Lawrence for non-conference games, and KU can only schedule 10 travel days on week days all semester for the baseball players. That makes it hard for KU to build a strong schedule of home games.

www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Apr 9, 2009 11:53 PM CDT up reply actions