Friday, K-State 3 #5 Arkansas 2
Micah Dean’s go-ahead RBI double in the seventh, combined with 11 strikeouts from Jacob Frost and Blake Dean, propelled K-State to a 3-2 stunner over No. 5 Arkansas on Friday night at the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field.
After Arkansas (4-1) evened the score with a pair of solo home runs, Micah Dean knocked the clutch hit into left field, driving in the game-winning run and handing the Razorbacks their first loss of the season. The redshirt freshman from Richmond, Texas was named the Player of the Game by FloSports with his first collegiate RBI.
“So proud of our guys for their toughness and resilience through a challenging stretch,” said K-State (2-4) head coach Pete Hughes. “We had great pitching, and our guys competed in the zone all night. Defensively, we played clean baseball. Offensively, we executed situational baseball well and performed against a really good arm.”
Frost, who carried a one-hitter into the sixth, held the Razorbacks to two runs in his first start of the season. The senior left-hander allowed four hits and struck out six before handing the ball over to Blake Dean, who logged 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Dean (1-0), a Big 12 All-Freshman Team honoree last season, picked up the win and scattered just three hits in his relief outing. The sophomore retired 11 of the 14 batters he faced, including striking out a season-high five.
“This game is a good reflection of our team’s character and an important momentum builder, but we have some ground to make up,” Hughes added.
In the second consecutive victory over nationally ranked Arkansas, both Dee Kennedy and Bear Madliak led the Wildcats’ offense with two-hit days while Dean, Kennedy and Shintaro Inoue each drove in a run.
Four pitchers made an appearance for Arkansas with Tate McGuire (0-1) taking the loss. The right-hander surrendered the go-ahead run and allowed two hits in his 1 1/3 innings in relief of sophomore starter Gabe Gaeckle, a 2024 Freshman All-American by Baseball America, D1Baseball and NCBWA.
Saturday, K-State 5 #25 Michigan 1
K-State’s pitching staff silenced Michigan’s offense and surrendered just one run Saturday, as the Wildcats rolled to a 5-1 victory at the College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field.
The Wolverines (4-2), who ranked No. 25 by Baseball America, jumped out to an early lead and scored their lone run in the first inning off starter Michael Quevedo. The senior left-hander shut the door on Michigan’s offense for the next three innings – striking out five – before handing the ball over to freshman Donte Lewis, who pitched four scoreless innings.
“That was a great team win,” head coach Pete Hughes said on the Wildcats’ second consecutive win over a nationally ranked team. “Keeping a good Michigan scoreless was the key, allowing us to steadily build a lead.”
Leading 2-1, K-State seized momentum in the fifth with a three-run burst, sparked by back-to-back home runs from Dee Kennedy and Seth Dardar. Kennedy delivered a two-run shot to left field, followed by Dardar launching one over right-center to extend the Wildcats’ lead.
The duo turned in K-State’s first back-to-back home run performance since last season by Kaelen Culpepper and Kyan Lodice against BYU.
“We got big hits from Dee and Seth mid-game to help us win those crucial middle innings. However, Donte Lewis was the difference-maker. His stuff was electric, but his composure as a freshman was the real story of the game. He thrives in big moments.”
A native from Pearland, Texas, Lewis was tabbed the Player of the Game by FloSports after retiring 12 consecutive batters in his exceptional relief outing and picking up his first collegiate win.
Sophomore James Guyette took over for Lewis and pitched a scoreless ninth inning, highlighted by a three-pitch strikeout.
Dardar, who has reached base safely in every contest this season, finished the game 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored while Kennedy was 1-for-4 with a game-high two runs batted in. With histwo-run homer in the fifth, Kennedy has registered a hit four straight games.
Four of the top five hitters in K-State’s lineup combined to go 5-for-14 (.357) and scored all five runs.
Michigan’s starter Kurt Barr (0-1) took the loss, surrendering two unearned runs on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Jeter Ybarra went 2-for-4, while driving in the Wolverines’ lone run.
