On Saturday, the Kansas Jayhawks were tasked with going head-to-head against one of baseball’s highest-touted prospects in Arkansas pitcher Hunter Dietz.
According to MLB.com, Dietz is ranked as the MLB’s 15th-best prospect and the draft’s best left-handed pitcher in college.
So far this season, Dietz is managing a 3.57 ERA with 85.2 innings pitched in what is his first real season on the mound.
In a game where Kansas would have to take advantage of every minor mistake that Dietz and Co. would make, there was no one better than Jayhawk Tyson LeBlanc to do so.
LeBlanc flipped Saturday evening on its head with his latest home run
LeBlanc is in the midst of one of Kansas’ best single-seasons ever. After Saturday, LeBlanc officially made it 23 home runs this season, including an astounding six home runs in his last eight games. On the season, LeBlanc is batting a .342 batting average and has compiled 83 hits and 65 RBI. However, his 382-foot shot in the bottom of the fifth, to even the score at 3-3 on a 2-2 count, firmly swung the momentum into Kansas’ favor, something they wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the night.
Up until LeBlanc’s homer, Dietz had allowed just two hits while registering 10 strikeouts, proving he was near the top of his game with LeBlanc stepping up to the plate.
“I was just trying to capitalize on any mistake that he hung over the plate. I spoiled a few good fastballs,” quoted LeBlanc postgame, who would finish the night with a .342 average, along with three RBI.
“So I had a good idea that he was gonna try to get me with his wipe-out breaking ball that he had got a lot of us on today.”
LeBlanc’s crucial home run sets up latter-inning surge
Following LeBlanc’s tying homer, the Jayhawks tacked on another two runs thanks to a calm eye from Tyson Owens, which forced a walk allowing Dariel Osaria to cruise into home plate, and an Augusto Mungarrieta home run that opened up the bottom of the eighth, providing the final nail in a crucial win for the Jayhawks that moves their regional record to 2-0.
Sunday afternoon will provide another chance for the Jayhawks to continue their historic season, as so far the Jayhawks are set up with 44 wins; one more on Sunday ties the program record that stretches back to 1993. And if the Jayhawks push past either Northeastern or Arkansas, then Kansas is guaranteed a trip to the Super Regional, making it the first Super Regional in the history of the program.
With Missouri State falling to Northeastern thanks to a 5-1 loss, the Bears were eliminated, setting up a first-time matchup between the Huskies and the Razorbacks on Sunday afternoon. While Kansas’ opponent is still nine innings away from being confirmed, the Jayhawks do know they will be playing at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, against the winner of the Arkansas/Northeastern matchup.
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