K-State Welcomes Youngstown State for Weekend Series

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State baseball returns to Tointon Family Stadium this weekend when the Wildcats host Youngstown State in a three-game non-conference series on March 10-12 in Manhattan.

Due to inclement weather, the weekend series game times have been altered. The Wildcats (8-5) will take on the Penguins (3-10) in the series opener on Friday at 4 p.m. followed by games on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. On top of the time change, Sunday is also daylight savings.

K-State left-hander Owen Boerema will start on the mound on Friday and go against the Penguins right-hander Travis Perry. Jackson Wentworth will get the start on Saturday while German Fajardo will start on Sunday morning.

The weekend series will be the first meeting between the two schools.

With construction ongoing on the new Morgan Family Arena, parking for baseball games at Tointon Family Stadium will be impacted during the 2023 season.

Fans are advised to park in the west parking lot of Bill Snyder Stadium and do so by entering through Gate 3 via College Avenue across from Ascension Via Christi Hospital. Gate 1 and Gate 2 will be closed for the duration of the 2023 baseball season.

When proceeding to the stadium on foot, fans are advised to exit the west parking lot along the pedestrian path between Gate 1 and Gate 2 and then proceed to the stadium via the sidewalk along College Avenue.

BSB Excuse Our Mess

Tickets are now on sale for the entire 2023 season, starting at just $5 when purchased in advance at K-StateSports.com/Tickets, by calling 800-221-CATS or visiting the K-State Athletics Ticket Office.

The series will be carried on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with radio coverage available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) only on Friday and Saturday. Live streaming audio is available for all four games at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

GAME #14
K-STATE (8-5, 0-0 Big 12) vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE (3-10, 0-0 HORIZON)
Friday, March 10 | 4 p.m. CT | Tointon Family Stadium (2,331)
Projected Starters: Owen Boerema (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) v. Travis Perry (1-0, 0-0 Horizon)
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats| Tickets

GAME #15
K-STATE (8-5, 0-0 Big 12) vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE (3-10, 0-0 HORIZON)
Saturday, March 11 | 4 p.m. CT | Tointon Family Stadium (2,331)
Projected Starters: Jackson Wentworth (1-1, 0-0 Big 12) v. Nick Perez (0-2, 0-0 Horizon)
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats| Tickets

GAME #16
K-STATE (8-5, 0-0 Big 12) vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE (3-10, 0-0 HORIZON)
Sunday, March 12 | 10 a.m. CT | Tointon Family Stadium (2,331)
Projected Starters: German Fajardo (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) v. TBD
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats| Tickets

A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State wraps up its seven-game home stand with a three-game series against the Youngstown State Penguins … K-State heads into the weekend 8-5 overall with a four-game win streak after defeating Army and Stonehill in the home-opening weekend … K-State is coming off a 6-5 walk-off victory against Stonehill on Monday night … As a team, K-State has a slash line of ..272/.399/.486, averaging 8.8 runs per contest on 9.1 hits … The Cats have recorded 46 extra-base hits this season which 21 doubles, three triples and a league-high 22 home runs … Junior shortstop Nick Goodwin leads the offense with a .348 batting average with a team-high 16 hits and .484 on-base percentage … Five players have recorded double figure RBI this season led by Cole Johnson with 15 followed by Goodwin with 14 … The Wildcats have a 4.89 team ERA allowing 5.5 runs on 10.1 hits per game with opponents hitting .290 … Three players from the Cats bullpen have a 0.00 ERA … Cats will send senior left-hander Owen Boerema to the mound on Friday for his fourth start of the season … Boerema has a 4.73 season ERA and has struck out a leading 18 batters this season through 13 1/3 innings … Jackson Wentworth (1-1) will get his fourth start of the season on Saturday while German Fajardo (0-1) will start on Sunday …

SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE
The Penguins make their first appearance in Manhattan on Friday … YSU enter the weekend 3-10 with series victories over Memphis and Big 12 member Baylor … YSU is coming off a 22-1 loss against Kent State on Tuesday after splitting a four-game series with Baylor … Dan Bertolini is in his seventh year as the head coach of the baseball program … Bertolini compiled a 10-9196 (.357) overall record during his time with the Penguins … As a team, Youngstown State has a team slash line of .251/.331/.384 with 36 extra-base hits in 13 games … Four players are batting over .300 including three starters … Trey Law has started in all 13 games and is hitting .360 with a team-high 18 hits … Padraig O'Shaughnessy leads the Penguins with 12 RBI and is the only player to reach double figures … YSU's pitching staff has a 9.29 ERA with 15 pitchers seeing action on the mound this season … Right-hander Travis Perry will earn the start on Friday … Perry (1-0) has made three starts this season with one victory coming against Memphis … He tossed six complete inning in the 6-2 decision … Nick Perez (0-2) will start game two while Sunday's start is to be announced … Friday marks the first meeting between the two programs …

LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats went 4-0 in the home-opening weekend outscoring opponents 49-7 with the help of a 25-3 victory over Stonehill (March 4) … K-State hit .309 on the weekend led by Cash Rugely who went 3-for-7 at the plate with a grand slam … The Cats had 18 extra base hits including eight home runs from six different players … Cole Johnson recorded his first multi-home run game leading the Cats to a 4-1 victory over Army in the home opener (March 3) … Four pitchers earned victories with Owen Boerema and Tyson Neighbors striking out a season-high seven in their outings … Neighbors put on a dominating performance in the weekend finale, striking out seven of the last 10 batters to keep K-State in the game against Stonehill (March 6) … Cole Johnson laced a single up the middle to give the Wildcats the 6-5 walk-off victory to earn their fourth straight victory …

TOINTON FAMILY STADIUM
The home of K-State baseball opened in 2001 before its renovation and expansion debut in 2020 … The stadium is named in honor of Bob and Betty Tointon … K-State baseball is 377-204 (.649) when playing at home … The Wildcats are 67-27 (.713) at home under Hughes and 49-14 (.778) since 2021 … Tointon's largest crowd was on March 30, 2010 against Wichita State with 4,745 in attendance …

AROUND THE LEAGUE
Texas Tech recorded its first two losses of the season to move to 12-2 on the year to lead the Big 12 baseball standings … Oklahoma State ranks second at 10-3 overall followed by Kansas (7-4), West Virginia (7-4) and Kansas State (8-5) rounding out the top five … K-state leads the league in the long ball game with 22 home runs while ranking second in runs (114), RBI (104), and sac flies (10) …

THE LONG BALL
K-State has produced 22 home runs this season which ranks first in the Big 12 and 26^th nationally … Roberto Pena and Nick Goodwin lead the pack with four home runs each … The Cats have produced 80+ home runs the past two seasons … Three Wildcats have hit grand slams this season with the last coming against Stonehill (March 4) by Cash Rugely … Cole Johnson and Roberto Pena each launched a grand slam against SFA (Feb. 20) to mark the first time since 2010 where two Wildcats posted grand slams in the same game … Six players are posting a multi-home run season … Nineteen homers were against right-handed pitchers, 10 were solo shots while 12 came with one-out … The Wildcats were the only team to produce double digit bombs in the opening weekend (10) … The Wildcats sent five deep and out in the series finale against Stephen F. Austin marking the third time in the Hughes era … The five home runs were just short two of matching a program record seven …

COACH HUGHES FILE
Pete Hughes grabbed his 100^th victory with K-State on Feb. 18 against in game two against Stephen F. Austin … Hughes is in 26th season and fifth at the helm of K-State baseball … Hughes has compiled a career record of 758-589-3 (.563) as a head coach … His 750 career victories ranks first among active Big 12 head coaches … In five seasons as the head coach of the Wildcats, Hughes has put together a 106-97 (.522) record … He's led the Cats to two straight runs in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship semifinals ... In 2021, K-State turned in a 34-23 mark, its highest win total since posting 45 in 2013 … Three players were selected in the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft increasing Hughes' career draft total to 82, including eight while at K-State.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
K-State has a season +42 run differential through 13 games averaging 8.8 runs on 9.1 hits ... The Wildcats outscored opponents 21-2 in the fourth inning alone and 43-19 from the seventh and on … Cats are 6-1 when leading after the seventh and 1-1 when tied after seven ... K-State is 3-2 when committing no errors in a game … Conversely, K-State has won five games when one or more errors were committed, 5-3 overall ... The Wildcats are 5-2 when scoring first and 3-2 when scoring in the first inning … K-State has outhit opponents on five occasions this season and is 3-5 when being outhit … The Cats are 4-1 when limit opponents to just 3-5 runs and is 2-3 in one-run games…

FROM THE 'PEN
The Cats pitching staff has produced a 4.89 ERA with outings from 15 different players this season … Tyson Neighbors leads the staff with two victories while Shay Hartis has made a team-high six appearances … Right-hander German Fajardo has made four starts on the mound this season … Fajardo and Hartis have each pitched team-high 14 1/3 innings … Owen Boerema has struck out a team leading 18 batters followed by Tyson Neighbors with 17 … Blake Corsentino, Ty Ruhl and Hartis have earned the Cats three saves …

HOME. SWEET. HOME.
K-State opened the 2023 home schedule 4-0 ... Over the last three seasons, K-State is 49-14 (.778) ... At home, the Wildcat offense hit .309 while slugging .574 with eight home runs ... K-State averaged 12.3 runs a game on 10.5 hits at Tointon Family Stadium ... The Wildcat bullpen boasted a 4.00 ERA at home, striking out 43 compared to 13 walks ... K-State homered in three of the four games at home with eight of the 22 total home runs coming at Tointon …

UP NEXT
The Wildcats will hit the road on Wednesday, March 15 to take on Creighton (4-5, 0-0 Big East) in Omaha, Neb., at the Charles Schwab Field. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.

How to follow the 'Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team's social media channels on Twitter and Instagram.

-- www.k-statesports.com --

Kansas State University, the nation's first operational land-grant institution and a Carnegie Foundation Tier One university, is recognized as one of the nation's best colleges with world-class research and academic excellence located in America's No. 1 College Town (Manhattan, KS).

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Players Mentioned

Owen Boerema

Blake Corsentino

German Fajardo

Nick Goodwin

Shay Hartis

Cole Johnson

Tyson Neighbors

Roberto Pena

Cash Rugely

Ty Ruhl

Jackson Wentworth

Kansas State University Athletics