A weekend sweep of Texas Tech breathed new life into Kansas University softball.

“But it doesn’t mean anything will be any easier,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said.

Not with nemesis Missouri and national powerhouse Texas next on the Jayhawks’ Big 12 Conference docket.

KU and MU will collide at 5 p.m. today at Arrocha Ballpark.

Missouri has won nine of the last 10 meetings in the Border Showdown, including a 4-0 victory a week ago in Columbia, Mo.

“They’re a Jekyll and Hyde team,” Bunge said of Mizzou. “They’ve been up and down all season.”

The Tigers were up last Wednesday, touching KU ace Kassie Humphreys for seven hits and all four runs. It was Humphreys’ worst outing in a month.

Humphreys, a junior right-hander, bounced back nicely from that MU loss, however, with route-going performances in the 1-0 and 3-2 wins over Texas Tech. In 14 innings against the Red Raiders, Humphreys allowed seven hits, no earned runs and fanned 18.

Among Big 12 pitchers, only Texas superstar Cat Osterman has a lower earned-run average (0.34) than Humphreys (1.31). Osterman and Humphreys could face each other this weekend when the Longhorns come to Lawrence for single games Saturday and Sunday.

Humphreys isn’t the Jayhawks’ only pitching standout. Bunge also has the option of using senior right-hander Serena Settlemier, who ranks third in the Big 12 in ERA at 1.43.

Settlemier also is one of the Big 12’s most feared hitters. She leads in the league with 17 home runs, ranks second in RBIs with 45 and is second in slugging percentage at .800.

Missouri (20-18 overall, 4-5 Big 12) is only half a notch ahead of Kansas (23-20, 4-6) in the battle to stay within the top six in league standings.

“The goal is to be in the top six,” Bunge said, “so you don’t have to play in the play-in game at the (Big 12) tournament.”

Kansas will play host to Creighton in a nonconference doubleheader at 2 p.m. Thursday. Originally scheduled for March 30, the twinbill had to be postponed because of weather.

Today’s KU-MU game will be broadcast on KLWN-AM (1320). It will be also televised on tape delay at 7 tonight on K.C. Metro Sports (Sunflower Broadband channel 37).