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Baseball
It was do-or-die for Kansas State baseball in yesterday’s day-night doubleheader against Baylor, and somehow, with post-season hopes on the line (Brice Cherry, Waco Tribune), the team pulled off two victories. The BatCats came from behind to beat Baylor 10-8 in the first game, and then finished off the nightcap 6-5.
In the early game, Kansas State scored three times in the final two innings to wipe out Baylor’s lead and take the game. A key series in the seventh inning had Trent McMaster bringing Steve Serratore home with a pinch-hit RBI single. Josh Ethier hit a sac-fly to center field for his second RBI of the game, and Will Brennan hit a single to tie the game 7-7. Baylor then took the lead again, but Quintin Crandall tied the game again with a two-out single at the top of the eighth inning and Serratore hit a two-RBI single to put the BatCats up for good.
In the night game, Kansas State led from start to finish. A three-run homer in the fifth inning from Serratore opened up a four-run lead. That was Serratore’s sixth homer of the season. Baylor would come back and score three runs in the seventh inning and leave the BatCats with just a one run lead. But excellent relief work from freshman Tyler Eckberg was enough for the BatCats to hold on to win.
This was only the second series win for the BatCats in Big 12 play this year, and the team finished 8-16 against conference opponents.
Kansas State is now in sole possession of eighth place in the conference standings, but it’s not over yet. To cement a place in the Big 12 Championship, the BatCats need Oklahoma to take at least one game against Oklahoma State today.
Volleyball
The VolleyCats want you to remember there’s more than football on the fall sports calendar, so here, have this hype video and buy season tickets!
Miscellany
Among other honors the team earned this past season, this one might be the most understated but significant of them all. Kansas State’s sports medicine personnel were named the Big 12 Sports Medicine Staff of the Year. The award is voted on by the staff at each of the conference schools. Kansas State last won this award in 2004.
The 18-member team includes athletic trainers for all sports, along with sports pyschologists and dieticians/nutritionists, all led by Matt Thomason, director of Sports Medicine.