K-State 26-19 (9-12)
Kansas State baseball has been almost unbeatable at home over the last two seasons, but not last weekend, as their rival, the Kansas Jayhawks, came in and swept them. The Wildcats, for most of the year, were firmly in the NCAA tournament, but now, after a rough few weeks, could be outside looking in if they don’t get back on track quickly.
Second baseman Shintaro Inoue is just one of two Wildcats to start in all 44 games, joining Dee Kennedy. Inoue isn’t the flashiest player, but he’s reliable and a tough out at the plate. The Japanese senior uses the whole field, allowing him to get on base at a high percentage. Inoue doesn’t hit for a lot of extra base hits, but more importantly, he gets on base in preparation for K-State’s power hitters.
Right-hand pitcher Cohen Feser has been a long-arm reliever out of the bullpen for K-State, coming in and providing length when the Wildcats need it. Feser was roughed up two weeks ago against Oklahoma State and this past weekend against Kansas, but other than those outings has been solid all year. While the senior excels at providing length, coming down the stretch of Big 12 play, he may be asked to pitch fewer innings, but come in during more high-leverage outings.
No. 18 West Virginia 28-12 (13-8)
Coming into last weekend, West Virginia was the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 until the Mountaineers lost their series against Cincinnati. West Virginia has put on an impressive display of hitting and pitching, and the capability to blow anyone out when they are complementing each other. The Wildcats will need to play much better than they did against Kansas if they want a chance to come out on top.
Catcher Gavin Kelly is West Virginia’s best hitter, hitting .394 on the season with six home runs — both of which lead the team. Kelly is the leadoff hitter for West Virginia, but is their biggest power threat as well. The entire Mountaineer lineup is dangerous, and Kelly gets it all started at the plate.
The best pitcher for West Virginia is starter Maxx Yehl, who has made 10 starts and boasts a 5-1 record with a 2.41 ERA. Yehl has big strikeout stuff, and he is really tough to hit, making him hard to get runs off of. The tall junior lefty has only given up two home runs this season, but hasn’t faced an offense as powerful as K-State’s, so something will have to give this weekend.
