OVERLAND PARK, KS -- Travis Blankenship is returning to his home in Lawrence.  A sophomore left-handed pitcher for the Johnson County Community College baseball team, Blankenship signed a national letter of intent with the University of Kansas today.  He will join the the program next fall. Blankenship chose Kansas over several other Division I schools around the country.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play for Kansas,” Blankenship said.  “I am looking forward to going there and helping the Jayhawks.”

As a freshman, Blankenship  was one of the team’s aces.  He posted a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 2.94 with 69 innings of work.  He led the staff with 48 strikeouts and tied for first in starts (13), appearances (15) and shutouts (1).  His six wins were second on the staff, as were his three complete games and 69 innings pitched.  He also held opposing batters to a 286 average.    The Cavaliers finished 33-20 last year, and in second-place in the East Jayhawk Conference.

During the recent fall season, Blankenship was a dominate force on the mound.  He posted an earned run average of 0.70 while holding his opponents to just a .150 batting average.  He pitched 20 innings, allowed 12 hits and had 27 strikeouts.