Coming off an impressive opening weekend, the K-State baseball team looks to continue its winning ways beginning today at the University of San Diego Tournament. The tournament features a four-day round-robin format in which the Cats will play Pacific, Nevada, San Diego and San Diego State.
K-State will look to replicate its opening weekend performance, where it pounded out 27 runs in a 2-1 series win over the Houston Cougars. The series was the Cats’ first true three-game opening series win since 1984.
At the plate, senior catcher Rob Vaughn led the way with a .625 average, good for 4th place in the Big 12 after the weekend’s games. Junior first baseman Justin Bloxom, the team’s leading returning slugger from a year ago, picked up right where he left off last season since he went 7-14 with a triple, home run and five RBIs.
Sophomore third baseman Jason King also added six hits, four of the extra-base variety, including two home runs and seven RBIs for the weekend.
Equally impressive was the Wildcats’ pitching staff, which surrendered only 24 hits and seven runs the entire weekend. Junior A.J. Morris and senior Lance Hoge delivered excellent outings Friday and Saturday, lasting five and six innings, respectively. Even in Sunday’s 10-inning loss to the Cougars, four Wildcat hurlers combined to limit the Cougar bats to only three runs.
The Wildcat’s bullpen may have been the brightest spot of all over the weekend, allowing only one earned run in 11 innings pitched and striking out 15 Cougar hitters. Bullpen standout Thomas Rooke and three freshman relievers combined for the strong performance.
The Cats play the Pacific Tigers on Thursday, the Nevada Wolfpack on Friday, the San Diego Toreros Saturday and the San Diego State Aztecs in the finale on Sunday. Live statistics for the games can be found at www.kstatesports.com