Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, April 12
Austin, Texas
6:30 p.m.
Kansas State University
at
Texas
K-State Continues Big 12 Slate at No. 14 Texas
Apr 11, 2019 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State returns to Big 12 action Friday as it heads to Austin, Texas, to take on the 14th-ranked Texas Longhorns for a three-game series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
K-State (14-20, 1-5 Big 12) is in a stretch the sees the Wildcats play eight of nine games on the road. On Wednesday night, the Cats defeated Omaha 7-2 at Tointon Family Stadium in which Caleb Littlejim earned the victory with a quality start while also hitting a two-run home run at the plate.
K-State will send Griffin Hassall to the hill for the series opener, marking his fifth straight Friday start. Junior Kasey Ford will take the hill on Saturday while freshman lefty Jordan Wicks, who ranks in the Big 12's top 10 in both ERA and strikeouts, is slated to work in the series finale.
K-State took two of three games from Texas (22-13, 4-4 Big 12) last season in Manhattan.
The entire three-game set will be televised on the Longhorn Network and streaming on the ESPN app. Coverage is also available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) with streaming audio at K-StateSports.com/watch.
GAME #35
K-STATE (14-20, 1-5 BIG 12) at #14 TEXAS (22-13, 4-4 BIG 12)
Friday, April 12 // 6:30 p.m. // UFCU Disch-Falk Field (6,649) // Austin, Texas
Projected Starters: RHP Griffin Hassall (0-1, 2.77 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 2.40 ERA)
Watch: Longhorn Network // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Brian Smoller, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/watch
Watch | Listen Online | Live Stats
GAME #36
K-STATE (14-20, 1-5 BIG 12) at #14 TEXAS (22-13, 4-4 BIG 12)
Saturday, April 13 // 1 p.m. // UFCU Disch-Falk Field (6,649) // Austin, Texas
Projected Starters: RHP Kasey Ford (0-2, 11.74 ERA) vs. RHP Blair Henley (5-1, 3.86 ERA)
Watch: Longhorn Network // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Brian Smoller, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350kman.com
Watch | Listen Online | Live Stats
GAME #37
K-STATE (14-20, 1-5 BIG 12) at #14 TEXAS (22-13, 4-4 BIG 12)
Sunday, April 14 // 1 p.m. // UFCU Disch-Falk Field (6,649) // Austin, Texas
Projected Starters: LHP Jordan Wicks (4-1, 2.53 ERA) vs. RHP Coy Cobb (0-2, 3.16 ERA)
Watch: Longhorn Network // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Brian Smoller, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350kman.com
Watch | Listen Online | Live Stats
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (14-20) returns to Big 12 action following a 7-2 home victory over Omaha that followed a three-game non-conference series at Creighton last weekend ... In Wednesday night's victory, Caleb Littlejim turned in his first quality start on the mound (6 IP, ER) while also hitting a two-run home run at the plate ... K-State hit a total of three homers, including back-to-back home runs from Zach Kokoska and Will Brennan ... The back-to-back jacks marked the first time Wildcat teammates to accomplish the feat since 2017 (Kyle Barfield/Josh Ethier) ... After splitting the first two games of the series over the weekend, the Bluejays won the series' rubber match on Sunday 11-1 ... The Wildcats put together a complete performance Saturday in a 9-2 victory, in which Terrence Spurlin produced the first four-hit game of his career while Jordan Wicks matched his careers highs with seven innings pitched and nine strikeouts ... Spurlin led the Cats in hitting in the series, going 6-for-12 with a double and run batted in ... Kokoska hit the team's only home run as he moved into a tie for the team lead with four on the season ... Friday in the series opener, Creighton took a 4-0 decision as it handed the Wildcats their second shutout defeat over the last three games ... K-State pitchers combined for just six walks in the three-game set while striking out 26 ... K-State has won two of its last three after a 2-10 stretch ... The Cats have not won consecutive games since March 15-16 against UT Rio Grande Valley.
A LOOK AT TEXAS
Texas comes into the weekend ranked as high as No. 14 with a 22-13 record (4-4 Big 12) ... UT split a weather-shortened two-game home series with Baylor last weekend and, following a 3-1 mid-week victory over Rice, enter with a two-game winning streak ... As a staff, the Longhorns rank fourth in the Big 12 in both earned run average (3.81) and opponent's batting average (.234) ... Bryce Elder paces the Texas pitching staff with 49 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings (eight starts) with an ERA of 2.40 ... Blair Henley is 5-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 35 strikeouts ... Offensively, Lance Ford owns a team-high .291 average and Eric Kennedy leads UT in hits at 36 ... Austin Todd is the RBI leader at 31 along with three homers.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
K-State trails the all-time series with Texas, 18-56-1 (18-46-1 Big 12), dating back to 1985 ... Last season, K-State took two of three games from the Longhorns in Manhattan ... It marked the Wildcats' first home series win since 1998 and just the second home series win vs. UT in their history ... The Cats are 9-30-1 all-time in Austin and last won a three-game series on the road in 2013 ... K-State has never swept the Longhorns in a series, home or away ... Over the last 10 games in the series, K-State is 3-7 while going 2-8 in the last 10 in Austin ... Two seasons ago, Texas swept K-State at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
WINNING TIME
In K-State's 14 wins this season, the Wildcats are hitting .350 (48-for-137) with runners in scoring position and .335 (54-for-161) with two outs ... Conversely, the Cats have a .192 average (34-for-177) with runners in scoring position while hitting .164 (34-for-207) with two outs over 20 losses ... K-State has produced 34 two-out RBI in victories with just 16 in 20 losses ... Overall, K-State hits .310 in victories against just .224 in defeats ... In 20 defeats, K-State pitchers have combined for 101 walks (5.1 per game) while in victories the staff averages 3.5 walks per game (46 walks in 13 wins) ... K-State posts a 2.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in wins while owning a 1.70 K/BB mark in losses.
KOKO GOIN' LOCO
K-State sophomore Zach Kokoska has catapulted himself to the top of K-State's leaderboard in all three slash categories with a .333 average, .406 on-base percentage and a .537 slugging percentage ... Kokoska has two home runs in his last three games to up his season total to five, which is tied for the team lead (Caleb Littlejim) ... The Latrobe, Pennsylvania, product hit in the three spot in the lineup for the first time this season on Wednesday and is second on the squad with 21 runs batted in and tied for second with 10 multi-hit games ... Kokoska boasts a team-best .364 average in Big 12 games ... Kokoska, in his first season at K-State after transferring from Virginia Tech, has hit safely in 15 of his last 21 games, raising his average from .262 to .333.
NO K FOR YOU
Junior Will Brennan owns the title of toughest to strike out in the Big 12, going 21.3 at-bats per strikeout this season (128 AB, 6 K) ... Brennan's rate is currently the second-best in the nation and has not struck out in his last 37 at-bats ... The Stilwell native has finished each of the last two seasons as the toughest hitter in the conference to punch out ... In 2017, Brennan had 12 strikeouts in 183 at-bats and only went down on strikes 11 times in 220 at-bats last season ... Brennan owns a career at-bat-to-strikeout ratio of 18.2.
IMPACT LEFTY
Freshman left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks has made eight straight Saturday starts to open the season, going 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA (13 ER, 46.1 IP) while picking up 57 strikeouts to pace the Wildcats ... Wicks ranks in the league's top 10 in innings pitched, wins, ERA and strikeouts ... Four of Wicks' eight starts have been quality outings and K-State is 6-2 in games he has started ... He has struck out at least six in seven of his eight starts and has reached eight punchouts seven times.
CLOZER
Senior Mitch Zubradt has thrown the final out in seven of K-State's 13 wins, including the Wildcats' first four wins of the year ... In 16 2/3 total innings thrown, Zubradt has given up just two hits without a run allowed while picking up 22 strikeouts ... He is 4-for-4 in save opportunities - the first saves of his career - with a victory ... Opponents are hitting .039 against him in 2019 ... Zubradt has not surrendered a base hit over his last 8 2/3 innings (seven appearances) and has not issued a walk in his last 10 innings pitched (eight outings).
VS RANKED OPPONENTS
K-State is 1-2 against ranked teams this season, taking the series finale from No. 10 Texas Tech 6-5 ... The victory snapped a streak of 11 consecutive defeats to ranked opponents ... In 2018, K-State went 0-8 against teams ranked in at least one poll (South Alabama, Indiana, TCU, Texas Tech) ... K-State last defeated a top-25 team on the road on February 23, 2017, a 6-5 win at then-No. 4 South Carolina.
K-State (14-20, 1-5 Big 12) is in a stretch the sees the Wildcats play eight of nine games on the road. On Wednesday night, the Cats defeated Omaha 7-2 at Tointon Family Stadium in which Caleb Littlejim earned the victory with a quality start while also hitting a two-run home run at the plate.
K-State will send Griffin Hassall to the hill for the series opener, marking his fifth straight Friday start. Junior Kasey Ford will take the hill on Saturday while freshman lefty Jordan Wicks, who ranks in the Big 12's top 10 in both ERA and strikeouts, is slated to work in the series finale.
K-State took two of three games from Texas (22-13, 4-4 Big 12) last season in Manhattan.
The entire three-game set will be televised on the Longhorn Network and streaming on the ESPN app. Coverage is also available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) with streaming audio at K-StateSports.com/watch.
GAME #35
K-STATE (14-20, 1-5 BIG 12) at #14 TEXAS (22-13, 4-4 BIG 12)
Friday, April 12 // 6:30 p.m. // UFCU Disch-Falk Field (6,649) // Austin, Texas
Projected Starters: RHP Griffin Hassall (0-1, 2.77 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 2.40 ERA)
Watch: Longhorn Network // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Brian Smoller, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/watch
Watch | Listen Online | Live Stats
GAME #36
K-STATE (14-20, 1-5 BIG 12) at #14 TEXAS (22-13, 4-4 BIG 12)
Saturday, April 13 // 1 p.m. // UFCU Disch-Falk Field (6,649) // Austin, Texas
Projected Starters: RHP Kasey Ford (0-2, 11.74 ERA) vs. RHP Blair Henley (5-1, 3.86 ERA)
Watch: Longhorn Network // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Brian Smoller, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350kman.com
Watch | Listen Online | Live Stats
GAME #37
K-STATE (14-20, 1-5 BIG 12) at #14 TEXAS (22-13, 4-4 BIG 12)
Sunday, April 14 // 1 p.m. // UFCU Disch-Falk Field (6,649) // Austin, Texas
Projected Starters: LHP Jordan Wicks (4-1, 2.53 ERA) vs. RHP Coy Cobb (0-2, 3.16 ERA)
Watch: Longhorn Network // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Brian Smoller, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350kman.com
Watch | Listen Online | Live Stats
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (14-20) returns to Big 12 action following a 7-2 home victory over Omaha that followed a three-game non-conference series at Creighton last weekend ... In Wednesday night's victory, Caleb Littlejim turned in his first quality start on the mound (6 IP, ER) while also hitting a two-run home run at the plate ... K-State hit a total of three homers, including back-to-back home runs from Zach Kokoska and Will Brennan ... The back-to-back jacks marked the first time Wildcat teammates to accomplish the feat since 2017 (Kyle Barfield/Josh Ethier) ... After splitting the first two games of the series over the weekend, the Bluejays won the series' rubber match on Sunday 11-1 ... The Wildcats put together a complete performance Saturday in a 9-2 victory, in which Terrence Spurlin produced the first four-hit game of his career while Jordan Wicks matched his careers highs with seven innings pitched and nine strikeouts ... Spurlin led the Cats in hitting in the series, going 6-for-12 with a double and run batted in ... Kokoska hit the team's only home run as he moved into a tie for the team lead with four on the season ... Friday in the series opener, Creighton took a 4-0 decision as it handed the Wildcats their second shutout defeat over the last three games ... K-State pitchers combined for just six walks in the three-game set while striking out 26 ... K-State has won two of its last three after a 2-10 stretch ... The Cats have not won consecutive games since March 15-16 against UT Rio Grande Valley.
A LOOK AT TEXAS
Texas comes into the weekend ranked as high as No. 14 with a 22-13 record (4-4 Big 12) ... UT split a weather-shortened two-game home series with Baylor last weekend and, following a 3-1 mid-week victory over Rice, enter with a two-game winning streak ... As a staff, the Longhorns rank fourth in the Big 12 in both earned run average (3.81) and opponent's batting average (.234) ... Bryce Elder paces the Texas pitching staff with 49 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings (eight starts) with an ERA of 2.40 ... Blair Henley is 5-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 35 strikeouts ... Offensively, Lance Ford owns a team-high .291 average and Eric Kennedy leads UT in hits at 36 ... Austin Todd is the RBI leader at 31 along with three homers.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
K-State trails the all-time series with Texas, 18-56-1 (18-46-1 Big 12), dating back to 1985 ... Last season, K-State took two of three games from the Longhorns in Manhattan ... It marked the Wildcats' first home series win since 1998 and just the second home series win vs. UT in their history ... The Cats are 9-30-1 all-time in Austin and last won a three-game series on the road in 2013 ... K-State has never swept the Longhorns in a series, home or away ... Over the last 10 games in the series, K-State is 3-7 while going 2-8 in the last 10 in Austin ... Two seasons ago, Texas swept K-State at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
WINNING TIME
In K-State's 14 wins this season, the Wildcats are hitting .350 (48-for-137) with runners in scoring position and .335 (54-for-161) with two outs ... Conversely, the Cats have a .192 average (34-for-177) with runners in scoring position while hitting .164 (34-for-207) with two outs over 20 losses ... K-State has produced 34 two-out RBI in victories with just 16 in 20 losses ... Overall, K-State hits .310 in victories against just .224 in defeats ... In 20 defeats, K-State pitchers have combined for 101 walks (5.1 per game) while in victories the staff averages 3.5 walks per game (46 walks in 13 wins) ... K-State posts a 2.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in wins while owning a 1.70 K/BB mark in losses.
KOKO GOIN' LOCO
K-State sophomore Zach Kokoska has catapulted himself to the top of K-State's leaderboard in all three slash categories with a .333 average, .406 on-base percentage and a .537 slugging percentage ... Kokoska has two home runs in his last three games to up his season total to five, which is tied for the team lead (Caleb Littlejim) ... The Latrobe, Pennsylvania, product hit in the three spot in the lineup for the first time this season on Wednesday and is second on the squad with 21 runs batted in and tied for second with 10 multi-hit games ... Kokoska boasts a team-best .364 average in Big 12 games ... Kokoska, in his first season at K-State after transferring from Virginia Tech, has hit safely in 15 of his last 21 games, raising his average from .262 to .333.
NO K FOR YOU
Junior Will Brennan owns the title of toughest to strike out in the Big 12, going 21.3 at-bats per strikeout this season (128 AB, 6 K) ... Brennan's rate is currently the second-best in the nation and has not struck out in his last 37 at-bats ... The Stilwell native has finished each of the last two seasons as the toughest hitter in the conference to punch out ... In 2017, Brennan had 12 strikeouts in 183 at-bats and only went down on strikes 11 times in 220 at-bats last season ... Brennan owns a career at-bat-to-strikeout ratio of 18.2.
IMPACT LEFTY
Freshman left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks has made eight straight Saturday starts to open the season, going 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA (13 ER, 46.1 IP) while picking up 57 strikeouts to pace the Wildcats ... Wicks ranks in the league's top 10 in innings pitched, wins, ERA and strikeouts ... Four of Wicks' eight starts have been quality outings and K-State is 6-2 in games he has started ... He has struck out at least six in seven of his eight starts and has reached eight punchouts seven times.
CLOZER
Senior Mitch Zubradt has thrown the final out in seven of K-State's 13 wins, including the Wildcats' first four wins of the year ... In 16 2/3 total innings thrown, Zubradt has given up just two hits without a run allowed while picking up 22 strikeouts ... He is 4-for-4 in save opportunities - the first saves of his career - with a victory ... Opponents are hitting .039 against him in 2019 ... Zubradt has not surrendered a base hit over his last 8 2/3 innings (seven appearances) and has not issued a walk in his last 10 innings pitched (eight outings).
VS RANKED OPPONENTS
K-State is 1-2 against ranked teams this season, taking the series finale from No. 10 Texas Tech 6-5 ... The victory snapped a streak of 11 consecutive defeats to ranked opponents ... In 2018, K-State went 0-8 against teams ranked in at least one poll (South Alabama, Indiana, TCU, Texas Tech) ... K-State last defeated a top-25 team on the road on February 23, 2017, a 6-5 win at then-No. 4 South Carolina.
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