MANHATTAN, Kan. (KStateSports.com) –K-State’s record-breaking 90th home run came in poetic fashion, as Seth Dardar’s grand slam capped a seven-run eighth-inning rally that propelled the Wildcats to a 14-9 triumph over No. 12 West Virginia in the series’ rubber game on Senior Day at Tointon Family Stadium.
“Like I told our team, that’s one of the biggest home series wins. To me, it’s the biggest one since I’ve been here and for what it means moving forward,” said head coach Pete Hughes, who earned his 850th career victory.
K-State’s (30-21, 16-11 Big 12) seven-run eighth inning came on the heels of West Virginia (40-10, 19-6 Big 12) erasing the Wildcats’ 7-3 lead with five runs in the sixth and seventh. The victory secured the team’s eighth series win of the season and seventh in Big 12 play, as it handed the Mountaineers their first series loss on the road.
“I love the way we did it. You know, we played from behind early. We took a three-run lead and lost it late, but you know tough teams bounce back when those things happen, and our team showed unbelievable toughness by bouncing back with that seven-run eighth. Great team win,” Hughes added.
After surrendering a run in the ninth, left-handed reliever JJ Slack (2-3) settled in and slammed the door shut on the Mountaineer offense, striking out the final three batters on his way to earning the victory.
Ten different Wildcats contributed to K-State’s 17-hit day, the most allowed by West Virginia this season, with five players producing multiple hits.
Dardar, who hit in the three-spot, ended the game going 3-for-5 with a season-high five RBI, while freshman AJ Evasco also turned in a three-hit day (3-for-4). Shintaro Inoue drove in a pair of runs with his ninth homer of the year.
With the victory, the Wildcats concluded their 2025 home slate with a conference-best 18–3 record — the sixth-best home mark in program history with an .857 winning percentage. The win also matched the Wildcats’ highest-ever total for conference victories at 16 set in 2013, while it marks the fourth 30-win season in the Hughes era.
HOW IT HAPPENED
WVU scored three runs over a two-inning stretch, highlighted by a two-out, two-run double from catcher Logan Sauve in the third.
The Wildcats responded as David Bishop led off the inning with a single through the right-side bringing Inoue to the plate. The junior shortstop launched the team’s 89th home run over the left field wall to make it a one-run ball game.
K-State knotted the score at 3-all with three consecutive hits in the next frame from Maximus Martin, Evasco and Bear Madliak before taking the lead with a ground ball to second from Bishop.
With a 4-3 advantage, Dee Kennedy walked to leadoff the fifth and came around the bases as K-State strung together three straight hits. A deep fly ball to left field by Martin tacked on the third run of the inning, stretching the Cats’ lead.
WVU rallied for five runs in the sixth and seventh to take an 8-7 lead with the help of a three-run blast by designated hitter Sam White.
After eight consecutive batters were retired for K-State, Sam Flores was hit by a pitch to ignite the Wildcats eighth-inning rally. Martin doubled down the left field line to position the duo on second and third until a single through the left side by Evasco plated the tying-run.
Madliak followed with his second hit of the day to take back the lead. The Wildcats stretched the lead out to two, 10-8, with an RBI-single from Kennedy.
With one out and the bases loaded, Dardar belted the first pitch he faced from WVU reliever Carson Estridge, as the Mandeville, Louisiana product cleared the bases and sent his 11th homer of the year 359-feet over the left field wall.
INSIDE THE BOX
- K-State scored 14 runs on 17 hits, committed no errors, and stranded just four runners on base.
- WVU scored nine runs on 12 hits with one error committed and leaving nine stranded on base.
- K-State scored seven runs on six hits in the eighth, sending 11 players to the plate.
- Ten players registered a hit for K-State, with five hitting multiple.
- Dardar and Evasco each turned in three hits while Inoue, Martin and Madliak had two.
- Eight players drove in an RBI led by a season-high five from Dardar.
- Dardar launched his second grand slam of the season – his 11th homer of the year.
- Slack (2-3) was awarded the victory in relief, surrendering one earned run in his 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.
- Bassinger (6-1) suffered his first loss, after giving up the game-winning run. He logged three innings, allowing two earned runs and one hit.
- K-State hit .524 with runners on base and .667 in scoring position.
- WVU hit .360 with men on and .250 in scoring position, while going 4-for-13 with two outs and driving in five RBI with two away.
TEAM NOTES
- The Wildcats won their seventh Big 12 series of the season – eighth overall – and first series win over WVU since 2021.
- K-State broke the school single-season home run record, registering the 90th homer of the year with Dardar’s grand slam.
- K-State has homered in 38 of 51 games this season, going 27-11.
- Under Hughes, K-State has turned in the top four seasons in terms of home run production: 2025 (90), 2021 (89), 2022 (84), and 2023 (77).
- Hughes earned his 850th career victory, posting an 850-655-3 (.565) overall record in his 28 seasons as a head coach.
- K-State improves to 17-21 in the all-time series against WVU with a 15-21 record in Big 12 games, while moving to 11-10 in games played in Manhattan.
- The Wildcats finished with a conference-best 18-3 (.857) home record in 2025 – sixth-best winning percentage at home in school history.
- The victory marked the sixth come-from-behind win – second this weekend.
- This season, K-State is 5-3 against nationally ranked opponents, including a 4-3 mark vs. teams ranked by D1Baseball.
- K-State handed WVU its first series loss on the road, while its 17 hits are the most allowed by the Mountaineers this season.
UP NEXT
K-State will venture to Ohio for the final three games of the regular season, as the Wildcats take on Cincinnati in a three-game Big 12 set at UC Baseball Stadium, starting Thursday at 5 p.m. CT.
