While most of Kansas University’s baseball players used their seven-game series last week in Hilo, Hawaii, as a glorified spring training, catcher Sean Richardson was in midseason form.

Richardson, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior-college transfer from Vista, Calif., sizzled at the plate. He hit a team-best .579 (11-for-19), tallied a team-high 13 RBIs, ripped three doubles and whacked a grand slam in five starts and six appearances behind the plate.

“Sean Richardson had a phenomenal week,” KU coach Ritch Price said.

Richardson’s explosive bat made him a welcome addition to the Kansas lineup. The Jayhawks had a five proven batters, but the rest of the lineup was uncertain.

Not anymore. Now they have a legitimate slugger late in the order.

“He’s batting eight hole and knocking in RBIs,” sophomore second baseman Matt Baty said. “He’s there to set up the lineup for our four, five and six hole, and he’s the one driving in the runs.”

With proven hitters throughout, KU likely will have one of the most dangerous lineups in the Big 12 Conference.

“A year ago, we were a little soft toward the end of our batting order, and I think that we’re much better one through nine than we were a year ago,” Price said. “I really like this club one through nine.”

Although Richardson’s most noticeable impact has been with his bat, he also is garnering praise from teammates for his work behind the plate.

“That guy has an unbelievable arm and an unbelievable work ethic,” Baty said.

Still, Richardson, who played the last two seasons at Palomar CC in San Marcos, Calif., admits everything hasn’t been perfect. He made a few errors, which he attributed to the growing pains players and teams experience while adjusting to new teammates.

“Each game we showed sparks of the potential that this team has,” Richardson said. “We’re not there yet, but if we keep working hard we’ll get there when the time comes.”

KU plays single games Saturday and Sunday against Texas Southern in Houston.