Sold-Out Crowds Help Cats Clinch Series over KU
May 09, 2022 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
As the sun burned through the overcast sky shortly before 3 p.m. on Sunday, Kansas State heated up and shot daggers into the hearts of the Kansas Jayhawks, home run after home run in the seventh inning, and another sellout crowd at Tointon Family Stadium went crazy, and the Wildcats won the Sunflower Showdown two games to one with a 6-3 final score.
About 10 minutes after feasting on the Jayhawks, K-State head coach Pete Hughes sat in the coaches meeting room and washed it all down with an ice-cold San Pellegrino to celebrate.
"There's nothing like it," Hughes said, finally exhaling. The 54-year-old Hughes, hired prior to the 2019 season, sat in the old-school white uniforms, the ones with "CATS" emblazoned in white upon a thick purple stripe, flanked by thin lavender stripes. The old uniforms have been good this season. The Wildcats typically don't lose in them. But this was a new feeling, beating KU in a series. The Wildcats hadn't done so in four years.
"We talk about it every single day," Hughes said. "It's on every single one of our practice sheets — 'BEAT KU.' Maybe that was my fault for not emphasizing or respecting this rivalry in years past here.
"But it didn't happen this year."
K-State, 25-22 overall and 6-12 in the Big 12 Conference, needed this series over Kansas, 20-29 and 4-14. The Wildcats needed it bad. The Wildcats realistically should be in the Big 12 Tournament — only the last-place team in the league is not invited. K-State closes out the regular season against struggling Baylor, 23-22 and 5-13, in Manhattan before visiting West Virginia, 28-18 and 10-8. The Bears have lost five of their last six Big 12 Conference games and haven't won a league game on the road since beating Oklahoma on March 27. The Mountaineers have lost three of their last four league series.
But the Sunflower Showdown was big for another reason as well. K-State leads the all-time series 183-177-1 (43-31 in the Big 12) in a series that dates to 1897. K-State has now won seven of the last eight series against the Jayhawks in Manhattan.
K-State baseball needed to plant a flag. And it did.
"We want to be the best team in Kansas," Hughes said after the Wildcats 5-2 win on Saturday. "It's critical. It's critical for our program in a lot of ways. Make no mistake about it, it's a rivalry, and it's not treated any other form than we need to beat KU."
The Wildcats fell 5-3 in ninth-inning heartbreaking fashion in Friday's series opener in front of a sellout crowd of 2,344, which appeared even larger with the standing-room-only crowd hugging the left field line. Then the Wildcats fought back Saturday. Then they battled back Sunday, both times in front of sellout crowds — again. It had been a while since the Wildcats had played an entire series in front of sellout crowds at Tointon Family Stadium.
It didn't go unnoticed.
"I've never been in an atmosphere like this," said K-State fifth-year senior catcher Justin Mitchell, a transfer from Oklahoma. "We've never had the support that we get a lot of games here. This weekend was incredible. A lot of guys who've been here for a while said they've never seen the Toint like this."
Same goes for Hughes, who had seen sizable K-State crowds, but none that blanketed every chair in the stadium and yards of grass as far as the eye can see lining the outfield.
"Ever seen Tointon like that before this weekend?" Hughes said, removing his reading glasses and taking a gulp of his Pellegrino. "I've never seen it that way. Maybe in the (2013 Big 12 championship season), but I wasn't there that day. This place was alive. It was electric. They're the most positive fan base and never once is there a negative thing coming out of the stands. It's all about supporting their kids.
"Not only are they easy to play in front of, but it's a privilege to play in front of them."
Time and time again, the crowd rose to its feet, as the Wildcats crushed balls over the wall. Nick Goodwin broke a 3-3 tie when he launched the second pitch from KU starter Ryan Vanderhei over the left-field fence. Three batters later, Kaelen Culpepper drilled a two-run homer that left the park in a hurry. Fans danced in their seats as high-energy music filled the air and players rounded the bases and celebrated each time that they crossed the plate.
Fans clapped in unison in anticipation for the final pitches and the game's final out.
And then it was over. The crowd went nuts. K-State won.
And Hughes washed down the feast of the Jayhawks with Pellegrino.
"Beat KU," he said.
And then, for the first time, he smiled.
As the sun burned through the overcast sky shortly before 3 p.m. on Sunday, Kansas State heated up and shot daggers into the hearts of the Kansas Jayhawks, home run after home run in the seventh inning, and another sellout crowd at Tointon Family Stadium went crazy, and the Wildcats won the Sunflower Showdown two games to one with a 6-3 final score.
About 10 minutes after feasting on the Jayhawks, K-State head coach Pete Hughes sat in the coaches meeting room and washed it all down with an ice-cold San Pellegrino to celebrate.
"There's nothing like it," Hughes said, finally exhaling. The 54-year-old Hughes, hired prior to the 2019 season, sat in the old-school white uniforms, the ones with "CATS" emblazoned in white upon a thick purple stripe, flanked by thin lavender stripes. The old uniforms have been good this season. The Wildcats typically don't lose in them. But this was a new feeling, beating KU in a series. The Wildcats hadn't done so in four years.
"We talk about it every single day," Hughes said. "It's on every single one of our practice sheets — 'BEAT KU.' Maybe that was my fault for not emphasizing or respecting this rivalry in years past here.
"But it didn't happen this year."
K-State, 25-22 overall and 6-12 in the Big 12 Conference, needed this series over Kansas, 20-29 and 4-14. The Wildcats needed it bad. The Wildcats realistically should be in the Big 12 Tournament — only the last-place team in the league is not invited. K-State closes out the regular season against struggling Baylor, 23-22 and 5-13, in Manhattan before visiting West Virginia, 28-18 and 10-8. The Bears have lost five of their last six Big 12 Conference games and haven't won a league game on the road since beating Oklahoma on March 27. The Mountaineers have lost three of their last four league series.
But the Sunflower Showdown was big for another reason as well. K-State leads the all-time series 183-177-1 (43-31 in the Big 12) in a series that dates to 1897. K-State has now won seven of the last eight series against the Jayhawks in Manhattan.
K-State baseball needed to plant a flag. And it did.
"We want to be the best team in Kansas," Hughes said after the Wildcats 5-2 win on Saturday. "It's critical. It's critical for our program in a lot of ways. Make no mistake about it, it's a rivalry, and it's not treated any other form than we need to beat KU."
The Wildcats fell 5-3 in ninth-inning heartbreaking fashion in Friday's series opener in front of a sellout crowd of 2,344, which appeared even larger with the standing-room-only crowd hugging the left field line. Then the Wildcats fought back Saturday. Then they battled back Sunday, both times in front of sellout crowds — again. It had been a while since the Wildcats had played an entire series in front of sellout crowds at Tointon Family Stadium.
It didn't go unnoticed.
"I've never been in an atmosphere like this," said K-State fifth-year senior catcher Justin Mitchell, a transfer from Oklahoma. "We've never had the support that we get a lot of games here. This weekend was incredible. A lot of guys who've been here for a while said they've never seen the Toint like this."
Same goes for Hughes, who had seen sizable K-State crowds, but none that blanketed every chair in the stadium and yards of grass as far as the eye can see lining the outfield.
"Ever seen Tointon like that before this weekend?" Hughes said, removing his reading glasses and taking a gulp of his Pellegrino. "I've never seen it that way. Maybe in the (2013 Big 12 championship season), but I wasn't there that day. This place was alive. It was electric. They're the most positive fan base and never once is there a negative thing coming out of the stands. It's all about supporting their kids.
"Not only are they easy to play in front of, but it's a privilege to play in front of them."
Time and time again, the crowd rose to its feet, as the Wildcats crushed balls over the wall. Nick Goodwin broke a 3-3 tie when he launched the second pitch from KU starter Ryan Vanderhei over the left-field fence. Three batters later, Kaelen Culpepper drilled a two-run homer that left the park in a hurry. Fans danced in their seats as high-energy music filled the air and players rounded the bases and celebrated each time that they crossed the plate.
So many fans wore T-shirts that said, "BEAT KU." And really, that's all that needed to be said. Sunday the temperature was in the 80s. But the sky almost looked like rain. And the Wildcats trailed 3-1 entering the sixth inning. Then the sun came out and the Wildcats sizzled the rest of the way — two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh.The real deal 🔥#KStateBSB x @thechosen1kc pic.twitter.com/ZM35Eb8BcY
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) May 8, 2022
Fans clapped in unison in anticipation for the final pitches and the game's final out.
And then it was over. The crowd went nuts. K-State won.
And Hughes washed down the feast of the Jayhawks with Pellegrino.
"Beat KU," he said.
And then, for the first time, he smiled.
Players Mentioned
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Tuesday, February 24
K-State Rowing | Weights Practice
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Tennis | Weekend Recap vs Old Dominion & Minnesota
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Track and Field | Sights & Sounds Steve Miller Invitational
Monday, February 23
