K-State Falls to No. 9 Auburn Friday

Friday, February 20

Arlington, Texas

7 p.m.

Kansas State University

4-1

Auburn

4-1

Auburn

Kansas State

K-State Baseball practice, February 20, 2026.

(Photo: Gabriella Whisler/K-State Sports)

Feb 20, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas – K-State suffered its first loss of the season Friday night, as the Wildcats dropped a 5-1 decision to No. 9 Auburn in their College Baseball Series opener at Globe Life Field.

Left-hander Jake Marciano (1-0) fired six shutout innings for the Tigers (4-1) and held the Wildcats to two hits in the outing, while striking out eight in his first quality start. The sophomore retired nine consecutive K-State (4-1) batters before surrendering a hit in the fourth.

"Disappointing loss," said eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes. "I thought we did enough little things poorly to lose that game and usually the coach that loses the game faced a really good starting pitching when you have to make those comments postgame. But there's no margin for error versus an outing like that.

"We had our opportunities to put some pressure on them and we didn't do it. But story of the game was their starting pitcher, Marciano, was awesome. We couldn't figure him out," Hughes added.

K-State's James Guyette (1-1) earned his first collegiate quality start, after holding the Tigers to two earned runs over his career-high outing. The Newbury Park, California product scattered six hits across his six-inning start with four strikeouts.

"We'll get back to work tomorrow. I thought [James Guyette] had a really good outing and definitely pitched well enough for us to give him support and win that game tonight, but we didn't."

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tigers pieced together three consecutive hits to start off the opening frame and take an early 1-0 lead. Guyette recorded back-to-back strikeouts to keep the score within one, stranding runners on second and third.

Marciano carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning until Robby Bolin laid a bunt-single down the third base line to break up the no-hit bid. AJ Evasco doubled the Cats hit count with grounder into centerfield, but the designated hitter was left stranded as Marciano picked up his seventh strikeout of the night.

Trailing 4-0, the Wildcats ended the shutout in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch hitter Micah Kendrick delivered a one-out double into right center – the first extra-base hit of the game – to drive in Shintaro Inoue, who reached on an error by the shortstop.

INSIDE THE BOX

Auburn scored five runs on 11 hits with one error and left six men on base.
K-State was held to one run on four hits, committed one error and stranded three on base.
Three different players produced a hit for K-State, led by Evasco with two.
Evasco was one of five players in Friday's game to record two hits.
Kendrick and Evasco each doubled – the only extra-base hits of the game.
Guyette logged a career-high six innings, allowing just two earned runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Marciano allowed just two hits over six shutout innings, while striking out eight with no walks.
K-State's pitching staff issued three walks, while Auburn had none.
Five different players drove in an RBI for the Tigers, while seven players registered a hit.
Both squads were 2-for-10 with two outs, while Auburn hit .333 (6-for-18) with runners on base.

TEAM NOTES

Auburn leads the all-time series 1-0, after the two squads met in 2022 at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field.
K-State is 153-272-3 all-time against SEC teams.
The Cats were held to four hits for the first time since May 10, 2025, vs. West Virginia.
In the Hughes era, K-State is 31-48 against top-25 teams, that includes 13-24 record against the top-10.

PLAYER NOTES

Guyette recorded his first collegiate quality start.
Billy Eich made his K-State debut in the nightcap, striking out the first batter he faced.
Kendrick is 1-for-3 in pinch-hit situations this season.

UP NEXT
K-State will take on Nebraska (3-2) on day two of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Nebraska is coming off a 4-2 loss to No. 15 Louisville on Friday afternoon. Saturday's first pitch is slated for 7 p.m. CT and can be seen on FloSports, while radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) with Brian Smoller calling all the action. A free live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

– k-statesports.com –

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