Wildcats Host Columbia to Open 2026 Home Slate

Friday, February 27

Manhattan, Kan.

2 p.m.

Kansas State University

Columbia

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Feb 26, 2026 | Baseball

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State opens its 2026 home slate with a three-game set against Columbia, beginning with a doubleheader Friday at 2 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium.

The second game on Friday will follow approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1 of the doubleheader. The stadium will not be cleared between games. Saturday's 1 p.m. game at Tointon Family Stadium will be played as scheduled, and Sunday's game has been canceled.

K-State wrapped up its nine-game road trip 6-3, tying the best nine-game start under eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes. Friday's home opener marks the first meeting between K-State and Columbia (0-3).

Friday's doubleheader will broadcast on ESPN+, while the entire three-game series can be heard on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). A free live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

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.

GAME #10
K-State (6-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Columbia (0-3, 0-0 Ivy League)
Friday, February 27 // 2 PM CT // Tointon Family Stadium // Manhattan, KS
Projected Starters: RHP James Guyette (1-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. Alex Sotiropoulos (0-0, 2.25 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+ // Matt Walters, Mike Clark
Radio: KMAN // Brian Smoller, Trevor Hurley
Listen Online: KStateSports.com/watch

GAME #11
K-State (6-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Columbia (0-3, 0-0 Ivy League)
Friday, February 27 // 45 min after Game 10 // Tointon Family Stadium // Manhattan, KS
Projected Starters: RHP Carson Liggett (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Tomas Lopez (0-1, 15.00 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+ // Matt Walters, Mike Clark
Radio: KMAN // Brian Smoller, Trevor Hurley
Listen Online: KStateSports.com/watch

GAME #12
K-State (6-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Columbia (0-3, 0-0 Ivy League)
Saturday, February 28 // 1 PM CT // Tointon Family Stadium // Manhattan, KS
Projected Starters: LHP Lincoln Sheffield (2-0, 4.63 ERA) vs. Thomas Santana (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
Watch: No stream
Radio: KMAN // Brian Smoller, Matt Walters
Listen Online: KStateSports.com/watch

THE MATCHUP
K-State opens its 2026 home slate with a three-game set against Columbia, beginning with a doubleheader Friday at 2 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium … K-State wrapped up its nine-game road trip 6-3, tying the best nine-game start under eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes … Friday's home opener marks the first meeting between K-State and Columbia (0-3).

FOLLOW THE CATS
Friday's doubleheader will broadcast on ESPN+, while the entire three-game series can be heard on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) ... A free live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app ... Fans can also follow along opening weekend action through live stats by visiting the team's schedule page or on the Cats social media platforms (@KStateBSB).

A LOOK AT K-STATE
The Wildcats return to Tointon Family Stadium for the first time since May 11, 2025 (291 days)
Coming off a nine-game road trip where they went 6-3, tying the best nine-game start under eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes … K-State dropped a two-game midweek series at Louisiana, which played in the NCAA College Station Regional Championship against Texas A&M in 2024 … The Wildcats recorded a pair of tough one-run losses to the Ragin' Cajuns with scores of 1-0 and 3-2 … Louisiana walked off the Wildcats in the 11^th of game two with a solo home run to secure the series … K-State's pitching staff was lights out in the series, combing for a 1.47 ERA and limiting Louisiana just three earned runs and .133 average … Third baseman Grant Gallagher led the team with three hits, that included a game-tying solo home run – his second of the season … Dee Kennedy recorded a pair of hits, as the Wildcats out-hit the Ragin' Cajuns 10-8 in the series … K-State is 2-1 against teams in the Ivy League after winning a three-game series vs. Harvard in 2010.

SCOUTING COLUMBIA
Columbia, the 2026 Ivy League preseason favorite, comes to Manhattan with just three games under its belt after dropping a three-game series against Mercer … The Lions were outscored 39-18 in the series … Mercer edged out a 5-4 decision to complete the sweep in the series finale … The offense produced a slash line of .274/.362/.416 last weekend led by Jimmy Chadwell's .444 average … The sophomore recorded a hit in all three games, while Cole Fellows produced a team-leading five hits (.357 average) with two RBI … Jackson Brewer and Tate Vogler each belted a home run against Mercer … The pitching staff enters Friday's doubleheader with a 13.88 ERA (37 ER, 24 IP), with a 0.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio … Alex Sotirpoulos (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will get the Game 1 start, while Tomas Lopez (0-1, 15.00 ERA) will close out the doubleheader … Columbia will send right-hander Thomas Santana (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the hill Saturday … Columbia is coming off a 30-win season, where they earned a ticket to the 2025 NCAA Tournament after winning the Ivy League title with a program record seven home runs … The Lions defeated top-seed Southern Mississippi at the Hattiesburg Regional in the opening round … Game 1 marks the first meeting between the two squads in program history … Columbia is 8-26 all-time against Big 12 opponents, last facing a Big 12 foes Houston and Baylor in 2022.

WELCOME TO TOINTON
The Wildcats turned in the best home record of any Big 12 team in 2025, finishing with a record of 18-3 (.857) – the program's best home winning percentage since 1987 (20-3 [.870]) … K-State baseball is 430-222 when playing at Tointon Family Stadium (since 2002) … In the Hughes era, K-State is 120-45 when playing at Tointon, posting a .727 winning percentage … Since 2021, the Cats are 102-32 (.761) when playing at home …

THE WILDCAT ROTATION
Friday (G1): James Guyette leads the pitching staff with a season-high 12 strikeouts … Recorded a career-high eight on Opening Day vs. Iowa.
Friday (G2): Carson Liggett will get his first start at K-State in Game 2 … Liggett has thrown 9 1/3 scoreless innings this season, allowing just three hits, boasting a conference-leading 0.64 WHIP.
Saturday: Lincoln Sheffield has earned three consecutive wins in his last three outings … Sheffield in second in the league in walks allowed per nine innings (0.77) and

AT THE PLATE
Offensively, the Wildcats lead opponents with a slash line of .280/.403/.448 with 15 doubles, three triples and nine home runs … K-State has out-hit opponents in four of its nine games this season (3-1), that includes a season-high 21 hits with a season-high 22 RBI vs. Penn State at the MLB Desert Invitational … K-State has recorded 10+ hits in four games (4-0) … Three starters are hitting over .300, with Carlos Vasquez leading the way at .393 … Dee Kennedy follows closely behind with a .387 average with AJ Evasco rounding out the top three at .351 … The team's 16 stolen bases rank fifth in the Big 12.

ON THE MOUND
The 2025 K-State pitching staff boasts a 3.74 ERA (33 ER, 79.1 IP) … Five different players have picked up a win led by Lincoln Sheffield (2-0), while Cohen Feser has one save … Opponents are hitting .242 against K-State … K-State pitchers boast the nation's 13^th-best walks allowed per nine innings (2.84), ranking second in the league in the category and in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.92) … Guyette has struck out a season-high 12 batters through two starts … Liggett leads the Big 12 with a 0.64 WHIP, while Sheffield is second in walks allowed per nine innings (0.77).

FROM THE PEN
The bullpen boasts an incredible 2.17 ERA (13 ER, 37.1 IP) with a 3-1 record and one save … Opponents are hitting just .156 against the Wildcat bullpen, as relievers have held teams to nine earned runs on 20 hits ... Relivers are averaging 7.96 strikeouts per nine innings, while issuing 2.42 walks per nine innings ... Opponents are hitting .156 against Wildcat relievers while hitting .306 against starters ... Right-handers Cohen Feser and Tazwell Butler each made three appearances out of the pen, each logging over six innings in relief.

NUMBERS NUGGETS
K-State has a +35-run differential through nine games this season ... The Wildcats outscore opponents 34-20 (+14) through the first four frames ... K-State scored 14 runs in the top of the seventh vs. Penn State at the MLB Desert Invitational – its largest single-inning run production in the composite bat era (since 2011) ... The Cats are 4-1 when hitting a home run, with an undefeated 4-0 record when hitting two or more ... K-State has won one of two games in which it has not committed an error while going 5-2 when committing at least one error ... When holding opponents to five or fewer runs, the Wildcats are 3-3 ... Conversely, K-State has a record of 1-3 when scoring five or fewer runs in a game, while the Wildcats are 5-0 when scoring six or more ... K-State is 1-2 in games decided by two runs or fewer ... Home runs account for 18 of the 69 RBI on the season (26.1%) … K-State is hitting .398 on the season with runners in scoring position and .189 with two outs, driving in 18 runs with two away ... Last season, the Cats managed a .306 average with runners in scoring position while hitting .249 with two outs.