No. 24 K-State Welcomes Holy Cross in Home Opener
MANHATTAN, Kan. (K-State Sports) – K-State begins its 2024 home slate with a six-game home stand Friday, starting with a three-game set against Holy Cross at Tointon Family Stadium.
Friday’s home opener is slated for a 3 p.m. start followed by game two at 4 p.m. on Saturday, and the series finale on Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Wildcats (2-2) will send Ty Ruhl (1-0) to the mound on Friday against right-hander Danny Macchiarola. Jacob Frost will get the start on Saturday against Alex Bryant. Holy Cross will start Sean Scanlon Sunday while the Cats will announce a starter at a later date.
Friday’s meeting marks the first-ever contest between K-State and Holy Cross.
The weekend series will be streamed on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with radio coverage available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and 1350KMAN.com. A free live stream audio is available for the three-game series at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
Season and single-game tickets for the Cats 2024 home schedule are now available. To purchase season tickets, fans can visit K-StateSports.com/Tickets, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.
How to follow the ‘Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
How to follow the ‘Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
GAME #5
#24 K-STATE (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Holy Cross (1-2, 0-0 Patriot)
Friday, February 23 | 3 p.m. | Tointon Family Stadium (2,334)
Projected Starters: RHP Ty Ruhl (1-0) v. RHP Danny Macchiarola (1-0)
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
GAME #6
#24 K-STATE (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Holy Cross (1-2, 0-0 Patriot)
Saturday, February 24 | 4 p.m. | Tointon Family Stadium (2,334)
Projected Starters: LHP Jacob Frost (0-0) v. RHP Alex Bryant (0-0)
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
GAME #7
#24 K-STATE (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Holy Cross (1-2, 0-0 Patriot)
Sunday, February 25 | 11 a.m. | Tointon Family Stadium (2,334)
Projected Starters: TBD v. RHP Sean Scanlon (0-0)
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch
A LOOK AT #24 K-STATE
No. 24 K-State opens its home schedule with a Friday afternoon tilt with Holy Cross .. The game kicks off a stretch of 13 home games over the next 13 games … The Wildcats finished a four-game road trip through Arizona with a 2-2 record, taking two of three games at the MLB Desert Invitational … In its final outing before the home opener, K-State brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning but was unable to complete the comeback as Arizona State escaped with a 9-6 victory Tuesday … K-State’s offense averages 5.5 runs on 8.5 hits entering the weekend series … Four different Wildcats have turned in home runs this season led by Brendan Jones and Kaelen Culpepper each with two … Sophomore Jayden Lobliner leads the Cats offense, hitting .357 with a team-high five hits and four RBI … Jones slugged .867 in the opening weekend that included two home runs, a double and a triple, while driving in four two-out RBI … Right-hander Ty Ruhl (1-0) will get the start in the home opener while the Cats’ will send left-hander Jacob Frost (0-0) to the mound on Saturday … Ruhl turned in his first career quality start Saturday to pick up the 6-4 win against Boston College, striking out six in his six innings of work …
SCOUTING HOLY CROSS
Holy Cross enters the second week of the season with a 1-2 record after taking a game in three-game series against William & Mary … The Crusaders dropped the series finally, 14-13, with three players recording three hits … The Crusaders are led offensively by two-way player Sean Scanlon with his .364 average to go with a double and two RBI … Gianni Royer has a team-leading 3-RBI … As a team, Holy Cross owns a .218 average with 30 RBI … On the mound, Holy Cross boasts a 5.40 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 22 walks … Sophomore righty Danny Macciarola, who allowed one earned run over five innings of work in his first start of the year, will take the mound Friday … Right-hander Alex Bryant will start Saturday while Scanlon will get Sunday’s morning start … Friday’s contest marks the first meeting between K-State and Holy Cross.
IN THE POLLS
K-State is ranked No. 24 by D1Baseball following opening weekend, and stands No. 27 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association … The Cats are receiving votes by USA Today … K-State is one of four programs from the Big 12 to rank in the D1Baseball Top 25 standings alongside TCU (No. 5), Texas (No. 16) and Texas Tech (No. 19).
LAST TIME OUT
K-State dropped a 9-6 decision against Arizona State on Tuesday night … K-State scored six runs on seven hits with no errors committed and 11 stranded on base while ASU scored nine runs on 10 hits with nine left on base and committed one error … Rivera belted his first home run as a Wildcat in the second … Culpepper hit his 17th career home run; second this season …Boerema fanned a season-high eight batters in his 4 2/3 inning start … ASU issued a season-high 12 walks … Five of six runs came were two-out RBI … Pitching staff combined for season-high 14 strikeouts … K-State stole a season-high six bases led by Bishop with three … Culpepper was intentionally walked in the top of the fifth … Arizona State leads the all-time series, 5-2, with a two-game win streak … Culpepper stretched his on-bast streak to 11 and hit streak to seven, both dating back to last season. … Cats posted their second consecutive multi-home run game, and their second of the season.
HOME. SWEET. HOME.
K-State finished 19-8 at Tointon Family Stadium in 2023… Over the last three seasons, K-State has compiled an overall home record of 64-20 (.761) … At home, the Wildcat offense is hitting .278 while slugging .490 with 38 home runs … K-State averages 8.3 runs a game on 8.9 hits when playing at Tointon Family Stadium … The Wildcat bullpen has boasted a 3.99 ERA at home with opponents hitting .244 … The Cats have struck out 202 compared to 80 walks for a 2.53 strikeout-to-walk ratio … K-State has homered in 18 of the 24 games played at home with 38 of the 73 total home runs coming at Tointon … Five Cats are hitting over .300 at home led by Cash Rugely … The senior leads the pack at home with a .365 batting average while Roberto Pena has a team-high .853 slug percentage… Pena has recorded 18 extra base hits at home with nine home runs … Boerema has collected four saves on the hill while Tyson Neighbors leads with four saves at home …
WALK THE WALK
The Cats drew a season-high 12 walks in Tuesday’s nightcap against Arizona State, marking the first double figure walk game of the season … In 2023, K-State produced nine double digit walk games, finishing third in the nation with 340 … The Cats turned in a season-high 16 walks last season against Youngstown State (March 10) which was nine short of matching the Division I all-time record … The Wildcats all-time single-season walks record was set in 1995 with 382.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Three members of the Big 12 remain undefeated with Houston and TCU posting 4-0 records, followed by UCF at 2-0 … Four Big 12 programs are ranked in the D1Baseball Top 25 standings: TCU (No. 5), Texas (No. 16), Texas Tech (No. 19), and K-State (No. 24) … KU’s Kodey Shojinaga and TCU’s Anthony Silva split Big 12 Player of the Week honors, while Mason Marriott of Baylor was named the Pitcher of the Week and Chase Brunson of TCU earned Newcomer of the Week recognition.
TOINTON FAMILY STADIUM
The home of K-State baseball was rededicated in 2001 before its renovation and expansion debut in 2020 … The stadium is named in honor of Bob and Betty Tointon … K-State baseball is 392-212 (.651) when playing at home since 2002 … The Wildcats are 82-35 (.701) at home under Hughes and 67-22 (.753) since 2021 … Tointon’s largest crowd was on March 30, 2010, against Wichita State with 4,745 in attendance.
UP NEXT
K-State returns to Tointon Family Stadium Friday, March 1 with a three-game set against UMass Lowell, beginning at 3 p.m. The non-conference series will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Live streaming audio is available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
How to follow the ‘Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The post No. 24 K-State Welcomes Holy Cross in Home Opener appeared first on News Radio KMAN.
