photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas' Dominic Voegele pitches during the game against Kansas State on Friday, April 18, 2025, in Lawrence.

The Kansas baseball team needed some late heroics in Sunday’s series finale to sweep last-place Utah over the weekend in Salt Lake City, extending its winning streak to eight games.

On a day when no Jayhawk pitcher posted a scoreless outing and the first four allowed at least two runs in no more than 2 1/3 innings apiece, KU’s offense came through as usual — with an assist from Utah’s defense.

An error by the Utes at second base with two outs in the eighth inning and the Jayhawks down 10-8 allowed Tommy Barth and Dariel Osoria to remain on base safely. Michael Brooks drew a four-pitch walk, and after a pitching change, shortstop Sawyer Smith reached a full count and then clubbed a grand slam to left field to put KU back ahead, the fourth lead change of the day.

In a press release, head coach Dan Fitzgerald credited hitting coach Tyler Hancock’s scouting report on Utah reliever Dillon Fine.

“We had some information on the pitcher that we thought we knew what was coming and (Smith) battled through the at-bat and got it to the 3-2 count and drilled it … the way the outfielder reacted I knew it was gone,” Fitzgerald said. “At that point, our bench exploded. We had a bunch of outs to still get. Great moment for Sawyer and really proud of him.”

KU pitcher Eric Lin allowed one run on an RBI single by Cameron Gurney, but Jake Long grounded into a double play to end the eighth, and then Lin managed to strand the potential tying run in the ninth as the Jayhawks held on to a wild 12-11 victory.

KU is now up to 35-10 overall, its most wins since 2014, and 15-6 in conference play with three series to go, matching its previous record league win total from last season. The Jayhawks reentered the D1Baseball rankings at No. 25 on Monday.

The Utes certainly tested the Jayhawks at times during the teams’ first meeting as members of the Big 12.

Friday’s matchup was the sort of pitchers’ duel in which KU has not often been involved this season. Sophomore ace Dominic Voegele looked more like the Big 12 preseason pitcher of the year and nearly went the distance, throwing 8 2/3 scoreless innings with six hits, no walks and five strikeouts. Utah’s Colter McAnelly was scoreless through six, but Brooks broke the deadlock with a solo home run and Derek Cerda added an RBI double to make it 2-0 in McAnelly’s eighth and final inning.

In the ninth, KU challenged a single call looking for the final out but didn’t get its way, and when Voegele allowed a second baserunner, the Jayhawks went to closer Alex Breckheimer for what turned out to be a one-pitch save.

“It felt good,” Voegele said in a release. “After the past couple outings it felt awesome to get back out there and have a redemption game … the defense is always awesome. They always come through. I feel like that’s a big part of the game is trusting your defense. I’m just going out there and letting them make plays.”

Saturday’s middle game of the series was not as close. Left fielder Tommy Barth had three separate RBI singles and finished 4-for-5, while third baseman Brady Counsell went 3-for-4 with a walk. KU had 12 hits and 11 walks in total as it went up six runs by the fifth inning. Thaniel Trumper gave up a three-run home run to Santino Panaro in the ninth, but KU still won 12-5.

Next up

After playing one game at Kauffman Stadium and one at a home ballpark each of the previous two seasons, KU and Missouri have a more straightforward home-and-home this year for the Border Showdown. The Jayhawks will host the Tigers on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before the reverse fixture in Columbia, Missouri, on May 6.

The Tigers are in the midst of a tough season in the highly competitive SEC. They have been swept in their first seven league series, with 12 of the 21 losses by seven or more runs. Missouri is a more successful 5-1 in midweek games since it started league play but has only won one road game, April 8 at SIUE, this season. First baseman Jackson Lovich, an Overland Park native, leads the Tigers with a .345 batting average and eight home runs and 40 RBIs on the year.