Tracy Bunge was drinking from a half-full cup, not a half-empty one, Sunday afternoon.

Bunge’s Kansas University softball team had just played poorly in its home finale — bowing to Big 12 Conference cellar-dweller Baylor, 4-0 — and a new stadium to replace bare-bones Jayhawk Field remains in limbo.

But tomorrow is another day.

Bunge knows KU will have a softball stadium some day. She just doesn’t know when that day will be.

“Once it gets built,” Bunge said, “it will — I hope and I dream — outshine Hoglund Ballpark. It will be comparable to the other facilities in the Big 12.”

A $2 million gift from Kansas Citian Cheryl Womack last November started the ball rolling, but the new softball stadium is about a $4 million project, and the additional funding hasn’t been secured.

“With Cheryl’s gift, it will be a first-class facility down the road,” Bunge said. “The time frame is just up in the air.”

Kansas and Iowa State are the only Big 12 schools that play at a rudimentary facility — both have portable toilets, for instance — and Bunge still is hoping KU will be the ninth league school with a stadium in 2004.

“We have to know by the end of May because of the tight window involved with construction and sodding,” Bunge said.

Chancellor Robert Hemenway showed his commitment to Bunge’s program by showing up Sunday and watching a few innings.

Kansas' Lindsey Weinstein slaps a single through the infield against Baylor. Weinstein had one of the Jayhawks' two hits in their 4-0 loss Sunday against the Bears at Jayhawk Field.

Hemenway didn’t come bearing good news, however, about the funds needed to begin construction.

“We’re working through some issues now,” Hemenway said. “Our goal is to get it done, but it will probably be slower than we thought.”

Hemenway noted that “universities and endowment associations all over the country are short on money.”

Kansas freshman shortstop Destiny Frankenstein, left, bobbles a throw from the catcher allowing a Baylor base-runner to reach second base safely. The Jayhawks dropped their home finale, 4-0, Sunday at Jayhawk Field.

Like Bunge, KU’s players are optimistic they’ll be playing in a new stadium next year, too.

“There’s a chance it’s not over,” said junior catcher Dani May, a Lawrence High product. “If it doesn’t happen, I’ll feel bad for the woman who gave that money, mostly. I’ll feel sorry for her.”

May has only one more season left, but freshman shortstop Destiny Frankenstein has three more years of varsity competition remaining.

“I’m really excited,” Frankenstein said about the stadium. “Some day we’ll have it. If not next year, then I’m sure it won’t be far behind.”

In Sunday’s defeat, Bunge’s freshman-dominated team managed only two scratch singles and committed two costly errors.

“I’m really disappointed what we did offensively and defensively,” the KU coach said. “We had an opportunity to get two wins this weekend and build our confidence for the tournament. It’s frustrating we didn’t get that done.”

Kansas had doomed Baylor to the league basement with a 4-1 win Saturday.

KU’s league tourney opener will be against Texas Tech in a battle of the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds at 5 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Baylor 4, Kansas 0

Baylor 000 400 0 — 4 8 1

Kansas 000 000 0 — 0 2 2

WP–Katie Decker (8-6). LP–Kirsten Milhoan (10-9).

2B–BU: Amber Daniel. HR–BU: Kelly Osburn (9).

Baylor highlights: Osburn hit a solo homer and Daniel a two-run double in the fourth; leadoff hitter Kelly Levesque had three singles. BU record: 29-27 overall, 3-15 in Big 12 Conference.

Kansas highlights: Lindsey Weinstein and Heather Stanley collected KU’s only hits; Milhoan allowed only one earned run, thanks to two KU errors in four-run fourth. KU record: 26-21 overall, 4-14 in Big 12.