It was an extraordinary journey for outfielder Matt Tribble.

As the No. 17 Kansas University baseball team splashed into the national rankings, Tribble gave first-year KU coach Ritch Price an incredibly reliable source of production.

The journey started in the 80-degree weather of Hilo, Hawaii, and immediately went to 20-degree temperatures in Little Rock, Ark. It continued in front of 250 fans at Hoglund Ballpark, then to Louisiana State, where 4,000 Tiger faithful were passionately wanting him and the Jayhawks to fail.

Neither did.

KU started the season a surprising 16-4, and Tribble recorded at least one hit in every game. Finally Tuesday, Arkansas was able to stop both him and the Jayhawks, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. Tribble went 0-for-4 in KU’s 2-1 loss to the Razorbacks, but his 20-game hitting streak stands as the longest in 120 years of Kansas baseball.

“I think it was really remarkable,” Price said.

Tribble’s streak was alive for 47 days. He hit .427 (32-for-75) during the stretch, with seven doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs.

The last of the 20 games — March 8 against Western Michigan — punctuated Tribble’s record. He crushed a first-inning, 400-foot home run to break the previous hit-streak mark of 19, set by Justin Headly in 1996. Kansas won, 16-7.

The run is done, and to Tribble, it’s almost a relief. Now the team will have his undivided attention, as a three-game set with Oral Roberts starts at 4 p.m. today at Hoglund Ballpark. The final two games of the series Saturday and Sunday will be played in Tulsa, Okla.

“I really wasn’t producing as much as I would have liked to,” Tribble said. “The past week or so, I had only one hit in each game.

“Now that the streak is over, I can definitely relax a little bit more at the plate.”

The Golden Eagles (5-7) have had a slow start, but the Jayhawks know Oral Roberts can be dangerous. Last year, ORU defeated Kansas, 22-5, in Lawrence, and again in Tulsa, 8-0, on a one-hit shutout by Rene Recio. Oral Roberts finished last season 48-19, being ousted by Arkansas in NCAA Regional action.

Kansas (16-5) knows better than to look past ORU and ahead to Big 12 Conference play, which begins next weekend at Missouri.

“We have a lot of respect for Oral Roberts,” Tribble said. “Last year, they came and played us really hard.”

Price, meanwhile, sees the three-game set as a perfect challenge to precede the always-tough Big 12 schedule. Every weekend series after this one will be against a conference foe.

“Sunny Golloway has built a program at Oral Roberts,” Price said. “They’re a perennial NCAA Regional opponent and have been in the Top 25. It’s going to be a good test for us.”