Kansas State University Athletics
2022 Baseball Roster
Culpepper, Kaelen
Jersey Number 22
Kaelen Culpepper
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 185
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Memphis, Tenn.
- High School:
- St. Benedict at Auburndale HS
Bio
HONORS
D1Baseball Second Team All-American (2024)
ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region Second Team (2024)
Baseball American Preseason First Team All-American (2024)
Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List (2024)
Fayetteville Regional MVP (2024)
All-Big 12 Second Team (2024)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (2023)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (2022)
Big 12 All-Freshman Team (2022)
USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (2023)
Fayetteville Regional All-Tournament Team (2024)
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team (2023)
MLB DRAFT
Taken 21st overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft, becoming the first positional player selected in the first round.
JUNIOR (2024)
Named All-American Second Team (D1Baseball), All-Central Region Second Team (ABCA/Rawlings), and All-Big 12 Second Team … … Was one of three players to start in all 61 games as the Cats’ starting shortstop … Slashed .328/.419/.574 with 80 hits that includes 15 doubles, six triples and a career-best 11 home runs … Scored 50 runs and drove in a team-best 59 runs …. Led the Wildcats in batting average and slugging percentage … Ended the year as one of the Big 12’s top offensive producers, ranking fifth in RBI and sixth in hits, while leading in triples … Turned in 23 games with two or more hits to pace the offense, while he turned in 13 games with multiple RBI and finished his career with a 10-game hitting streak (May 17-June 8) … Hit .337 with runners in scoring position and .321 with two outs, driving in a team-leading 18 two-out RBI … In the NCAA Tournament, the Fayetteville Regional MVP hit .474 (9-for-19) with three doubles, one triple and two home runs for an incredible 1.575 OPS while driving in a team-leading 10 RBI … Is the fourth player in K-State history to hit for the cycle after leading Cats to a 19-4 triumph over No. 2 seed Louisiana Tech in the Fayetteville Regional … He tripled in the second, singled in the sixth, doubled in the seventh, and homered in his fifth at-bat, to complete the cycle … During Big 12 play, produced a slash line of .286/.376/.496 with seven doubles, three triples and five home runs, while scoring 21 runs with a team-leading 26 RBI.
2023 SUMMER LEAGUE
split time between the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League and with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team for Team USA ... Was the top sluggers for Team USA as his .471 average lead Team USA with two triples, three home runs and seven runs batted in. In nine starts, slugged a team-leading .853 with a .526 on-base percentage … Knocked two homers in USA's 17-1 defeat over Chinese Taipei … With the Mariners, slashed .270/.382/.317 with three doubles, seven RBI, and five runs scored in 17 games … Generated six multi-hit games, hitting .258 in the month of July.
SOPHOMORE (2023)
Named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention … Made 40 starts at third base and produced an impressive season slash line of .325/.423/.576 with eight doubles and 10 home runs … Third player in school history to be selected and invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp … Matched a program single conference tournament game record after driving in five runs batted in against Kansas at the Big 12 Championship on May 26 … Finished fourth on team with 41 RBI and 16 walks … Led the team in slugging percentage and hit by pitches with 12 … Recorded 17 multi-hit games along with 10 multi-RBI efforts … Hit .288 with runners in scoring position with 11 two-out RBI … Produced season-high three hits in three games: on Feb. 20 against Stonehill, on May 12 at Oklahoma State, and on May 26 against Kansas … Went 3-for-4 with five RBI against Kansas on May 26, hitting three go-ahead homers on the year … Went 2-for-4 with a season-high six RBI against Kansas on April 16, hitting first career multi-home run game … Six of his 10 home runs were on the road, including four with two outs … Put together an seven-game hitting streak from February 19-March 31 and an 15-game on-base streak from April 4-May 15 … Ended the season hitting .438 at the Big 12 Championships with a team-high five RBI and home run, slugging a team-best .625 … During Big 12 play, slashed .290/.390/.522 with four doubles and four home runs while driving in 14.
FRESHMAN (2022)
Voted to the Big 12’s All-Freshman Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2022 … In 51 games (48 starts at third base), slashed .283/.356/.428 with nine doubles, five home runs and 22 runs batted in … Scored 27 runs, drew 12 walks and stole one base … Put together 13 multi-hit games while driving in multiple runs three times … Season-high three hits against Baylor on May 14, going 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored … Registered a base hit in each of his last five games, four of which came at the Big 12 Championship … Season-long seven-game hitting and on-base streak from April 29-May 8 … Hit first career home run against Air Force on March 23 … Four of his five homers came during Big 12 play … Recorded a hit in 15 of his last 17 games, raising his average from .250 to .283 in that stretch … Led K-State with a .324 average during Big 12 games, hitting four doubles and four home runs while driving in 11 … Posted a .383 on-base percentage and slugged .541 during conference games.
2021 SUMMER LEAGUE
Played for the Norwich (Conn.) Sea Unicorns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League ... Named a FCBL All-Star and All-FCBL First Team as a second baseman, he led the Sea Unicorns with his .301 average to go with a .421 on-base percentage and .391 slugging percentage ... He turned in six doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI ... Named FCBL Player of the Week on July 5 after going 4-for-11 with a home run and five RBI during the week ... Produced 12 multi-hit efforts over 40 games ... Season-high five hits on June 12 against the Nashua Silver Knights, going 5-for-6 with two RBI ... Norwich went 27-40 during the regular season.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended St. Benedict at Auburndale High School in Cordova, Tennessee ... A four-year letterwinner for the Eagles, he was named First Team All-State by the Tennessean and First Team All-Metro by The Memphis Commercial Appeal ... In his senior season, he hit .394 with six home runs, 30 RBI and 13 stolen bases ... Was named to the state all-tournament team four times ... Ranked as the No. 2 shortstop and 21st player overall in the state of Tennessee by Perfect Game ... Also lettered in basketball at St. Benedict at Auburdale.
PERSONAL
Born on December 29, 2002 in Memphis, Tennessee ... Son of Kenneth and Tiffanie Culpepper ... Has two siblings, Tyler and Kiersten ... Credits his father as his biggest influence in his athletic career ... Aspires to be a sports analyst ... Enjoys fishing ... Majoring in business management.
K-State BSB | Postgame Press Conference vs Texas
Sunday, June 01
K-State Baseball | Game Highlights vs Houston Christian (Austin Regional)
Sunday, June 01
K-State BSB | Game Highlights vs Houston Christian (Austin Regional)
Saturday, May 31
K-State BSB | Postgame Press Conference vs Houston Christian
Saturday, May 31
