Hughes, Players Preview 2026 Season at Annual Media Day
Feb 04, 2026 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State baseball team held their annual media day on Wednesday afternoon inside Tointon Family Stadium, as eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes along with returners Donte Lewis, Kyan Lodice, James Guyette and Bear Madliak previewed the 2026 season.
Coming off their third straight 30-win season, the Wildcats return 21 players (17 letterwinners) from the 2025 roster that finished 32-26 overall and set a school record with 17 conference wins. In addition to Madliak, the Wildcats return everyday starters AJ Evasco, Dee Kennedy, and Shintaro Inoue along with weekend starter Lincoln Sheffield. Evasco, who earned D1Baseball Freshman All-American honors, turned in a record-breaking debut season by setting K-State freshman records for home runs (11) and RBI (52).
K-State will open the 2026 season on Friday, February 13, at the MLB Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Wildcats will begin the four-day event against Iowa, followed by matchups with UConn (Feb. 14), Penn State (Feb. 15), and Air Force (Feb. 16).
The Wildcats' 55-game schedule includes nine opponents that advanced to the NCAA Regional round last season, highlighted by Super Regional participants Auburn and West Virginia, along with College World Series qualifier Arizona. In total, K-State will face nine teams – 22 games – that finished with an RPI of 50 or lower in 2025.
Below is a transcript of the press conference.
PETE HUGHES, HEAD COACH
Opening statement…
"It's exciting to start another year here and another year in the growth of our program. We're excited about the group we have. The weather's cooperated with us this preseason for the most part, especially this week heading into our first game, but excited what we have in our clubhouse, excited about our returners, love our new guys, love the schedule that we put together that's waiting for us, and think we got a really good group of guys who are all about Kansas State baseball. And that's tough to say these days, when your locker room changes by 50% every year. It speaks volumes to our culture and our coaches and the people we have in our program over the last eight years that we're able to establish some continuity people, culture wise, and bring in some really high-level players and keep hunting to get our program to a different level. We're excited to take that next step to be a sustainable national player in this game and ultimately to get to our next step, which we're close to and we're determined to make happen, is to play in Omaha at the end of the year and get hot and play for a national championship for this great school and great community."
On the Wildcats' pitching rotation…
"We have a super competitive pitching staff right now. We've got a lot of returning guys, some veteran guys that have been in the heat of the battle but haven't really sorted themselves out. It could vary from weekend to weekend with matchups and who we're playing and facilities we're playing in, left-handed, right-handed. We do have the luxury of seven or eight guys that are pretty talented and battle tested, that are stretched out and that could make up our rotation at some point. But everyone in our program realizes that we have to win every single game in college baseball. You have to win every single game if you're a Kansas State baseball team, and those games that we play on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are critical when people are going to look at our resume."
On the team's offensive history…
"The key is to get better every year, and we're a lot deeper than we were offensively last year. I'm used to playing nine or 10 guys, and that number has jumped to 12 or 13 guys in the mix, which gives really good matchups. I do think that power component is going to be there again. I want to be a little more efficient offensively on the bases of our run game. It's an area where we're adamant in becoming more proficient. I do think that we'll see a lot of pitches. We'll control the strike zone, we'll get on base, we'll put pressure on people, and then that power component is right there. That's for sure."
On the 21 returning players…
"Says a lot about our culture, and it's tough to have culture be that guiding force in your clubhouse these days, because there's really no emotional investment in the schools anymore. If someone's around your program for nine months and then they leave. Not too long ago we would sign a kid out of high school after his sophomore year, maintain a relationship with that family for two more years and have them in your program for five, and then you have a real relationship, and people don't walk away from real relationships. It's not the case these days, but the guys that we have that have been in our program for a couple years like [James Guyette] and [Kyan Lodice], these guys are veteran guys, and they know what our culture is. They speak our culture and they live it. More importantly, so do all these new guys from other programs. When they come in, they see that's the way it's done. And we've been fortunate to have great leadership left over in our clubhouse, with all the transition that happens, and it begins and ends with your core leaders in your clubhouse."
On the newcomers…
"It's refreshing to have new guys come in here, because a lot of them are looking for a new road in their career. You can tell they're happy with their decision by the way they come to work every day. I couldn't really single out one or two guys. There's so many of them, but as a whole, the group has conformed to our culture. They're all in. They're talented kids and their work ethic is through the roof. They all come here because they're motivated to get to a different level in college baseball, and motivated to get to a different level in their careers, and they've gone about their business that way."
KYAN LODICE, SENIOR INFIELDER/OUTFIELDER
Playing with a chip on their shoulder…
"Coming in here, my freshman year, Kansas State was never a baseball school, and like coach said, we've flipped this program around entirely, not with just the coaches, but the people that he's brought in. I think that it's just a daily thing that we talk about having a chip on our shoulder, whether it's in practice, whether it's off the field. We all share the same beliefs, and I think that having a chip on our shoulders would just push us farther and farther this year. Just talent wise, we have it. We have the depth, like coach said, and without those things, having a chip on our shoulder would be nothing to us. So, I think it's going to help us succeed and get to higher places."
Growth in the program…
"There have been a lot of ups, a lot of downs, but I believe that this school has jumped a crazy amount from a baseball perspective, not only with the leadership. I mean, from every staff member to the first coach to the last player on the bench, everyone's treated the same, everyone's evaluated the same, and everyone works just as hard as anyone else. So, I think that's something that I've taken away from this university and this team: the work ethic, the leadership, and all the players just get along well. It's unlike any other university. From conversations I've had with people that are from back home or transfers that come in, they come here and they're like, wow, something is just different about this university. And I think that's something I've seen over my five years. People coming into this program and being like, wow, this is just different. Everything about it is just different. And I'm proud to be a Wildcat, and I always will be. And I think that's the biggest thing that I've noticed in my five years."
On differences from the 2024 and 2025 regional teams…
"I think something different this year than any other year has been the amount of experience and older players we have on this team. I know it's different with the transfer portal now, but I think that's going to play an even bigger role this year with the amount of experience we have coming in from other schools and just the older guys that have played a lot of baseball. I think that's going to kind of produce more June baseball for us. But the past couple of years, going to a regional, and then two years ago the Super Regional, I think this team is well capable of it, plus Omaha, with the more experience and years of baseball that this team has."
JAMES GUYETTE, JUNIOR PITCHER
Development with USA baseball…
"My experience over the summer with USA was definitely cool, but I was one of the guys that coach mentioned that I was lucky enough to build that relationship starting in high school, and experience the culture and really use that to help me develop and really see how everyone around us just pushes each other to be the best that they can. So just enveloping myself in the program and the culture, using our resources, like our pitching coach or all the other coaches who just know more about the game than I do. So, I think definitely using that experience over the summer, just playing with the best and gaining confidence just to know that we're good enough to play against the best in the game."
On similarities from past regional teams…
"Yeah, I definitely think looking back on the last two years, we've gone to regionals. And looking back on the team we have this year, I know what it takes to get to the postseason of baseball and the regionals and even the Super Regionals, and this team has what it takes. We got the talent. We got the depth and a very talented offensive lineup. I mean, we got what we got, but it's just a matter of doing it when it matters."
DONTE LEWIS, SOPHOMORE UTILITY
On preparing for sophomore year…
"Yeah, year one was a lot. I think it was my first time as a two-way on the college level. It was definitely an acquired taste, but I think I just learned to really hone in on focusing on the things that are important, as far as just skills that have helped me on both sides. It's going to be a heavy load this year, but I'm excited, and with the help of Coach Hughes and the rest of the coaching staff and our trainers, just really making sure I'm taking care of my body and getting everything that I need to be able to have a great year."
Advice for K-State newcomers…
"I guess trusting the coaching staff. I would say they want what's best for you overall. They care about you as a person, and of course as a player too. So really just trusting their plan for you, and not caring so much that you don't care, in a way just really going out there, playing loose and having fun. This game is whenever it stops being fun, it's a problem. I would say just not being too serious all the time, enjoying your teammates, laughing, having a good time, but when it's time to focus, get that done and just play free."
BEAR MADLIAK, SENIOR CATCHER
On making the jump his senior year…
"I think catching, I hope I make a big jump this year. I want to throw out more guys. I want to be more defensive back there. I just want to help my pitchers be successful."
Advice for transfers…
"Yeah, I would definitely say, buy into the culture that these guys have built. Whenever I first got here, I knew this was a great place. You're probably thinking, why would a boy from Georgia come to Kansas, but these coaches, I really like them. Everywhere I've been, I've been to two different schools. I've had three different head coaches, and this is by far the best place I've ever been to. And if you just buy in, listen to these coaches, they're gonna be right there behind you, have your back. I love these guys. So, let's say buy into the culture."
– 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.
Coming off their third straight 30-win season, the Wildcats return 21 players (17 letterwinners) from the 2025 roster that finished 32-26 overall and set a school record with 17 conference wins. In addition to Madliak, the Wildcats return everyday starters AJ Evasco, Dee Kennedy, and Shintaro Inoue along with weekend starter Lincoln Sheffield. Evasco, who earned D1Baseball Freshman All-American honors, turned in a record-breaking debut season by setting K-State freshman records for home runs (11) and RBI (52).
K-State will open the 2026 season on Friday, February 13, at the MLB Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Wildcats will begin the four-day event against Iowa, followed by matchups with UConn (Feb. 14), Penn State (Feb. 15), and Air Force (Feb. 16).
The Wildcats' 55-game schedule includes nine opponents that advanced to the NCAA Regional round last season, highlighted by Super Regional participants Auburn and West Virginia, along with College World Series qualifier Arizona. In total, K-State will face nine teams – 22 games – that finished with an RPI of 50 or lower in 2025.
Below is a transcript of the press conference.
PETE HUGHES, HEAD COACH
Opening statement…
"It's exciting to start another year here and another year in the growth of our program. We're excited about the group we have. The weather's cooperated with us this preseason for the most part, especially this week heading into our first game, but excited what we have in our clubhouse, excited about our returners, love our new guys, love the schedule that we put together that's waiting for us, and think we got a really good group of guys who are all about Kansas State baseball. And that's tough to say these days, when your locker room changes by 50% every year. It speaks volumes to our culture and our coaches and the people we have in our program over the last eight years that we're able to establish some continuity people, culture wise, and bring in some really high-level players and keep hunting to get our program to a different level. We're excited to take that next step to be a sustainable national player in this game and ultimately to get to our next step, which we're close to and we're determined to make happen, is to play in Omaha at the end of the year and get hot and play for a national championship for this great school and great community."
On the Wildcats' pitching rotation…
"We have a super competitive pitching staff right now. We've got a lot of returning guys, some veteran guys that have been in the heat of the battle but haven't really sorted themselves out. It could vary from weekend to weekend with matchups and who we're playing and facilities we're playing in, left-handed, right-handed. We do have the luxury of seven or eight guys that are pretty talented and battle tested, that are stretched out and that could make up our rotation at some point. But everyone in our program realizes that we have to win every single game in college baseball. You have to win every single game if you're a Kansas State baseball team, and those games that we play on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are critical when people are going to look at our resume."
On the team's offensive history…
"The key is to get better every year, and we're a lot deeper than we were offensively last year. I'm used to playing nine or 10 guys, and that number has jumped to 12 or 13 guys in the mix, which gives really good matchups. I do think that power component is going to be there again. I want to be a little more efficient offensively on the bases of our run game. It's an area where we're adamant in becoming more proficient. I do think that we'll see a lot of pitches. We'll control the strike zone, we'll get on base, we'll put pressure on people, and then that power component is right there. That's for sure."
On the 21 returning players…
"Says a lot about our culture, and it's tough to have culture be that guiding force in your clubhouse these days, because there's really no emotional investment in the schools anymore. If someone's around your program for nine months and then they leave. Not too long ago we would sign a kid out of high school after his sophomore year, maintain a relationship with that family for two more years and have them in your program for five, and then you have a real relationship, and people don't walk away from real relationships. It's not the case these days, but the guys that we have that have been in our program for a couple years like [James Guyette] and [Kyan Lodice], these guys are veteran guys, and they know what our culture is. They speak our culture and they live it. More importantly, so do all these new guys from other programs. When they come in, they see that's the way it's done. And we've been fortunate to have great leadership left over in our clubhouse, with all the transition that happens, and it begins and ends with your core leaders in your clubhouse."
On the newcomers…
"It's refreshing to have new guys come in here, because a lot of them are looking for a new road in their career. You can tell they're happy with their decision by the way they come to work every day. I couldn't really single out one or two guys. There's so many of them, but as a whole, the group has conformed to our culture. They're all in. They're talented kids and their work ethic is through the roof. They all come here because they're motivated to get to a different level in college baseball, and motivated to get to a different level in their careers, and they've gone about their business that way."
KYAN LODICE, SENIOR INFIELDER/OUTFIELDER
Playing with a chip on their shoulder…
"Coming in here, my freshman year, Kansas State was never a baseball school, and like coach said, we've flipped this program around entirely, not with just the coaches, but the people that he's brought in. I think that it's just a daily thing that we talk about having a chip on our shoulder, whether it's in practice, whether it's off the field. We all share the same beliefs, and I think that having a chip on our shoulders would just push us farther and farther this year. Just talent wise, we have it. We have the depth, like coach said, and without those things, having a chip on our shoulder would be nothing to us. So, I think it's going to help us succeed and get to higher places."
Growth in the program…
"There have been a lot of ups, a lot of downs, but I believe that this school has jumped a crazy amount from a baseball perspective, not only with the leadership. I mean, from every staff member to the first coach to the last player on the bench, everyone's treated the same, everyone's evaluated the same, and everyone works just as hard as anyone else. So, I think that's something that I've taken away from this university and this team: the work ethic, the leadership, and all the players just get along well. It's unlike any other university. From conversations I've had with people that are from back home or transfers that come in, they come here and they're like, wow, something is just different about this university. And I think that's something I've seen over my five years. People coming into this program and being like, wow, this is just different. Everything about it is just different. And I'm proud to be a Wildcat, and I always will be. And I think that's the biggest thing that I've noticed in my five years."
On differences from the 2024 and 2025 regional teams…
"I think something different this year than any other year has been the amount of experience and older players we have on this team. I know it's different with the transfer portal now, but I think that's going to play an even bigger role this year with the amount of experience we have coming in from other schools and just the older guys that have played a lot of baseball. I think that's going to kind of produce more June baseball for us. But the past couple of years, going to a regional, and then two years ago the Super Regional, I think this team is well capable of it, plus Omaha, with the more experience and years of baseball that this team has."
JAMES GUYETTE, JUNIOR PITCHER
Development with USA baseball…
"My experience over the summer with USA was definitely cool, but I was one of the guys that coach mentioned that I was lucky enough to build that relationship starting in high school, and experience the culture and really use that to help me develop and really see how everyone around us just pushes each other to be the best that they can. So just enveloping myself in the program and the culture, using our resources, like our pitching coach or all the other coaches who just know more about the game than I do. So, I think definitely using that experience over the summer, just playing with the best and gaining confidence just to know that we're good enough to play against the best in the game."
On similarities from past regional teams…
"Yeah, I definitely think looking back on the last two years, we've gone to regionals. And looking back on the team we have this year, I know what it takes to get to the postseason of baseball and the regionals and even the Super Regionals, and this team has what it takes. We got the talent. We got the depth and a very talented offensive lineup. I mean, we got what we got, but it's just a matter of doing it when it matters."
DONTE LEWIS, SOPHOMORE UTILITY
On preparing for sophomore year…
"Yeah, year one was a lot. I think it was my first time as a two-way on the college level. It was definitely an acquired taste, but I think I just learned to really hone in on focusing on the things that are important, as far as just skills that have helped me on both sides. It's going to be a heavy load this year, but I'm excited, and with the help of Coach Hughes and the rest of the coaching staff and our trainers, just really making sure I'm taking care of my body and getting everything that I need to be able to have a great year."
Advice for K-State newcomers…
"I guess trusting the coaching staff. I would say they want what's best for you overall. They care about you as a person, and of course as a player too. So really just trusting their plan for you, and not caring so much that you don't care, in a way just really going out there, playing loose and having fun. This game is whenever it stops being fun, it's a problem. I would say just not being too serious all the time, enjoying your teammates, laughing, having a good time, but when it's time to focus, get that done and just play free."
BEAR MADLIAK, SENIOR CATCHER
On making the jump his senior year…
"I think catching, I hope I make a big jump this year. I want to throw out more guys. I want to be more defensive back there. I just want to help my pitchers be successful."
Advice for transfers…
"Yeah, I would definitely say, buy into the culture that these guys have built. Whenever I first got here, I knew this was a great place. You're probably thinking, why would a boy from Georgia come to Kansas, but these coaches, I really like them. Everywhere I've been, I've been to two different schools. I've had three different head coaches, and this is by far the best place I've ever been to. And if you just buy in, listen to these coaches, they're gonna be right there behind you, have your back. I love these guys. So, let's say buy into the culture."
– 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.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
UTL
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INF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
LHP
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