While Kansas University’s baseball team didn’t reach its goal of 40 victories last season — or the ultimate prize of a trip to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series — coach Ritch Price said his team still had a high level of success in just his second season in Lawrence.

“Of course, we fell a little short of our goals,” said Price, whose squad went 31-31-1, marking the first consecutive 30-win seasons since 1993-94 — and only the third time a KU team has accomplished the feat.

“But I honestly believe we are way ahead of where I anticipated we’d be at since I took over,” Price said.

However, as much as last season’s squad will be remembered for its high-octane offense, which rewrote several school records, the Jayhawks’ problems on the pitching mound probably cost them a return trip to the Big 12 Tournament, where KU made its Big 12 Conference postseason debut in Price’s inaugural season, behind a 35-win campaign.

“We had so many setbacks with our pitchers last season,” said Price, who had one of his top pitchers, Brandon Johnson be forced out before last season because of arm surgery.

“Right now, we’re the kind of program in a position where we can’t have any of those setbacks.”

Price was counting on Chris Jones to complete his return from elbow surgery, but Jones made only two appearances all season. Even KU’s ace, senior Ryan Knippschild, went through ups and downs, posting a 7-8 mark with a 5.25 earned-run average and 79 strikeouts in 111.1 innings — the fifth most on KU’s single season list.

Senior Chris Smart went 5-6 with a 5.87 ERA, while junior Clint Schambach was 4-3 and second on the team in strikeouts with 55.

The Jayhawks’ potent offense was able to overcome the lack of pitching in the nonconference portion of the schedule.

Kansas went 24-12-1 thanks in part to an offense that hit a school-best 74 home runs and had a team batting average of .316.

Last Season, outfielder Matt Baty became the first KU player named All-Big 12 Conference.

Yet Price has almost as many holes to fill in the heart of his order as he does on the mound.

Three Jayhawks — seniors Ryan Baty and Matt Tribble, and junior Travis Metcalf — all have played their last games for the Jayhawks.

Metcalf, who was drafted in the 11th round by the Texas Rangers, broke KU’s single-season (18) and career mark (29) for home runs.

Baty, who signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, one-upped Tribble’s KU record 20-game hit streak from a year ago with a 21-gamer this season. Baty set a Jayhawk career record for doubles with 68 and fell just a hit short of tying Darryl Monroe’s career record of 274 hits.

Tribble committed only two errors in 226 chances in right field during his career and is second on the all-time list in games played with 219, and first in at-bats at 825.

“It will be very tough to replace those guys in the middle,” said Baty’s younger brother Matt. “But I think that we have guys that are capable, and who got a chance to develop some confidence hitting alongside Ryan, Matt and Travis this year.”

Price said two of his top underclassmen who proved they were ready to become leaders last season would have to take an even bigger step next year.

“I really think I had two of the top sophomores in the nation,” said Price of his son, Ritchie, and Matt Baty. Both hit over .339 last spring, while Baty became the first Jayhawk ever named All-Big 12.

Coach Price hit the junior-college ranks hard last season and found a gem in catcher Sean Richardson, who was named team MVP.

Richardson hit .332 and was second on the team in home runs with 12 and led the Jayhawks with 69 RBIs.

With four of KU’s six recruits next season coming from the state of Kansas, including another of Price’s three sons, Ryne, and a chance for a third consecutive 30-win season, the KU coach said he couldn’t wait to get started.

“I think at the end of this season we were starting to put things together, we just ran out of time,” Price said. “If we can remember that feeling and get out to a better start in league play then who knows what could happen?”