Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, February 25
Bakersfield, Calif.
8 p.m.
Kansas State University
at
CSU Bakersfield
K-State Kicks Off West Coast Swing at CSU Bakersfield
Feb 24, 2022 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State kicks off a seven-game swing through the state of California Friday, as the Wildcats match up with CSU Bakersfield for a three-game series at Hardt Field.
K-State seeks its first win of the 2022 campaign after dropping all three contests at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Wildcats opened the season with a slate that featured No. 10 Arizona, Michigan and Auburn – all of whom have reached the College World Series within the past three seasons.
Blake Adams, a right-handed transfer from Arkansas, will again get the Friday-night start at 8 p.m. CT against the Roadrunners. Adams punched out a career-best eight hitters against Arizona last Friday.
Connor McCullough logged five shutout frames in his start against the Wolverines and will take the hill on Saturday at 8 p.m. CT. Christian Ruebeck gets the call in the series finale at 3 p.m. CT.
All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with radio coverage available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Live streaming audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
GAME #4
K-STATE (0-3) at CSU BAKERSFIELD (1-2)
Friday, February 25 // 8 p.m. CT // Hardt Field (750) // Bakersfield, Calif.
Projected Starters: RHP Blake Adams (0-0, 6.00 ERA) vs. RHP Benji Caggianelli (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Mitch Fortner, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/Watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats
GAME #5
K-STATE (0-3) at CSU BAKERSFIELD (1-2)
Saturday, February 26 // 8 p.m. CT // Hardt Field (750) // Bakersfield, Calif.
Projected Starters: RHP Connor McCullough (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Adrian Santa Cruz (0-0, 13.50 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Mitch Fortner, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/Watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats
GAME #6
K-STATE (0-3) at CSU BAKERSFIELD (1-2)
Sunday, February 27 // 3 p.m. CT // Hardt Field (750) // Bakersfield, Calif.
Projected Starters: RHP Christian Ruebeck (0-1, 30.00 ERA) vs. LHP Kellen O'Connor (0-1, 1.69 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Mitch Fortner, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/Watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State enters a seven-game road trip through California, starting with a three-game set at CSU Bakersfield beginning Friday ... The Wildcats began the 2022 season at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field, going 0-3 against No. 10 Arizona, Michigan and Auburn ... The tournament was the first time since 2000 that the Cats opened their season with three Power 5 schools ... It also marks the first time K-State has dropped its first three games of a season since 2018 (second time since 2009) ... The Cats turned a seven-run deficit into two with a five-run eighth inning on Opening Day against Arizona ... The rally ended with on a deep fly ball off the bat of Dylan Phillips that was caught at the foot of the center field wall with two men on base ... Dominic Johnson led the Wildcat offense, going 4-for-10 with a double and two RBI ... Johnson was the only K-State hitter to hit safely in all three games in Arlington ... As an offense, K-State hit .204 with three extra-base hits (all doubles) ... K-State's pitching staff posted a 9.35 ERA, but lead the Big 12 with 42 strikeouts (14.4 per nine innings) ... Wildcat pitchers walked 17 batters and hit 10 ... In total, 18 players made their Wildcat debut at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown - nine pitchers and nine position players.
SCOUTING CSU BAKERSFIELD
CSU Bakersfield hosted Oakland to kick off the 2022 campaign ... The Roadrunners took the series' first contest 5-4 but dropped the final two games (10-6, 7-0) ... Angel Saldivar paced CSUB's offense with six hits in the series, going 6-for-12 with a pair of runs batted in ... Andrew Allanson hit .308 with two RBI ... Starter Benji Caggianelli, who starts Friday against K-State, struck out seven over five innings without an earned run allowed in a no-decision effort against the Grizzlies ... Lefty Kellen O'Connor surrendered just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings in his start, striking out three ... The Roadrunners hit .286 with two outs and .267 with runners in scoring position last weekend.
INSIDE THE SERIES
K-State and CSU Bakersfield will meet for the first time since 2014 while this will be the first series between the teams in Bakersfield since 2012 ... The Wildcats own a 5-4 edge in the series history and are 3-2 on the road against the Roadrunners ... CSU Bakersfield took two of three games in the 2012 series at Hardt Field.
MR. FEBRUARY
K-State starting pitcher Connor McCullough has owned the month of February in now his third season at K-State ... In six February starts, McCullough has turned in six quality starts and owns 3-0 record, with a sparkling ERA of 0.99 (4 ER, 36.1 IP) ... The redshirt sophomore right-hander has totaled 43 strikeouts against nine walks in February and boasts a 0.88 WHIP ... Additionally, he has not allowed more than one earned run and gone at least five innings in each start in the month ... In his first start of 2022, McCullough held Michigan scoreless over five innings with five strikeouts, not giving up a base hit until the fourth inning ... The Maumelle, Arkansas, product is the Wildcats' only returning weekend starter ... McCullough, who was a freshman all-America pick in 2020 by Collegiate Baseball, tied for the team lead in starts (15) and ranked second in innings pitched (77.1) and strikeouts (69) last season ... He accounts for 15 of K-State's 18 returning starts, 77 1/3 of 104 retained innings and 69 of 95 strikeouts.
NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
K-State's 2022 roster is comprised of 24 new faces, equally distributed between freshman and incoming transfers ... Eight of the Wildcats' 12 transfers come from Division I programs, with seven coming from Power 5 schools and four from Big 12 rivals (two Oklahoma, two Oklahoma State) ... Combined with a dozen freshman and four redshirts, 28 players on K-State's 40-man roster have never played a game in a Wildcat uniform ... Additionally, just five have more than one year of experience ... Senior Terrence Spurlin is the longest tenured Cat, entering his fifth season with the program ... Senior and Columbia transfer Josh Nicoloff, slated to be the opening day second baseman, has not appeared in a college baseball game since 2020 after the Ivy League cancelled their 2021 season ... In the season's opening weekend, 18 players made their Wildcat debut, including nine position players and nine pitchers.
DEBUTS TO REMEMBER
Multiple Wildcats made in impact in their first games wearing the Purple and White ... Dominic Johnson, hitting leadoff, singled in his first at-bat at K-State and finished the season opener with two hits and two runs batted in ... Kaelen Culpepper and Josh Nicoloff also singled in their first time to the plate in a K-State uniform while Cash Rugely recorded a pair of hits as the team's designated hitter ... Orlando Salinas, who pinch hit, singled and finished with two RBI against Arizona ... Redshirt freshman Brady Day roped a pinch-hit double in his first career at-bat against Michigan ... Reliever Tyson Neighbors was electric out of the bullpen, striking out all three Arizona hitters he faced on 11 pitches ... Arkansas transfer Blake Adams got the start Friday and struck out a career-high eight, as the junior righty went six innings.
NEW SHERIFFS IN TOWN
Former Oklahoma State Cowboy teammates Dominic Johnson and Orlando Salinas, Jr. made splashes in their first series as K-State Wildcats ... From the leadoff spot, Johnson was the only player to register a base hit in all three games over the weekend ... Friday against Arizona, he went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI ... Additionally, he walked, stole a base and scored a run and started each game in left field ... His .400 average leads the team while Salinas hit .286 (second on team) ... Salinas came off the bench Friday and made two starts first base and reached base safely in all three games and had a team-high three RBI.
FROM THE 'PEN
K-State's weekend rotation turned in an ERA of 3.55 (5 ER, 12.2 IP) with 14 strikeouts against just three walks ... Conversely, Wildcat relievers combined for a 14.85 earned run average, allowing 22 earned runs over 13 1/3 innings ... Eleven pitchers of the bullpen did rack up 28 strikeouts but walked a total of 14 hitters while hitting eight more ... Sunday against Auburn, six Cats pitchers combined to register 17 strikeouts - more than any game all of last season ... Tyler Ruhl, Dillon Pearson and Blake Corsentino, all making their first collegiate appearances, teamed up to hold Auburn scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings, while stacking seven strikeouts and surrendering just two hits between them ... Corsentino struck out the side in order in the ninth in his inning of work.
K-State seeks its first win of the 2022 campaign after dropping all three contests at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Wildcats opened the season with a slate that featured No. 10 Arizona, Michigan and Auburn – all of whom have reached the College World Series within the past three seasons.
Blake Adams, a right-handed transfer from Arkansas, will again get the Friday-night start at 8 p.m. CT against the Roadrunners. Adams punched out a career-best eight hitters against Arizona last Friday.
Connor McCullough logged five shutout frames in his start against the Wolverines and will take the hill on Saturday at 8 p.m. CT. Christian Ruebeck gets the call in the series finale at 3 p.m. CT.
All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with radio coverage available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Live streaming audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
GAME #4
K-STATE (0-3) at CSU BAKERSFIELD (1-2)
Friday, February 25 // 8 p.m. CT // Hardt Field (750) // Bakersfield, Calif.
Projected Starters: RHP Blake Adams (0-0, 6.00 ERA) vs. RHP Benji Caggianelli (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Mitch Fortner, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/Watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats
GAME #5
K-STATE (0-3) at CSU BAKERSFIELD (1-2)
Saturday, February 26 // 8 p.m. CT // Hardt Field (750) // Bakersfield, Calif.
Projected Starters: RHP Connor McCullough (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Adrian Santa Cruz (0-0, 13.50 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Mitch Fortner, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/Watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats
GAME #6
K-STATE (0-3) at CSU BAKERSFIELD (1-2)
Sunday, February 27 // 3 p.m. CT // Hardt Field (750) // Bakersfield, Calif.
Projected Starters: RHP Christian Ruebeck (0-1, 30.00 ERA) vs. LHP Kellen O'Connor (0-1, 1.69 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Mitch Fortner, Christopher Brown
Listen Online: K-StateSports.com/Watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State enters a seven-game road trip through California, starting with a three-game set at CSU Bakersfield beginning Friday ... The Wildcats began the 2022 season at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field, going 0-3 against No. 10 Arizona, Michigan and Auburn ... The tournament was the first time since 2000 that the Cats opened their season with three Power 5 schools ... It also marks the first time K-State has dropped its first three games of a season since 2018 (second time since 2009) ... The Cats turned a seven-run deficit into two with a five-run eighth inning on Opening Day against Arizona ... The rally ended with on a deep fly ball off the bat of Dylan Phillips that was caught at the foot of the center field wall with two men on base ... Dominic Johnson led the Wildcat offense, going 4-for-10 with a double and two RBI ... Johnson was the only K-State hitter to hit safely in all three games in Arlington ... As an offense, K-State hit .204 with three extra-base hits (all doubles) ... K-State's pitching staff posted a 9.35 ERA, but lead the Big 12 with 42 strikeouts (14.4 per nine innings) ... Wildcat pitchers walked 17 batters and hit 10 ... In total, 18 players made their Wildcat debut at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown - nine pitchers and nine position players.
SCOUTING CSU BAKERSFIELD
CSU Bakersfield hosted Oakland to kick off the 2022 campaign ... The Roadrunners took the series' first contest 5-4 but dropped the final two games (10-6, 7-0) ... Angel Saldivar paced CSUB's offense with six hits in the series, going 6-for-12 with a pair of runs batted in ... Andrew Allanson hit .308 with two RBI ... Starter Benji Caggianelli, who starts Friday against K-State, struck out seven over five innings without an earned run allowed in a no-decision effort against the Grizzlies ... Lefty Kellen O'Connor surrendered just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings in his start, striking out three ... The Roadrunners hit .286 with two outs and .267 with runners in scoring position last weekend.
INSIDE THE SERIES
K-State and CSU Bakersfield will meet for the first time since 2014 while this will be the first series between the teams in Bakersfield since 2012 ... The Wildcats own a 5-4 edge in the series history and are 3-2 on the road against the Roadrunners ... CSU Bakersfield took two of three games in the 2012 series at Hardt Field.
MR. FEBRUARY
K-State starting pitcher Connor McCullough has owned the month of February in now his third season at K-State ... In six February starts, McCullough has turned in six quality starts and owns 3-0 record, with a sparkling ERA of 0.99 (4 ER, 36.1 IP) ... The redshirt sophomore right-hander has totaled 43 strikeouts against nine walks in February and boasts a 0.88 WHIP ... Additionally, he has not allowed more than one earned run and gone at least five innings in each start in the month ... In his first start of 2022, McCullough held Michigan scoreless over five innings with five strikeouts, not giving up a base hit until the fourth inning ... The Maumelle, Arkansas, product is the Wildcats' only returning weekend starter ... McCullough, who was a freshman all-America pick in 2020 by Collegiate Baseball, tied for the team lead in starts (15) and ranked second in innings pitched (77.1) and strikeouts (69) last season ... He accounts for 15 of K-State's 18 returning starts, 77 1/3 of 104 retained innings and 69 of 95 strikeouts.
NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
K-State's 2022 roster is comprised of 24 new faces, equally distributed between freshman and incoming transfers ... Eight of the Wildcats' 12 transfers come from Division I programs, with seven coming from Power 5 schools and four from Big 12 rivals (two Oklahoma, two Oklahoma State) ... Combined with a dozen freshman and four redshirts, 28 players on K-State's 40-man roster have never played a game in a Wildcat uniform ... Additionally, just five have more than one year of experience ... Senior Terrence Spurlin is the longest tenured Cat, entering his fifth season with the program ... Senior and Columbia transfer Josh Nicoloff, slated to be the opening day second baseman, has not appeared in a college baseball game since 2020 after the Ivy League cancelled their 2021 season ... In the season's opening weekend, 18 players made their Wildcat debut, including nine position players and nine pitchers.
DEBUTS TO REMEMBER
Multiple Wildcats made in impact in their first games wearing the Purple and White ... Dominic Johnson, hitting leadoff, singled in his first at-bat at K-State and finished the season opener with two hits and two runs batted in ... Kaelen Culpepper and Josh Nicoloff also singled in their first time to the plate in a K-State uniform while Cash Rugely recorded a pair of hits as the team's designated hitter ... Orlando Salinas, who pinch hit, singled and finished with two RBI against Arizona ... Redshirt freshman Brady Day roped a pinch-hit double in his first career at-bat against Michigan ... Reliever Tyson Neighbors was electric out of the bullpen, striking out all three Arizona hitters he faced on 11 pitches ... Arkansas transfer Blake Adams got the start Friday and struck out a career-high eight, as the junior righty went six innings.
NEW SHERIFFS IN TOWN
Former Oklahoma State Cowboy teammates Dominic Johnson and Orlando Salinas, Jr. made splashes in their first series as K-State Wildcats ... From the leadoff spot, Johnson was the only player to register a base hit in all three games over the weekend ... Friday against Arizona, he went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI ... Additionally, he walked, stole a base and scored a run and started each game in left field ... His .400 average leads the team while Salinas hit .286 (second on team) ... Salinas came off the bench Friday and made two starts first base and reached base safely in all three games and had a team-high three RBI.
FROM THE 'PEN
K-State's weekend rotation turned in an ERA of 3.55 (5 ER, 12.2 IP) with 14 strikeouts against just three walks ... Conversely, Wildcat relievers combined for a 14.85 earned run average, allowing 22 earned runs over 13 1/3 innings ... Eleven pitchers of the bullpen did rack up 28 strikeouts but walked a total of 14 hitters while hitting eight more ... Sunday against Auburn, six Cats pitchers combined to register 17 strikeouts - more than any game all of last season ... Tyler Ruhl, Dillon Pearson and Blake Corsentino, all making their first collegiate appearances, teamed up to hold Auburn scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings, while stacking seven strikeouts and surrendering just two hits between them ... Corsentino struck out the side in order in the ninth in his inning of work.
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