Courtesy of Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas started Big 12 play with a bang as the Jayhawks took down No. 3 TCU by a score of 3-1 on Friday night at Hoglund Ballpark. The Kansas pitching staff retired the final eight TCU batters that came to the plate via strikeout to put an exclamation point on the victory.
The win is the first over a top five ranked opponent since April 3, 2022, against No. 4 Texas Tech. Kansas held TCU to only four hits and recorded a season-high 14 strikeouts. The Jayhawks handed the Horned Frogs – who entered at 13-0 – their first loss of the season.
Kansas starter Reese Dutton dazzled, tossing seven innings, allowing only one run, while striking out a season-high eight batters after allowing his only run in the first. He threw 94 pitches with 70 strikes in a brilliant Friday night performance. Chase Diggins hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning to give Kansas a lead that it would hold for the rest of the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• TCU (13-1, 0-1 Big 12) picked up an early run in the first inning. After a leadoff single and a walk, a flyout moved up the runners and an RBI groundout by Logan Maxwell made the score 1-0.
• Dutton and TCU starting pitcher Payton Tolle each threw up zeros for the next three innings.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Kansas took the lead and never looked back. Collier Cranford drew a leadoff walk and Diggins followed with a two-run moon shot to left field. The homer gave KU a 2-1 advantage.
• Dutton continued to get better as the game went on. He punched out two Horned Frogs in both the sixth and seventh innings as his night came to an end.
• The Jayhawks added one more run in the bottom of the seventh inning after Diggins started the frame with a leadoff walk. After two wild pitches moved Diggins to third, Kodey Shojinaga brought him home on an RBI groundout.
• Tegan Cain came on for Dutton in the eighth inning and struck out the side in order.• Hunter Cranton did the same in the ninth with three punchouts to earn his first save of the season.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Reese Dutton (3-1)
Final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 SO
Loss: Payton Tolle (1-1)
Final line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO
Save: Hunter Cranton (1)
Final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Reese Dutton: The senior transfer from USC Upstate tossed seven innings against the previously undefeated Horned Frogs. After allowing a run in the first inning, Dutton shutout TCU the rest of the way. The Kenosha, Wisconsin native struck out the side in the fourth inning and ended the sixth and seventh innings with emphatic strikeouts.