SE: Wicks Electrifies College Baseball, K-State Grabs a Pair of Wins in the Desert
Feb 23, 2021 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Think of all the ways Jordan Wicks could have underwhelmed for K-State Baseball on Opening Night.
Against Oregon State, the 2018 national champions, almost every other pitcher in the country would have signed up for a quality start, scattering some runs over a few solid innings of work.
But when you're an All-American, the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year and a consensus first round MLB draft pick, you're graded on a different scale than every other pitcher.
How's this for the first test of the season for Wicks?
7 innings pitched, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts, 0 runs.
The most impressive debut of the weekend in college baseball belonged to the K-State lefty, who shut down Oregon State in a 3-2 win to open the season for the Wildcats.
Wicks was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on Monday afternoon.
"He was awesome," Pete Hughes said. "When he gets into that rhythm, he's really tough to beat. But great players figure it out in big moments in the game."
One of those moments came early in Friday afternoon's opener for Wicks, with a bases-loaded, no-outs situation in the second inning of a scoreless game.
He went strikeout, strikeout, inning-ending ground ball.
"Damage control in that inning is giving up one run," Hughes said. "But that's why he's a great player and a great competitor. He completely turned the momentum around in that situation."
Wicks matched up against Oregon State ace Kevin Abel, who sent the Beavers to the national championship in 2018 with a complete-game shutout in Omaha. Abel was sharp in his return from Tommy Johnny surgery, but "sharp" looks like it isn't going to cut it against Wicks in 2021.
While his ace got the headlines, Hughes was equally impressed by true freshman Nick Goodwin. In his college debut on Friday, Goodwin went 1-for-2 with three walks against the Beavers.
His first K-State hit was a two-run RBI double that proved to be the game-winner.
"I contemplated putting him in the two-hole just because he's a freshman," Hughes said. "When you're good, you're good. I didn't think that any moment would be too big for him. But two strikes, runners on second and third? That was a big hit."
Even after delivering Wicks the run support he needed to grab his first win of the season, Goodwin had a few more clutch moments in store.
K-State dropped the middle games of the weekend in Arizona against Gonzaga and New Mexico – a late-inning comeback and walk-off by the Lobos certainly stung – before wrapping up the series against Gonzaga on Monday morning.
Playing a Bulldogs team that tagged them in a 17-5 loss on Saturday, the Wildcats would rely on Goodwin to break the game wide open.
"Nick Goodwin, he's playing like a veteran," Hughes added. "Nothing phases him, and the game is [really] slow for him right now."
The freshman's three-hit afternoon was capped off by a pair of RBI singles to stretch the K-State lead in support of another impressive outing from a Wildcat on the mound.
Kasey Ford tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings against Gonzaga, striking out three
He also became the second K-State starter of the weekend to work his way out of a bases loaded, no-out jam without allowing a run.
The Wildcats leave Arizona with a pair of victories against two programs, Oregon State and Gonzaga, that have combined for seven NCAA Tournament appearances since K-State's last bid.
Hughes and his team return to Manhattan on the right path towards changing that in 2021.
"I know it's early in the season, but it was a much-needed win in my mind," Hughes said. "After a heartbreaking loss, it gets guys feeling good getting on the plane back home."
Think of all the ways Jordan Wicks could have underwhelmed for K-State Baseball on Opening Night.
Against Oregon State, the 2018 national champions, almost every other pitcher in the country would have signed up for a quality start, scattering some runs over a few solid innings of work.
But when you're an All-American, the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year and a consensus first round MLB draft pick, you're graded on a different scale than every other pitcher.
How's this for the first test of the season for Wicks?
7 innings pitched, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts, 0 runs.
The most impressive debut of the weekend in college baseball belonged to the K-State lefty, who shut down Oregon State in a 3-2 win to open the season for the Wildcats.
Wicks was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on Monday afternoon.
"He was awesome," Pete Hughes said. "When he gets into that rhythm, he's really tough to beat. But great players figure it out in big moments in the game."
JORDAN WICKKKKKKKKKKS
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 19, 2021
📊 7 IP, 3H, 10K#KStateBSB x @wicks_jordan pic.twitter.com/3x6FbTXY2P
One of those moments came early in Friday afternoon's opener for Wicks, with a bases-loaded, no-outs situation in the second inning of a scoreless game.
He went strikeout, strikeout, inning-ending ground ball.
"Damage control in that inning is giving up one run," Hughes said. "But that's why he's a great player and a great competitor. He completely turned the momentum around in that situation."
Wicks matched up against Oregon State ace Kevin Abel, who sent the Beavers to the national championship in 2018 with a complete-game shutout in Omaha. Abel was sharp in his return from Tommy Johnny surgery, but "sharp" looks like it isn't going to cut it against Wicks in 2021.
While his ace got the headlines, Hughes was equally impressed by true freshman Nick Goodwin. In his college debut on Friday, Goodwin went 1-for-2 with three walks against the Beavers.
His first K-State hit was a two-run RBI double that proved to be the game-winner.
"I contemplated putting him in the two-hole just because he's a freshman," Hughes said. "When you're good, you're good. I didn't think that any moment would be too big for him. But two strikes, runners on second and third? That was a big hit."
Nick Goodwin connects on his first career hit to put #KStateBSB up 2-0 over Oregon State.
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 19, 2021
Watch on @FloBaseball
🎥 https://t.co/kNVvhcVhWR pic.twitter.com/fJKNcKalY6
Even after delivering Wicks the run support he needed to grab his first win of the season, Goodwin had a few more clutch moments in store.
K-State dropped the middle games of the weekend in Arizona against Gonzaga and New Mexico – a late-inning comeback and walk-off by the Lobos certainly stung – before wrapping up the series against Gonzaga on Monday morning.
Playing a Bulldogs team that tagged them in a 17-5 loss on Saturday, the Wildcats would rely on Goodwin to break the game wide open.
"Nick Goodwin, he's playing like a veteran," Hughes added. "Nothing phases him, and the game is [really] slow for him right now."
The freshman's three-hit afternoon was capped off by a pair of RBI singles to stretch the K-State lead in support of another impressive outing from a Wildcat on the mound.
Kasey Ford tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings against Gonzaga, striking out three
He also became the second K-State starter of the weekend to work his way out of a bases loaded, no-out jam without allowing a run.
The Wildcats leave Arizona with a pair of victories against two programs, Oregon State and Gonzaga, that have combined for seven NCAA Tournament appearances since K-State's last bid.
Hughes and his team return to Manhattan on the right path towards changing that in 2021.
"I know it's early in the season, but it was a much-needed win in my mind," Hughes said. "After a heartbreaking loss, it gets guys feeling good getting on the plane back home."
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