A Big 12 Conference championship is within reach for Kansas baseball

LAWRENCE — Tyson Owens said all the right things Sunday, following a series sweep at home of Arizona.

Owens, a sophomore with Kansas baseball, noted he and his teammates don’t spend much time thinking about the 10-game winning streak they’re currently on. The focus is on one pitch, one game, at a time. That, he explained, is what’s helped the Jayhawks (37-11, 20-4 in Big 12) be so successful this season.

But, it’s hard to miss the fact that KU is in first place right now in the Big 12 Conference regular season standings with a four-game lead over a pair of teams tied for second place. If the Jayhawks handle their business the next two weekends, they’ll win a Big 12 championship. And while Owens would say their focus is on celebrating beating Arizona and then turning their attention to a game Tuesday at Creighton, attention around what’s happening at Kansas is growing.

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“I think it’s more of just a — enjoying the time with these guys,” said KU coach Dan Fitzgerald, when posed with that question about the team’s Big 12 chances. “I think that you think about the journey from recruiting them to coaching them through the fall, coaching them through tough parts of the fall, and tough parts of the winter, and tough in the early spring, and for me it’s always about the journey and just enjoying every minute with them. So, we’ll celebrate every win as we get them and learn from every win and learn from every loss. Certainly have the big picture in mind and just got to keep taking steps forward.”

On Monday, Kansas’ recent success was rewarded with a No. 9 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Following the midweek matchup against Creighton, the Jayhawks will be back in Lawrence for a weekend series against No. 15 West Virginia. West Virginia is one of those two teams tied for second, along with No. 17 Arizona State, and after that, the West Virginia series, all KU has left is a series at BYU.

Fitzgerald and company have only six games left in Big 12 play before the postseason begins, and a level of momentum that would be difficult to bet against. Kansas went to its first NCAA tournament since 2014 last season, and now it is in a position where it could very well host an NCAA regional. Hoglund Ballpark has been recognized at times this season for its atmosphere, and there’s a chance it could have a reason to turn the intensity up even more.