Youngstown State travels to Manhattan to face the Kansas State Wildcats in a three-game series at Tointon Family Stadium. The Penguins have a 3-10 record; despite this, the four-game series split at Baylor showcases competitive ability.
Redshirt junior Trey Law and the O’Shaughnessy brothers, Padraig and Braeden, lead Youngstown State in batting average. Law stroked 18 hits, three doubles and six RBI for a team-best .360 average while Padraig O’Shaughnessy drove in five runs on 15 hits, four doubles, one homer and a .349 average. Braeden O’Shaughnessy follows his brother in batting average, hitting .327 on 17 hits, two doubles, six RBI and two home runs. The three players hold just under a third of Penguin run production with 21 of the team’s 65.
Eli Brown is hitting .500 but only has 10 at-bats on the season, knocking in two RBI, five hits and three runs scored. The Ohio-native has seen an uptick in playing time with appearances against Memphis and Baylor and could make a showing against the Wildcats.
Travis Perry and Zach Stayduhar are the only Youngstown State pitchers who have thrown under a four earned runs average, both at a 3.86 ERA. Stayduhar doesn’t qualify for second best pitching statistics in Penguin records because his outings don’t add up to one inning per game. However, the redshirt freshman struck out six batters and surrendered four runs, two earned, in 4 2/3 innings while Perry struck out 21 hitters and allowed eight runs in 16 1/3 innings. Perry is the only Penguin with a winning record: 1-0.
Other weekend starters include Brandon Mikos and Nick Perez. Mikos holds a 7.36 ERA, striking out 10 batters while surrendering 12 earned runs in 14 2/3 innings. Perez has collected a 9.64 ERA, allowing 19 runs, 15 earned, in 14 innings pitched.
K-State edges out Youngstown State in nearly every major statistical category. The Penguins collectively pitch an 9.29 ERA compared to K-State’s 4.89. Wildcat hitters smoked 118 hits, 21 doubles, three triples and led the Big 12 with 22 home runs. Meanwhile, Penguins batters tallied 108 hits, 25 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs.
There’s no reason to believe that K-State doesn’t sweep the Penguins following a pair of two-game sweeps against Army West Point and Stonehill. The Wildcats have a 4-0 record at Tointon Family Stadium, which will improve to 7-0 heading into a four-game road stint at Creighton and Baylor.
First pitch takes place at 6 p.m. on Friday. Tickets are available at K-State Sports and viewing is accessible at ESPN+ on Big 12 Now.
