Kansas Pitching Update, end of regular season.

Overall Kansas' pitching numbers have expanded in the final month of play.  This is not unexpected.  As the temperature rises and the team moves solidly into conference play offense traditionally starts to overtake pitching and defense.  We can see this same dynamic on the KU team.  Since March the Jayhawks have gone from a pitching dominate team to one pretty well balanced between offense and defense.

This set of numbers bears out that T.J. Walz has established himself as the most effective starting pitcher on the staff.  Shaeffer Hall and Lee Ridenhour have fallen back over the last month but still have very good numbers overall.  Particularly good are Hall and Ridenhour's BB/9 averages.  It is hard to compare Brett Bollman's numbers with the weekend starter's statistics as Bollman faced lesser teams through the first months of the season.  Nevertheless, Bollman clearly has shown he has skills and will be the likely 4th starter in the post-season.  This is a key position.  If KU makes it to the Big-12 championship game they likely will look to Bollman to carry the team, just as they looked to freshman Nick Czyz back in 2006.  Bollman is one of the better 4th starters in the conference and so will likely give KU an advantage should they make the big game.

The middle relief corp is very solid by NCAA D-I terms.  Colton Murray, Travis Blankenship. Brett Bochy and Cameron Selik all are capable of pitching well against Big-12 opponents.  Not many teams at this level have a bullpen this deep with reliable arms.  Blankenship has given up quite a few walks in the last month, which does cause some concern.  Bochy's K/9 ratio is actually growing as the season moves along.

Paul Smyth has settled down well.  I'm sure Price will use him to close out games in the post season.