Kansas University’s baseball squad boarded the team bus early Wednesday for its trip to Corvallis, Ore., and the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

The players, who moseyed on the vehicle between 8 and 8:45 a.m. outside Allen Fieldhouse, needed not dread a 1,900-mile, 271â2-hour drive to Oregon State University’s campus – site of Friday’s 2 p.m. CDT first-round contest against Hawaii.

Travel itinerary for the Big 12 Conference postseason tourney champs included a short ride to Topeka, where the squad flew charter to Salt Lake City. There, the jet refueled and moved on to Eugene, Ore., where the Jayhawks practiced at freshman outfielder Nick Faunce’s alma mater, South Eugene High.

It drizzled during KU’s two-hour drills. The precipitation fell harder during a 40-minute bus ride to final destination Corvallis.

“It rains every day in the summer in Oregon,” said KU coach Ritch Price, born and raised in Sweet Home, just 30 miles from Corvallis.

The Jayhawks were not despondent in having to travel so far for the school’s first NCAA appearance since 1994.

“Not at all. We play really well at home, but with the schedule we had that coach Price put together, he got us a lot of opportunities to play on the road early in the season. It paid off in the end, too,” Game One starting pitcher Kodiak Quick said.

Members of the Kansas University baseball team pull the tarp off the Hoglund Ballpark infield before boarding the bus for Topeka. KU flew out of Topeka on Wednesday before ultimately ending up in Corvallis, Ore., where the Jayhawks will play NCAA Tournament regional games this weekend.

“I’m excited. I love playing in a hostile environment. It ups the intensity,” Quick added of a tourney that also includes Wright State and host Oregon State, which will be playing before sellout crowds of 4,000 at Goss Stadium.

The Jayhawks (42-23) opened the season by playing 23 of their first 27 games away from Hoglund Ballpark, compiling a 17-10 mark out of the gate.

“We’ve been on the road all year. Being at Kansas University, teams don’t come play us,” shortstop Ritchie Price said. “We see it as fun. Oregon State is favored to win because they are hosting. They should win. We like taking on the challenge. We’re not scared by the crowd or anything like that.”

The Jayhawks’ early season schedule included three games at Stanford, where KU went 2-1, and three at Clemson, where the Jayhawks went 1-2. KU also lost a game at Southern California and won at Vanderbilt.

A handful of KU fans wave goodbye to the KU baseball team bus, which pulled away from Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday morning.

“Our schedule had us prepared to play and win the Big 12 tournament,” coach Price said. “The schedule we’ve played on the road : not many teams in the country have gone to Stanford, to Clemson, to USC and Vanderbilt, then tack on the five road series in the Big 12 Conference.

“It prepared us for last weekend. That was no fluke,” he added of going 4-0 in Oklahoma City against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Nebraska – all NCAA Tournament teams. “We are as good as anybody in that Big 12 tournament in all phases of the game. We are prepared to go to Corvallis and win.”

Kansas University Baseball Coach Ritch Price waves to a group of supporters as he loads the team bus headed to Forbes Field in Topeka. The Jayhawks departed Wednesday for Corvallis, Ore.

KU will take an aggressive mind-set to this weekend’s play.

“You have to have some confidence and swagger to play this game at a high level,” Ritch Price said. “Our guys believe they can catch any baseball that’s hit. Our starting pitching and bullpen is solid, and we can swing the bats one through nine.”

Price has a staff ace in starter Quick, a standout reliever in Don Czyz and a defensive whiz in shortstop Price, his son.

“It all starts with Ritch at shortstop,” the elder Price said. “When you can catch the ball like he does, it gives your pitching an opportunity to play this game. That’s one of the things wrong with the Royals. They are one of the worst defensive teams in baseball. You have (Matt) Baty in center as a four-year starter, Ritchie and Donnie Czyz, a first-team All-American closing at the end : those guys are the catalyst of our team.”