K-State Travels to Missouri State for Midweek Contest

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State concludes its season series with Missouri State Wednesday, with a 4 p.m. tilt at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.

The Wildcats (18-8) won the season series in mid-March after sweeping the Bears (11-15) in the weekend series to improve to 17-11 in the all-time series. Missouri State holds a 6-4 edge in games played in Springfield, including a 3-0 decision in the final meeting at Hammons Field on April 11, 2012.

Wednesday's midweek matchup will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also tune in to on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and K-State Sports Network 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, 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 #27
K-State (18-8, 6-3 Big 12) at Missouri State (11-15, 1-5 MVC)
Thursday, March 28 | 4 p.m. | Hammons Field (8,000)
Projected Starters: RHP Blake Dean (1-2) v. RHP Reed Metz (1-1)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State hits the road to take on Missouri State in the final meeting of the season series … The Cats are 18-8 overall, and 6-3 in Big 12 for its best Conference start since 2013 … K-State is hitting a league-high .319 as a team and is second in the Big 12 with a .978 fielding percentage… Five players are hitting over .300 led by Brady Day (.402) and Chuck Ingram (.367), who combine for 87 hits and 61 runs scored, while Day has driven in a team-high 36 runs … Brendan Jones has stolen a league-high 16 bases this season, which is 13^th in the nation, and is first in the league in runs scored (35) … K-State will send right-handed freshman Blake Dean (1-2) to the mound in the midweek for his first collegiate start.

SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
Missouri State is coming off a 10-3 victory against Southeast Missouri State as it heads into the midweek matchup 11-15 overall … At home, the Bears are 3-4 this season … Missouri State was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll with four players earning preseason all-conference honors … Three All-Americans highlight the Bears roster with Zack Stewart, Garrett Ferguson and Nick Rodriguez … Stewart leads the Bears offense, slashing ..358/.440/.695 with nine home runs and 19 RBI … The everyday starter has earned MVC Player of the Week accolades twice this season … As a team, MSU is hitting .260 averaging 6.1 runs a game on nine hits … The bullpen has a 5.79 ERA and .260 opposing batting average … MSU hit .225 in the series against the Wildcats and were held to just 12 runs in the three-game set … Right-hander Reed Metz will get his first start of the season in the midweek … The Springfield native has made 11 appearances this season with a 1-1 record and 9.35 ERA (9 ER, 8.2 IP).

INSIDE THE SERIES
K-State holds a 17-11 edge over Missouri State since the first game in 1984 … The Wildcats won the season series in mid-March after sweeping the Bears in the weekend series … Missouri State holds a 6-4 edge of games played in Springfield, including a 3-0 decision in the final meeting at Hammons Field on April 11, 2012 … K-State is 7-3 in the past 10 matchups …

W, 10-6 – March 14, 2015 (Manhattan)
L, 7-10 – March 15, 2015 (Manhattan)
W, 7-3 – March 15, 2024 (Manhattan)
W, 12-6 – March 16, 2024 (Manhattan)
W, 11-3 – March 17, 2024 (Manhattan)

WALKING ON SUNSHINE
K-State's 167 walks rank second in the Big 12 and 18^th in the nation led by Brendan Jones … The junior has drawn a league-high 27 walks this season, ranking 28^th overall in Division I … The Cats have drawn a season-high 13 walks in two contests this season, while averaging six a game … The Wildcats all-time single-season walks record was set in 1995 with 382.

CAN'T CATCH THIS
K-State is second in the league with 64 stolen bases, ranking 10^th overall in Division I … The Cats 2.46 stolen bases per game is first in the Big 12 and ninth in the nation … Jones has stolen a league-high 16 bases this season , and is one steal away from cracking the Wildcats Top 10 all-time leaderboard (46) … 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 …

LAST TIME OUT
K-State closed a four-run deficit to one in the eighth inning, but Texas answered with a pair of solo shots to help deal the Wildcats their first series loss of the season with a 6-3 decision Saturday at Tointon Family Stadium … K-State held an 11-6 advantage in hits led by three hits apiece from Ingram and Jones … The duo each went 3-for-5 at the plate with RBIs coming in from Ingram, Culpepper, and Bishop … K-State scored three runs on 11 hits with four errors and left eight runners on base … Texas scored 21 runs on 22 hits, committed no errors, and stranded eight on base … Boerema (2-2) received the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) in six innings of work … Texas had a pair of late solo home runs … K-State hit .333 (5-for-15) with runners on base and 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position … Texas went 2-for-12 (.167) with runners on base and 1-for-8 (.125) in scoring position … The Cats went 7-for-16 (.438) with two outs … K-State moved to 12-4 at home … Pelletier moved his career-best on-base streak to 29 games, followed by Day at 25 … Ingram turned in his 13^th multi-hit game and Jones his 10^th.

AROUND THE BIG 12
Oklahoma sits atop the Big 12 standings with just two losses in conference play (7-2), followed closely behind by K-State and Texas each with a 6-3 league record … Kansas (7-5) ranks fourth while Oklahoma State and West Virginia are 5-4 to round out the top five … Kansas' Jake English (player) and Reese Dutton (co-newcomer), TCU's Louis Rodriguez (pitcher) and UCF's Cade Boxrucker (co-newcomer) were tabbed as Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week. It is the first career weekly award for English and Boxrucker, and the second for Dutton and Rodriguez.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
K-State improved to 6-4 on the road this season and 4-3 in true road games, after picking up a crucial Big 12 series sweep over Houston … On the road, K-State is hitting .273 with three players hitting above .300 led by Brady Day (.381) … Chuck Ingram is second hitting .341 followed by Jayden Lobliner (.333) … Culpepper and Brendan Jones have each belted two homers this season for the Cats squad that has only gone deep seven times this season on the road … Day has driven in a team-leading 10 runs while Ingram and Brendan Jones have combined for 21 runs scored … The pitching staff boasts a 6.28 ERA, issuing 39 walks against 97 strikeouts for a 2.49 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
K-State has a season +54 run differential through 26 games averaging 8.7 runs on 11.5 hits ... The Wildcats outscore opponents 77-52 (+25) from the seventh inning and on … Cats were 13-0 when leading after the sixth and 2-1 when tied after six ... K-State is 16-5 when committing less than one error in a game ... The Wildcats are 6-4 when scoring first and 7-3 when scoring in the first inning … K-State has outhit opponents in 18 contests (15-3) … The Cats are 12-0 when limiting opponents to five or less runs … the Cats have suffered just one loss against left-handed starters (7-1).

800 WINS FOR 19
Hughes, who is in 27th season as a head coach and sixth at the helm of K-State baseball, has compiled a career record of 803-616-3 (.566) as a head coach … His 803 career victories are the most by any active Big 12 head coaches … In six seasons as the head coach of the Wildcats, Hughes has put together a 151-124 (.549) record … On March 22, 2024, Hughes became the 25^th active Division I coach to reach 800 career wins, reaching the milestone by registering 52 wins at Trinity, 250 at Boston College, 222 at Virginia Tech, 128 at Oklahoma and 148 at K-State … The series finale against Houston marked the 150^th victory under Hughes for K-State.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats head to Orlando, Fla., for a three-game Big 12 series with Conference newcomer UCF (18-7, 6-6 Big 12), starting Friday at 5 p.m. CT at John Euliano 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

Brady Day

Blake Dean

Chuck Ingram

Brendan Jones

Jayden Lobliner

Kansas State University Athletics