SE: K-State Seniors Out to Finish Careers on Right Note
May 05, 2017 | Baseball, Sports Extra
On paper, K-State baseball's nine seniors look to be a fragmented class. On the field and in the locker room, however, they have been a tightknit group, providing a steady supply of leadership for the Wildcats.
"We get along so well," senior Jake Wodtke said. "We all come from very different backgrounds and I think that's kind of what brought us together."
K-State's seniors hail from seven different states, three different time zones and span four different recruiting classes.
Colton Kalmus and Wodtke are fifth-year seniors who came in for the 2013 season, when the Wildcats won the Big 12 Championship. Jordan Floyd joined K-State in 2014. The following season, Steve Serratore transferred in from Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa with three years of eligibility after receiving a medical hardship. Josh Ethier, Nick Jones, Parker Rigler, Jake Scudder and Quintin Crandall transferred to K-State in 2016 from different community colleges.
Despite their differing starting points at K-State, Wodtke said this senior group bonded quickly.
"Everybody wants the same things. We all want to win," he said. "We've all got each other's backs. We're going to do whatever we can do while we still can and make a run at it."
K-State's home schedule comes to a close this weekend with a three-game series against Oklahoma. The Wildcats' seniors will be honored on Saturday, before the second game of the series.
"This is what I've known for the last five years. It's the same for a lot of the other seniors here," Wodtke said. "I'm just trying to cherish every last moment we have here and make sure we take advantage of the opportunities we have left."
The Wildcats started the season with an 11-2 record before hitting a wall. At one point, they lost seven in a row to start a stretch of dropping 10 of 11, making the goal of reaching the Big 12 Championship a long climb.
K-State's seniors made sure the team shook off the bad stretch and continued to move forward, knowing eventually wins would come. And they did. The Wildcats have now won eight of their last 10, improving to 25-20 and 4-11 in the Big 12.
"They've hung in there, stuck with it. They've remained positive. They've stayed the course. When you go through a stretch like we did, a lot of guys start thinking about what's next, besides baseball," K-State head coach Brad Hill said. "These guys have not done that. They've cherished each moment they've been out here. They've believed in this team, showed good resiliency."
Even in the valleys of the season, Wodtke said panicking was never an option for this team.
"That's been a theme for this year, not panicking and trusting in what we know we can do as a team. It was just a matter of getting everyone on the same page and every part of the team clicking at the same time," he said. "It's starting to come together at the right time, so we're looking forward to keeping that going for the rest of the time we have."
For the seniors, their time playing Tointon Family Stadium will end this weekend. Each senior will be recognized for his contributions to the program, receive a framed action picture from his time at K-State and an embracing moment with Hill, who said he's deeply enjoyed watching this group mature.
Seeing Kalmus and Wodtke, as well as the community-college transfers, step into premier leadership roles and witnessing players like Floyd, now the program's all-time leader in pitching appearances, develop as players and as people, "those are the things I've really noticed with this group," Hill said of his seniors.
With three Big 12 series left on the docket, K-State trails Oklahoma State by a game and a half for the final spot in the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats won their last conference series, topping then-No. 21 West Virginia twice, and look to keep their hot streak going this weekend against the Sooners (30-16, 8-7 Big 12).
"Having that will to win," Wodtke said of what would be key in the final stretch of the season. "We're not going to give up. We're going to keep fighting. We've got a schedule, I think, that's set up in our favor. We know each game is big. Each game is a must-win from here on out and we're ready to go do it."
"Obviously, we still have a lot of work to do," Hill added, "but we're playing good baseball and the guys feel good going into the last three weeks that we can still finish this thing on a good, positive note."
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