BatCats host Panthers for 3-game set

0
33
Clayton Dalrymple, senior outfielder, looks at the ball after hitting it during the game against Creighton on March 9, 2016, at Tointon Family Stadium. K-State defeated Creighton 8-2. (George Walker | The Collegian)

Winners of its last six games, the Wildcat baseball team will host the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee this weekend for a three-game series at Tointon Family Stadium.

K-State is coming off an 8-2 win against Creighton on Tuesday night. In that game, the Bluejays jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but the Wildcats scored eight unanswered runs in their winning effort.

The Wildcats thwarted a six-game winning streak by Creighton as they extended theirs to six.

“We got on the pitchers really hard after the weekend (against UAPB), and they took it to heart,” head coach Brad Hill said to K-State Sports. “We got on them about pitch location, competitiveness, the whole thing. Today, we stressed getting the ball back down in the (strike) zone. For the most part, they did a nice job with it. I was impressed with all of them.”

In the winning streak, the Wildcats are batting .382 with two outs, which is a big reason they are 8-4 on the year.

“We’re doing a great job right now with two-out hitting and getting some clutch RBIs,” Hill said to K-State Sports. “Those are the little things that we have to continue to do.”

K-State is in the midst of a 12-game homestand that will continue against UWM today. The Panthers are 3-9 this season after losing three of four at Arkansas State last weekend.

The Panthers are in the middle of a 22-game road streak and won’t have their first home game this season until April 1.

The player to watch for the Panthers is sophomore catcher Daulton Varsho, who is batting .346 with three doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs in the young campaign.

Another player to watch for the Panthers is senior outfielder Luke Meeteer, who is batting .365, has six RBIs and has a team high of 19 hits this year.

For the Wildcats, junior infielder Jake Wodtke is hitting over .450 with team highs in RBIs at 16 and hits at 21.

Senior outfielder Clayton Dalrymple is hitting .391 with 18 hits and has drawn eight walks this year.

The Wildcats will host the Panthers at 3:05 p.m. today, at 2:05 p.m. Saturday and at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. K-State is 4-0 at home this season and will look to win three more against the Panthers this weekend.

Advertisement
SHARE