SE: Momentum is Everything – K-State Baseball Looking for Even More Magic
May 24, 2021 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
1 - You have to start with the last pitch of the season at Tointon Family Stadium, because Chris Ceballos hit one of those walk-off home runs where you don't need to watch the baseball.
Just the K-State pitchers pouring out of the bullpen and Ceballos doing a Kirk Gibson-style fist pump before reaching second base. Or how about the entire K-State roster waiting for Ceballos at home plate and dumping not one, but two Gatorade buckets on their senior catcher after an 11-8 win.
2 - "What an awesome win for the program, especially for the [number] of seniors we have to go out like that against a really good opponent," assistant coach Austin Wates said. "Such a cool feeling."
The most important games of the season are still ahead for this K-State team, with a Big 12 Championship that could guarantee the Wildcats a place in the NCAA Tournament.
There's not much time to celebrate.
But Saturday's win means K-State went the entire season without losing a Big 12 series at home. And it came on a day when the 'Cats honored their senior class, including the fifth-year players who returned to the program after the 2020 season was lost due to COVID-19. Oh yeah, and No. 5 TCU was in town with a roster primed for a deep postseason run.
3 - "To be able to do something like that off one of the best arms in the Big 12, it really is unbelievable," Wates said. "It's rare to see that much barrel contact off of anybody, much less an elite arm at the top of the league. It's just a testament to how focused our guys were."
4 - The rally began with a hit from Caleb Littlejim, another senior, who got the Wildcats in business down 8-4. RBI doubles from Cameron Thompson and Terrence Spurlin cut the lead to one before Dylan Phillips' RBI single tied the game. Cue Ceballos and an unforgettable blast.
All of this magic came against TCU's All-American closer Haylen Green, owner of a 2.08 ERA coming into Saturday's game.
It's the second time this season the 'Cats have taken a series from a top-five team in Manhattan. That had happened only one time in program history prior to this season.
5 - Odds are, most of the fans at Tointon Family Stadium won't remember that when they think about the seven-run ninth inning and the walk-off home run. Wates will remember the noise.
6 - "When this place gets loud, it gets really loud. The fans are so close to the dugouts. You can feel them," he said. "When everybody is in unison like that, the place is really buzzing, and it absolutely affects the other team. For our guys to feed off that energy is really cool. It shows a bit of a return to normalcy that our guys get to play in front of a big crowd and a full stadium."
The first series of the season with full capacity at Tointon Family Stadium brought a playoff atmosphere to Manhattan. These weren't postseason games, but if the 'Cats hope to make a deep run at the Big 12 Championship, this felt like a moment they needed to take advantage of.
7 - "It's huge. Momentum is everything in this game." Wates said. "TCU grabs the four-run lead in the first, and our guys go out there and fight and battle and get four runs themselves and the momentum shifts back to our side."
K-State will head to Oklahoma City this week with three wins in its last four games.
8 - The good vibes started on Thursday, when Jordan Wicks delivered a commanding performance in his final start of the season in Manhattan.
Throwing 7 2/3 innings of two-run baseball against the highest scoring team in the conference, the sophomore struck out seven Horned Frogs in the series opener.
"I felt like I could throw all four pitches for a strike tonight," Wicks said. "Our fans are incredible, so hearing them stand up and clap like that really kind of hit home. I've loved this place, and we still have a lot of baseball to play."
9 - The next time the Wildcats step on a baseball field will be against these same Horned Frogs on Wednesday afternoon in the Big 12 Championship.
By taking the weekend series from TCU, the Wildcats avoided the tournament's Tuesday evening play-in game between No. 8 West Virginia and No. 9 Kansas.
The seven-seed in Oklahoma City, K-State will face No. 2 TCU before squaring off with either No. 6 Baylor or No. 3 Texas Tech in its second game of the tournament on Thursday.
10 - No matter what happens this week, the Wildcats have momentum back in their dugout.
Give them a few outs to work with and nothing, not even a seven-run rally in the ninth inning, feels impossible.
"I think more than anything it gives our guys confidence and momentum going forward. We all know we need to make a run in that tournament in order to get an at-large bid," Wates said. "For us to win this series and especially to win it like that is such a cool feeling. To have that momentum going forward is going to be really great for our program."
1 - You have to start with the last pitch of the season at Tointon Family Stadium, because Chris Ceballos hit one of those walk-off home runs where you don't need to watch the baseball.
Just the K-State pitchers pouring out of the bullpen and Ceballos doing a Kirk Gibson-style fist pump before reaching second base. Or how about the entire K-State roster waiting for Ceballos at home plate and dumping not one, but two Gatorade buckets on their senior catcher after an 11-8 win.
2 - "What an awesome win for the program, especially for the [number] of seniors we have to go out like that against a really good opponent," assistant coach Austin Wates said. "Such a cool feeling."
The most important games of the season are still ahead for this K-State team, with a Big 12 Championship that could guarantee the Wildcats a place in the NCAA Tournament.
There's not much time to celebrate.
But Saturday's win means K-State went the entire season without losing a Big 12 series at home. And it came on a day when the 'Cats honored their senior class, including the fifth-year players who returned to the program after the 2020 season was lost due to COVID-19. Oh yeah, and No. 5 TCU was in town with a roster primed for a deep postseason run.
Ceballos hits one deep to left
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) May 23, 2021
.
.
.
.
GOOOOOONE!!! 🗣#KStateBSB x @ChrisCeballos20 pic.twitter.com/BLk5YHBQIl
3 - "To be able to do something like that off one of the best arms in the Big 12, it really is unbelievable," Wates said. "It's rare to see that much barrel contact off of anybody, much less an elite arm at the top of the league. It's just a testament to how focused our guys were."
4 - The rally began with a hit from Caleb Littlejim, another senior, who got the Wildcats in business down 8-4. RBI doubles from Cameron Thompson and Terrence Spurlin cut the lead to one before Dylan Phillips' RBI single tied the game. Cue Ceballos and an unforgettable blast.
All of this magic came against TCU's All-American closer Haylen Green, owner of a 2.08 ERA coming into Saturday's game.
It's the second time this season the 'Cats have taken a series from a top-five team in Manhattan. That had happened only one time in program history prior to this season.
5 - Odds are, most of the fans at Tointon Family Stadium won't remember that when they think about the seven-run ninth inning and the walk-off home run. Wates will remember the noise.
9th inning:
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) May 23, 2021
Littlejim single
Johnson single
Thompson 2-RBI double
Spurlin RBI double
Phillips RBI single
Kokoska single
Ceballos 3-run homer
Ballgame.
Sorry. Just taking notes :) #KStateBSB
6 - "When this place gets loud, it gets really loud. The fans are so close to the dugouts. You can feel them," he said. "When everybody is in unison like that, the place is really buzzing, and it absolutely affects the other team. For our guys to feed off that energy is really cool. It shows a bit of a return to normalcy that our guys get to play in front of a big crowd and a full stadium."
The first series of the season with full capacity at Tointon Family Stadium brought a playoff atmosphere to Manhattan. These weren't postseason games, but if the 'Cats hope to make a deep run at the Big 12 Championship, this felt like a moment they needed to take advantage of.
7 - "It's huge. Momentum is everything in this game." Wates said. "TCU grabs the four-run lead in the first, and our guys go out there and fight and battle and get four runs themselves and the momentum shifts back to our side."
K-State will head to Oklahoma City this week with three wins in its last four games.
8 - The good vibes started on Thursday, when Jordan Wicks delivered a commanding performance in his final start of the season in Manhattan.
Throwing 7 2/3 innings of two-run baseball against the highest scoring team in the conference, the sophomore struck out seven Horned Frogs in the series opener.
"I felt like I could throw all four pitches for a strike tonight," Wicks said. "Our fans are incredible, so hearing them stand up and clap like that really kind of hit home. I've loved this place, and we still have a lot of baseball to play."
Tip of the 🧢
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) May 21, 2021
7.2 IP, 7 K, 2 ER, 5 H #KStateBSB x @wicks_jordan pic.twitter.com/7JrbtSuRCW
9 - The next time the Wildcats step on a baseball field will be against these same Horned Frogs on Wednesday afternoon in the Big 12 Championship.
By taking the weekend series from TCU, the Wildcats avoided the tournament's Tuesday evening play-in game between No. 8 West Virginia and No. 9 Kansas.
The seven-seed in Oklahoma City, K-State will face No. 2 TCU before squaring off with either No. 6 Baylor or No. 3 Texas Tech in its second game of the tournament on Thursday.
10 - No matter what happens this week, the Wildcats have momentum back in their dugout.
Give them a few outs to work with and nothing, not even a seven-run rally in the ninth inning, feels impossible.
"I think more than anything it gives our guys confidence and momentum going forward. We all know we need to make a run in that tournament in order to get an at-large bid," Wates said. "For us to win this series and especially to win it like that is such a cool feeling. To have that momentum going forward is going to be really great for our program."
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
RHP/OF
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballK-State Men's Basketball | Postgame Press Conference at Colorado
Thursday, February 26
K-State Rowing | Media Day
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Rowing | Weights Practice
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Tennis | Weekend Recap vs Old Dominion & Minnesota
Tuesday, February 24
