Tuesday, March 31
Provo, Utah
7 p.m.
Kansas State University
at
BYU
K-State Set for Midweek Matchup at BYU
Mar 30, 2026 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State will head to Provo, Utah, for a midweek non-conference matchup against BYU Tuesday, with first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT at Miller Park.
Tuesday's contest is available on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while a free live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
GAME #29
K-State (18-10, 4-5 Big 12) at BYU (13-13, 4-5 Big 12)
Tuesday, March 31 // 4 PM CT // Miller Park // Provo, UT
Projected Starters: LHP Robert Fortenberry (1-0, 13.03 ERA) vs. RHP Brayden Marx (0-0, 6.94 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN // Matt Walters
Listen: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com
FOLLOW THE CATS
Tuesday's contest is available on ESPN+ and the ESPN app … A free live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app ... Fans can also follow along opening weekend action through live stats by visiting the team's schedule page or on the Cats social media platforms (@KStateBSB).
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (18-10, 4-5 Big 12) is coming off a tough 1-3 week, that featured a series loss at Utah … The Wildcats opened Sunday's rubber match with a seven-run first inning, but the Utes overcame the hump, ultimately taking the series finale slugfest, 16-14 … This season, the Wildcats have recorded 16 games with double-digit hits (11-5), including a current six-game streak with 10 or more … K-State totals 81 hits (13.5 per game) and 66 runs (11 per game) over its last six outings … Four Wildcats hit over .330 in the series, led by Dee Kennedy's .571 average (8-for-14) … Catcher Bear Madliak registered a team-leading three home runs and seven RBI, that included his second multi-home run game of the season in the series opener … Right-hander James Guyette became the first Wildcat this season to strikeout 10 … With his career-high performance, Guyette is one of five pitchers from the Big 12 to strikeout 10 or more in a single game … Lefty Robert Fortenberry (1-0, 13.03 ERA) will get his first start of the year in the midweek … Fortenberry has struck out eight over 9 2/3 innings of work.
SCOUTING BYU
BYU (13-13, 4-5 Big 12) is coming off a 3-1 week with a non-conference 6-5 victory over Utah and Big 12 series win over Oklahoma State … East Jones belted a 10th-inning walk-off homer in the series opener against the Cowboys, before taking Sunday's rubber match, 5-4, behind 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball from Nate Gray and a walk-off home run by Keoni Painter … As a team, the Cougars are slashing .284/.368/.494 with52 doubles, six triples and 44 home runs … Ezra McNaughton leads the offense with a .386 average and 1.129 OPS to go along with a team-leading eight home runs and 31 RBI … The pitching staff boasts a 6.43 ERA with a 1.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio … Opponents are hitting .281 against the Cougars … Right-hander Brayden Marx will get the start in Tuesday's tilt against the Wildcats … The junior owns a 6.94 ERA with no record and has struck out 10 over 11 2/3 innings with 10 walks.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Tuesday's contest marks the 16th meeting between the two squads and first non-conference matchup since April 15, 2010 … K-State holds a 9-6 advantage in the all-time series ... BYU owns a 5-1 advantage in games play in Provo … The Wildcats are 6-4 over the last 10 meetings … Six of the 15 games in the series have been decided by three runs or fewer … In the Hughes era, the Wildcats are 4-2 against the Cougars.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
W, 2-1 – May 17, 2024 (Manhattan)
L, 8-12 – May 18, 2024 (Manhattan)
L, 6-11 – May 1, 2025 (Provo)
W, 18-4 – May 2, 2025 (Provo)
W, 13-4 – May 3, 2025 (Provo)
HEAVY HITTERS
K-State has proven to be one of the most deadly offenses in the country, ranking within the nation's top 10 in multiple categories … K-State has recorded a national-leading 77 doubles, and ranks fourth in slugging percentage (.576), fifth in total runs scored (273), sixth in scoring (9.8 runs per game) and posts the 10th-best batting average at .325 … The team's 47 home runs rank 16th overall among all Division I programs, while also ranking 16th with a .436 on-base percentage … Eight starters are hitting over .300 (min. 20 games).
RUN! DEE! RUN!
Dee Kennedy leads the nation in runs scored (44) … The shortstop averages 1.57 runs per game which leads the Big 12 and ranks third overall nationally … His .910 astonishing slugging percentage is second in the league and fifth in the country, while he also ranks fifth in total bases (91).
PLAYER RANKINGS
Five players earned a spot on D1 Baseball's Week 6 Player Rankings … Dee Kennedy and Shintaro Inoue each came as a the No. 1 shortstop and second baseman in the Big 12, ranking fourth and 11th nationally … Grant Gallagher was ranked the No. 2 third baseman in the conference and 14th overall across the country … Ty Smolinski, who has had a standout sophomore campaign, earned a spot among the top first baseman, ranking fifth in the Big 12 and 47th nationally … AJ Evasco ranked 12th in the conference and 90th in the country for outfielders.
CAN'T TOUCH THIS
K-State has recorded the third-most stolen bases in the Big 12 with 50, ranking 60th nationally … The Cats are 50-for-65 on the bases with a 76.9% success rate … Dee Kennedy leads the league with 15 stolen bases and sits at No. 41 among all Division I players … He surpassed his career mark against Baylor, registering his second consecutive season with 10+ stolen bases.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
UCF leads the Big 12 standings with an 8-1 league record followed by West Virginia (7-2) and KU (6-3), while four schools tied fourth with a 5-4 record … Arizona State's Landon Hairston (player) was joined by Kansas' duo of Mathis Nayral (pitcher) and Tyson LeBlanc (newcomer) as the Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for Week 7 of the 2026 season.
INNING SURGES
K-State scored 14 runs in the top of the seventh vs. Penn State at the MLB Desert Invitational – its largest single-inning run production in K-State recorded history ... The Wildcats have scored five or more runs in 18 innings this season … The Wildcats have hit through the order 20 times this season, sending a season-high 18 to the plate in the team's 14-run seventh against Penn State (February 15).
Tuesday's contest is available on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while a free live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
GAME #29
K-State (18-10, 4-5 Big 12) at BYU (13-13, 4-5 Big 12)
Tuesday, March 31 // 4 PM CT // Miller Park // Provo, UT
Projected Starters: LHP Robert Fortenberry (1-0, 13.03 ERA) vs. RHP Brayden Marx (0-0, 6.94 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN // Matt Walters
Listen: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com
FOLLOW THE CATS
Tuesday's contest is available on ESPN+ and the ESPN app … A free live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app ... Fans can also follow along opening weekend action through live stats by visiting the team's schedule page or on the Cats social media platforms (@KStateBSB).
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (18-10, 4-5 Big 12) is coming off a tough 1-3 week, that featured a series loss at Utah … The Wildcats opened Sunday's rubber match with a seven-run first inning, but the Utes overcame the hump, ultimately taking the series finale slugfest, 16-14 … This season, the Wildcats have recorded 16 games with double-digit hits (11-5), including a current six-game streak with 10 or more … K-State totals 81 hits (13.5 per game) and 66 runs (11 per game) over its last six outings … Four Wildcats hit over .330 in the series, led by Dee Kennedy's .571 average (8-for-14) … Catcher Bear Madliak registered a team-leading three home runs and seven RBI, that included his second multi-home run game of the season in the series opener … Right-hander James Guyette became the first Wildcat this season to strikeout 10 … With his career-high performance, Guyette is one of five pitchers from the Big 12 to strikeout 10 or more in a single game … Lefty Robert Fortenberry (1-0, 13.03 ERA) will get his first start of the year in the midweek … Fortenberry has struck out eight over 9 2/3 innings of work.
SCOUTING BYU
BYU (13-13, 4-5 Big 12) is coming off a 3-1 week with a non-conference 6-5 victory over Utah and Big 12 series win over Oklahoma State … East Jones belted a 10th-inning walk-off homer in the series opener against the Cowboys, before taking Sunday's rubber match, 5-4, behind 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball from Nate Gray and a walk-off home run by Keoni Painter … As a team, the Cougars are slashing .284/.368/.494 with52 doubles, six triples and 44 home runs … Ezra McNaughton leads the offense with a .386 average and 1.129 OPS to go along with a team-leading eight home runs and 31 RBI … The pitching staff boasts a 6.43 ERA with a 1.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio … Opponents are hitting .281 against the Cougars … Right-hander Brayden Marx will get the start in Tuesday's tilt against the Wildcats … The junior owns a 6.94 ERA with no record and has struck out 10 over 11 2/3 innings with 10 walks.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Tuesday's contest marks the 16th meeting between the two squads and first non-conference matchup since April 15, 2010 … K-State holds a 9-6 advantage in the all-time series ... BYU owns a 5-1 advantage in games play in Provo … The Wildcats are 6-4 over the last 10 meetings … Six of the 15 games in the series have been decided by three runs or fewer … In the Hughes era, the Wildcats are 4-2 against the Cougars.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
W, 2-1 – May 17, 2024 (Manhattan)
L, 8-12 – May 18, 2024 (Manhattan)
L, 6-11 – May 1, 2025 (Provo)
W, 18-4 – May 2, 2025 (Provo)
W, 13-4 – May 3, 2025 (Provo)
HEAVY HITTERS
K-State has proven to be one of the most deadly offenses in the country, ranking within the nation's top 10 in multiple categories … K-State has recorded a national-leading 77 doubles, and ranks fourth in slugging percentage (.576), fifth in total runs scored (273), sixth in scoring (9.8 runs per game) and posts the 10th-best batting average at .325 … The team's 47 home runs rank 16th overall among all Division I programs, while also ranking 16th with a .436 on-base percentage … Eight starters are hitting over .300 (min. 20 games).
RUN! DEE! RUN!
Dee Kennedy leads the nation in runs scored (44) … The shortstop averages 1.57 runs per game which leads the Big 12 and ranks third overall nationally … His .910 astonishing slugging percentage is second in the league and fifth in the country, while he also ranks fifth in total bases (91).
PLAYER RANKINGS
Five players earned a spot on D1 Baseball's Week 6 Player Rankings … Dee Kennedy and Shintaro Inoue each came as a the No. 1 shortstop and second baseman in the Big 12, ranking fourth and 11th nationally … Grant Gallagher was ranked the No. 2 third baseman in the conference and 14th overall across the country … Ty Smolinski, who has had a standout sophomore campaign, earned a spot among the top first baseman, ranking fifth in the Big 12 and 47th nationally … AJ Evasco ranked 12th in the conference and 90th in the country for outfielders.
CAN'T TOUCH THIS
K-State has recorded the third-most stolen bases in the Big 12 with 50, ranking 60th nationally … The Cats are 50-for-65 on the bases with a 76.9% success rate … Dee Kennedy leads the league with 15 stolen bases and sits at No. 41 among all Division I players … He surpassed his career mark against Baylor, registering his second consecutive season with 10+ stolen bases.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
UCF leads the Big 12 standings with an 8-1 league record followed by West Virginia (7-2) and KU (6-3), while four schools tied fourth with a 5-4 record … Arizona State's Landon Hairston (player) was joined by Kansas' duo of Mathis Nayral (pitcher) and Tyson LeBlanc (newcomer) as the Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for Week 7 of the 2026 season.
INNING SURGES
K-State scored 14 runs in the top of the seventh vs. Penn State at the MLB Desert Invitational – its largest single-inning run production in K-State recorded history ... The Wildcats have scored five or more runs in 18 innings this season … The Wildcats have hit through the order 20 times this season, sending a season-high 18 to the plate in the team's 14-run seventh against Penn State (February 15).
Players Mentioned
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