MANHATTAN, Kan. (KStateSports.com) – In the final road test of the regular season, K-State sets out to take on West Virginia in a crucial three-game Big 12 series in Morgantown, W.Va., starting Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
The middle game of the series is set for 3 p.m. CT start on Saturday while the finale will begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday. The Mountaineers are tied second in the league standings alongside Oklahoma State and Texas while K-State is seventh, a game behind KU and Cincinnati.
WVU holds a 18-13 edge in the all-time series against K-State, including a 18-12 record in Big 12 action and 9-3 in Morgantown.
All three games will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, streaming audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
With just three home games left of the regular season, fans can purchase single-game tickets for the remainder of the 2024 home slate at K-StateSports.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: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
GAME #48
K-STATE (28-19, 12-12 Big 12) at West Virginia (29-18, 15-9 Big 12)
Friday, May 10 // 5:30 PM CT // Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark
Projected Starters: LHP Owen Boerema v. RHP Hayden Cooper
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM // Brian Smoller
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
GAME #49
K-STATE (28-19, 12-12 Big 12) at West Virginia (29-18, 15-9 Big 12)
Saturday, May 11 // 3 PM CT // Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark
Projected Starters: RHP Jackson Wentworth v. LHP Derek Clark
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM // Brian Smoller
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
GAME #50
K-STATE (28-19, 12-12 Big 12) at West Virginia (29-18, 15-9 Big 12)
Sunday, May 12 // 12 PM CT // Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark
Projected Starters: TBA v. LHP Tyler Switalski
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM // Brian Smoller
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (28-19, 12-12 Big 12) sets out for the final road test of the regular season this weekend, when the Wildcats take on West Virginia in a crucial three-game Big 12 series in Morgantown, W.Va., starting Friday … K-State has produced a slash line of .282/.388/.448 as a team including 82 doubles, 13 triples and 54 home runs with two starters hitting over .300 … Brady Day’s .343 average paces the Wildcat offense followed by Kaelen Culpepper hitting .314 … Chuck Ingram and Raphael Pelletier each have belted nine homers this season … K-State has stolen a league-high 109 bases this season led by 32 from Brendan Jones …The pitching staff has a 5.55 team ERA with 443 strikeouts compared to 177 walks … K-State ranks second in the league and ranks 24th in DI with a 2.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio while posting the third lowest walks allowed per nine innings (3.80) … Owen Boerema (4-3, 5.13 ERA) will get the start in the opener while Jackson Wentworth (3-3, 3.83 ERA), who is fifth in the league with 82 total strikeouts, will start Saturday.
SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
WVU (29-18, 15-9 Big 12) is tied second in the Conference standings and is coming off a 2-1 series loss at Cincinnati … WVU is 6-4 in its last 10 games … The Mountaineers, who have won five Big 12 series this season, are 15-5 at home that includes a 9-3 record in Big 12 play … JJ Wetherholt, the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year, is projected to go No. 8 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft … Wetherholt suffered an injury that kept him off the field for 24 games … In 23 games on the field, the shortstop has produced a slash line of .368/.514/.632 with 12 extra-base hits and 19 RBI …. Outfielder Sam White’s .324 average leads the way for the Mountaineers’ offense while three players have recorded 10+ homers this season led by Reed Chumley (13) … WVU will send right-hander Hayden Cooper (1-2, 5.87) to the hill in the series opener, while Derek Clark (5-2, 3.48) will start Saturday and Tyler Switalski (2-2, 6.70) starting Sunday.
INSIDE THE SERIES
WVU holds a 18-13 edit in the all-time series including a 18-12 record in Big 12 action, since the series start in 2013 … K-State is 3-9 all-time in Morgantown … The Mountaineers are 6-4 in the last 10 meetings after taking a 2-1 series victory in Manhattan last season … Fifteen of the 31 games in the series have been decided by three runs or fewer … K-State’s last victory against the Mountaineers in Morgantown on April 22, 2018 (7-4).
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
L, 1-5 – May 21, 2022 (Morgantown)
W, 8-5 – May 26, 2022 (Arlington)
L, 8-3 – March 31, 2023 (Manhattan)
W, 7-1 – April 1, 2023 (Manhattan)
L, 10-6 – April 2, 2023 (Manhattan)
SUNFLOWER SHINING
K-State picked up its third consecutive series win over KU in the annual Dillons Sunflower Showdown last weekend, led by game-winning RBI from freshman Nick English … K-State holds a 193-189-1 edge in the all-time series, including a 57-37 record in Big 12 action … The Wildcats are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings against the Jayhawks … In the Hughes era, K-State is 9-8 against the Jayhawks … The Wildcats finished the regular season 4-1 against in-state rivals, including a home-and-home sweep over Wichita State.
COME BACK KIDS
K-State has recorded 13 come-from behind victories this season, including three on the road … The Wildcats have overcome four-run deficits in four games, and five three-run games … In their comeback wins, K-State is outscoring opponents 114-69 (+45) … Of the 13 wins, five were one-run games while four ended with margins of victory larger than six runs.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
K-State is 10-13 on the road this season, including a 8-12 record in true road games, including a 5-7 in Big 12 games … On the road, K-State is hitting .237 led by Jayden Lobliner (.302) and Brady Day (.301) … Culpepper and Jones have each belted four home runs on the road this season, combining for eight of the Cats’ 17 road homers, while Culpepper has driven in a team-leading 21 RBI … Jones has scored 21 runs on the road … The pitching staff boasts a 6.36 ERA, issuing 89 walks against 207 strikeouts for a 2.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
RECORD WATCH
With 17 doubles on the season, true freshman Nick English has matched the freshmen class single-season doubles record set by current Major Leaguer Nick Martini (2009) … Jones picked up his 62nd career stolen base, which ties third all-time in K-State history … Jones has stolen a career-high 32 bases this season, which is fourth in the single-season records … With two saves last week, Tyson Neighbors now has 17 career caves and is one away from cracking the Top 3 in school history.
WILDCATS VS. THE BIG 12
The Cats are seventh in the Big 12 standings, with four series wins against Conference foes, including a 2-1 series victory over nationally ranked Oklahoma State … K-State is hitting .273 in Conference play, averaging 5.5 runs on 9.6 hits … Newcomer Jaden Parsons leads the offense in Big 12 games, hitting .347 followed by Day (.323) … The pitching staff posts a 5.84 ERA, with opponents hitting .272 … K-State’s Big 12 slate features 30 games, highlighted by series against all four league newcomers (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU) … K-State finished its 2023 Big 12 schedule tied fourth in the league at 13-11.
WINNING TIME
In K-State’s 28 wins this season, the Wildcats are hitting .320 with runners in scoring position and .323 with two outs … Conversely, the Cats have a .161 average with runners in scoring position while hitting .229 with two outs over 19 losses … K-State has produced 89 two-out RBI in victories with just 26 in 18 losses … Overall, K-State hits .314 in victories against just .234 in defeats … K-State posts a 2.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio in wins while owning a 2.19 mark in losses.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
On the road, the Wildcats are 1-3 in Friday night openers with the lone victory coming at Houston … Conversely, K-State is undefeated in series openers at home with a perfect 7-0 record that includes 5-0 in Big 12 action … Overall, the Cats are 8-3 in series openers, including 5-3 in Big 12 action … K-State is hitting .289 against opponents .274 average in series openers, outscoring opponents 74-61 (+13) … Fifteen of the Wildcats 54 home runs have come in series openers, led by three from Day and Pelletier.
UP NEXT
With the midweek against South Dakota State canceled, K-State will face Conference newcomer BYU in the final tune-up before the Big 12 Championships, starting Thursday, May 16 at Tointon Family Stadium at 6 p.m.
How to follow the ‘Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team’s social media channels on Facebook, X (formally known as Twitter) and Instagram.
