Cal Outlasts No. 24 K-State on Opening Day, 6-3

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – K-State had seven different players register a hit and three pitchers combine for 12 strikeouts, but the Wildcats ultimately dropped the season opener, 6-3, to Cal at the MLB Desert Invitation at Salt Rivers Field Friday.

K-State (0-1) overcame a one-run deficit in the fifth with back-to-back doubles from newcomer Danniel Rivera and Jayden Lobliner while Brendan Jones' two-run shot handed the Cats a 3-2 advantage, until the Golden Bears scored three unanswered runs to take the nightcap.

"I thought it was a disappointing effort," said sixth-year head coach Pete Hughes. "Honestly, I thought we had guys that played tight which shouldn't happen at this stage of the game. I know it's coming from a good place, but our guys know that they can't maximize their performance if they're trying to do too much."

Cal (1-0) received a strong start from freshman right-handed pitcher Trey Newmann, who tossed four scoreless innings in his debut while striking out six.

"At the end of the day, you're not going to beat anyone when you're scoring one inning," Hughes said.
"Credit to Cal, they pitched better than we did. They got more hits than we did. They ran the bases better, and that was a difference of the game."

Rivera and Lobliner each ended the game 2-for-4 while Jones drove in a team-best two runs. Preseason All-American Kaelen Culpepper extended his on-base streak to eight, dating back to last season.

Right-hander Christian Becerra (1-0) picked up the opening day win in relief, surrendering all three earned runs on four hits while Connor Sullivan was credited the save. Newcomer Josh Wintroub (0-1) received the loss after allowing three earned runs on four hits in his 2 1/3 inning debut.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Owen Boerema earned his second consecutive opening day start where the Litchfield, Minn., product struck out four of the first six batters faced.

In the third, Cal quickly loaded the bases before taking a 2-0 lead by the way of fielder's choice and a single through the left side.

K-State pushed three runs across the plate in the fifth with the help of the long ball as Rivera and Lobliner turned in back-to-back doubles to end the shut out. With two outs, junior Brendan Jones launched his eighth career homer over the right field fence to give the Cats a one-run advantage, 3-2.

The lead was short lived as the Golden Bears pieced together three consecutive hits to immediately regain the lead.

With two outs, Culpepper roped his first collegiate triple off the center field wall to bring the tying run to the plate, but Sullivan forced a fly out to preserve the lead.

Cal plated two additional runs in the sixth and eighth to stretch its lead out to three.

The Cats threatened again in the bottom of the ninth with another back-to-back hit performance from Rivera and Lobliner.

INSIDE THE BOX

K-State scored three runs on nine hits and committed one error with seven left on base.
Cal scored six runs on 11 hits and without an error while stranding just four baserunners.
K-State rolled two double-plays
Lobliner and Rivera led the offense, going 2-for-4 with Lobliner earning an RBI.
Jones homered in his third at bat and drove in two of the Cats three runs.
Two of the Cats runs came with two outs.
Three players made their debut with the Wildcats (Ingram, Rivera, Bishop)
Wentworth logged a team-best five batters in 2 1/3 innings in relief.
As a leadoff, Rivera went 2-for-2 with a double and single.
K-State held a 4-3 advantage in extra base hits (two doubles, one triple, one home run)
Boerema struck out four of 12 faced during the three-inning start.
K-State went 4-17 (.235) with runners and 3-for-11 (.273) with runners in scoring position.
Cal hit .444 with players in scoring position.
K-State hit .250 (3-for-12) with two outs while Cal hit .143 (1-for-7).
K-State utilized two relief pitchers in the final five innings.

NOTES

Cal leads the all-time series 8-0, as the teams met for the first time since 2015.
K-State has opened against a Pac-12 opponent in three of the past four years, going 1-2.
Culpepper stretched his on-bast streak to eight, dating back to last season.
Jones and Culpepper extended their hitting streaks out to four going back to last year.
Boerema earned his second straight opening day start with K-State.
K-State is 15-10 in season openers dating back to the year 2000, and 4-6 in the past 10 seasons.
K-State is now 55-95 against members of the Pac-12

UP NEXT
K-State continues the 2024 MLB Desert Invitational Saturday against Boston College (1-0), with game start scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. Fans can watch on MLB.com and listen on K-StateSports.com/watch.

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 Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Team Stats

Danniel Rivera

Jayden Lobliner

Brendan Jones

Chuck Ingram

Players Mentioned

Owen Boerema

Kaelen Culpepper

Brendan Jones

Jayden Lobliner

Danniel Rivera

Josh Wintroub

Players Mentioned

Owen Boerema

Kaelen Culpepper

Brendan Jones

Jayden Lobliner

Danniel Rivera

Josh Wintroub

Kansas State University Athletics