SLATE: Award Nods and Watch Lists

Baseball

We’ll open up today’s Slate with the BatCats, as K-StateSports released their weekly update of the summer baseball happenings, including the note that Kasey “Big Country” Ford signed with the Houston Astros as an undrafted free agent (and no, this doesn’t make him a cheater, it was just the batters that were cheaters).

Over at 247Sports, GoPowercat has a very nice breakdown of the incoming (and at least one outgoing) transfers to Pete Hughes’ program, including adding a big arm that spent his first two collegiate seasons at Arkansas.

Track & Field

K-State track star Lauren Taubert has been selected as K-State’s nominee for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Taubert was really the clear choice, as as her excellence in the classroom and on the track has led her to become a four-time All-American for her athletic prowess and was also recently the recipient of the 2021 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award (the Big 12’s highest academic honor).

Other

In case you were curious, or needed to know, K-State has posted their NIL Policy to K-StateSports.com. They’re calling it “Catalyst”, and K-State is working in conjunction with Opendorse to help student-athletes “transform” their brand.

Football

As was expected, Deuce Vaughn has garnered a spot on the first watch list of the season for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s top college running back. It’s the second such honor this week (and preseason), as back on Monday Vaughn was named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award. Vaughn becomes the first Kansas State player to be named to the watch list since Alex Barnes was a preseason candidate in 2018. The accolades continue to pile up for the rising sophomore, who has already seen his name appear on multiple Preseason All-American and All-Big 12 teams.

It may not be the prime home game that fans have been clamoring for, but for their part, Chris Klieman’s bunch are excited to be able to play Stanford at Jerryworld AT&T Stadium in Arlington. For many of the players, getting the chance to play in an NFL stadium is a life-long dream, and they are thrilled to get this opportunity.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. And at least for another year, K-State will not have any alternate uniforms. And it’s very important to note that this is not for a lack of Klieman or AD Gene Taylor trying, but rather a backlog at Nike thanks to the COVID pandemic. So that leads to today’s question: Should the Wildcats retain the current setup, or should they start changing up the look that’s worked so well since 1989?