K-State Hosts BYU in Final Regular-Season Series

MANHATTAN, Kan. – In the final weekend series of the regular season, K-State will host Big 12 newcomer BYU in a three-game set starting Thursday at 6 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium.

The middle game of the series is set for a 6 p.m. start on Friday while the finale will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Wildcats currently tie seventh in the Conference standings and hold the third best RPI in the Big 12 at 37, following Oklahoma (16) and Oklahoma State (17).

Thursday marks the first-ever meeting between the Wildcats and Cougars in Big 12 action, while K-State holds a 5-4 edge in the all-time series dating back to 1971.

The ten-team field is now set for the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 21-25, with Oklahoma securing the No. 1 seed in the event. The Sooners claimed the regular season title and will be joined by UCF, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia.

All three games will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, streaming audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

With just three home games left of the regular season, fans can purchase single-game tickets for the remainder of the 2024 home slate at 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 #51
K-STATE (29-21, 13-14 Big 12) vs. BYU (20-29, 9-14 Big 12)
Thursday, May 16 // 6 PM // Tointon Family Stadium (2,344)
Projected Starters: LHP Owen Boerema v. RHP Payton Gubler
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #52
K-STATE (29-21, 13-14 Big 12) vs. BYU (20-29, 9-14 Big 12)
Friday, May 17 // 6 PM // Tointon Family Stadium (2,344)
Projected Starters: RHP Jackson Wentworth v. RHP Ben Hansen
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #53
K-STATE (29-21, 13-14 Big 12) vs. BYU (20-29, 9-14 Big 12)
Saturday, May 18 // 4 PM // Tointon Family Stadium (2,344)
Projected Starters: TBA v. RHP Bryce Robsion
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (29-21, 13-14 Big 12) faces Big 12 newcomer BYU in a three-game set starting Thursday at Tointon Family Stadium, in the final tune-up before the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship … K-State, who is tied seventh in the league standings, has produced a slash line of .276/.382/.436 as a team including 84 doubles, 14 triples and 54 home runs with two starters hitting over .300 … Brady Day and Jaden Parsons are each hitting .337, with Day driving in a team-leading 48 runs … Chuck Ingram and Raphael Pelletier each have belted nine homers this season … K-State has stolen a league-high 115 bases this season led by 35 from Brendan Jones …The pitching staff has a 5.59 team ERA with a 2.5 strikeout-to-walk-ratio … Owen Boerema (5-3, 5.01 ERA) will get the start in the opener while Jackson Wentworth (3-4, 4.02 ERA), who is fifth in the league with 89 total strikeouts, will start Friday.

SCOUTING BYU
BYU enters the weekend 20-29 on the year and 6-21 in its first season in the Big 12 Conference … BYU has a slash line of .252/.358/.438 averaging 5.6 runs a game on 8.6 hits … The Cougars have totaled 166 extra-base hits including 65 homers … Easton Jones paces the Cougars' offense, hitting .286 on the year with 36 RBI and 14 home runs … Thirteen players have sent one out of the park this season led by Jones and Cooper Vest (10) … On the mound, BYU has a 5.99 team ERA with opponents hitting .278 with a 1.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio … Three right-handers will make starts in the regular season series, with Payton Gubler (0-0, 6.15 ERA) getting the start in the opener.

INSIDE THE SERIES
K-State holds a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series, while Thursday marks the first meeting in Big 12 action between the two squads ... K-State holds a perfect 4-0 record in Morgantown … The Cougars are 3-2 in the last five meetings after taking a 2-0 series sweep in Provo in 2010 … Four of the nine games in the series have been decided by three runs or fewer … K-State's last victory against BYU came in 2009 (11-3).

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
L, 5-6 (10) – March 19, 2008 (Provo)
W, 9-8 (10) – May 4, 2009 (Manhattan)
W, 11-3 – May 5, 2009 (Manhattan)
L, 9-15 – April 13, 2010 (Provo)
L, 10-13 – April 14, 2010 (Provo)

HOME. SWEET. HOME.
K-State is 18-6 when playing at home this season, including a 7-5 record in Conference games at Tointon … At home, the Wildcat offense has produced a slash line of .323/.427/.525 with 37 home runs and 185 RBI ... K-State averages 8.5 runs/game on 11.5 hits while drawing 145 walks with 68 stolen bases... The Wildcat bullpen boasts a 4.84 ERA at home, holding opponents to a .250 average against opposing team's 7.83 ERA … The Cats have struck out 236 compared to 88 walks for a 2.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... Parsons .400 average at Tointon leads the Cats offense, while Day has driven in a team-leading 28 runs … K-State baseball is 410-218 when playing at home since 2002 … The Wildcats are 99-41 (.708) at home under Hughes and 85-29 (.746) since 2021.

COME BACK KIDS
K-State has recorded 13 come-from behind victories this season, including three on the road … The Wildcats have overcome four-run deficits in four games, and five three-run games … In their comeback wins, K-State is outscoring opponents 114-69 (+45) … Of the 13 wins, five were one-run games while four ended with margins of victory larger than six runs.

RECORD WATCH
Jones has stolen a career-high 35 bases this season, which is third in the single-season records … Now with 65 career steals, Jones is third all-time in school history following Ross Kivett (80) and Adam Muenster (78) … With his save in the series opener at WVU, Tyson Neighbors collected his 18^th career save, tying third all-time in school history alongside David Johnson (1994-97) … With 17 doubles on the season, true freshman Nick English has matched the freshmen class single-season doubles record set by current Major Leaguer Nick Martini (2009) … Jones picked up his 62^nd career stolen base, which ties third all-time in K-State history.

CALL THE COPS
The Cats have stolen a league-high 115 bases this season, ranking 11^th overall in Division I … The Cats 2.30 stolen bases/game is first in the Big 12 and 13^th in the nation … Jones has stolen a league-high 35 bases this season, ranking fifth in Division I … K-State surpassed last season's season total of 114, ranking fifth all-time in the record books … The K-State single-season record is 149 set in 2009 through 62 games.

WILDCATS VS. THE BIG 12
The Cats are seventh in the Big 12 standings, with four series wins against Conference foes, including a 2-1 series victory over nationally ranked Oklahoma State … K-State is hitting .262 in Conference play, averaging 5.2 runs on 9.1 hits … Day leads the offense in Big 12 games, hitting .314 followed by Parsons (.304) … The pitching staff posts a 5.87 ERA, with opponents hitting .274 … K-State's Big 12 slate features 30 games, highlighted by series against all four league newcomers (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU) .

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
K-State is undefeated in series openers at home with a perfect 7-0 record that includes 5-0 in Big 12 action … Conversely, on the road, the Wildcats are 2-3 in Friday night openers with victories at Houston and West Virginia … Overall, the Cats are 9-3 in series openers, including 6-3 in Big 12 action … K-State is hitting .289 against opponents .287 average in series openers, outscoring opponents 79-65 (+14) … Fifteen of the Wildcats 54 home runs have come in series openers, led by three from Day and Pelletier.

NUMBER NUGGETS
The Wildcats have outscored opponents 57-31 in the sixth inning alone and 115-90 (+25) from the seventh and on … Cats are perfect when leading after six at 20-0 and are 3-1 when tied after six ... K-State is 17-3 when committing no errors in a game … Conversely, K-State has won 12 games when one or more errors are committed, 12-18 overall ... The Wildcats are 13-6 when scoring first and 13-4 when scoring in the first inning … K-State has outhit opponents in 27 contests this season and is 3-15 when being outhit, and is 4-1 when hits are tied … The Cats are 22-2 when limiting opponents to five or less runs and are 9-1 in one-run games … K-State is 17-9 when playing afternoon games and 12-12 when playing under the lights … The Cats have won 20 games against right-handed starters while going 9-8 against lefties.

AROUND THE BIG 12
For the first time in program history, Oklahoma baseball won the Big 12 regular season championship, using a three-game sweep of Baylor to clinch the title. The Sooners have won 13 of their last 15 Conference games to win the title with a 21-6 record with three games remaining … … Oklahoma's John Spikerman (player) and West Virginia's Derek Clark (pitcher and newcomer) were honored with Big 12 baseball weekly awards for the 14^th week of the season. The 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship will again be held at the home of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field, for the third straight season in Arlington, Texas, May 21 through May 25 … With the ten-team field set for the Big 12 tournament, the Sooners will be joined by UCF, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia … All-tournament tickets for the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas are on sale at GlobeLifeField.com/Big12.

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

Brady Day

Nick English

Chuck Ingram

Brendan Jones

Tyson Neighbors

Jaden Parsons

Raphael Pelletier

Jackson Wentworth

Kansas State University Athletics