Tuesday, April 7
Wichita, Kan.
6:05 p.m.
Kansas State University
at
Wichita State
K-State Faces Wichita State Tuesday
Apr 06, 2026 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State hits the road to take on in-state rival Wichita State Tuesday at Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field at Gene Stephenson Park with first pitch slated for 6:05 p.m.
The midweek non-conference contest will broadcast 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 #33
K-State (20-12, 5-7 Big 12) at Wichita State (21-12, 5-4 American)
Tuesday, April 7 // 6 PM CT // Eck Stadium // Wichita, KS
Projected Starters: RHP Tanner Duke (2-1, 5.60 ERA) vs. RHP Brady Hamilton (3-4, 6.13 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN // Brian Smoller, Evan Marshall
Listen: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com
FOLLOW THE CATS
The midweek non-conference contest will broadcast 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 heads into Week 9 action with an overall record of 20-12, that includes a 5-7 mark in Big 12 games after dropping two of three games against TCU … The Wildcats were shut out, 4-0, in the series finale … Wildcat relievers Cole Wisenbaker, Miles Smith, Cohen Feser and Adam Arther combined for 4.2 scoreless innings ... Matt Flores (1-2) was tagged for the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts, while Aaron Arnold allowed one run in his two innings in relief of Flores … K-State pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts … Grant Gallagher, Bear Madliak, Ty Smolinski, AJ Evasco and Cadyn Karl each hit for K-State, led by Madliak with two hits … Sunday's contest marked K-States second shutout loss of the season and first since February 24 at Louisiana … Smolinski stretched his hitting streak to 11 and his on-base streak to 24, leading the Wildcats in both categories … Right-hander Tanner Duke will get his seventh start in the midweek tilt … Duke is 2-1 with an ERA of 5.60 and has struck out 29 and issued eight walks.
SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
Wichita State enters the midweek tilt with a 21-12 overall record, that includes a 17-8 record at home ... As a team, WSU has produced a slash line of .312/.414/.495 with 70 doubles, 5 triples and 40 home runs, while five starters have driven in 20+ RBI … Jayson Jones and Owen Washburn lead the Shocker offense with their .378 and .376 averages, while Max Kaufer has belted a team-high 11 homers on the year ... The WSU pitching staff boasts a 4.86 ERA – the fifth-best in the American League – with opponents hitting .266 ... Wichita State hurlers have struck out 309 batters over 277.2 innings ... Right-hander Brady Hamilton (3-4, 6.13 ERA) will make his ninth start of the season ... WSU is coming off a 8-1 loss at home against Tulane … With the loss, the Shockers dropped the series to Tulane and moved to 6-4 in their last 10 contests.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Shockers lead the all-time series 58-49 since the first game in 1906 … The midweek matchup marks the 108th meeting between the Wildcats and Shockers … The Wildcats have taken seven of the last 10 meetings with Wichita State after stretching their win streak to five over the Shockers with a 7-5 victory in March … The Wildcats are 19-37 on the road vs. the Shockers … Under Hughes, K-State is 8-5 against Wichita State.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
W, 8-6 – March 19, 2024 (Wichita)
W, 6-3 – April 10, 2024 (Manhattan)
W, 13-10 – April 2, 2025 (Wichita)
W, 14-8 – April 22, 2025 (Manhattan)
W, 7-5 – March 10, 2026 (Manhattan)
HEAVY HITTERS
K-State has proven to boast one of the nation's top offenses, ranking within the nation's top 10 in several categories … K-State is second in the country in doubles (86), sixth in slugging percentage (.576), eighth in total runs scored (305), 10th in scoring (9.5 runs per game) and posts the 10th-best batting average at .325 … The team's 55 home runs rank 16th overall among all Division I programs, while also ranking 16th with a .432 on-base percentage … Nine starters are hitting over .300 (min. 20 games).
AROUND THE LEAGUE
UCF leads the Big 12 standings with an 10-2 league record followed by KU (9-3), and West Virginia (8-4) while three schools tied fourth with a 7-5 record … Kansas' Tyson LeBlanc (player and newcomer) and TCU's Zack James (pitcher) were named the Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for Week 8 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 four or more runs in 29 innings this season … The Wildcats have hit through the order 22 times this season, sending a season-high 18 to the plate in the team's 14-run seventh against Penn State (February 15).
CATS SCRATCH FIRST
The Wildcats are 142-63 when scoring first against opponents under head coach Pete Hughes … In 2026, the Wildcats are 13-5 when scoring first, including a 9-4 record when scoring in the first innings … Last season, K-State was 20-10 when scoring first, while compiling a 14-9 record when scoring in the first inning.
POWER SUPPLY
K-State has recorded 55 home runs this season led by 14 from Kennedy, who is the fastest player to reach double-digit home runs under Hughes … Kennedy is fourth in the Big 12 in home runs, ranking 10th nationally … 13 of 17 hitters have registered a home run this season, including 10 with two or more this season … The Wildcats recorded a school record of eight home runs in a 20-7 victory against SIUE (March 8) … Home runs account for 106 of 281 RBI (38%) on the season … The team's 55 homers rank third in the Big 12 and 14th nationally, while the Cats post the country's sixth-best slugging percentage at .576 … Kennedy leads with two grand slams followed by Evasco and Vasquez with one … K-State has recorded two back-to-back home run performances in 2026, while five different players have multi-home run efforts: Kennedy, Smolinski, Madliak, Vasquez, Kendrick.
The midweek non-conference contest will broadcast 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 #33
K-State (20-12, 5-7 Big 12) at Wichita State (21-12, 5-4 American)
Tuesday, April 7 // 6 PM CT // Eck Stadium // Wichita, KS
Projected Starters: RHP Tanner Duke (2-1, 5.60 ERA) vs. RHP Brady Hamilton (3-4, 6.13 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: KMAN // Brian Smoller, Evan Marshall
Listen: kstatesports.com/watch
Live Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com
FOLLOW THE CATS
The midweek non-conference contest will broadcast 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 heads into Week 9 action with an overall record of 20-12, that includes a 5-7 mark in Big 12 games after dropping two of three games against TCU … The Wildcats were shut out, 4-0, in the series finale … Wildcat relievers Cole Wisenbaker, Miles Smith, Cohen Feser and Adam Arther combined for 4.2 scoreless innings ... Matt Flores (1-2) was tagged for the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts, while Aaron Arnold allowed one run in his two innings in relief of Flores … K-State pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts … Grant Gallagher, Bear Madliak, Ty Smolinski, AJ Evasco and Cadyn Karl each hit for K-State, led by Madliak with two hits … Sunday's contest marked K-States second shutout loss of the season and first since February 24 at Louisiana … Smolinski stretched his hitting streak to 11 and his on-base streak to 24, leading the Wildcats in both categories … Right-hander Tanner Duke will get his seventh start in the midweek tilt … Duke is 2-1 with an ERA of 5.60 and has struck out 29 and issued eight walks.
SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
Wichita State enters the midweek tilt with a 21-12 overall record, that includes a 17-8 record at home ... As a team, WSU has produced a slash line of .312/.414/.495 with 70 doubles, 5 triples and 40 home runs, while five starters have driven in 20+ RBI … Jayson Jones and Owen Washburn lead the Shocker offense with their .378 and .376 averages, while Max Kaufer has belted a team-high 11 homers on the year ... The WSU pitching staff boasts a 4.86 ERA – the fifth-best in the American League – with opponents hitting .266 ... Wichita State hurlers have struck out 309 batters over 277.2 innings ... Right-hander Brady Hamilton (3-4, 6.13 ERA) will make his ninth start of the season ... WSU is coming off a 8-1 loss at home against Tulane … With the loss, the Shockers dropped the series to Tulane and moved to 6-4 in their last 10 contests.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Shockers lead the all-time series 58-49 since the first game in 1906 … The midweek matchup marks the 108th meeting between the Wildcats and Shockers … The Wildcats have taken seven of the last 10 meetings with Wichita State after stretching their win streak to five over the Shockers with a 7-5 victory in March … The Wildcats are 19-37 on the road vs. the Shockers … Under Hughes, K-State is 8-5 against Wichita State.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
W, 8-6 – March 19, 2024 (Wichita)
W, 6-3 – April 10, 2024 (Manhattan)
W, 13-10 – April 2, 2025 (Wichita)
W, 14-8 – April 22, 2025 (Manhattan)
W, 7-5 – March 10, 2026 (Manhattan)
HEAVY HITTERS
K-State has proven to boast one of the nation's top offenses, ranking within the nation's top 10 in several categories … K-State is second in the country in doubles (86), sixth in slugging percentage (.576), eighth in total runs scored (305), 10th in scoring (9.5 runs per game) and posts the 10th-best batting average at .325 … The team's 55 home runs rank 16th overall among all Division I programs, while also ranking 16th with a .432 on-base percentage … Nine starters are hitting over .300 (min. 20 games).
AROUND THE LEAGUE
UCF leads the Big 12 standings with an 10-2 league record followed by KU (9-3), and West Virginia (8-4) while three schools tied fourth with a 7-5 record … Kansas' Tyson LeBlanc (player and newcomer) and TCU's Zack James (pitcher) were named the Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for Week 8 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 four or more runs in 29 innings this season … The Wildcats have hit through the order 22 times this season, sending a season-high 18 to the plate in the team's 14-run seventh against Penn State (February 15).
CATS SCRATCH FIRST
The Wildcats are 142-63 when scoring first against opponents under head coach Pete Hughes … In 2026, the Wildcats are 13-5 when scoring first, including a 9-4 record when scoring in the first innings … Last season, K-State was 20-10 when scoring first, while compiling a 14-9 record when scoring in the first inning.
POWER SUPPLY
K-State has recorded 55 home runs this season led by 14 from Kennedy, who is the fastest player to reach double-digit home runs under Hughes … Kennedy is fourth in the Big 12 in home runs, ranking 10th nationally … 13 of 17 hitters have registered a home run this season, including 10 with two or more this season … The Wildcats recorded a school record of eight home runs in a 20-7 victory against SIUE (March 8) … Home runs account for 106 of 281 RBI (38%) on the season … The team's 55 homers rank third in the Big 12 and 14th nationally, while the Cats post the country's sixth-best slugging percentage at .576 … Kennedy leads with two grand slams followed by Evasco and Vasquez with one … K-State has recorded two back-to-back home run performances in 2026, while five different players have multi-home run efforts: Kennedy, Smolinski, Madliak, Vasquez, Kendrick.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballK-State Baseball | Game Highlights vs TCU
Saturday, April 04
K-State Baseball | Lincoln Sheffield complete game vs Arizona State
Monday, March 23
K-State Baseball | Postgame Highlights vs Arizona State Game 3
Sunday, March 22
K-State Baseball | Game Highlights vs South Dakota State
Thursday, March 12
