BatCats drop Big 12 opener

Even for a fanbase with no clear rooting interest in the NCAA Tournament, last night was particularly enjoyable. Everything is Frank Martin with a massive side of Wisconsin tears. In other words, this is a great start to the weekend.

There are now two Kansas State coaches in the Elite Eight, and neither of them actually coaches at Kansas State, because they were both pretty much run out of town. Bad karma maybe?

Moving on...

Baseball

The BatCats opened the Big 12 season yesterday against Texas at Disch-Falk Field in Austin, and promptly suffered the season’s first shutout, dropping the game 2-0 to the Longhorns.

In a contest dominated by pitching from both squads, Texas’ Nolan Kingham stayed in for the whole game, allowing just four hits and two walks on a day when he also struck out five Wildcats to earn his first career shutout. Kansas State’s Justin Heskett took the loss after tossing just over three innings and giving up five hits, two earned runs, and a career-high four walks.

Kansas State had a tough day with the batting too, only getting one extra-base hit (a Cameron Thompson double) and not advancing a single runner to third until the ninth inning when it was just too little too late.

The series against Texas continues today with the first pitch in Austin scheduled for 4 PM. You can watch the game on [insert joke about LHN here].

Tennis

Kansas State got its first Big 12 win of the season, sweeping Iowa State 4-0 in Manhattan yesterday. This was the team’s first home conference win since defeating the Cyclones back in 2015.

In the process, Carolina Costamagna earned her 10th dual singles win of the season.

The homestand continues today, as the Wildcats take on West Virginia.

Track

The 2017 outdoor season begins in earnest for the Wildcats today, with the men’s and women’s teams traveling to Coral Gables for the Hurricane College Invitational. This is the first time in more than a decade that Kansas State has gone to the state of Florida to compete.

The Lawrence twins are looking to build on their stellar freshman campaigns from a year ago. Shadae Lawrence, the only 2016 Olympian currently on the team, is the reigning Big 12 outdoor champion in discus, and her twin sister, Shardia, is the reigning Big 12 outdoor triple jump champion.

Christoff Bryan and Janeé Kassanavoid will try to duplicate their indoor season success outdoors. Bryan recently won his second consecutive Big 12 indoor high jump title, while Kassanavoid won her first Big 12 weight throw title during the indoor season and also set a new school record in the process.

Brett Neelly, an All-American during the 2016 outdoor season, will try to duplicate that feat this season. Last season, he became only the second Wildcat to score in shot put at the NCAA Championships.

The competition is already under way. The meet is being broadcast on the ACC Network, and you can also follow the action on Twitter with @KStateTFXC.

Miscellany

Kellis Robinett’s most recent K-State Q&A is a hodge-podge of information. Some of it is just speculation. For example, he suggests that Laird Veatch and Chad Weiberg are the leading candidates in Kansas State’s search for a new athletic director.

Some of it is really important though, like Kellis describing his perfect meal using only dishes served at restaurants in Manhattan, or trying to redesign Kansas State’s football and basketball uniforms. He likes the cat-scratch unis of old, for what it’s worth.

And finally, this very important moment of zen, courtesy of our “friends” at BlackHeartGoldPants: