Wildcats Head to Norman for Three-Game Set with Sooners

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State travels to Norman, Okla., for its final regular-season matchup in Big 12 action with the Oklahoma Sooners at L. Dale Mitchell Park with the three-game set beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.

K-State (21-10, 7-5 Big 12) is coming off a 6-3 Wednesday night triumph over in-state rival Wichita State, completing the home-and-home series sweep of the Shockers.

Oklahoma (18-14, 8-4 Big 12) has lost its last three weekend series, including two against West Virgina and Oklahoma State.

The Wildcats swept the Sooners in Manhattan last season, marking the first series sweep over OU since 1990. K-State has not won a series in Norman since 1971.

The Wildcats are a game behind the Sooners in the Big 12 standings, as OU sits atop the league tied with West Virginia.

Josh Wintroub (2-1) will head to the mound in the opener against left-hander Braden Davis (2-3). Veteran Owen Boerema will start Saturday while freshman Blake Dean will start in the series finale.

The Big 12 series will broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also tune in on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) while a free live stream audio is available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

To purchase single-game tickets for any home game at Tointon Family Stadium, 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 #32
K-State (21-10, 7-5 Big 12) at Oklahoma (18-14, 8-4 Big 12)
Friday, April 12 | 6:30 p.m. CT | L. Dale Mitchell Park
Projected Starters: RHP Josh Wintroub v. RHP Braden Davis
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #33
K-State (21-10, 7-5 Big 12) at Oklahoma (18-14, 8-4 Big 12)
Saturday, April 13 | 4 p.m. CT | L. Dale Mitchell Park
Projected Starters: LHP Owen Boerema v. Kyson Witherspoon
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #34
K-State (21-10, 7-5 Big 12) at Oklahoma (18-14, 8-4 Big 12)
Sunday, April 14 | 2 p.m. CT | L. Dale Mitchell Park
Projected Starters: RHP Blake Dean v. LHP Grant Stevens
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (21-10, 7-5 Big 12) opens its five-game road trip with a three-game set and final Big 12 series with Oklahoma this weekend, starting Friday night in Norman at L. Dale Mitchell Park at 6:30 p.m. … K-State is coming off a 6-3 triumph over Wichita State to complete the season series sweep over the Shockers … Four players are hitting over .300 led by Brady Day, who was named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List last week … The Cats' starting second baseman is slashing .398/.510/.634 with a team-high 49 hits, six home runs and team-leading 36 RBI while is average is third in the Big 12 … K-State's .305 average is second highest in the league … Kaelen Culpepper and Chuck Ingram have each belted seven home runs this season … Brendan Jones has stolen a league-high 18 bases with a 94.7% success rate on the bases … K-State will send right-hander Josh Wintroub to the mound in series opener, while Owen Boerema will start Saturday followed by freshman Blake Dean in the finale.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma (18-14) is off to an 8-4 start in Big 12 action, recording series sweeps over Conference foes UCF and TCU … The Sooners dropped their last Big 12 outing, 2-1, at the hands of in-state rival Oklahoma State in Stillwater last weekend ... The Sooners are 4-6 in their last 10 games overall ... OU is 10-8 at home this season and 3-3 in conference play... A quartet of Sooners are hitting .300 or better, led by Jackson Nicklaus' .380 average which ranks fifth in the conference ... Oklahoma's team average of .305 is third-highest in the league ...OU will send Left-handed starter Braden Davis to the mound Friday … The junior from Keller, Texas, has a 6.30 ERA (28 ER, 40 IP) and leads with 49 strikeouts with opponents hitting .212 against him.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 205-86-1, including a 52-26 mark as Big 12 opponents ... K-State is 27-102-1 all-time in Norman ... K-State has not won a road series in Norman since 1971, with its only sweep coming in 1928 (two games) ... Oklahoma last swept the Cats in Norman in 2004 (three games) ... The Wildcats have taken six of the last 10 meetings overall between the teams, along with going 1-2 in the last meeting at L. Dale Mitchell Park ... Last season, K-State won its first series sweep over OU (3-0) since 1990 (4-0) ... Sixth-year head coach Pete Hughes is 7-6 against his former team.

W, 8-7 – May 1, 2022 (Norman)
L, 4-3 – May 28, 2022 (Arlington)
W, 7-1 – March 24, 2023 (Manhattan)
W, 7-6 – March 25, 2023 (Manhattan)
W, 8-7 – March 26, 2023 (Manhattan)

COME BACK KIDS
K-State has recorded 10 come-from behind victories this season that includes three road victories … The Wildcats have over come four-run deficits in four games, and five three-run games … In their comeback wins, K-State is outscoring opponents 101-60 … Of the 10 wins, three were one-run games while four ended with margins of victory larger than six runs.

WILDCATS VS. THE BIG 12
The Cats tie second in the league standings with a record of 7-5 … K-State is hitting .293 in Conference play, averaging 6.8 runs on 10.7 hits … Day is slashing .392/.483/.549 in Big 12 games with a team-high 14 hits and two home runs … The second baseman's .392 average in conference play is sixth in the Big 12 … The pitching staff posts a 6.03 ERA, with opponents hitting .258 … K-State's Big 12 slate features 30 games, highlighted by series against all four league newcomers (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU) … K-State finished its 2023 Big 12 schedule tied fourth in the league at 13-11.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
K-State is 8-6 on the road this season, including a 6-5 record in true road games … On the road, K-State is hitting .252 with three players hitting above .300 led by Day (.352) … Culpepper and Jones have each belted three home runs on the road this season, combining four six of the Cats' 10 road homers, while Culpepper has driven in a team-best 12 RBI … Jones has scored 14 runs on the road followed by Ingram, who is hitting .300 with 18 hits … The pitching staff boasts a 5.78 ERA, issuing 51 walks against 139 strikeouts for a 2.73 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
K-State has a season +54 run differential, averaging eight runs on 10.8 hits ... The Wildcats outscore opponents 85-56 (+29) from the seventh inning and on … Cats are undefeated when leading after the sixth with a perfect 15-0 record and 2-1 when tied after six ... K-State is 19-5 when committing less than one error in a game ... The Wildcats are 8-5 when scoring first and 8-3 when scoring in the first inning … K-State has outhit opponents in 20 contests (17-3) and are 15-0 when limiting opponents to five or less runs … The Cats have suffered just one loss against left-handed starters (7-1) …

AROUND THE BIG 12
With a sweep over KU, West Virginia moved atop the Big 12 standings, tying Oklahoma with an 8-4 conference record … K-State, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, and Texas are tied third … UCF and Oklahoma State represent the Big 12 in the D1Baseball Top 25 college rankings coming in at No. 17 and No. 21 … Texas Tech's Damian Bravo (player) and West Virginia's Derek Clark (pitcher and newcomer) earned Big 12 Baseball weekly awards for the eighth week of the season. These are the first weekly awards for each player.

WALKING ON SUNSHINE
The Cats' 193 walks rank third in the Big 12 and 22^nd in the nation led by Jones … The Greenbrier, Tenn., product has drawn a league second-best 31 walks this season, ranking 28^th overall in Division I … The Cats drew a season-high 13 walks in two contests this season, while averaging 6.2 per game … The Wildcats all-time single-season walks record was set in 1995 with 382.

CALL THE COPS
K-State leads the league with 77 stolen bases, ranking eighth overall in Division I … The Cats 2.48 stolen bases per game is first in the Big 12 and ninth in the nation … Jones has stolen a league-high 18 bases this season, ranking 22^nd in Division I … The junior's 48 career stolen bases ranks 10^th all-time in K-State history … Last season, the Wildcats finished third in the league with 114 stolen bases through 59 games … The K-State single-season record is 149 set in 2009 thru 62 games.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats take their road trip to the northeast for stops at UConn (14-16) and Northeastern (25-7) on April 16-17.

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).

Wildcats Head to Norman for Three-Game Set with Sooners

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Players Mentioned

Owen Boerema

Kaelen Culpepper

Brady Day

Blake Dean

Chuck Ingram

Brendan Jones

Josh Wintroub

Kansas State University Athletics