SLATE: Opening Day!

Baseball

The college baseball season gets underway today across the country, and Kansas State is playing on opening day today with a 3pm contest against No. 10 Arizona at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, TX. It’s the first of a 3-game opening series for the Cats that also sees them face Michigan on Saturday, and Auburn on Sunday. Blake Adams, who started his college career at Arkansas, will take the mound first for the Wildcats against the other Wildcats. Connor McCollough, who started at times for K-State last year, gets the nod on Saturday against the Wolverines, and then Christian Ruebeck, who started his college career at OU, will take the mound first against the Tigers.

All three games of the tournament will be broadcast on FloBaseball.TV (paid). Radio coverage will be available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) with live streaming audio at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

Basketball

After a bit of an extra break, the WeberCats get back to action on the road tomorrow against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are having a solid season despite not being eligible for postseason play, and sit just behind K-State in the Big 12 standings. The Wildcats need to end a two-game skid in Gallagher-Iba if they want to keep themselves on the NCAA Tournament bubble discussion, where they are still on the wrong side of getting into the Dance. Tomorrow’s game in Stillwater is set for a 1:05pm CST tip, and will be broadcast on ESPNU.

The MittieCats return to action on Sunday, also against Oklahoma State, but in Bramlage Coliseum at 3pm CST. Sunday’s game, which will also be broadcast on ESPNU, is the annual Play4Kay Pink Game, so the Wildcats will be wearing pink-trimmed uniforms for the occasion. But the game, which helps highlight awareness of cancer affecting women, will have some extra meaning for the Cats, as head coach Jeff Mittie announced yesterday that his wife Shanna was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and is already undergoing treatment with a very good prognosis. #cancersucks

Ayoka Lee doesn’t just pick up honors for her play on the court, she is also a standout student, and was recently named a 2022 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District VII First Team selection, marking the second straight season she has earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. This selection sets her up well for national academic honors, on top of the many athletic honors she is in line to receive.

Track

The Wildcats return to the friendly confines of Ahearn Fieldhouse for their final event of the indoor season before the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Ames starting Friday, Feb. 25th. Beginning today at 3pm CST, the Steve Miller Invitational will pit the Wildcats against a handful of DII and NAIA schools, and K-State should be expected to place well across the board. Though it’s not about placing well, it’s about getting to compete at home one more time before the championships get underway. After competing in seven meets so far this season, K-State finds themselves with 14 nationally-ranked individuals in the Top-50 and one nationally ranked relay squad.