K-State Improves to 13–4 With Midweek Wins, Opens Big 12 Play at Houston

Kansas State baseball improved to 13–4 this week after two midweek games against Wichita State and South Dakota State. K-State topped the Shockers in a tight matchup, 7–5, then rolled past South Dakota State 9–0 the next day.

Tuesday's matchup against Wichita State was a back-and-forth affair featuring 10 hits for WSU and 12 for the Cats. K-State racked up the extra-base hits, including two doubles by Micah Kendrick and Grant Gallagher, two triples by AJ Evasco and Carlos Vasquez, and a home run by Dee Kennedy.

Both teams utilized a strategy of utilizing relievers for the Tuesday night game. Wichita State threw eight pitchers, none going more than 1.1 innings. K-State started Cohen Feser for 3.1 innings before rotating in Adam Arther, Robert Fortenberry, and Taz Butler.

K-State entered the bottom of the sixth inning tied 5–5 when Vasquez's triple and Kendrick's double drove in two runs to give the Cats a 7–5 lead. Fortenberry then took over for two innings, sitting down all six batters he faced. Butler followed by shutting down the ninth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

It was a quick turnaround to face a struggling Jackrabbits squad. K-State's nine runs were aided largely by command struggles from South Dakota State’s pitchers, who issued 12 walks, hit two batters, and threw two wild pitches. K-State scored five runs on bases-loaded walks or hit batters, one on a wild pitch, and another from a fielding error.

The highlight for me in this game was the Cats' pitching staff. Austin Haley recorded his first win at the Division I level with five innings pitched, five strikeouts, and just two hits allowed. The K-State bullpen then came in to preserve the shutout, allowing no runs on just three hits (five total for the game).

K-State is back at it today to kick off Big 12 play at Houston. This weekend series will feature a rotation of James Guyette (2–1), Tanner Duke (1–1), and Lincoln Sheffield (4–0). The Cougars sit at 11–5 so far this season, surprising many by going 4–0 in their opening tournament in Puerto Rico, which included a win against then–No. 21 Wake Forest. KSU and Houston do have one common opponent this season, Iowa, which Houston lost to 6–4. K-State beat Iowa in its season opener, 15–6, in Arizona. First pitch tonight is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT in what should be a competitive first series of Big 12 play.