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Spring is finally here! I can tell because the skies are blue, the birds are chirping, and there is at least a snippet of college football news nearly everyday.
In his most recent Mailbag, ESPN's Jake Trotter suggests the Big 12 may discuss expansion plans this summer. Whether Trotter's words reflect inside knowledge or just well-informed speculation is anyone's guess, but if the league is serious about expanding, it looks like Cincinnati is on the table.
In his non-serious bid to be named the next College Football Playoff czar, Trotter proposes an eight-team playoff plan exactly like the one we've discussed here ad nauseum: all five Power 5 conference champions, two at-large teams, and the highest ranked team from the Group of Five. It's a workable idea, which is precisely why it will never happen.
Trotter also notes in his Mailbag that Bill Snyder shows no signs of slowing down even at age 76. What motivates a coach that age to keep going? Maybe it's a desire to top the list of winningest active coaches? Snyder is currently second on that list with 193 wins, but he may never catch Notre Dame's Brian Kelly who is leading the pack with 226 wins.
In his weekly K-State Q&A, the Wichita Eagle's Kellis Robinett talks up the Kansas State defense, noting the strength and experience of the returning starters in the unit. The defense has "Will Geary, Jordan Willis and Tanner Wood up front, Elijah Lee and Charmeachealle Moore in the middle, plus Dante Barnett, Duke Shelley and Kendall Adams deep" and should be a major factor for the Wildcats this season.Has Kansas State baseball turned the corner? Recent results certainly suggest as much. The BatCats have now won two conference games in a row, with a win in the series' third game last weekend against Texas, and now an 8-6 victory over West Virginia to open the series in Morgantown. The last two wins are the BatCats' first back-to-back wins since a series victory over Milwaukee over a month ago.
Kansas State was leading 6-2 at the top of the sixth, but the 'Eers tied on a three-run homer by Kyle Davis in the seventh inning. That sparked the BatCats comeback, and a ninth-inning two-run triple by Josh Ethier sealed the victory.
The second game of the series is scheduled for 4 PM today. Levi MaVorhis will get the start for the Wildcats.
The equestrian team's run at the NCEA Championships has come to an end. After a hard-fought first round win over Delaware State, Kansas State had hoped to keep the momentum going, but could not get untracked against No. 1 Auburn, losing in the quarterfinals 15-1. Alyssa Lombardi was the only Wildcat to earn a point.
Head coach Cassie Maxwell was named 2016 Big 12 coach of the year, her second consecutive honor. She is the only two-time coach of the year recipient in conference history. Former rider Casey Finnell was named an NCEA Distinguished Alumni.
At the KT Woodman Invitational in Wichita yesterday, a number of Kansas State athletes recorded personal best efforts. The men had an especially good day, tallying enough points for second place, while the women are in fifth place.
Haley Pitko finished third in the javelin throw event with a personal best mark of 46.93m, while Lukas Koch continued his excellent 2016 campaign with a second-place finish in the 1500m. Teammate Blake Goodin finished only a second behind Koch for third-place in the event.
Competition continues today with the women's hammer throw and men's discus events. You can follow the action on Twitter by tracking the #KStateTF hashtag.