Jayhawks open home slate by showing off what confidence can do

On a warm and sunny Wednesday afternoon, one day before the start of their season-opening homestand against Omaha at Hoglund Ballpark, three Kansas baseball veterans talked to the media about this team’s 7-0 start, which has landed KU in the No. 1 spot in the early-season RPI rankings.

Each one of them — infielder Chase Diggins, along with pitchers Dom Voegele and Cooper Moore — mentioned the words confidence and humility as the reason the Jayhawks had been so hot early.

And then, on Thursday, with their home park filled with more students than anyone around the program can remember seeing, the Jayhawks showed that confidence can do for a team.

Trailing 8-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Jayhawks hit a pair of ninth-inning home runs — one by Diggins to tie the game and a walk-off grand slam by designated hitter Dariel Osoria that delivered a 12-8 victory and set off a wild celebration after the Jayhawks moved to 8-0.

According to the Jayhawks who talked on Wednesday, the confidence this team has throughout the clubhouse comes from two places — the past experiences and successes of the players on the roster and the approach the coaching staff has in how it handles these guys.

Third-year coach Dan Fitzgerald is a high-energy, always-on kind of leader who never misses an opportunity to remind these guys what they’re capable of.

The more they hear it, the more they believe it.

And then things like Thursday’s dramatic finish happen, which only boosts the confidence another level or 20.

“It’s a never-give-up approach,” Diggins told reporters after Thursday’s win. “We didn’t play good baseball at all through three hours or eight innings. As a team, we didn’t play as best that we could have, but it's a never-give-up approach.”

Osoria, who finished the day with 3 hits and 4 RBIs in 6 at-bats, echoed Diggins’ words.

“Never give up,” he said of the thinking going into that final inning. “We’re always willing to fight to the end. Coach Fitz always gives us a good pep talk, especially down in that last inning. He said, ‘Come on guys, I know you got it. Keep fighting and go do this right now.’”

The Jayhawks did, and, in doing so, took their already-high confidence to a new level.

There are a ton of good vibes surrounding this program and this team right now. And that was true even before the 8-0 start.

The talent, depth and blend of experience and impact newcomers has the Jayhawks believing that this can be a special season.

Games — and finishes — like Thursday’s certainly speak to that, and the undefeated Jayhawks will see if they can keep the train rolling throughout the weekend with three more games against Omaha — Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. in Wichita because of the KU men’s basketball game in Lawrence, and Sunday at Noon back at Hoglund Ballpark.

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