Sunday, March 16
Manhattan, Kan.
1 p.m.
Kansas State University
12-7, 0
14
vs
2
Utah
11-8, 0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Kansas State | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
Sheffield Tosses Complete Game in Historic 14-2 Win
Mar 16, 2025 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Behind a complete game from Lincoln Sheffield, K-State opened Big 12 play with a series sweep for the first time since 2010, cruising to a 14-2, seven-inning victory over Utah Sunday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium. Â
Â
Leading 8-2 heading into the final frame, K-State erupted for six runs, capped by home runs from Kyan Lodice and AJ Evasco to secure the run-rule victory and extend the Wildcats' home winning streak to six. With the win, K-State improves to 12-7 on the year and 3-0 in conference play, while Utah fell to 11-8 and 0-3 in its inaugural Big 12 season.
Â
"We got to build an in-conference resume now, and to start out that way was great for our program and gets us off to a good start in Big 12 play," commented seventh-year head coach Pete Hughes. "We beat a good team, and it started with late inning heroics on Friday, and we kept that momentum in our dugout for three days."
Â
In K-State's first Big 12 opening weekend sweep in 15 years, the Wildcats out-scored the Utes, 34-10 in the series and hit .360 (36-for-100) with 15 extra-base hits, including seven home runs to end the weekend. The pitching staff boasted a 3.60 ERA and issued just five walks against 24 strikeouts.
Â
"Utah was 11-5 coming in here and without playing a home game. So, they're tough and talented. We beat two really good arms, I thought, on Friday and Saturday, and they looked like they ran a little thin in their bullpen, and we took advantage of it," Hughes added.
Â
In his fifth start of the year, Sheffield (4-1) was awarded his fourth consecutive victory. The left-hander from Flowood, Mississippi, finished his outing with a season-high nine strikeouts, including striking out the side in the fifth. Â
Â
"Lincoln's just efficient, he never beats himself, he's always way ahead on counts, he's always 0-2 or 1-2, and that's an advantage for him most of the time, because that keeps guys off balance. He works super-fast. He walked one guy today and when you can have no errors at the end of your box score, and one walk, you have a pretty good chance of winning the ball game. Lincoln is always going to give us that opportunity."
Â
Sheffield produced his third quality start, and after allowing a leadoff single in the first, he retired nine consecutive batters to allow the Cats to build a 4-0 lead. He surrendered two earned runs in the fourth and scattered three hits over the next three frames as he registered his first complete game at K-State.
Â
All nine position players recorded a hit led by three-hit days from Evasco and Lodice, while true freshman Donte Lewis turned in his first collegiate multi-hit game. Evasco, who delivered his second walk-off homer of the season, ended the day 3-for-4 and drove in a game-leading four RBI.
Â
Shortstop Maximus Martin drove in a pair of runs to turn in his team-high eighth game with multiple RBI, while Evasco's four RBI moved him to second on the team (6).
Â
Sunday's win marks the 18th Big 12 sweep for K-State and 37th overall series victory in a three or more-game series in the Hughes era,
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless first inning, catcher Bear Madliak delivered a two-out double into right center to score Martin from first. K-State capitalized on two throwing errors in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
Â
A two-run homer from Utah's Kaden Carpenter trimmed the Cats' lead to two, 4-2, in the fourth.
Â
The Wildcats recovered the runs handed over in the top of the inning, as Evasco and Seth Dardar both walked and scored on Martin's two-out double into center field.
Â
Leading 8-2, K-State used a six-run seventh inning to put the game away. Lodice hit a towering two-run homer off the scoreboard in right field to stretch the Cats lead to eight until an RBI-single by Dee Kennedy tacked on the 11th run.
Â
With no outs, and runners on first and second, Evasco shelled his fourth home run of the year to center to secure the run-rule victory.
Â
INSIDE THE BOX
The Wildcats will head to Texas for a midweek non-conference matchup against Tarleton State (9-11) on March 19, before heading back into conference play with a three-game series at Baylor (14-5), starting March 21.
Â
All four road games can be seen on ESPN+, while a free live streaming audio available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app. Season and single-game tickets are now available. To purchase tickets, fans can visit KStateSports.com, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.
Â
Leading 8-2 heading into the final frame, K-State erupted for six runs, capped by home runs from Kyan Lodice and AJ Evasco to secure the run-rule victory and extend the Wildcats' home winning streak to six. With the win, K-State improves to 12-7 on the year and 3-0 in conference play, while Utah fell to 11-8 and 0-3 in its inaugural Big 12 season.
Â
"We got to build an in-conference resume now, and to start out that way was great for our program and gets us off to a good start in Big 12 play," commented seventh-year head coach Pete Hughes. "We beat a good team, and it started with late inning heroics on Friday, and we kept that momentum in our dugout for three days."
Â
In K-State's first Big 12 opening weekend sweep in 15 years, the Wildcats out-scored the Utes, 34-10 in the series and hit .360 (36-for-100) with 15 extra-base hits, including seven home runs to end the weekend. The pitching staff boasted a 3.60 ERA and issued just five walks against 24 strikeouts.
Â
"Utah was 11-5 coming in here and without playing a home game. So, they're tough and talented. We beat two really good arms, I thought, on Friday and Saturday, and they looked like they ran a little thin in their bullpen, and we took advantage of it," Hughes added.
Â
In his fifth start of the year, Sheffield (4-1) was awarded his fourth consecutive victory. The left-hander from Flowood, Mississippi, finished his outing with a season-high nine strikeouts, including striking out the side in the fifth. Â
Â
"Lincoln's just efficient, he never beats himself, he's always way ahead on counts, he's always 0-2 or 1-2, and that's an advantage for him most of the time, because that keeps guys off balance. He works super-fast. He walked one guy today and when you can have no errors at the end of your box score, and one walk, you have a pretty good chance of winning the ball game. Lincoln is always going to give us that opportunity."
Â
Sheffield produced his third quality start, and after allowing a leadoff single in the first, he retired nine consecutive batters to allow the Cats to build a 4-0 lead. He surrendered two earned runs in the fourth and scattered three hits over the next three frames as he registered his first complete game at K-State.
Â
All nine position players recorded a hit led by three-hit days from Evasco and Lodice, while true freshman Donte Lewis turned in his first collegiate multi-hit game. Evasco, who delivered his second walk-off homer of the season, ended the day 3-for-4 and drove in a game-leading four RBI.
Â
Shortstop Maximus Martin drove in a pair of runs to turn in his team-high eighth game with multiple RBI, while Evasco's four RBI moved him to second on the team (6).
Â
Sunday's win marks the 18th Big 12 sweep for K-State and 37th overall series victory in a three or more-game series in the Hughes era,
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless first inning, catcher Bear Madliak delivered a two-out double into right center to score Martin from first. K-State capitalized on two throwing errors in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
Â
A two-run homer from Utah's Kaden Carpenter trimmed the Cats' lead to two, 4-2, in the fourth.
Â
The Wildcats recovered the runs handed over in the top of the inning, as Evasco and Seth Dardar both walked and scored on Martin's two-out double into center field.
Â
Leading 8-2, K-State used a six-run seventh inning to put the game away. Lodice hit a towering two-run homer off the scoreboard in right field to stretch the Cats lead to eight until an RBI-single by Dee Kennedy tacked on the 11th run.
Â
With no outs, and runners on first and second, Evasco shelled his fourth home run of the year to center to secure the run-rule victory.
Â
INSIDE THE BOX
- K-State scored 14 runs on 14 hits, committed no errors, and stranded seven on base.
- UU was held to two runs on six hits and committed four errors with four left on base.
- Two Wildcats homered in the win – Lodice, Evasco.
- Evasco hit a three-run homer to walk off the Utes in the seventh, securing a run-rule victory.
- Lodice and Evasco were each 3-for-4, combining for six RBI.
- Each of the Wildcats nine batters contributed a hit with five recording an RBI.
- Sheffield (4-1) was awarded the win, striking out nine in his first complete game. Â
- UU's Boesen (1-1) took the loss, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.
- Six different players recorded a hit for Utah, with Carpenter driving in both runs with a two-run homer in the fourth.
- K-State opened Big 12 play with a sweep for the first time since 2010 (vs. Oklahoma State).
- Under Hughes, K-State has won 18 Big 12 series – 37 overall in three or more-game series.
- Evasco's homer marked the third walk-off homer of the season and second of the series.
- K-State leads the all-time series 8-1, with a 3-0 edge in games played in Big 12 action and in Manhattan.
- The Cats move to 6-0 at home during the 2025 season – 106-42 all-time under Hughes.
- K-State held UU scoreless in the first inning for the first time in the series Sunday.
- In 19 games, K-State has homered in 13 of those, and registering multiple in 10.
- Sheffield threw his first complete game at K-State and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts. He matched a K-State career-long seven innings (Last: vs. TCU, February 23).
- Evasco turned in his third three-hit day of the season, and Lodice his second.
- Evasco hit his second walk-off homer of the season and stretched his hitting streak to a team-leading 10.
- Lodice registered his second homer of the year and ninth career.
- Lewis had two hits, recording his first collegiate multi-hit game.
- Martin leads the team with eight multi-RBI games, followed by Evasco (6). Â
- O'Connor stretched his on-base streak to 11, followed by Evasco (10) and Kennedy (10).
The Wildcats will head to Texas for a midweek non-conference matchup against Tarleton State (9-11) on March 19, before heading back into conference play with a three-game series at Baylor (14-5), starting March 21.
Â
All four road games can be seen on ESPN+, while a free live streaming audio available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app. Season and single-game tickets are now available. To purchase tickets, fans can visit KStateSports.com, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.
Â
– k-statesports.com –
Â
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
– k-statesports.com –
Â
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
UTL
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballTeam Stats
Pitching:
W: Sheffield, Lincoln (4-1)
L: Boesen, Lucas (1-1)
Batting:
HR: Carpenter, Kaden 1
RBI: Carpenter, Kaden 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Quinn, Tyler 1 ; Carpenter, Kaden 1
Batting:
2B: Martin, Maximus 1 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Lewis, Donte 1
HR: Evasco, AJ 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 1
RBI: Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Evasco, AJ 4 ; Martin, Maximus 2 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Inoue, Shintaro 2 ; Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Evasco, AJ 3 ; O'Connor, Keegan 1 ; Dardar, Seth 1 ; Martin, Maximus 1 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 2 ; Lewis, Donte 2
SB: Evasco, AJ 1 ; Dardar, Seth 1
CS: Lodice, Kyan 1
HBP: Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Dardar, Seth 1
Game Leaders
Wednesday, September 30
Tuesday, May 26
Thursday, May 21
Wednesday, May 20
