In a historic year for K-State athletics, K-State baseball made more history Sunday night at Tointon Family Stadium. The Wildcats are headed to their first super regional in school history after a 4-3 win over Arkansas to win the Manhattan regional.
A wild top of the seventh gave K-State the lead for good at 4-3. With K-State trailing 3-2, Ross Kivett and Tanner Witt led off with back-to-back walks before Shane Conlon moved both runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Arkansas pitcher Jalen Beeks, the team leader in appearances, then attempted to intentionally walk K-State’s Jared King. His second pitch knifed down and to the left of catcher Jean Ramirez and rolled to the backstop, allowing Kivett to race home from third to tie the game. Three pitches later, Beeks buried another pitch down and in that got away from Ramirez. This time Witt scored with ease, and the Wildcats had a 4-3 advantage.
Gerardo Esquivel can make a case as the MVP of the game after giving K-State four and a third great innings out of the bullpen. He allowed no runs on just one hit and kept K-State in the game after the Wildcats fell behind 3-0 in the bottom of the first. Starter Blake McFadden was tapped for the three early runs on five hits and lasted just an inning and two thirds.
K-State will head to Corvallis, Oregon to play Oregon State in a super regional.
