Sunday, February 22
Arlington, Texas
6:30 p.m.
Kansas State University
6-1
10
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Michigan
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Kansas State
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Wildcats Top Michigan in College Baseball Series Finale
Feb 23, 2026 | Baseball
ARLINGTON, Texas – K-State scored nine runs over a three-inning span, highlighted by a five-run second, as the Wildcats dealt Michigan a 10-6 loss Sunday night in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series finale at Globe Life Field.
After giving up a pair of runs in the top of the second, K-State (6-1) immediately responded, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring five runs led by Micah Kendrick's two-RBI double. With the win, the Wildcats are off to their best start since 2010.
"It's always good when your team wins and you're dissatisfied," eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes said. "I thought we played sloppy enough where we need to start closing the gap, but it's exciting to know how we're going to close the gap and what we need to do to get this thing rolling a little bit. We're very close, but we can't play sloppy baseball like we did early on and give up big innings if we want to be really good in our conference."
"But credit Lincoln Sheffield for picking up his teammates. We didn't play the best defense for him tonight, but veteran guys settle in there and pick up their teammates. Lincoln always does that," added Hughes.
Sheffield (2-0), who has earned the win in three consecutive starts dating back to 2025, tossed 6 2/3 innings without issuing a walk. The Flowood, Mississippi, native surrendered six runs (four earned) on nine hits with one strikeout before handing the ball to Cohen Feser.
Feser, a redshirt senior transfer from TCU, scattered just one hit over 2 1/3 shutout innings to earn his first save of the year. Over two outings this season, Feser has thrown 4 1/3 scoreless innings and surrendered just four hits with no walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Michigan broke through in the second inning, taking advantage of a throwing error to build a 2-0 lead, but the Wildcats immediately responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Kendrick laced a double down the left field line to score Shintaro Inoue and Grant Gallagher after both walked and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Following Kendrick's double, the Wolverines made their first call to the pen, bringing in right-hander David Lally Jr. Catcher Bear Madliak welcomed the senior with a hit up the middle to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Madliak later recorded his first steal at K-State before advancing to third on a balk and scoring on a wild pitch.
Leading 4-2, Dee Kennedy, who was named the FloSports Player of the Game for his three-hit performance, barreled a solo shot 384-feet to left field to stretch the Cats' lead.
The two quads later exchanged three runs, making it a 9-6 game, until Carlos Vasquez broke the Wildcats' two-inning scoring drought with his first homer of the season – a 392-foot blast to left field.
Michigan threatened the lead in the top of the ninth, putting runners on the corners after a hit by pitch and fielding error, but Feser set the Wolverines down in order to record his first save of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX
K-State will head out for a two-game midweek series at Louisiana (5-2), starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park in Lafayette. Both games will broadcast on ESPN+.
– 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.
After giving up a pair of runs in the top of the second, K-State (6-1) immediately responded, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring five runs led by Micah Kendrick's two-RBI double. With the win, the Wildcats are off to their best start since 2010.
"It's always good when your team wins and you're dissatisfied," eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes said. "I thought we played sloppy enough where we need to start closing the gap, but it's exciting to know how we're going to close the gap and what we need to do to get this thing rolling a little bit. We're very close, but we can't play sloppy baseball like we did early on and give up big innings if we want to be really good in our conference."
"But credit Lincoln Sheffield for picking up his teammates. We didn't play the best defense for him tonight, but veteran guys settle in there and pick up their teammates. Lincoln always does that," added Hughes.
Sheffield (2-0), who has earned the win in three consecutive starts dating back to 2025, tossed 6 2/3 innings without issuing a walk. The Flowood, Mississippi, native surrendered six runs (four earned) on nine hits with one strikeout before handing the ball to Cohen Feser.
Feser, a redshirt senior transfer from TCU, scattered just one hit over 2 1/3 shutout innings to earn his first save of the year. Over two outings this season, Feser has thrown 4 1/3 scoreless innings and surrendered just four hits with no walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Michigan broke through in the second inning, taking advantage of a throwing error to build a 2-0 lead, but the Wildcats immediately responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Kendrick laced a double down the left field line to score Shintaro Inoue and Grant Gallagher after both walked and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Following Kendrick's double, the Wolverines made their first call to the pen, bringing in right-hander David Lally Jr. Catcher Bear Madliak welcomed the senior with a hit up the middle to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Madliak later recorded his first steal at K-State before advancing to third on a balk and scoring on a wild pitch.
Leading 4-2, Dee Kennedy, who was named the FloSports Player of the Game for his three-hit performance, barreled a solo shot 384-feet to left field to stretch the Cats' lead.
The two quads later exchanged three runs, making it a 9-6 game, until Carlos Vasquez broke the Wildcats' two-inning scoring drought with his first homer of the season – a 392-foot blast to left field.
Michigan threatened the lead in the top of the ninth, putting runners on the corners after a hit by pitch and fielding error, but Feser set the Wolverines down in order to record his first save of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX
- K-State scored 10 runs on nine hits, committed two errors and stranded just two runners on base, while Michigan scored six runs on 10 hits, committed no errors and stranded eight on base.
- Six different Wildcats registered a hit Sunday.
- Kennedy led all players with three hits (3-for-4) with two RBI.
- Four players in Sunday's contest had multiple hits, while five drove in multiple RBI.
- Vasquez had two its while Evasco and Kendrick each recorded two RBI.
- Kennedy and Vasquez each hit a solo blast to left field.
- Sheffield (2-0) was awarded the victory, surrendering six runs (four earned) on nine hits with one strikeout.
- Feser earned the first save of the season, firing 2 1/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball with a strikeout.
- K-State sent eight batters to the plate and exploded for five runs in the second.
- Michigan used six pitchers in Sunday's game, with three logging only two innings.
- K-State leads the all-time series 3-1, with two consecutive wins at the College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field (2025, 2026).
- The Wildcats are 2-1 against Michigan under head coach Pete Hughes.
- Cats are 5-1 when playing in the College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field (since 2025).
- The Wildcats improve to 6-1 on the year, marking the best start since 2010.
- K-State has turned in four innings scoring 5+ runs.
- This season, K-State is 4-0 against teams from the Big Ten, outscoring the conference 54-22.
- K-State has homered in four of seven games, producing two in each.
- In seven games, the Wildcats have record 10+ runs in four and outscore opponents 73-36 (37+).
- Sunday's game marked the first contest K-State's pitching staff didn't allow a walk, and first since April 22, 2025, vs. Wichita State.
- It is the first game without allowing a walk against a Power 4 team since March 2, 2025, vs. Nebraska.
- Kennedy has stolen seven bases (7-for-7) in seven games this season and has homered in three.
- Vasquez hit his first home run at K-State in the seventh.
- Sheffield has earned the win in three consecutive outings, dating back to last season.
- He has logged six starts firing 6+ innings during his two seasons at K-State.
- Kennedy produced his third multi-hit game and fourth game with two or more RBI, while it was Vasquez's fourth game with two or more hits.
- Feser has thrown 4 1/3 consecutive shutout innings over two outings.
- Madliak recorded his first stolen base with the Wildcats.
K-State will head out for a two-game midweek series at Louisiana (5-2), starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park in Lafayette. Both games will broadcast on ESPN+.
– 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 (2-0)
L: Kurt Barr (1-1)
S: Feser, Cohen (1)
Batting:
2B: Cade Ladehoff 1 ; Joe Longo 1 ; Greg Pace Jr 1
HR: Colby Turner 1
RBI: Brenden Stressler 2 ; Colby Turner 2 ; Greg Pace Jr 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cade Ladehoff 2 ; Brenden Stressler 1 ; Colby Turner 1 ; Joe Longo 1 ; Eli Kligman 1
HBP: Cade Ladehoff 1 ; Joe Longo 1
Batting:
2B: Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Kendrick, Micah 1
HR: Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Vasquez, Carlos 1
RBI: Kennedy, Dee 2 ; Evasco, AJ 2 ; Vasquez, Carlos 1 ; Gallagher, Grant 1 ; Kendrick, Micah 2 ; Madliak, Bear 1
SF: Gallagher, Grant 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bolin, Robby 1 ; Kennedy, Dee 2 ; Vasquez, Carlos 2 ; Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Gallagher, Grant 1 ; Kendrick, Micah 1 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Smolinski, Ty 1
SB: Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Madliak, Bear 1
CS: Gallagher, Grant 1
HBP: Bolin, Robby 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
lf/rf
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballINF
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