Manhattan ? Kansas University’s Ryan Baty gave up his chance to walk down Campanile Hill during graduation Sunday in order to play baseball.

But the senior first baseman from Wichita Northwest did enjoy a few special gifts on his final day in a Jayhawk uniform.

“This is a great graduation gift,” said Baty, of Kansas’ 7-4 baseball victory over Kansas State at Tointon Stadium.

Baty played the starring role in the win, which secured KU its first Big 12 series sweep under second-year coach Ritch Price.

Baty, KU’s senior scholar-athlete of the year who hit two home runs in his first two at-bats, established a KU record with his 21-game hit streak — breaking senior teammate Matt Tribble’s 20-game mark he set last season.

However, Baty, whose blasts put him one home run behind teammate Travis Metcalf’s career mark of 29, barely missed out on an even bigger mark. Baty fell one hit short of tying Darryl Monroe’s career record of 274 hits that he had from 1991-94.

“That’s baseball,” said Baty, who in his final at-bat in the seventh inning ripped a hard grounder up the middle, but KSU second baseman Ryan Saltzgaber dove and made the stop and then flipped the ball to second for the fielder’s choice.

“I’m going to walk away and not have any regrets about my career,” continued Baty, who led the Big 12 Conference this season with 94 hits and 24 doubles.

“I know that I laid it out on the line from the first game that I played until the last game, and that’s what is important to me.”

That attitude is what Baty’s younger brother, Matt, a sophomore center fielder for the Jayhawks, said separated his big brother from so many other collegiate players.

“He set the foundation for KU baseball in the future,” said Matt Baty, who also hit a home run Sunday, but made KU’s final out in top of the ninth on a long drive with Ryan two batters away.

“He’s my role model,” continued Matt. “His records are records I want to chase after some day.”

Even though Price was only around Baty for two seasons, the longtime coach said Ryan was the kind of special player that didn’t come along often.

“I’m really proud of him,” Price said. “He gave up the chance to walk at graduation today to honor the commitment he’s made to our team.

“About a month ago, he was really struggling, but in the last 21 games he’s been Ryan Baty.”

That surge at the end of this season could help the fifth-year senior jump immediately into pro ball.

Last week Baty thought he was close to signing a contract with Tampa Bay and still could be.

But in the last couple of days, interest from other pro organizations like Atlanta, Colorado and Philadelphia has Batty weighing his options.

“I should have everything decided by Tuesday,” Baty said.

But Sunday, as Baty contemplated his final game and career, Baty said the most special part would be his contribution to the Jayhawks’ future accomplishments.

“I take the most honor in knowing that I was here for the foundation,” Baty said. “I’m going to miss out on all the good stuff, because these guys are going to be great.

“They’re going to be in Omaha some day,” a smiling Baty said of the site of the College World Series.