K-State Meets Houston in First Big 12 Road Test

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State returns to Big 12 action Friday, as the Wildcats make the trip to Texas to take on Conference newcomer Houston starting at 6:30 p.m. at Schroeder Park.

Saturday's middle game against the Cougars is slated for 6:30 p.m., with the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

K-State will send right-hander Josh Wintroub (1-1) to the mound in the series opener against lefty Antoine Jean (2-1). Jacob Frost (2-0) will get the start Saturday, while Owen Boerema (2-1) will start in the finale.

Friday's meeting marks the fifth meeting between the Wildcats and Cougars, and first as Big 12 competitors. The all-time series is tied 2-2 between the two squads, with all four contests held in Houston.

The weekend series can be seen on the Big 12 Now 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 #21
K-STATE (14-6, 2-1 Big 12) v. Houston (14-6, 4-2 Big 12)
Tuesday, March 19 | 6 p.m. | Eck Stadium (5,665)
Projected Starters: RHP Josh Wintroub (1-1) v. LHP Antoine Jean (2-1)
Watch: Big 12 Now ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #21
K-STATE (14-6, 2-1 Big 12) v. Houston (14-6, 4-2 Big 12)
Tuesday, March 19 | 6 p.m. | Eck Stadium (5,665)
Projected Starters: LHP Jacob Frost (2-0) v. RHP Duncan Howard (2-0)
Watch: Big 12 Now ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #21
K-STATE (14-6, 2-1 Big 12) v. Houston (14-6, 4-2 Big 12)
Tuesday, March 19 | 6 p.m. | Eck Stadium (5,665)
Projected Starters: LHP Owen Boerema (2-1) v. TBD
Watch: Big 12 Now ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

A LOOK AT K-STATE
Fresh off its 8-6 victory over in-state rival Wichita State, K-State returns to Big 12 action to take on Conference newcomer Houston ... K-State heads into the weekend with a 14-6 overall record and 2-1 in Big 12 play after collecting a series win over Conference newcomer Cincinnati … The victory over the Shockers extended the Cats winning streak out to six, which is the longest current win streak in the Big 12 … 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 .392/.515/.734 with 31 hits and a league-high 30 RBI … Brendan Jones has stolen a league-high 13 bases this season, and is first in the league in runs scored (30) … K-State will send right-hander Josh Wintroub (1-1) to the mound in the series opener … Jacob Frost (2-0) will get the start Saturday, while lefty Owen Boerema (2-1) will start in the finale.

SCOUTING HOUSTON
Houston is second in the Big 12 with a 4-2 league record, and 14-6 overall after earning a pair of wins over Rice in the 2024 Silver Glove Series … Utility Justin Murray and shortstop Jake Rainess received preseason All-American honors by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association … Murray racked up a team-high 10 saves out of the bullpen in 2023 while Rainess, a senior transfer, helped lead Maine to the NCAA Tournament … UH is hitting .285, averaging 7.4 runs on 9.6 hits a game, including 22 home runs … Murray leads the offense, slashing .437/.556/.676 with two home runs and 17 RBI … The Cougars pitching staff boast a league-leading 3.45 ERA, holding opponents to a .230 average … Left-hander Antoine Jean (2-1) will get his sixth start of the season in Friday's opener … The senior has a 1.66 ERA (4 ER, 21.2 IP) with 27 strikeouts … Duncan Howard (2-0) will start the middle game and posts a 3.05 ERA (7 ER, 20.2 IP).

INSIDE THE SERIES
Friday marks the first meeting between K-State and Houston in Big 12 play … The all-time series is tied 2-2 since the first meeting in 2004 … All four contests have taken place in Houston, with K-State outscoring Houston 31-19 … Houston grabbed a 3-2 decision in the final meeting 3-2 on February 22, 2009 in a 10-inning contest, while the Wildcats won the three-game series.

DAY LEADS THE WAY
Every day starter Brady Day has been a major component of the Cats offense this season … The second baseman leads the Cats in eight offensive categories – average (.392), slugging percentage (.734), on-base percentage (.515), OPS (1.250), hits (31), RBI (30), home runs (6) and total bases (58) … Day was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on March 4 … The Hampstead, N.H., product sits in the Top 5 in eight offensive categories, including leading in RBI and total bases … Day was selected in the 12^th round (No. 369 overall) in the 2023 MLB Draft and chose to return to K-State for another season with the Wildcats squad.

WILDCATS VS. THE BIG 12
The Cats opened Big 12 play 2-1 against Conference newcomer Cincinnati … K-State hit .319 in the Conference opener, averaging 8.3 runs on 12.7 hits … Ten players contributed a hit in the series led by Day and Nick English with six hits each … Day slashed .462/.588/.923 in the series with two home runs and five RBI … In the series opener against the Bearcats, Jacob Frost and Jackson Wentworth teamed up for the ninth no-hitter in the program's 124-year history, and first combined no-hitter since 1991, as the Wildcats blanked Cincinnati 4-0 … With the performance, Frost and Wentworth turned in just the second combined no-hitter in program history, joining David Christensen and Greg McNamara (1991 vs. Friends). With nine no-hitters in program history, only two have come in nine-inning contests … The Cats capped the Big 12 opening weekend with a walk-off victory in the series finale, clinching their first Big 12 opening series since 2013 … K-State's Big 12 slate features 30 games, highlighted by series against all four league newcomers (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU)

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
K-State improved to 3-4 on the road this season, after picking up its first true road victory against Wichita State … K-State is hitting .273 on the road with four players hitting above .300 led by Jayden Lobliner (.348) … Chuck Ingram is second hitting .345 followed by Nick English (.330) and Kaelen Culpepper (.310) … Culpepper and Brendan Jones have each belted two homers this season on the road for the Cats squad that has only gone deep seven times this season on the road … Brady Day has driven in a team-leading six runs … The pitching staff boasts a 7.63 ERA (50 ER, 59 IP), issuing 27 walks against 69 strikeouts for a 2.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
K-State has a season +40 run differential through 20 games averaging 8.9 runs on 11.25 hits ... The Wildcats outscore opponents 59-32 (+27) from the seventh inning and on … Cats were 11-0 when leading after the sixth with two wins when they are trailing ... K-State is 13-5 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 14 contests (12-2) … The Cats are 9-0 when limiting opponents to five or less runs … Nine 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 (13-7) followed by Houston (14-6, 4-2 Big 12) … Two league members are featured in the national polls with Oklahoma and TCU, ranking as high as 14 and 18 … 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
A six-run sixth inning, three RBIs by Nick English and three perfect innings on the mound from Jackson Wentworth led K-State to its sixth straight victory, as the Wildcats topped Wichita State, 8-6, at Tyler Field at Eck Stadium Tuesday night … K-State was held to just three hits and trailed 4-1 until its explosive sixth inning where the Cats plated six runs on five hits to take the 7-4 lead, highlighted by a two-run double by Chuck Ingram to score the game-winning run … K-State scored eight runs on 13 hits with one error committed and left eight on base … Wichita State scored six runs on eight hits, committed no errors, and left five runners on base … K-State scored six runs in the sixth inning to take control of the game … Buss (2-0) picked up the win in relief … Wentworth retired 10 straight in the final three innings with five strikeouts to earn his fourth save … Culpepper and English each turned in three-hit days, going 3-for-5 … English drove in a game-high three runs … K-State hit .333 (5-for-15) with runners in scoring position while WSU went 3-for-15 (.200) … The Wildcats were 3-for-12 (.250) with two outs and had three two-out RBI. Wichita State was 0-for-8 with two outs … Wichita State leads the all-time series 58-45, 37-18 at Eck Stadium … K-State moves to 12-5 in non-conference action … The Wildcats are 3-4 on the road, and 1-3 in true road games.

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 799-614-3 (.565) as a head coach … His 799 career victories is the most by all 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 will take on Nebraska (15-5) Tuesday at Tointon Family Stadium with game time slated 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 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

Kaelen Culpepper

Brady Day

Nick English

Jacob Frost

Nick Goodwin

Chuck Ingram

Brendan Jones

Jayden Lobliner

Jackson Wentworth

Josh Wintroub

Kansas State University Athletics