Kansas University’s most recent conference baseball title before it won the Big 12 baseball tournament in Oklahoma City on Sunday was in 1949, when Red Hogan was the coach. Floyd Temple, the winningest baseball coach in KU history, feels connected to that team as well as this year’s team.

Temple, 438-396-5 as Jayhawks coach from 1954-1981, played on the ’49 team. He said he was at most of the home games this season and considers himself a huge Ritch Price fan.

“I’ve gotten very close to coach Price because he’s my kind of guy,” Temple said. “He’s energetic, enthusiastic, on the move. When the kids take the field, you get an idea where the coach comes from. They always hustle out there.”

Of the ’49 team, Temple recalled: “There were no baseball scholarships. There were eight or nine football scholarship players on the ’49 team and one basketball scholarship player on that team. I feel strongly about that team, especially the coach, who is now deceased.”