SE: ‘Cats Looking to “Redefine” Season Against No. 3 Texas Tech
Apr 01, 2021 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Pete Hughes is focused on what K-State Baseball has been and what this team could still become.
The Wildcats are on a four-game slide after No. 13 Oklahoma State swept the first Big 12 series of the season in Stillwater. But K-State remains on pace for their best season since 2013, when the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament.
"The last thing you want to do as a baseball player or a baseball coach is to panic," Hughes said. "We just have to redefine what we're doing."
What the Wildcats have done this season is roll out one of the best pitching staffs in the conference and an offense that's won four games scoring more than 10 runs and lost four games scoring less than two.
The goal this weekend will be to find some consistency at Tointon Family Stadium against the No. 3 team in the country, Texas Tech. No sweat.
"I'm not going to sit around and watch what I watched last weekend," Hughes said. "We have phenomenal kids who have paid the price in their preparation to be great at this level."
Here are three things to focus on in the Big 12 home opener for the Wildcats this weekend.
Piecing Together the Outfield
The beginning of conference play is when any coach would hope to start writing his lineup card in pen instead of pencil.
At the corner outfield spots, Zach Kokoska and Dylan Phillips are just about locked in. Same for Cameron Thompson as the team's third baseman.
The rest has been more of the Wild West for K-State in 2021, with key spots still up for grabs.
"A couple of those jobs have been wide open, and no one really wants to take them," Hughes said. "We haven't gotten enough consistent play from anybody who's gotten the opportunity."
Kokoska, or Koko or Whack, or whatever his teammates are calling him these days should slot into right field, with his team-leading nine home runs at the heart of the order.
Cameron Uselton was the latest Wildcats to get a shot in center field, with two starts against Oklahoma State over the weekend. The freshman played clean defensively and hit .286 with an RBI against the Cowboys.
"Cam Uselton played really well for a freshman, to get his first extensive time in Big 12 play at a tough venue back in his home state," Hughes said. "We feel good about him in center field with the right matchups."
Hughes mentioned the next guy up in left field and second base could be a player who's already writing an impressive freshman season at the plate, less than two months into his college career.
Nick Goodwin Appreciation Post
Nobody on the Wildcats got off to a hotter start in 2021 than Nick Goodwin. The Overland Park native has delivered for the Wildcats since day one.
"We've asked him to do a lot," Hughes said. "He's hit 2, 3 or 4 in every single lineup that we've put out there. That puts him in a lot of pressure situations with a lot of men on base. He's above and beyond where a freshman should be at this level of college baseball."
As the Wildcats look to establish more consistency at the plate, Goodwin has been the kind of foundational hitter any lineup needs to have a shot in conference play. The freshman has grabbed at least one extra base hit in every three-game series for the 'Cats this season.
He is also among the top three players on the team in hits (26), doubles (6), home runs (4), extra-base hits (10) and RBIs (14) while leading K-State in stolen bases (7). Hughes pointed out that it's been a "show and go" kind of year for Goodwin – he didn't have a senior season in high school due to COVID-19.
"We identified him the very first summer we were hired, that was his junior year," Hughes said. "One of the first guys we signed as a staff… He made a huge jump after he committed to us and was game ready when he came on campus."
Patience at the Plate
The quality starts have been there for K-State this season. For Hughes, the focus against No. 3 Texas Tech will be getting some run support behind his weekend rotation.
"I've given these guys a lot of freedom to try and evolve into an offense. When you go 10 straight innings without getting a hit and you're 0-for-41, that's tough sledding," Hughes said. "We have to control some at bats, work some counts, not be so aggressive with our plate approach and try to get some traffic on the bases."
Despite the disappointing series in Stillwater, the Wildcats still have the bats to compete with anybody in the conference. In fact, this weekend's matchup will see a Red Raider team that leads the Big 12 in home runs (35) face the No. 2 home run-hitting team in the conference (32).
Hughes is looking for his team to get deeper into at-bats, where a wild pitch or even a hit batter can give the offense a spark. A sacrifice bunt can also be a confidence builder, especially when a hitter feels like he hasn't been able to contribute at the plate.
"Even a walk or a stolen base can make you feel like you're a part of the offense and kick start you," Hughes said. "That's where we are right now. Every team goes through a little rut…Nothing like beating a good team in a series to get your season going."
Pete Hughes is focused on what K-State Baseball has been and what this team could still become.
The Wildcats are on a four-game slide after No. 13 Oklahoma State swept the first Big 12 series of the season in Stillwater. But K-State remains on pace for their best season since 2013, when the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament.
"The last thing you want to do as a baseball player or a baseball coach is to panic," Hughes said. "We just have to redefine what we're doing."
What the Wildcats have done this season is roll out one of the best pitching staffs in the conference and an offense that's won four games scoring more than 10 runs and lost four games scoring less than two.
The goal this weekend will be to find some consistency at Tointon Family Stadium against the No. 3 team in the country, Texas Tech. No sweat.
"I'm not going to sit around and watch what I watched last weekend," Hughes said. "We have phenomenal kids who have paid the price in their preparation to be great at this level."
Here are three things to focus on in the Big 12 home opener for the Wildcats this weekend.
Piecing Together the Outfield
The beginning of conference play is when any coach would hope to start writing his lineup card in pen instead of pencil.
At the corner outfield spots, Zach Kokoska and Dylan Phillips are just about locked in. Same for Cameron Thompson as the team's third baseman.
The rest has been more of the Wild West for K-State in 2021, with key spots still up for grabs.
"A couple of those jobs have been wide open, and no one really wants to take them," Hughes said. "We haven't gotten enough consistent play from anybody who's gotten the opportunity."
Kokoska, or Koko or Whack, or whatever his teammates are calling him these days should slot into right field, with his team-leading nine home runs at the heart of the order.
Cameron Uselton was the latest Wildcats to get a shot in center field, with two starts against Oklahoma State over the weekend. The freshman played clean defensively and hit .286 with an RBI against the Cowboys.
"Cam Uselton played really well for a freshman, to get his first extensive time in Big 12 play at a tough venue back in his home state," Hughes said. "We feel good about him in center field with the right matchups."
Hughes mentioned the next guy up in left field and second base could be a player who's already writing an impressive freshman season at the plate, less than two months into his college career.
Nick Goodwin Appreciation Post
Nobody on the Wildcats got off to a hotter start in 2021 than Nick Goodwin. The Overland Park native has delivered for the Wildcats since day one.
"We've asked him to do a lot," Hughes said. "He's hit 2, 3 or 4 in every single lineup that we've put out there. That puts him in a lot of pressure situations with a lot of men on base. He's above and beyond where a freshman should be at this level of college baseball."
As the Wildcats look to establish more consistency at the plate, Goodwin has been the kind of foundational hitter any lineup needs to have a shot in conference play. The freshman has grabbed at least one extra base hit in every three-game series for the 'Cats this season.
Opportunity awaits #KStateBSB pic.twitter.com/23VOSQbevO
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) March 30, 2021
He is also among the top three players on the team in hits (26), doubles (6), home runs (4), extra-base hits (10) and RBIs (14) while leading K-State in stolen bases (7). Hughes pointed out that it's been a "show and go" kind of year for Goodwin – he didn't have a senior season in high school due to COVID-19.
"We identified him the very first summer we were hired, that was his junior year," Hughes said. "One of the first guys we signed as a staff… He made a huge jump after he committed to us and was game ready when he came on campus."
Patience at the Plate
The quality starts have been there for K-State this season. For Hughes, the focus against No. 3 Texas Tech will be getting some run support behind his weekend rotation.
"I've given these guys a lot of freedom to try and evolve into an offense. When you go 10 straight innings without getting a hit and you're 0-for-41, that's tough sledding," Hughes said. "We have to control some at bats, work some counts, not be so aggressive with our plate approach and try to get some traffic on the bases."
Despite the disappointing series in Stillwater, the Wildcats still have the bats to compete with anybody in the conference. In fact, this weekend's matchup will see a Red Raider team that leads the Big 12 in home runs (35) face the No. 2 home run-hitting team in the conference (32).
Hughes is looking for his team to get deeper into at-bats, where a wild pitch or even a hit batter can give the offense a spark. A sacrifice bunt can also be a confidence builder, especially when a hitter feels like he hasn't been able to contribute at the plate.
"Even a walk or a stolen base can make you feel like you're a part of the offense and kick start you," Hughes said. "That's where we are right now. Every team goes through a little rut…Nothing like beating a good team in a series to get your season going."
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