No. 22 K-State 20-8 (8-1)
Kansas State finished off a sweep of Texas Tech with a dramatic walk-off win last weekend. With the win, K-State moved into D1Baseball’s Top 25, but the ‘Cats have their eyes set on bigger goals, like hosting an NCAA tournament regional. The Wildcats have hit an impressive 49 home runs on the season so far, but can win with the small ball, too.
AJ Evasco has been a star in the making all year for the ‘Cats. A freshman from Lincoln, Nebraska, he is hitting .367 at the plate this year with five home runs. With Dee Kennedy, Shintaro Inoue and Maximus Martin all hitting right in front of him, Evasco has delivered big with his responsibility in his usual cleanup spot.
The bullpen for K-State was great in the series against Texas Tech, especially on Sunday. Leading the team out of the bullpen on Sunday were seniors Ty Ruhl and JJ Slack, who have both found nice roles. Both Ruhl and Slack play with a lot of energy and can pitch multiple innings in relief with great stuff.
Oklahoma State 12-14 (1-6)
Oklahoma State was placed atop the Big 12 preseason poll, but surprisingly found itself in last place of the league. However, the Pokes are not to be taken lightly, as they have the talent to take or sweep a series against anyone in the Big 12.
The Cowboys are led by first baseman Nolan Schubert, who was tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year in the Big 12 and is seen as a possible first-round pick in the MLB draft this year. Schubert hits for power and average with a .302 line and six home runs.
Oklahoma State’s best starting pitcher is Harrison Bodendorf. Bodendorf is 5-1 in his seven starts and boasts a 4.41 ERA. He is a towering 6 ‘5” left-hander on the mound who has 41 strikeouts in just 34.2 innings this year.
Who to Watch:
K-State: RF AJ Evasco, LHP JJ Slack / RHP Ty Ruhl
Oklahoma State: 1B Nolan Schubert, LHP Harrison Bodendorf
K-State:
ERA: 5.05
Stolen Bases: 42
Home Runs: 52
Oklahoma State:
ERA: 5.08
Stolen Bases: 23
Home Runs: 42
