Jan. 27, 2012

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Three weeks away from the start of the college baseball season, Kansas State will hold its first full-squad workout of the 2012 season on Friday afternoon as the Wildcats begin their 112th season of baseball in search of a fourth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
K-State will hold 17 practices over the next 21 days prior to its season-opening series at CSU Bakersfield, Saturday through Monday, February 18-20, in Bakersfield, Calif.

The Wildcats return 21 letterwinners, including seven position starters and seven pitchers, from a squad that went 36-25 last season, recorded the third-most wins in school history and earned the program’s third-straight NCAA Regional appearance.

The squad will be led by a group of seven seniors in Matt Applegate, Kayvon Bahramzadeh, Jake Brown, Matt Giller, Wade Hinkle, Mike Kindel and Dan Klein, the largest senior class since 2006. Also, 2011 Freshman All-American outfielder Jared King returns for his second season in Manhattan.

Head coach Brad Hill, who ranks sixth nationally among active coaches with a .706 career winning percentage, begins his ninth season in Manhattan. The 2012 season also marks the second year for associate head coach John Szefc, who works with the team’s hitters, and pitching coach Josh Reynolds.

Season tickets for the 30-game home schedule remain on sale for as little at $75. The best value for season tickets is in Sections 6 and 8 behind home plate and above the concourse that are available for $100 per ticket when fans order four or more tickets.

Fans may purchase season and single-game tickets by visiting the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets.

Kansas State opens its home schedule on Friday, March 2, with a three-game series against Pacific.