K-State women begin Big 12 Tournament

Women’s Basketball

Kansas State is the fourth seed in the 2017 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship and will take on fifth seed Iowa State today at 11 AM in Oklahoma City. The game will be broadcast on FSN.

The Wildcats are 2-2 against the Cyclones all-time in the conference tournament, but have won the last two meetings.

Iowa State is currently on a five-game winning streak. Their last loss was to Kansas State in Manhattan last month.

Men’s Basketball

It is Senior Day in Manhattan, as Kansas State readies to take on Texas Tech in the regular season finale. Tipoff is scheduled for noon, and the game will be available on ESPNEWS.

Five seniors—Austin Budke, Carlbe Ervin II, Wesley Iwundu, D.J. Johnson and Zach Winter—will be honored along with their families during the pre-game festivities. This group of seniors in particular deserves a great send-off.

Johnson, the team’s only fifth-year senior, and Iwundu, he of the 32 career starts, are the most decorated of this senior class, and also the two players who have had to persevere through much hardship (Ken Corbitt, Topeka Capital-Journal).

Bruce Weber had many complimentary things to say about his seniors, but this particular reference to Budke made me laugh:

I think he’s a great story. The baddest-ass chemical engineer in the country. He’s become a cult hero with the people — straight A’s, just unbelievable. Every day he comes to practice, he talks trash, he plays hard, he plays scout squad, he plays regular squad, whatever we need him to do.

Texas Tech and Kansas State have identical records this season (18-12) and near-identical Big 12 records (6-11 and 7-10 respectively), but the Wildcats may have the advantage by virtue of playing at home. The Red Raiders have been a terrible traveling squad this year, winning just two games on the road in 11 tries.

Baseball

Kansas State had four home runs and 10 extra base hits in the home opener at Tointon Family Stadium last night, as the BatCats beat Eastern Illinois 15-10.

Third baseman Quintin Crandall had two of the homers, including one back-to-back with Grant Reuben who had his first ever home run as a Wildcat. Second baseman Jake Scudder added the remaining home run, a three-run play and his second of the season.

Brogan Heinen started the game, but it was excellent relief work from right-handed pitcher Nick Jones who threw a scoreless winning and got his second victory of the season.

Up next, the BatCats will continue this homestand against Eastern Illinois. First pitch today is scheduled for 3 PM and will be broadcast on KStateHD.tv.

Tennis

The tennis team lost to Houston 4-2 in Manhattan last night.

Livia Cirnu took Kansas State’s lone singles point when she won her match 6-4, 6-2 playing at the No. 6 position. Cirnu has now won nine of her last 10 singles matches.

The Wildcats also took both doubles matches for the second of their two points yesterday. Ana Garcia Navas and Millie Stretton combined to win the first match of the day 7-5 while Iva Bago and Livia Cirnu rallied to take the other doubles match 7-6 (7-4).

Kansas State is back in action on Friday in a doubleheader, taking on Omaha and then Texas Tech for the first Big 12 action of the season.