Kansas State University Athletics

Saturday, May 29
Oklahoma City, OK
9 A.M.

Kansas State University

34-22

5
vs
2

TCU

38-17

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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Kansas State
4
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
5
9
1
TCU
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
1
K-State’s Cole Johnson competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Cole Johnson competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Caleb Littlejim competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Caleb Littlejim competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Terrence Spurlin competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Kamron Willman and Zach Kokoska compete against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Cole Johnson competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s coach Pete Hughes competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Cam Thompson competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Kamron Willman competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Caleb Littlejim competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Cam Thompson competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Cole Johnson competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Terrence Spurlin competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Terrence Spurlin competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Eric Torres competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics
K-State’s Eric Torres competes against TCU during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 29, 2021.
Photo by: Scott D. Weaver / K-State Athletics

Wildcats Force Winner-Take-All Big 12 Semifinal with 5-2 Win Over TCU

May 29, 2021 | Baseball

Box ScoreBox Score (PDF)2021 Big 12 Baseball Championship Bracket (PDF)HighlightsPhoto Gallery
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – K-State's Caleb Littlejim and Eric Torres teamed up to twirl a gem in a 5-2 victory over second-seeded TCU in the first semifinal contest Saturday at the 2021 Big 12 Championship, forcing a winner-take-all contest against the Horned Frogs later this afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Littlejim and Torres shut out the Horned Frogs over the game's final eight innings. TCU, as high as No. 8 in the national polls, managed just three hits after its two-run first inning. The win was K-State's sixth this season against the nation's top 10.

K-State (34-22), the No. 7 seed in the tournament, got two hits and two RBI from Kamron Willman to help back the efforts of Littlejim and Torres.

The Cats and Horned Frogs (38-17) will meet at approximately 4 p.m. with a spot in the 2021 Big 12 Championship game on the line.

In the start, Littlejim surrendered just one hit after the first inning, as he finished with 4 2/3 innings to go with five strikeouts. Following TCU's two-run first, the fifth-year senior retired seven of the next eight Horned Frog hitters.

Torres logged the final 4 1/3 innings, a career-long effort, in addition to striking out a career-high eight hitters. Torres surrendered only two hits, with the second coming with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

The sophomore left-hander struck out the side in the ninth to seal the Cats' third win of the tournament – the team's most in any single conference postseason conference.

K-State used a four-run first, as the Cats batted around against TCU starter Charles King. Terrence Spurlin and Nick Goodwin each roped RBI singles before a two-out, two-run double from Willman in spotting Littlejim a four-run lead.

The Frogs manufactured a pair of runs to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning. Porter Brown drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a passed ball before Hunter Wolfe lifted a sacrifice fly.

Cameron Thompson singled home Willman in the fourth for the Cats' fifth run.
 
The second semifinal contest will be carried on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on the K-State Sports Radio Network with live, free audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/watch.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • K-State scored five runs on nine hits with one error and eight left on base. 
  • TCU scored two runs on five hits with one error and nine left on base.
  • Littlejim threw a season-high 91 pitches in 4 2/3 innings.
  • Littlejim struck out five and scattered three hits.
  • Torres pitched the final 4 1/3 innings in relief, a career-long outing.
  • Torres added a career-high eight strikeouts in improving to 4-0.
  • Willman had K-State's only two-hit day, driving in two in the first.
  • Eight Wildcats in the lineup registered a base hit.
  • K-State scored four runs in the first.
NOTES
  • Thompson made his 240th consecutive start, extending his K-State record.
  • Thompson moved into third place on the Wildcats' career hits list with 278.
  • TCU leads the all-time series 22-12 (16-8 Big 12).
  • K-State has won three of five meetings this season against TCU.
  • The teams have split two meetings at this season's conference tournament.
  • K-State is now 6-9 against top-10 teams, with five wins against the nation's top five.
  • The victory marked the Wildcats' third in the 2021 Big 12 Championship – their most wins in a single tournament in program history.

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Next Event

TCU
L, 7-17

May 29 (Sat)

4 P.M.
Box ScoreRecapBox Score (PDF)Video: Coach Hughes PostgameAudio: Coach Hughes Postgame HighlightsWatchListenLive stats History
Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Torres, Eric (4-0)

L: King, Charles (5-3)

Kansas State LogoKansas State

Batting:

2B: Willman, Kamron 1

RBI: Thompson, Cameron 1 ; Spurlin, Terrence 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Willman, Kamron 2

SH: Caplinger, Dylan 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Johnson, Cole 1 ; Phillips, Dylan 1 ; Spurlin, Terrence 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Willman, Kamron 1

CS: Thompson, Cameron 1 ; Kokoska, Zach 1

HBP: Littlejim, Caleb 1

TCU LogoTCU

Batting:

2B: Sikes, Phillip 1

RBI: Wolfe, Hunter 1

SF: Wolfe, Hunter 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Brown, Porter 1 ; Humphreys, Zach 1

SB: Rodgers, Gray 1

HBP: Sikes, Phillip 1

Game Leaders

10

Kamron Willman

2b
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
3

Cameron Thompson

3b
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
17

Cole Johnson

cf
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
6

Terrence Spurlin

1b
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1

Players Mentioned

25

Nick Goodwin

INF
/ Baseball
13

Caleb Littlejim

RHP/OF
/ Baseball
6

Terrence Spurlin

INF
/ Baseball
3

Cameron Thompson

INF
/ Baseball
37

Eric Torres

LHP
/ Baseball
10

Kamron Willman

INF
/ Baseball

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