Good afternoon Wildcat Nation!
 
A busy weekend is upon us here at K-State, and many of you already may be on your way to Manhattan for tonight's 28th-annual Powercat Auction at Bramlage. Another sellout crowd will be on hand, and we hope to see you all on campus over the next several days as we head into an exciting weekend of events. Here are the highlights and a breakdown of the events:
 
Friday:
Powercat Auction and Golf Tournament
We had a great turnout at this morning's Powercat Golf Tournament at Colbert Hills Golf Course to kick off the weekend. In just a little bit, we will fill Bramlage for the Powercat Auction, which remains our department's single-largest fundraising event and supports the Ahearn Fund, our National Fund for Student-Athlete Excellence. Last year's event raised more than $275,000 to directly enhance the student-athlete experience for all Wildcat student-athletes, and all of our Powercat Members ($300 donation level and above) will be a part of this year's event. Click here for a full list of auction items that will be available at tonight's event.
 
Baseball Opens Series with Oklahoma State
For those fans unable to attend the Powercat Auction, head over to Tointon Stadium for tonight's 6:30 p.m., matchup with the Cowboys. It's Ladies Night at the ballpark as fans can purchase a $10 ticket package that includes one general admission bench ticket and one pink K-State baseball hat. Additionally, Manhattan area vendors will be available during the regularly-scheduled pregame tailgate on Friday beginning at 5 p.m., directly behind the stadium off College Avenue. The pregame tailgate includes a hot dog meal for $4 and a cheeseburger meal for $5.
 

Top stories from local and national media:

• Gronkowski hopes he can crash K-State's party (Wichita Eagle)

• Krais to compete in front of friends, family (Kansas State Collegian)

Top stories from local and national media:

• K-State's Childs to Play on U.S. All-Star Team in China (Manhattan Mercury)
• Not all college coaches on board with a playoff (Kansas City Star)

Top stories from local and national media:

• K-State ready to diversify offense (Wichita Eagle)
• Klein brothers very similar, yet different (Manhattan Mercury)
• K-State's Hartman, Garrett projected as potential late-round picks in draft (Kansas City Star)

Top stories from local and national media:

• Another Klein working hard to see field (GoPowercat.com)

Good evening K-State Nation!
 
While our student-athletes begin preparing for next month's final exams, we will have some exciting events in the weeks ahead with the 2012 Big 12 Track and Field Championships at R.V. Christian Track Complex as well as the completion of our baseball, tennis, golf and rowing seasons. And behind the scenes, we continue to make terrific progress in the planning stages of the West Stadium Center project - the groundbreaking ceremony is only one week away!
 
For those of you on campus, you may have run into Coach Weber earlier today as he and a few members of our staff spent the morning touring the campus and meeting numerous students, faculty and administrators. I continue to be impressed with how well Coach Weber has transitioned into his role here and couldn't be more excited to have him lead our program.      
 
As you can see, there has been a lot going on so let's get right to some additional updates from around the department.

Top stories from local and national media:

• Wildcats' tight end Tannahill having a good spring (Manhattan Mercury)

Top news stories from local and national media:

• Angel Rodriguez to remain at K-State (Manhattan Mercury)

Top news stories from local and national media:

• One-time coaching phenom Lowery starts over at K-State (Kansas City Star)

• Weber's simple plan: Win games, win fans (Topeka Capital-Journal) 

Today's top news stories from local and national media:

• Weber's less-abrasive approach popular with K-State players (Kansas City Star)

 

Today's Top Stories from Local and National Media:

• Big year ahead for K-State QB Klein (Topeka Capital-Journal)

Good afternoon K-State Nation!
 
Today has been another busy one for the Wildcats. President Schulz and Provost Mason are hosting a two-day campus visit by the state of Kansas Board of Regents, and we just finished giving them a special construction tour of our $18 million Basketball Training Facility. It was my first time inside the BTF since February 24 and I was amazed at the progress in that short time period. The limestone going on the exterior looks awesome!
 
There is lots of K-State sports action this weekend, so let's get right to the updates.
 
West Stadium Center Project Groundbreaking Set for April 28th
Today at lunch we hosted our media for a press conference announcing the next step in the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan, the West Stadium Center (click here for the official press release). When we proposed Phase II, the West Stadium Center, at the bowl pep rally at Rangers Ballpark in January, the reaction and endorsement from our fans was tremendous, and today I am very pleased to announce that enthusiasm has translated into dramatic fundraising momentum which will enable us to formally break ground on April 28, 2012, with the intent to complete the WSC in time for the 2013 football season. Interest in the project has been terrific, and with the recent commitment of a $5 million challenge gift from an anonymous donor and the full subscription of the WSC's 40 suites, we are now launching the club and loge seating phase of the project.
 
At over 250,000 square feet, the West Stadium Center will have something for every K-State fan and every student-athlete. Our goal of the Best Fan Experience in the Big 12 will be enhanced with twice as many restroom fixtures and four times the concession points of sale as the existing west stadium, along with a hall of honor recognizing the heritage of our university and athletics program, with equally vital improvements in safety, security and ADA access.
 
A student-athlete dining center will directly benefit all K-State athletics teams while the new structure will mark the northwest gateway of our beautiful campus and serve as rallying point for the entire university as we pursue the goal of elevating K-State into the ranks of the top 50 public research universities by 2025.
 
The West Stadium Center is also symbolic of our commitment to fiscal responsibility as no state or university tuition dollars will be used in its construction while it also generates significant future income to be invested in our program.
 
And, not insignificantly, the West Stadium Center and Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan will help secure our competitive future, a future we are absolutely committed to championship performances at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.

Click here learn more and find out how you can help make the WSC a reality.