Kansas State University Athletics
Sunday, February 28
Manhattan, KS
12 p.m.
Kansas State University
5-2
2
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1
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Western Michigan
0-3
1
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9
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H
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Western Michigan
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6
1
K-State
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2
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X
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Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
Wildcats Complete Sweep of Western Michigan Sunday, 2-1
Feb 28, 2021 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State starter Connor McCullough allowed one run over 5 1/3 inning and Caleb Littlejim recorded a six-out save in a 2-1 victory over Western Michigan Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium, completing a three-game series sweep of the Broncos.
McCullough earned his first win of the year, as he scattered three hits and struck out six. The redshirt freshman sat down nine of the first 10 WMU batters he faced in aiding K-State (4-2) to its fourth straight win.
"It was a good win," said head coach Pete Hughes. "I thought our guys came out and took a good pregame. I thought their approach was really good. It was a really tough offensive day with the wind blowing in. We picked our spots. We knew it would be a tight game because of the conditions."
The Wildcats plated both of their runs in the fourth. Zach Kokoska led off the inning with a walk and, after stealing second and moving to third on a groundout, scored on a sacrifice fly from Dylan Phillips. Daniel Carinci doubled and scored on Terrence Spurlin's RBI single with two outs.
McCullough kept Western Michigan (0-3) scoreless until the sixth inning. Connor Charping roped a leadoff double led and scored on a single by Logan Hudson.
"The breaking ball was the great equalizer for him today to keep people off his fastball," Hughes said of McCullough. "He did a really good job of spotting his fastball on both sides of the plate, but it was the breaking ball. It's a true curveball.
"The true curveball gave them a different look. His ability to throw that for a strike in all counts is what kept those guys off balance today."
Littlejim moved from center field to the mound with a runner on first base and nobody out in the top of the eighth. The senior two-way star forced inning-ending double plays in both the eighth and ninth innings to pick up his first career save.
K-State turned four double plays over the weekend, including three in the series finale on Sunday.
"It's great to get those double plays," added Hughes. "They take momentum, and momentum comes back in your dugout in one play. I thought we did a good job. We dropped a popup yesterday, but overall, I thought we played a pretty high standard of clean defense. Cam Thompson made a great play today and made it look easy for another double play. That's the standard we have to be at defensively."
Carinci and catcher Dylan Caplinger led the K-State offense, as they each tallied two hits. Carinci's double in the fourth marked the Cats' only extra-base hit Sunday.
Three Wildcats relievers combined to hold WMU scoreless on three hits over the game's final 3 2/3 innings.
K-State went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position while the Broncos were 1-for-8. Both teams finished 1-for-12 with runners on base.
Charping and Ethan Hajdukovic were the lone Broncos with multi-hit games, each registering two.
WMU starter Jack Huisman suffered the loss after allowing two runs on five hits over five frames.
The Wildcats continue their eight-game homestand with a three-game series against Eastern Illinois beginning Friday at 3 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Fans can also catch live, free audio at K-StateSports.com/watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
McCullough earned his first win of the year, as he scattered three hits and struck out six. The redshirt freshman sat down nine of the first 10 WMU batters he faced in aiding K-State (4-2) to its fourth straight win.
"It was a good win," said head coach Pete Hughes. "I thought our guys came out and took a good pregame. I thought their approach was really good. It was a really tough offensive day with the wind blowing in. We picked our spots. We knew it would be a tight game because of the conditions."
The Wildcats plated both of their runs in the fourth. Zach Kokoska led off the inning with a walk and, after stealing second and moving to third on a groundout, scored on a sacrifice fly from Dylan Phillips. Daniel Carinci doubled and scored on Terrence Spurlin's RBI single with two outs.
McCullough kept Western Michigan (0-3) scoreless until the sixth inning. Connor Charping roped a leadoff double led and scored on a single by Logan Hudson.
"The breaking ball was the great equalizer for him today to keep people off his fastball," Hughes said of McCullough. "He did a really good job of spotting his fastball on both sides of the plate, but it was the breaking ball. It's a true curveball.
"The true curveball gave them a different look. His ability to throw that for a strike in all counts is what kept those guys off balance today."
Littlejim moved from center field to the mound with a runner on first base and nobody out in the top of the eighth. The senior two-way star forced inning-ending double plays in both the eighth and ninth innings to pick up his first career save.
K-State turned four double plays over the weekend, including three in the series finale on Sunday.
"It's great to get those double plays," added Hughes. "They take momentum, and momentum comes back in your dugout in one play. I thought we did a good job. We dropped a popup yesterday, but overall, I thought we played a pretty high standard of clean defense. Cam Thompson made a great play today and made it look easy for another double play. That's the standard we have to be at defensively."
Carinci and catcher Dylan Caplinger led the K-State offense, as they each tallied two hits. Carinci's double in the fourth marked the Cats' only extra-base hit Sunday.
Three Wildcats relievers combined to hold WMU scoreless on three hits over the game's final 3 2/3 innings.
K-State went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position while the Broncos were 1-for-8. Both teams finished 1-for-12 with runners on base.
Charping and Ethan Hajdukovic were the lone Broncos with multi-hit games, each registering two.
WMU starter Jack Huisman suffered the loss after allowing two runs on five hits over five frames.
The Wildcats continue their eight-game homestand with a three-game series against Eastern Illinois beginning Friday at 3 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Fans can also catch live, free audio at K-StateSports.com/watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored two runs on seven hits without an error and eight left on base.
- Western Michigan scored one run on six hits with one error and six left on base.
- Phillips drove in his seventh run of the season.
- Spurlin drove in his third run of the season.
- McCullough worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits with six strikeouts.
- McCullough earned his first win of the year and the third of his K-State career.
- Littlejim picked up the first save of his K-State career.
- K-State went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Western Michigan was 1-for-8.
- K-State had three stolen bases in the win.
- Carinci had K-State's only extra-base hit (double).
- K-State turned three double plays in Sunday's win.
- K-State leads the all-time series with Wester Michigan 5-0.
- Cameron Thompson made his 191st consecutive start for the Wildcats (ninth all-time).
- Freshman Nick Goodwin's six-game on-base streak came to an end.
- Phillips has hit safely in 17 of his last 18 games going back to last season.
- Phillips, Thompson and Kamron Willman have all reached base in all seven games this year.
🧹🧹🧹#KStateBSB pic.twitter.com/zkVSLIIyOP
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 28, 2021
Wildcats flash the leather one more time as Littlejim grabs the save in the series sweep over Western Michigan. #KStateBSB pic.twitter.com/eNWxDb26kh
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 28, 2021
📊 5 IP, 3H, 1 ER, 6K (88 pitches)
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 28, 2021
Another quality outing for @connormcc22 #KStateBSB pic.twitter.com/d2QsSF6Uik
5-4-3 Double Play. #KStateBSB up 2-0 headed to Bot 5th pic.twitter.com/xGzhjbMFQ1
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 28, 2021
A Phillips sac fly, Carinci double, followed by an RBI single from Spurlin caps the Wildcats 4th. #KStateBSB 2
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 28, 2021
Western Michigan 0 | Top 5 pic.twitter.com/OvpkWddiiK
OH.
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 28, 2021
MY.
KOKO 🤯#KStateBSB x #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/gFsyXZnH7U
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCullough, Connor (1-0)
L: HUISMAN, JACK (0-1)
S: Littlejim, Caleb (1)
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Batting:
2B: CHARPING, CONNOR 1 ; MISSAL, RYAN 1
RBI: HUDSON, LOGAN 1
SH: MCINTYRE, JUSTIN 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CHARPING, CONNOR 1
SB: CHARPING, CONNOR 2
HBP: BUDIG, GREG 1
Batting:
2B: Carinci, Daniel 1
RBI: Phillips, Dylan 1 ; Spurlin, Terrence 1
SH: Burrows, Blake 1
SF: Phillips, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kokoska, Zach 1 ; Carinci, Daniel 1
SB: Kokoska, Zach 1 ; Caplinger, Dylan 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
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RBI
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3
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2
RBI
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AB
3
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RBI
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AB
4
R
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H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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INF
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