Kansas State University Athletics
Sunday, March 16
Manhattan, Kan.
1 p.m.
Kansas State University
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Kansas State
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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.
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.
"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."
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.
"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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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).
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,
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.
A two-run homer from Utah's Kaden Carpenter trimmed the Cats' lead to two, 4-2, in the fourth.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
– k-statesports.com –
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.
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.
"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."
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.
"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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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).
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,
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.
A two-run homer from Utah's Kaden Carpenter trimmed the Cats' lead to two, 4-2, in the fourth.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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).
- 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.
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.
– k-statesports.com –
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.
Team 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: Bolin, Robby 1 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Lewis, Donte 1
HR: Evasco, AJ 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 1
RBI: Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Evasco, AJ 4 ; Bolin, Robby 2 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Inoue, Shintaro 2 ; Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Evasco, AJ 3 ; Kendrick, Micah 1 ; Haley, Austin 1 ; Bolin, Robby 1 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 2 ; Lewis, Donte 2
SB: Evasco, AJ 1 ; Haley, Austin 1
CS: Lodice, Kyan 1
HBP: Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Haley, Austin 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
UTL
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
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