LAWRENCE, Kan. – Tyson LeBlanc hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning to break a tie and push Kansas to a 12-10 win on Friday night against Houston at Hoglund Ballpark. LeBlanc took a 1-1 pitch down the right field line and kept it just inside the pole for the game-winner.
 
Boede Rahe was one of five Jayhawks who pitched on Friday night. Rahe finished the game on the mound by tossing the final 3.1 innings and allowing only one run to improve to 4-0 on the season.
 
Kansas trailed 4-0 and 6-1 at different points early in the game, but overcame the five-run deficit with a six-run third inning. The Jayhawks sent 11 hitters to the plate and recorded five hits and three walks in the frame. The Jayhawks have now score at least 10 runs in three consecutive games.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Houston (12-9, 1-3 Big 12) got out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. An RBI double, RBI single and two-run single put the Cougars ahead halfway through the first.
• Kansas (13-8, 2-2 Big 12) got on the board in the bottom of the first on a solo homer by Brady Ballinger.
• The Cougars scored two more runs in the top of the third on an RBI single and a sacrifice bunt. That made it a 6-1 Houston lead.
• The Jayhawks responded in the bottom of the third in a big way. KU scored six runs to take a 7-6 lead. Tyson LeBlanc started the scoring with a sacrifice fly. Cade Baldridge came up next and hit an RBI single. Following a pitching change, Dariel Osoria delivered an RBI single. After loading the bases, Josh Dykhoff drew a bases loaded walk to pull the Jayhawks within a run. Dylan Schlotterback followed with a two-run single to put Kansas ahead 7-6 at the end of three innings.
• Baldridge drove in his second run of the night in the fourth inning on another RBI single. The Jayhawks added two more runs in the inning on a two-run single by Dykhoff. The three runs put Kansas ahead 10-6.
• Houston got those three runs back in the top of the sixth. Xavier Perez hit a two-run homer and an RBI double made it a 10-9 ballgame.
• The Cougars tied the game at 10-10 with a two-out RBI double in the top of the eighth.
• After Ballinger walked to lead off the inning, LeBlanc came to the plate and hit the game-winning two-run homer to give Kansas a 12-10 advantage.
 
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Boede Rahe (4-0)
Final line: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 SO
Loss: Connor Udland (1-1)
Final line: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 SO
 
SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME

ROCKET ALERT IN KANSAS ??@_TysonLeBlanc puts the Jayhawks ahead! pic.twitter.com/R6mkKLBiob


— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) March 21, 2026
 
QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
“I think you have to be able to win a bunch of different ways and today we had to win ugly. There are going to be plenty of times where our pitchers have to pitch it really well to win a close game and then there are other games that our hitters have to score 12 runs to win. The bottom line is our guys compete at a really high level. We have a very high care factor on this team. They love each other, they love playing together and it was a great Friday night win.” – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald
 
“I was just trying to move the baseball. I was trying to go backside and hit a double to get guys in scoring position so the guys behind me could do their job. I just ran into one.” – Tyson LeBlanc
 
“There’s a lot of emotions when you’re playing in a close game like that against a good Houston team. I felt like I settled in there after the first couple of innings. I didn’t have a feel of a couple of things, but once we got going and got into the later innings I started getting comfortable and finally got it out there.” – Boede Rahe
 
• Kansas improved to 13-8 on the season and 2-2 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks have won three straight games against different opponents (Texas Tech, Missouri, Houston).
• Kansas has scored at least 10 runs in three consecutive games for the first time this season. It marks the first time since the Jayhawks did it in three games from March 29-April 2, 2025.
• Kansas overcame a five-run deficit to win for the second time this season (March 7 vs. St. Thomas).
• Every Kansas player had at least one hit.
• LeBlanc’s game-winning home run was his fourth of the season. He matched his career high with three RBIs.
• Ballinger hit his third home run of the season.
• Dykhoff has multiple RBIs in each of his last four games.
• Rahe moved to 4-0 on the season.
 
UP NEXT
Kansas and Houston will play the second game of the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Â