K-State, Wichita State Clash in Midweek Tilt

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Fresh off a series sweep over Missouri State, K-State hits the road to take on in-state rival Wichita State Tuesday at Eck Stadium with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.

Right-hander Andrew Evans (3-1) will get his second start of the season Tuesday, while lefty Tyler Dobbs (4-1) will earn the start for the Shockers.

The Wildcats (13-6) extended their win streak to five with the sweep over Missouri State, moving to 11-2 at home on the year.

The midweek matchup marks the 103^rd meeting between the Wildcats and Shockers (13-6), with Wichita State holding a 58-44 lead over K-State and 37-17 record at home. The Shockers claimed the two-game season series in 2023, including a 1-0 decision in the final meeting in Wichita on May 2.

Tuesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can tune in News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and 1350KMAN.com while a free live stream audio is available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

Season and single-game tickets for the Cats 2024 home schedule are now available. To purchase season tickets, fans can visit K-StateSports.com/Tickets, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.

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.

GAME #20
K-STATE (13-6, 2-1 Big 12) v. Wichita State (13-6, 0-0 American)
Tuesday, March 19 | 6 p.m. | Eck Stadium (5,665)
Projected Starters: RHP Andrew Evans (3-1) v. LHP Tyler Dobbs (4-1)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

A LOOK AT K-STATE
Following its home series sweep over Missouri State, K-State (13-6, 2-1 Big 12) hits to the road to take on in-state rival Wichita State at Eck Stadium Tuesday ... The series sweep over the Bears extended the Cats win streak to five, improving their home record to 11-2 ... The Cats put up 17 runs on 23 hits after scoring just one with two base hits Thursday ... Owen Boerema logged a career-long outing in the series finale, turning in eight shutout innings and retired 24 of 27 batters … The lefty scattered just two hits to go along with five strikeouts, to bring his season total to 37 ... Seven players have belted multiple home runs this season, led by Brady Day with six … Day leads the offense in eight offensive categories, producing a slash line of .405/.532/.770 … Day's .770 slugging percentage leads the Big 12 while he also leads the league in RBIs … Brendan Jones has stolen a league-high 13 bases this season, and is first in the league in runs scored (30) …

SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
Wichita State enters the week 13-6 overall, and 9-2 at home, after sweeping past Gonzaga at Eck Stadium … The Shockers outscored Gonzaga 24-14 in the series to extend their win streak to four … As a team, WSU is slashing .297/.408/.467 with 37 doubles, two triples, and 20 home runs … Freshman Camden Johnson leading the squad with a .403 average and 31 hits … Redshirt-junior Jordan Rogers has driven in a team-high 19 runs this season … Left-hander Tyler Dobbs (4-1) will get the start Tuesday … The freshman from Lewisville, Texas has appeared in seven games this season and boasts a .49 ERA (1 ER, 18.1 IP) with 20 strikeouts, holding opponents to a .111 average.

INSIDE THE SERIES
The Shockers lead the all-time series 58-44 since the first game in 1906 … The midweek matchup marks the 103^rd meeting between the Wildcats and Shockers … WSU is 37-17 record at home ... The Shockers claimed the two-game season series last season, including a 1-0 decision in the final meeting in Wichita on May 2.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
K-State is 2-4 on the road this season, including 0-3 in true road games that includes tough matchups against nationally-ranked Tennessee and Clemson … K-State is hitting .261 on the road led by senior Chuck Ingram … The Wichita State transfer is slashing .375/.464/.625 on the road with three doubles and a home run … Kaelen Culpepper and Brendan Jones have each belted two homers this season on the road, Brady Day has driven in a team-leading six runs … The pitching staff boasts a 7.92 ERA and has struck out 62 against 26 walks.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
K-State has a season +48 run differential through 19 games averaging 8.95 runs on 11.16 hits ... The Wildcats outscore opponents 58-32 (+26) from the seventh inning and on … Cats were 10-0 when leading after the sixth and 1-0 when tied after six ... K-State is 12-5 when committing less than one error in a game ... The Wildcats are 5-3 when scoring first and 6-2 when scoring in the first inning … K-State has outhit opponents in 13 contests (11-2) … The Cats are 9-0 when limiting opponents to five or less runs … Seven of the Cats nine wins have come against right-handed starters.

AROUND THE LEAGUE
Oklahoma sits among the Big 12 standings with a perfect 6-0 league record (13-6) followed by Houston (12-6, 4-2 Big 12) … Oklahoma's Bryce Madron (player), Cincinnati's Tommy Boba (pitcher) and Baylor's Mason Green (newcomer) were voted for Big 12 Baseball weekly honors for games ending March 17.

LAST TIME OUT
K-State picked up its fourth consecutive series win with an impressive sweep over Missouri State … The Wildcats outscored the Bears 30-12, with three players hitting over .400 in the series … Brady Day slashed .545/.643/1.091 in the series with three doubles and a home run, followed by Kaelen Culpepper who hit .538 with a team-leading seven hits … Owen Boerema, Mason Buss and Cole Wisenbaker picked up the wins on the mound while Jackson Wentworth earned his third save of the season in the series opener … K-state's pitching staff struck out 30 batters and issued just five walks in 27 innings of work … After back-and-forth action in the series opener, the Wildcats scored five-runs over a two-inning span to erase the Bears one-run deficit. Down 3-2 in the sixth, pinch hitter Jaden Parsons laid down a squeeze bunt to tie the game before Raphael Pelletier laced a two-run single to center to plate the game-winning run … K-State clinched the series Saturday as the Cats rallied with eight runs on six hits in the seventh, including a game-tying hit from Parsons before taking the lead for good with a two-run single by pinch hitter Cayden Phillips.

COACH HUGHES FILE
Pete Hughes is in 27th season as a head coach and sixth at the helm of K-State baseball … Hughes has compiled a career record of 798-614-3 (.565) as a head coach … His 798 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 146-122 (.545) record … Hughes grabbed his 100^th victory at K-State on Feb. 18, 2023 against Stephen F. Austin… He's led the Cats to three straight runs in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship semifinals ... In 2023, K-State turned in a 35-24 mark, its highest win total since posting 45 in 2013 … Two players were selected in the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft increasing Hughes' career draft total to 84, including 10 while at K-State, with 21 top-10 round picks after Nick Goodwin was taken in the seventh round by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2023 MLB Draft … In total, Hughes has recruited 138 players who were drafted and/or played professionally, including 22 major leaguers and seven first-round draft picks.

UP NEXT
K-State returns to Big 12 action Friday with a three-game series at Houston (12-6, 4-2 Big 12), starting at 6 p.m. at Schroeder Park.

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, X (formally known as Twitter) and Instagram.

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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

Mason Buss

Kaelen Culpepper

Brady Day

Andrew Evans

Nick Goodwin

Chuck Ingram

Brendan Jones

Jaden Parsons

Raphael Pelletier

Cayden Phillips

Jackson Wentworth

Cole Wisenbaker

Kansas State University Athletics