K-State 21-12 (5-7)
Kansas State lost two of three to Texas Christian University last week and was held to just three runs over the last two games of the series, which is rare for the Wildcats’ dynamic offense. K-State also only hit two home runs on the weekend, with both coming in their Friday night win. The Wildcats’ offense remains dangerous, but will face some tough starters against Oklahoma State.
Outfielder Cadyn Karl has come on of late for K-State and has been another hot bat for Pete Hughes’ offense. Karl was mostly seen as a defensive replacement and pinch runner, but has found his way into the lineup due to his consistent bat. Karl has just 16 starts on the season, but is hitting .321 with four home runs in those starts and also ranks second on the team in stolen bases, displaying his power and speed.
Ty Smolinski has taken a big leap as a sophomore, hitting .352 with five home runs on the season. Smolinski doesn’t strike out much, and that makes him dangerous for someone who hits the ball as hard as he does. The left-handed slugger will be a staple in the Wildcats’ order the rest of the season, but this weekend, he will face a tough lefty starter who will test him.
OSU 21-12 (6-6)
Oklahoma State has been a power in the Big 12 conference over the last decade, but in the last two years, the Cowboys have struggled. Oklahoma State was 3-6 in conference play going into their series against Cincinnati, but walked away with a sweep, knocking them back to .500. The Cowboys have solid starters but a bullpen with some high ERA numbers, which gets them in trouble late in games.
Oklahoma State hits a lot of home runs and is led by one of the best in the Big 12 and country, Kollin Ritchie, who has 19 on the season. Ritchie hits .317 on the season thus far and has 50 RBIs in his run-producing spot in the lineup. The one weakness of the power lefty includes his 35 strikeouts on the season, which averages out to more than one per contest.
The Friday night starter for Oklahoma State is left-handed pitcher Ethan Lund. Through eight starts this season, Lund has a 4.10 ERA with a 3-0 record. Lund leads the conference with 74 strikeouts, which he has done through almost 42 innings this season. K-State will need to put the bat on the ball and capitalize with runners on to be successful against Lund.
Who to Watch:
KSU: OF Cadyn Karl, 1B Ty Smolinski
OSU: OF Kollin Ritchie, LHP Ethan Lund
April 10-12 on ESPN+
Prediction: OSU takes series 2-1
Games 33-35
K-State:
Total Home Runs: 55
Strikeouts per nine: 8.6
Team ERA: 5.93
Stolen bases: 60
OSU:
Total Home Runs: 66
Strikeouts per nine: 10.9
Team ERA: 5.64
Stolen Bases: 35
