Dream Kansas Baseball Season Ends on a Sour Note Against NDSU

The Kansas Jayhawks baseball program had a magical regular season, but its postseason run was brief.

One day after Creighton throttled KU 11-4 with a seven-run sixth inning in the opening game of the NCAA Regionals, the Jayhawks played to keep their season alive against North Dakota State.

The Bison, who went 20-32 in the regular season with a 13-15 conference record, appeared to be the inferior opponent heading into the contest — yet they pulled off an improbable 4-3 upset.

NDSU hit the ground running in the first inning, scoring two runs to take an early lead.

KU tied the game in the fourth inning with a monster two-run home run from Jackson Hauge, just for the Bison to tack on runs in back-to-back innings.

Kansas cut it to 4-3 in the sixth inning and threatened on the basepaths in the eighth with a runner in scoring position, but Sawyer Smith left two runners stranded.

For a squad with 26 comeback wins in the regular season, Kansas did not show that same fight in the tournament. The team led in one of the 18 innings it played over the past two days.

Starting pitcher Cooper Moore labored through five innings, tossing 94 pitches and allowing four runs. He was reportedly battling a blister on his toe throughout the start.

Even with the loss, KU's 43 regular season wins were the most in program history. The regional appearance snapped an 11-year tournament drought dating back to 2014.

It may have ended on a sour note, but Year 3 of Dan Fitzgerald's tenure as the Kansas baseball head coach was one to remember.