K-State, #16 Kansas Clash in Dillons Sunflower Showdown

Friday, April 24

Manhattan, Kan.

6 p.m.

Kansas State University

Kansas

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K-State, #16 Kansas Clash in Dillons Sunflower Showdown

Apr 23, 2026 | Baseball

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State will host the 2026 edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown this weekend at Tointon Family Stadium, facing No. 16 Kansas in a three-game Big 12 set starting Friday at 6 p.m.

The middle game of the series is set for a 4 p.m. start on Saturday while the finale will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

With four Big 12 series left of the regular season, K-State (26-15, 9-9 Big 12) enters Friday's contest tied sixth in the league standings, while KU (30-11) leads the conference with a 14-4 Big 12 record.

All three games will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also tune in on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) for Friday and Saturday's games, while Sunday is available on the K-State Sports Network. A free live stream audio is available for K-State baseball games at kstatesports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

Single-game tickets are available for all Wildcat home games at Tointon Family Stadium, fans can visit kstatesports.com/tickets call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.

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 42
K-State (26-15, 9-9 Big 12) vs. #16 Kansas (30-11, 14-4 Big 12)
Friday, April 24 // 6 PM CT // Tointon Family Stadium // Manhattan, KS
Projected Starters: RHP James Guyette (5-1, 5.10 ERA) vs. RHP Mathis Vayral (4-2, 4.09 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+ // Brian Smoller, Mike Clark, Sophie Smith
Radio: KMAN // Matt Walters, Jared Goedert
Listen: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com

GAME 43
K-State (26-15, 9-9 Big 12) vs. #16 Kansas (30-11, 14-4 Big 12)
Saturday, April 25 // 4 PM CT // Tointon Family Stadium // Manhattan, KS
Projected Starters: LHP Lincoln Sheffield (6-1, 5.07 ERA) vs. RHP Dominic Voegele (4-2, 7.52 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+ // Brian Smoller, Mike Clark, Hannah Whetstone
Radio: KMAN // Matt Walters, Jared Goedert
Listen: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com

GAME 44
K-State (26-15, 9-9 Big 12) vs. #16 Kansas (30-11, 14-4 Big 12)
Sunday, April 26 // 1 PM CT // Tointon Family Stadium // Manhattan, KS
Projected Starters: TBA vs. TBA
Watch: ESPN+ // Brian Smoller, Mike Clark, Sophie Smith
Radio: K-State Sports Network // Matt Walters, Jared Goedert
Listen: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com

THE MATCHUP
K-State will host the 2026 edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown this weekend at Tointon Family Stadium, facing No. 16 Kansas in a three-game Big 12 set starting Friday at 6 p.m. … The middle game of the series is set for a 4 p.m. start on Saturday while the finale will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday … With four Big 12 series left of the regular season, K-State (26-15, 9-9 Big 12) enters Friday's contest tied sixth in the league standings, while KU (30-11) leads the conference with a 14-4 Big 12 record.

FOLLOW THE CATS
All three games will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also tune in on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) for Friday and Saturday's games, while Sunday is available on the K-State Sports Network ... A free live stream audio is available for K-State baseball 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 head into Week 7 of Big 12 play with an overall record of 26-15 and 9-9 conference mark … K-State picked up its 15^th road victory (away + neutral) – the second most road wins in the Big 12 – Tuesday afternoon after defeating GCU 8-3 … K-State scored eight runs on 11 hits, committed one error and stranded eight on base, while GCU plated three runs on seven hits with one error and five left on base … Seven different Wildcats contributed a hit Tuesday, led by three-hit performances from shortstop Dee Kennedy and centerfielder Cadyn Karl, including home runs from each … Karl finished a triple shy of hitting the cycle … Kennedy and AJ Evasco each led with a game-high two RBI … Cohen Feser, Adam Arther and Miles Smith combined for seven shutout innings in relief ... Feser held GCU to one hit over four shutout innings in relief, finishing the outing two strikeouts and a walk … In 23 of 41 games this season, K-State has recorded double-digit hits … The Wildcats improved to 17-6 against non-conference opponents, that includes a 4-2 advantage in true road games … K-State had recorded two or more home runs in 19 games this season, going 14-5 when hitting multiple … Cadyn Karl launched his fifth home run of the season, becoming the eighth player with five or more … With his 17^th home run of the season, Dee Kennedy became the junior single-season home run record holder and tied the all-time single-season record … Kennedy's home run marked his 32^nd extra-base hit of the season ... He is the 13^th player in school history with 32 or more extra-base hits in a season, and sixth under Hughes.

THE WILDCAT ROTATION
Friday: James Guyette (5-1, 5.10 ERA) leads the pitching staff with a season-high 70 strikeouts, ranking fourth in the Big 12 in total strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings (11.52) … Guyette struck out a career- and team-high 12 batters in the series opener vs. OSU … He is the first Wildcat to strike out 12 since 2023.
Saturday: Lincoln Sheffield (5-1, 5.07 ERA) leads the Big 12 in victories, after throwing a complete game at Arizona with a career-high 10 strikeouts … He is second in the league in walks allowed per nine innings (1.64), allowing only 10 total in 10 appearances this season.
Sunday: TBA

SCOUTING #16 KANSAS
Kansas (30-11, 14-4 Big 12) is in the Top 25 for a second consecutive week and is ranked No. 15 by Baseball America, No. 16 by D1Baseball and USA Today, No. 17 by The Athletic and the NCBWA and No. 18 by Perfect Game … KU has won 14 of its last 15 games and 20 of its last 23 contests, including 14 of the last 16 Big 12 matchups ... The Jayhawks are currently in first place in the Big 12 standings with a two-game lead on West Virginia ... It's the best Big 12 start for Kansas in program history … Kansas completed a regular season sweep of No. 20 Nebraska with a 9-7 victory Tuesday … The win marked the team's 20^th comeback victory of the year and pushed Kansas past the 30-win plateau for the third consecutive season, marking the first time since 2008-10 … KU claimed its fifth consecutive conference series win last weekend at Oklahoma State – its first in Stillwater in school history … That's the longest streak of Big 12 series wins in program history ...Boede Rahe was selected to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List on Wednesday ... In 16 appearances, Rahe has posted a 5-1 record with six saves and a 3.24 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched … Right-hander's Mathis Nayral (4-2, 5.09 ERA) and Dominic Voegele (4-2, 5.72 ERA) will get the nod in Friday and Saturday's contest … Voegele recorded a career-high 15 strikeouts on April 18 at Oklahoma State … He is the first Kansas pitcher with 15 strikeouts in a game since Jimmy Walker on May 31, 1993 in the Mideast Regional Championship game to qualify KU for the College World Series.

INSIDE THE SERIES
KU holds a 193-192-1 edge in the all-time series, dating back to 1897 ... In Big 12 play, K-State is 57-40 against the Jayhawks ... The Wildcats' 192 wins are the most against any single opponent ... In games played in Manhattan, the Wildcats own a 110-89-1 record after capturing a 2-1 series win in 2024 ... KU has won six of the last 10 games in the series, including the last four ... Eleven of the last 15 meetings have been decided by three runs or fewer ... 2024 marked the Wildcats' last home series victory while the last home sweep came in 2008 ... K-State swept its in-state rival in 2023, that included the highest scoring game in series history with a 21-18 victory in Lawrence … The Wildcats have won four of the last five series, suffering their first series loss since 2021 last season in Lawrence (0-3).

LAST 5 MEETINGS
W, 4-2 – May 5, 2024 (Manhattan)
L, 1-2 – May 21, 2024 (Arlington)
L, 3-5 – April 18, 2025 (Lawrence)
L, 5-6 – April 19, 2025 (Lawrence)
L, 3-6 – April 19, 2025 (Lawrence)

THE STRENGTH OF 2026
Fourteen of K-State's 27 opponents this season currently hold an RPI of 60 or higher, including seven foes with an RPI higher than 40 … With 15 scheduled games left of the regular season, all but one will be against Quad-1 opponents … In Big 12 play, 24 of the team's 30 conference games are against teams with an RPI of 60 or better … K-State has won 15 victories (away + neutral) on the road, which is the second-most by any Big 12 team this season and second-best winning percentage on the road (.682) … Of K-State's 15 losses, 12 were against Quad-1 or Quad 2 opponents … K-State is 15-3 against Quad-3/4 teams.

ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST
K-State shortstop Dee Kennedy has been named a semifinalist for the 2026 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award, the College Baseball Foundation announced Wednesday … Kennedy is one of six players from the Big 12 Conference on the 50-man semifinalist list for the Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes the nation's top shortstop based on both their offensive and defensive production … Kennedy becomes the fourth Wildcat in program history to be named a semifinalist, joining Drew Biery (2009), Austin Fisher (2013) and Nick Goodwin (2023).

HOME RUN KING
With his 17^th homer of the season, Kennedy became the first junior in school history to reach the milestone, breaking the previous junior single-season home run record set by Heath Schesser in 1997 ... The Fort Worth native's mark also tied the program's all-time single-season record, as he became just the second Wildcat to reach 17, joining former teammate Keegan O'Connor, who set the mark last season.

CATS IN THE BIG 12
K-State returns to Big 12 action after taking two of three games at Arizona to earn its third Big 12 series win of 2026 … The Cats enter the weekend series with a 9-9 mark in league games … The Wildcats are out-hitting opponents .330-.301 with a 18+ run differential … Four of nine conference victories came in run-rule fashion … Catcher Bear Madliak leads the offense in league games, hitting .413 with a team-high 24 RBI… Nine hitters are hitting over .300 in conference games … K-State is 33-42 on the bases, including nine by Kennedy and seven from Cadyn Karl… K-State pitchers have struck out 168 in 155 2.3 innings, while walking 67 for a 2.51 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

YES, SHEFF
In his third quality start of the season, Lincoln Sheffield (6-1) limited Arizona to one earned run on four hits over eight innings to secure K-State's road series victory ... The senior from Flowood, Mississippi, retired 25 of the 29 batters he faced and struck out a career-high 10 ... He finished his second complete game of the season, scattering four hits with no walks to earn his conference-leading sixth victory ... His 1.64 walks allowed per nine innings this season and 5.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio rank second overall in the Big 12, while he is the only pitcher to record two complete games this season.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
K-State has a season +123 run differential through 41 games, averaging 9.3 runs on 10.8 hits ... The Wildcats have outscored opponents 59-17 in the fourth inning alone … Cats are 19-4 when leading after six innings 1-3 when tied after six ... K-State is 10-5 when committing no errors in a game … Conversely, K-State has won 16 games when one or more errors are committed, 16-10 overall ... The Wildcats are 15-5 when scoring first and 10-4 when scoring in the first inning … K-State has outhit opponents in 20 contests this season and is 5-12 when being outhit, and 2-2 when hits are tied … The Cats are 18-5 when limiting opponents to five or less runs and are 5-7 in games decided by two or fewer runs … K-State is 11-9 when playing afternoon games and 15-6 when playing under the lights … The Cats have won 22 games against right-handed starters while going 4-5 against lefties.

HEAVY HITTERS
K-State has proven to be one of the nation's top offenses, ranking within the nation's top 10 in several categories … K-State is second in the country in total doubles (106), ninth in slugging percentage (.548), fourth in total runs scored (382), ninth in scoring (9.3 runs per game) … The team's .315 batting average ranks 17^th among all Division I programs, while ranking 21^st in home runs (67) and 18^th with a .424 team on-base percentage … Seven starters are hitting over .300 (min. 20 starts).

AROUND THE LEAGUE
Kansas leads the Big 12 league standings with a 14-4 mark in conference games, while West Virginia is two games back at 12-6 … Arizona State and UCF are tied third at 11-7 followed by TCU (10-8) rounding out the top five … K-State is in a four-way tie for sixth in the standings alongside Utah, Baylor and BYU … Cincinnati's Jack Natili (player), Arizona's Smith Bailey (pitcher), Baylor's Tyce Armstrong (co-newcomer) and Utah's Cal Miller (co-newcomer) were named the Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for the 10th week of the 2026 season.

BIG 12 NOTES
The Big 12 has nine teams ranked in the top 51 of the RPI, highlighted by three inside the top 30 with Cincinnati at No. 21, Kansas at No. 22 and West Virginia at No. 28 … Of the 44 teams in Division I that have 11 or more wins against top 100 RPI teams, the Big 12 accounts for nine, the second-most among all Conferences … Nine Big 12 teams rank inside the top 45 of the KPI rankings, the second-most among all Conferences … The Big 12 is one of two leagues with three or more teams with 7+ Quad 1 wins … Eight Big 12 teams have 5+ quad 1 wins, the second-most among all conferences … Five Big 12 teams rank inside the top 30 of strength of schedule, tied for the second-most among all conferences.

2026 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2026 Big 12 Baseball Tournament presented by Allstate will be played at Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, located in Surprise, Arizona ... The top 12 teams in the regular season standings will compete in the tournament.