Bat Cats Dominant in Opener, UConn Up Next

The Cats started off the 2026 regular season with a bang, taking their opening game in Arizona 15–6 over the Iowa Hawkeyes. K-State scored in all but one inning in which they batted, headlined by a six-run fourth inning where they batted around and featured a powerful grand slam by Dee Kennedy. The team capitalized on a struggling Hawkeye pitching staff, scoring 15 runs on 14 hits. Eight different Wildcats recorded a hit, with Kennedy, AJ Evasco, and Kyan Lodice each tallying multi-hit games. They also showed great plate discipline, drawing 11 total walks and forcing high pitch counts from six Iowa pitchers.

James Guyette delivered one of my favorite performances of the day, going five innings and recording a career-high eight strikeouts in just his second career start. K-State didn’t have to dig too deep into the bullpen either, utilizing Cole Wisenbaker (who made his first appearance since the 2024 Super Regional against Virginia) for two innings. Tazwell Butler and Adan Longoria each threw an inning, combining for just 25 total pitches.

Another notable performance, of course, was Kennedy going 2-for-5 with five RBIs and two stolen bases. Evasco also made a strong opening statement with four hits and two RBIs. We even saw Chandler Murray make his collegiate debut with a two-run home run in his second at-bat of the game.

We’ll see if the Bat Cats can keep it rolling today at 6:00 p.m. CST against UConn, who was run-ruled 12–2 in seven innings last night by a strong Nebraska team (whom K-State will face next week). This UConn squad is nothing to overlook despite its Game 1 outcome. The Huskies are expected to start lefty Cayden Suchy, who will have his hands full with K-State’s confident offense. Donte Lewis is projected to start for K-State and will need to be sharp against a preseason Big East favorite.

The lineup is headlined by preseason All-Big East First Team selections Tyler Minick and Rob Rispoli. Minick recorded two hits, including a double, last night and batted .355 with 22 home runs last season. Rispoli, a First Team All-Big East selection last year, hit .324 in his redshirt freshman season. He failed to record a hit against Nebraska but should not be overlooked.

Catch the game tonight on the MLB.com stream (confirmed: no paywall or subscription required) or the K-State Sports Broadcast Network. I’ll catch you all tomorrow with a recap of tonight’s game and a preview of Sunday’s matchup against Penn State.