K-State 19-10 (4-5)
Kansas State lost two out of three to Utah, which marked the second straight series loss for the Wildcats. While a top finish in Big 12 play is not out of reach since there is plenty of season to go, K-State will need to find some wins sooner rather than later. The Wildcats’ offense has been humming lately, scoring runs by playing both small and long ball, which will be key to getting wins down the stretch.
Catcher Bear Madliak had a phenomenal weekend at the plate, hitting three home runs over the weekend. Madliak was named the national catcher of the week for his play at the plate and behind the dish. The redshirt senior had been splitting time with Shea McGahan, but Madliak appears to have taken control of the position and will remain a must-start this weekend.
James Guyette has been the Friday night starter all year for the Wildcats and has been really good in that role, particularly in Big 12 play. Guyette this year holds a 4-1 record with a 5.35 ERA across seven starts. In a pitching staff that has struggled of late, the hard-throwing righty has provided length and quality pitching for the Wildcats when they needed it most. In his last start against Utah, Guyette went six innings and struck out 10 hitters.
TCU 18-10 (5-4)
Texas Christian ranks bottom two in the Big 12 in both average and ERA, which normally would be a recipe for disaster, but the Horned Frogs have found ways to win so far. Last week against Texas Tech, TCU swept the Red Raiders and played its best ball since conference play began. The Horned Frogs were seen as one of the best teams in the Big 12 coming into the season, and may be finding their groove as they storm into Manhattan.
Sawyer Strosnider is TCU’s Dee Kennedy, as Strosnider leads the team in every major hitting category, including stolen bases. Strosnider has 10 home runs on the season to go along with 39 RBIs, both of which rank sixth in the Big 12 this season. The sophomore was an All-American last year, and for many outlets, was the national freshman player of the year. K-State will want to have its best performance against Strosnider to avoid him taking over the game.
The best arm for TCU is relief pitcher Quinn Walter, who has made 14 appearances on the season and has two saves. As mentioned before, TCU as a team has a high ERA, and Walter posts a 4.50 ERA out of the pen. However, in the last series against Texas Tech, the closer got tagged for three runs, which skewed his numbers a little bit. Regardless, Walter has 27 strikeouts in just over 19 innings and is a tough arm late out of the bullpen for the Horned Frogs.
