Guyette Punches Out 12, Cats Take Game One from Cowboys

Friday, April 10

Manhattan, Kan.

6 p.m.

Kansas State University

22-12, 6-7

Oklahoma State

21-13, 6-7

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oklahoma State	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	0
Kansas State	1	0	1	5	0	1	3	0	X	11	10	1

Guyette Punches Out 12, Cats Take Game One from Cowboys

Apr 11, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Right-hander James Guyette punched out 12 Cowboys Friday night, leading K-State to an 11-3 triumph over Oklahoma State at Tointon Family Stadium.

Guyette, a native of Newbury Park, California, became the first pitcher since Owen Boerema (at Texas on April 7, 2023) to strike out 12 in a game. He finished the night allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits with one walk over a career-high seven innings, including striking out the side in the first and fifth.

"Great Friday night win in the Big 12, and it all starts with pitching, and we got a great starting effort by James Guyette," said head coach Pete Hughes, who is in his eighth season at the helm of K-State baseball. "Really a workhorse tonight – 124 pitches – and held his velocity from start to finish, which was impressive but not surprising. He almost came unraveled but brought himself back in, slowed the game down, and gave our offense a chance to work versus [Ethan] Lund, who is as talented as it gets at this level."

After surrendering the Cowboys' (21-13, 6-7 Big 12) three runs in the second, Guyette settled in and retired 18 of the final 21 batters he faced. Adam Arther struck out the side in the eighth before handing the ball to Aaron Arnold, who threw a scoreless ninth to keep OSU off the board over the final seven innings.

The pitching staff of Guyette, Arther and Arnold combined for a season-high 17 strikeouts, marking the most in a game since the Wildcats broke the school record with 21 against BYU in 2024.

The Wildcats (22-12, 6-7 Big 12) backed Guyette's career performance with their 20^th game of the season eclipsing the 10-hit mark, while posting their 17^th game with double-digit runs. Seven of K-State's nine hitters contributed a hit, including multi-hit efforts from Bear Madliak, AJ Evasco and Micah Kendrick. Madliak led all players with three RBI, the only player in Friday's game with multiple RBI.

"I thought we had a great offensive approach against an extremely talented left-handed pitcher, and we got a great start from our extremely talented pitcher. Good Friday night win, however, we've been here before a week ago today, and we didn't take advantage of winning game one in the series," Hughes added.

"When you're at home, you need to win the series. Especially after you capitalize on winning a Friday night game against a good opponent. That should make us play with a little more urgency, learn from our lessons from last weekend, and come out tomorrow with some good energy and play clean baseball."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Guyette put runners on first and second to open the nightcap before locking in and fanning the next three batters, stranding both runners.

With no outs, Shintaro Inoue drew a throw to second on a delayed steal, allowing Dee Kennedy to steal home and give the Cats the lead in the opening frame.

OSU capitalized on a throwing error that led to two unearned runs, pushing the Cowboys ahead 3-1.

K-State trimmed the deficit to one in the third before erupting for five runs in the fourth. Down 3-2, Evasco drilled the first pitch he faced down the left field line to lead off the fourth and scored the tying run on a double off the right-field wall from Kendrick. The Cats took the lead in the next at-bat as Kennedy laced a hit into left field to drive in the go-ahead run.

A bases loaded walk stretched the lead to 5-3, before Madliak delivered a two-out, two-run single to center to hand the Wildcats a four-run advantage.

The Wildcats added four runs across the sixth and seventh innings, highlighted by Inoue's solo blast in the seventh that snapped a three-game home run drought.

INSIDE THE BOX

K-State scored 11 runs on 10 hits, committed one error and left 11 on base, while OSU was held to three runs on five hits, with no errors and leaving seven on base.
Seven players contributed a hit for K-State with three hitting two.
Madliak, Evasco, and Kendrick each had two hits.
Five players hit for OSU.
Madliak led all players with three RBI, while five Wildcats had one.
Guyette (5-1) struck out a career-high 12, holding OSU to three runs (one earned) and walking one over a career-high seven innings.
Guyette, Arther and Arnold combined for a season-high 17 strikeouts.

TEAM NOTES

K-State is 63-182 all-time vs. Oklahoma State, that includes a 23-58 mark in Big 12 play.
The win marked the Wildcats' largest margin of victory since March 28, 2010 (K-State 13, OSU 3.
At home, K-State is 42-71 against OSU.
Friday's victory snapped a four-game losing streak to the Cowboys, posting the Wildcats first victory since April 20, 2024.
K-State has hit through the order 24 times, while posting 20 innings scoring five or more runs.
Inoue recorded the Wildcats first home run since March 31 at BYU, snapping the team's longest stretch without a home run this season (3 games).
The pitching staff combined for 17 strikeouts, marking the first game with 15 or more since the team broke the single-game record with 21 against BYU on May 16, 2024.
Friday's contest marked the seventh game OSU was held to five or fewer hits this season.
The Wildcats have registered 10 or more hits in 20 games this season, while scoring 10+ runs in 17 of those.
K-State improves to 5-2 in series openers, while the Wildcats are 6-3 when Guyette starts on the mound.

PLAYER NOTES

Guyette becomes the first pitcher to strikeout 12 since Owen Boerema at Texas on April 7, 2023.
Inoue launched his fourth home run of the season and 13^th of his career at K-State.
With his multi-hit performance, Evasco recorded his 16^th game with two or more hits – a team-best – while Madliak earned his eighth and Kendrick his seventh.
Madliak produced his fifth game with three or more RBI.
Smolinski has recorded a hit in his last 12 games, while he stretched his on-base streak to 25 Friday.

ON DECK
Game two of the three-game Big 12 series is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT Saturday at Tointon Family Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and the ESPN app while fans can also tune in on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). A free live stream audio is available at kstatesports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

– k-statesports.com –

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