Kansas State (13-6, 2-1 Big 12) vs. Wichita State (13-6, 0-0 American)

Tuesday, March 19 | 6:00 pm CT | Wichita, Kansas (Eck Stadium)
TV: ESPN+ | Radio: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM
RHP Andrew Evans (3-1, 5.65) vs. LHP Tyler Dobbs (4-1, 0.49)

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SCENE SETTER: After completing their second home sweep of the season over the weekend against Gonzaga, Wichita State wraps up their extended homestand with a midweek contest against in-state rival Kansas State on Tuesday night at Eck Stadium. Tuesday's game is the last in a stretch that features 12 of 13 games at home; the Shockers are off to a 9-2 start in home games this season. Wichita State is 2-2 in midweek contests to open the season, winning at Oral Roberts before losing at Oklahoma and splitting a two-game series against Nebraska. The Shockers are coming off a 30-25 season in 2023 that included a 13-10 mark in American Athletic Conference play, good for third place in the final conference standings. Wichita State is hunting their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 2013 season, a regional bid that was later vacated by the NCAA.

SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO AND ESPN PLUS: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2024. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will have the call on Tuesday. The game will also be streamed live on ESPN+, with former Shocker pitcher (1991-94) and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Shane Dennis handling the play-by-play. Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com. 

SERIES HISTORY: The Shockers and Wildcats meet for the 103rd time in program history on Tuesday, with the Shockers holding a 58-44 lead in the all-time series. Since restarting the baseball program in 1978, Wichita State has gone 55-32 against the Wildcats, including two wins last season to sweep the season series for the first time since 2012. The two victories were historic in dramatically different ways; in a 10-4 win in Manhattan on April 18, Wichita State launched six home runs in a game for the first time in 25 years, snapping an eight-game losing streak at Tointon Family Stadium in the process. Brock Rodden and Garrett Pennington each had multi-homer games, the first time two Shockers have done so in a single game since Andy Dirks and Dusty Coleman accomplished the feat against Harvard on March 8, 2008. In the second meeting of the season, Wichita State blanked the Wildcats 1-0 for their first shutout against Kansas State since 2003. The last NCAA postseason appearance for Wichita State came in Kansas State's regional back in 2013.

SCOUTING KANSAS STATE: The Wildcats bring a 13-6 record into play on Tuesday, including a 2-1 mark in Big 12 play. Kansas State swept Missouri State in a three-game series at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan over the weekend and has scored a combined 60 runs over the course of their five-game winning streak. The Wildcats are still looking for their first true road win of the season, having dropped midweek games at Arizona State, Tennessee and Clemson. Offensively, K-State boasts one of the nation's most patient and prolific lineups, ranking 11th in the country with 135 walks and seventh with 50 stolen bases. Former Wichita State outfielder Chuck Ingram is hitting .345 and has homered three times in the last five games. Veteran head coach Pete Hughes is in his sixth season in Manhattan and 27th overall as head coach, owning a career record of 798-614-3. The Wildcats are seeking their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2013.

TOO FRESH: Freshman left-hander Tyler Dobbs earned the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week nod on Monday after a pair of near-flawless performances against Nebraska and Gonzaga. Dobbs hurled five innings of one hit, shutout baseball to earn the win against the Huskers on Wednesday, then followed it up with 2.1 innings of hitless, scoreless relief to snag another win on Saturday against Gonzaga. All told, Dobbs has allowed just six hits in 18.1 innings this season and is holding opponents to a .111 batting average.

SHOCKERS IN THE RPI: Wichita State enters the game on Tuesday ranked 72 in the latest edition of the RPI (Rating Percentage Index). The Shockers have the second-best RPI in the American Athletic Conference, trailing only East Carolina at #26. South Florida (74) and Charlotte (80) join WSU in the top 100. Wichita State's ranking fell 19 points after sweeping Gonzaga (ranked 246). Tuesday's opponent, Kansas State, is ranked 56.

PERFECT PILFERING: While the Shockers do not steal many bases as a team (15, ranking 201st nationally), Wichita State does not run into many outs on the basepaths, either. WSU is one of just four teams in the country that has not been thrown out attempting to steal this season, joining Texas Tech (22-22), Alabama (15-15) and Kansas (9-9).

POWER SURGE: Coming into the 2024 season, redshirt junior utilityman Jordan Rogers had produced 12 extra-base hits (one home run) in 188 at-bats. In 60 at-bats so far this season, Rogers has already recorded eight extra-base knocks, including five home runs. He was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after a week in which he went 10-for-19 with 11 RBI, including his first career grand slam on Friday against Gonzaga.

BUSY MEN: Wichita State relievers Caleb Anderson and Hunter Holmes have worn out a path from the bullpen to the mound this season, each logging 11 appearances already to tie for 7th-most in the nation. The Shockers are one of just three teams in the country with two players in the top 10 nationally in appearances (Loyola Marymount, UCLA).

SHARK ATTACK: One of the goals for the Wichita State offense in 2024 is more production with two outs, with the team assigning the term "shark" to a two-out RBI. The result has been nearly twice as many two-out RBI as the opposition (44-23) and a two-out batting average that is 59 points higher than their opponents (.261-.202).

PINCH-HIT POP: Coming into the 2024 season, WSU had not had a pinch-hit home run since Mason O'Brien came off the bench and homered against South Florida on May 11, 2018. Junior Josh Livingston accomplished the feat twice in the first 11 games of 2024, cranking a three-run shot against Iowa on February 25 and replicating the achievement with a solo blast against Oklahoma on March 5.

GREENER PASTURES: Brian Green was named the fifth head coach in the modern era of Wichita State baseball on June 5, 2023, replacing interim head coach Loren Hibbs. Green comes to Wichita State after four seasons at the helm of Washington State, where he guided the Cougars to four straight seasons above .500, the first such stretch of success for the Cougars since 2006-10. Green went 91-79 overall in Pullman, including a 29-win season in 2023 that matched the most wins for Washington State since 2010. Prior to his tenure with Wazzu, Green revitalized the program at his alma mater New Mexico State, taking the Aggies from 11 wins in 2015 to 40 in 2018. In 10 total seasons as a head coach, Green owns a career record of 262-207-1, good for a .559 winning percentage.

ROSTER REVAMP: It is a new-look Wichita State roster in 2024, as only 11 players return from the 2023 club. AAC Player of the Year Brock Rodden was drafted in the 5th Round by the Seattle Mariners, senior Sawyre Thornhill exhausted his eligibility, and the remaining 23 players transferred. 17 of those 23 ended up at another Division I institution. Catcher Mauricio Millan (54 starts), outfielder Seth Stroh (32 starts) and utilitymen Jordan Rogers (10 starts) and Will Stark (10 starts in 2022) lead the returners in experience, while Caden Favors (21 appearances) and Matt Wilkinson (18 appearances) are the senior members of the pitching staff.

JUCO BANDITS: Following the 25 departures from the 2023 club, head coach Brian Green turned to the junior college ranks to form his first roster with the Shockers. Wichita State has 14 newcomers who played at the NJCAA level a year ago: pitchers Mason Munz, Gavin Oswald, Caleb Anderson, Daniel Zang, Hunter Holmes, Peyton Walters and Jack Mount (7) and position players Brayden Luikart, Dayvin Johnson, Logan Kreske, Ryan Callahan, Derek Williams, Josh Livingston and Sammy Harris (7).

MEET THE STAFF: Green wasted little time finalizing his assistant coaches, announcing the hires just two weeks after joining the Shockers. Veteran pitching coach Anthony Claggett came along from Washington State, recruiting coordinator Clay Overcash was brought on board after six seasons in the same role at Oklahoma, and hitting coach Anthony Miller, who as a player was committed to play for Green at NMSU, rounded out the assistants following four seasons at the junior college level. The Shockers director of baseball operations is Tad Reida, a former Shocker infielder who helped Wichita State to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005.

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE: With a program record of 2,323 wins, 1,254 losses and nine ties, Wichita State ranks in the top ten of all college baseball programs with a .648 winning percentage. The Shockers have won 20 regular season conference championships and 18 conference tournament championships, earning a trip to Omaha for the College World Series on seven different occasions. WSU claimed the 1989 national championship and finished as national runner-up in 1982, 1991 and 1993.