Kansas State wins series with #21 West Virginia

Baseball

Well, Hallelujah. A long season of struggle finally has a conference highlight as the 21st-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (23-15, 9-6) came to town and will go home with a series loss. The BatCats (21-19, 4-11) took the rubber game of a three-game set Sunday afternoon by abusing the Mountaineer bullpen, scoring 11 unanswered runs to come back from a 4-0 deficit and (obviously) win 11-4. Josh Rolette homered twice, Quinton Crandall had a solo shot, and Big 12 home run leader Jake Scudder also blasted his 11th long ball of the season.

Other coverage: Ryan Decker at West Virginia Illustrated, and John Lowe at Smoking Musket was apparently so depressed all he could do was fanshot.

The BatCats are off today before heading to Kansas City on Tuesday to take on 10th-ranked Arkansas at 6:05pm in the National College Hall of Fame Classic at Kauffman Stadium.

Football

It’s NFL Draft week, and the Star’s Terez Paylor says Jordan Willis is definitely in first-round discussion.

As for more immediate concerns, at the Capital-Journal Ken Corbitt follows up the Spring Game by focusing on Mike McCoy.

Men’s Basketball

Bruce Weber theoretically wrapped up the 2017 recruiting class by landing a commitment from New Mexico Junior College forward Makol Mawien. The 6’9” Mawien redshirted as a freshman at Utah before transferring to NMJC, so he’s a 3x3 guy.

Women’s Basketball

Oh, boy. When’s the last time K-State women’s basketball had a police blotter report? Eternati Willock was arrested early Sunday morning by the RCPD on charges of criminal trespass and liquor purchase by a minor. Jeff Mittie released a statement, saying that for now she is suspended from all team activities.

We don’t have any details, but it would probably be reasonable to assume that the two charges stem from the same act; entering a liquor store and purchasing alcohol while underage would punch both tickets. That’s worth mentioning, because one shouldn’t assume the trespass charge was anything more sinister.

Golf

The K-State women faltered in the final round, posting a 14-over 302 on Sunday to finish in eighth place in the Big 12 Championship at Dominion Country Club in San Antonio. The Wildcats finished at 43-over, 22 strokes behind Big 12 champion Texas.

Baylor’s Dylan Kim was the only competitor to break par, winning the Big 12 individual title at 2-under. K-State’s Chloe Weir, at 10-over, finished tied for 20th; Connie Jaffrey tied for 22nd at 11-over, Madison Talley and Paige Nelson tied for 27th at 14-over, and Katherine Gravel-Coursel, at 15-over, tied for 32nd.

The men begin their quest this morning at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, and Corbin McGuire covers that in today’s Sports Extra.

Tennis

The regular season came to a close in Austin on Sunday, and for the second time on the weekend the Wildcats (11-14, 2-7) suffered a sweep. It wasn’t all grim, however; both Millie Stretton and Carolina Costamagna won their first sets against ranked opponents, although their matches went unfinished as Texas (12-7, 6-3) clinched the win before they were able to conclude.

K-State will be the eight seed in the Big 12 Championship at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, starting Thursday. They’ll face ninth-seeded Iowa State, who the Cats swept both in Manhattan earlier this year and in the first round of last year’s Big 12 Championship.

Other

Lost in the Spring Game hubbub, at least by us: that venerable facility at the corner of Denison and Anderson is now officially named World War I Memorial Stadium after a ceremony on Friday. K-State President Richard Myers characterized the dedication as finally completing a project begun in 1923. Kyler Langvardt of the Collegian reports.

Speaking of President Myers, there will be a ceremony at McCain Auditorium on Friday morning officially inaugurating him as president. (AP)