Always on the Attack
Mar 28, 2023 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
"Our players attack."
That's what first ran through the head of Kansas State head coach Pete Hughes. The Wildcats trailed 7-3 to an Oklahoma team looking to salvage the final game of the series in Manhattan. Then Nick Goodwin roped a double off the right field wall. Then the Wildcats mounted a furious rally. Suddenly, the score was tied 7-7.
Then came the ninth inning.
Then Brady Day came to the plate with the bases loaded.
Boom.
Day launched 3-2 pitch off the right field wall for a walk-off single to plate the winning run in an 8-7 victory on Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium.
"It's the funnest part of coaching baseball, those pressure situations, but the most enjoyable part is watching your kids execute and embrace those pressure situations," Hughes says. "That tells you how strong your culture is on a daily basis, preparing your kids for those moments."
The moment never seems too big for Day, the 6-foot-190-pound redshirt sophomore from Hampstead, New Hampshire. Day is second on the team with a .321 batting average. He's been in pressure situations before. He has only struck out 10 times in 25 games.
"The moment never gets too big for Brady," Hughes says.
Boom. Off the wall. Single. Game over.
K-State completed a three-game sweep against Oklahoma this past weekend. K-State beat Oklahoma, 7-1, on Friday, and then, 7-6, on Saturday, prior to Sunday's heroics. It marked its first sweep against the Sooners since 1990. It marked its first sweep against a Big 12 team since 2013.
"It's another step for our program," Hughes says.
On Sunday, K-State scored eight runs on 10 hits. Seven K-State players recorded hits with three recording multiple hits. That included Day, who went 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and a RBI. Raphael Pelletier led with a career high-tying three RBI.
Don't look now, but K-State is 17-8 overall and its 4-2 mark in the Big 12 is its best start since 2010. The Wildcats are tied with Oklahoma State and TCU for second place in the Big 12 standings.
It's exactly where Hughes wants to be.
"I believe our team is one of the top teams in the league," Hughes says. "I do feel that way. There's not much margin for error. We've played through a couple injuries and we're still 4-2. We have a long way to go. I have a heck of a lot of faith and belief in this team in being at the top of this league and having a national-tournament resume.
"I have an unbelievable amount of faith in this team to do that."
The key? The Wildcats' ability to fight back when they trail in games.
Robert Pena's go-ahead RBI double in the sixth inning led K-State to a 7-6 win over Oklahoma to clinch the series on Saturday. The Wildcats became the first Big 12 team to reach three consecutive conference victories this season.
"They never panic, and they trust the process in each other and in the coaching staff and in being able to perform in pressure situations," Hughes says. "They perform under pressure. That's been most enjoyable. They just handle pressure situations, play at a high level, and play from behind.
"I talked to our guys Sunday that when you have an amazing opportunity to sweep someone, you attack it. Our guys attack."
And now the Wildcats head on the road to face Air Force, 9-15, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Tuesday and Wednesday — a schedule expertly designed by Hughes prior to the season to create mid-week discomfort for his team, to challenge his team, and to observe how the Wildcats might fare on the road. K-State is 6-4 in true road games this season.
"This will be a good test for us at Air Force because we have to become a better road team, and that's why I scheduled this," Hughes says. "It's uncomfortable and the conditions are uncomfortable, and nobody wants to travel midweek. We have to embrace it and win these guys. This will be a great opportunity for our program as well."
Then K-State returns to face No. 24 West Virginia, 18-6, for a three-game series at Tointon this weekend. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 60s under cloudless skies. First pitch is Friday at 6 p.m. The teams play at 4 p.m. Saturday and then 1 p.m. on Sunday. It's a great opportunity for K-State to improve upon its 11-1 home record this season. The Wildcats are 56-15 at home since 2021.
"There's a reason why we're 11-1 at home this season and that's because we have an absolute homefield advantage when the Manhattan community shows up at Tointon," Hughes says. "It's loud and uncomfortable for the opponent. Our kids seek momentum from it. It's an amazing homefield advantage, as good of a homefield advantage in the Big 12. It's just because of our people and the community.
"They've got to come out this weekend, that's for sure. It'll be a big weekend for us, a big weekend."
"Our players attack."
That's what first ran through the head of Kansas State head coach Pete Hughes. The Wildcats trailed 7-3 to an Oklahoma team looking to salvage the final game of the series in Manhattan. Then Nick Goodwin roped a double off the right field wall. Then the Wildcats mounted a furious rally. Suddenly, the score was tied 7-7.
Then came the ninth inning.
Then Brady Day came to the plate with the bases loaded.
Boom.
Day launched 3-2 pitch off the right field wall for a walk-off single to plate the winning run in an 8-7 victory on Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium.
"It's the funnest part of coaching baseball, those pressure situations, but the most enjoyable part is watching your kids execute and embrace those pressure situations," Hughes says. "That tells you how strong your culture is on a daily basis, preparing your kids for those moments."
The moment never seems too big for Day, the 6-foot-190-pound redshirt sophomore from Hampstead, New Hampshire. Day is second on the team with a .321 batting average. He's been in pressure situations before. He has only struck out 10 times in 25 games.
"The moment never gets too big for Brady," Hughes says.
Boom. Off the wall. Single. Game over.
K-State completed a three-game sweep against Oklahoma this past weekend. K-State beat Oklahoma, 7-1, on Friday, and then, 7-6, on Saturday, prior to Sunday's heroics. It marked its first sweep against the Sooners since 1990. It marked its first sweep against a Big 12 team since 2013.
"It's another step for our program," Hughes says.
On Sunday, K-State scored eight runs on 10 hits. Seven K-State players recorded hits with three recording multiple hits. That included Day, who went 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and a RBI. Raphael Pelletier led with a career high-tying three RBI.
Don't look now, but K-State is 17-8 overall and its 4-2 mark in the Big 12 is its best start since 2010. The Wildcats are tied with Oklahoma State and TCU for second place in the Big 12 standings.
It's exactly where Hughes wants to be.
"I believe our team is one of the top teams in the league," Hughes says. "I do feel that way. There's not much margin for error. We've played through a couple injuries and we're still 4-2. We have a long way to go. I have a heck of a lot of faith and belief in this team in being at the top of this league and having a national-tournament resume.
"I have an unbelievable amount of faith in this team to do that."
The key? The Wildcats' ability to fight back when they trail in games.
Robert Pena's go-ahead RBI double in the sixth inning led K-State to a 7-6 win over Oklahoma to clinch the series on Saturday. The Wildcats became the first Big 12 team to reach three consecutive conference victories this season.
"They never panic, and they trust the process in each other and in the coaching staff and in being able to perform in pressure situations," Hughes says. "They perform under pressure. That's been most enjoyable. They just handle pressure situations, play at a high level, and play from behind.
"I talked to our guys Sunday that when you have an amazing opportunity to sweep someone, you attack it. Our guys attack."
And now the Wildcats head on the road to face Air Force, 9-15, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Tuesday and Wednesday — a schedule expertly designed by Hughes prior to the season to create mid-week discomfort for his team, to challenge his team, and to observe how the Wildcats might fare on the road. K-State is 6-4 in true road games this season.
"This will be a good test for us at Air Force because we have to become a better road team, and that's why I scheduled this," Hughes says. "It's uncomfortable and the conditions are uncomfortable, and nobody wants to travel midweek. We have to embrace it and win these guys. This will be a great opportunity for our program as well."
Then K-State returns to face No. 24 West Virginia, 18-6, for a three-game series at Tointon this weekend. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 60s under cloudless skies. First pitch is Friday at 6 p.m. The teams play at 4 p.m. Saturday and then 1 p.m. on Sunday. It's a great opportunity for K-State to improve upon its 11-1 home record this season. The Wildcats are 56-15 at home since 2021.
"There's a reason why we're 11-1 at home this season and that's because we have an absolute homefield advantage when the Manhattan community shows up at Tointon," Hughes says. "It's loud and uncomfortable for the opponent. Our kids seek momentum from it. It's an amazing homefield advantage, as good of a homefield advantage in the Big 12. It's just because of our people and the community.
"They've got to come out this weekend, that's for sure. It'll be a big weekend for us, a big weekend."
Players Mentioned
K-State Baseball | Postgame Highlights vs Columbia Game 2
Saturday, February 28
K-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
