{"id":270105,"date":"2026-05-13T23:07:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T23:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/270105\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T23:07:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T23:07:12","slug":"k-state-heads-into-final-big-12-weekend-in-orlando","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/270105\/","title":{"rendered":"K-State Heads into Final Big 12 Weekend in Orlando"},"content":{"rendered":"

MANHATTAN, Kan. \u2013 K-State heads into its final Big 12 series at UCF, as the three-game set gets started Thursday at 5 p.m. CT at John Euliano Park in Orlando.
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\nRight-hander James Guyette<\/a> was named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week after tossing a nine-inning complete game in a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati. The junior struck out a career-high 13 and walked one in the outing.<\/p>\n

UCF (29-19, 17-10 Big 12) is currently in a two-way tie with Arizona State for third in the standings, while K-State (27-24, 10-17 Big 12) sits in 11th place in the Big 12 standings after its home series loss to Cincinnati last weekend. The Knights enter the weekend with an RPI of 33 while the Wildcats head into the series at 58.<\/p>\n

The three-game Big 12 will stream on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). A free live stream audio is available for K-State baseball games at kstatesports.com\/watch<\/a> and on the K-State Sports app.<\/p>\n

How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com<\/a> and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter),<\/a> Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

GAME 52

\nK-State (27-24, 10-17 Big 12) at UCF (29-19, 17-10 Big 12)

\nThursday, May 14 \/\/ 5 PM CT \/\/ John Euliano Park \/\/ Orlando, FL

\nProjected Starters: RHP Tazwell Butler<\/a> (0-4, 5.62 ERA) vs. RHP Mateo Gray (5-1, 4.83 ERA)

\nWatch: ESPN+

\nRadio: KMAN \/\/ Brian Smoller<\/a>

\nListen: kstatesports.com\/watch<\/a>

\nLive Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com<\/a>

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\nGAME 53

\nK-State (27-24, 10-17 Big 12) at UCF (29-19, 17-10 Big 12)

\nFriday, May 14 \/\/ 5 PM CT \/\/ John Euliano Park \/\/ Orlando, FL

\nProjected Starters: LHP Lincoln Sheffield<\/a> (6-3, 4.96 ERA) vs. RHP Camden Wicker (5-2, 3.36 ERA)

\nWatch: ESPN+

\nRadio: KMAN \/\/ Brian Smoller<\/a>

\nListen: kstatesports.com\/watch<\/a>

\nLive Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com<\/a>

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\nGAME 54

\nK-State (27-24, 10-17 Big 12) at UCF (29-19, 17-10 Big 12)

\nSaturday, May 15 \/\/ 12 PM CT \/\/ John Euliano Park \/\/ Orlando, FL

\nProjected Starters: TBA vs. TBA

\nWatch: ESPN+

\nRadio: KMAN \/\/ Brian Smoller<\/a>

\nListen: kstatesports.com\/watch<\/a>

\nLive Stats: kstate.statbroadcast.com<\/a><\/p>\n

A LOOK AT K-STATE

\nK-State is coming off a 5-2 defeat over Cincinnati to end its home slate of the 2026 season \u2026 With the win, the Wildcats improved to 27-24 overall with a 10-17 mark in Big 12 play \u2026 Senior catcher Bear Madliak<\/a> finished 2-for-3 against Cincinnati, that included a two-run double, while Dee Kennedy<\/a> drove in two runs with his game-tying homer \u2026 Kyan Lodice<\/a> added two hits, and Grant Gallagher<\/a> chipped drove in the game-winning run \u2026 Junior James Guyette<\/a> (6-3) fired a nine-inning complete game, holding Cincinnati to two earned runs on three hits with a career-high 13 strikeouts and one walk, earning Big 12 Player of the Week recognition … The win snapped a nine-game losing streak \u2013 the program’s longest since 2018 \u2026 With Guyette’s complete game, K-State now totals for on the year marking the most by the program since 2014 \u2026 With his 20th home run, Kennedy became just the fifth player in Big 12 history to join the 20\/20 club and is one of only three Division I players to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 2026 \u2026 With 13 strikeouts on Sunday, Guyette is the first pitcher in the Hughes era to reach the mark in a single game.

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\nTHE WILDCAT ROTATION

\nThursday: Tazwell Butler<\/a> (0-4, 5.36 ERA) will get his third start of the season Friday \u2026 Butler leads the team with three saves and has struck out 47 over 45.1 innings with opponents hitting .229 against him \u2013 the best opponent batting average among active pitchers.

\nFriday: Lincoln Sheffield<\/a> (6-3, 4.96 ERA) ties fourth in the conference in victories, averaging 1.94 walks allowed per nine innings \u2013 the fourth-best mark in the conference.

\nSunday: TBA

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\nSCOUTING UCF

\nUCF enters the weekend in tied third in the Big 12 standings with a 29-19 overall record and a 17-10 mark in league play \u2026 The 17 conference wins mark the most league wins for UCF since joining the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2024 campaign … UCF has won eight of its last 12 games, and is currently receiving votes in the NCBWA Top 25 poll \u2026 Senior catcher Zak Skinner paces UCF on the season with a .367 average and 66 hits … He is also second in RBIs with 36 behind John Smith III (48) \u2026 Smith III also tops the team in home runs with 11 and is hitting a .341 clip … Righty Mateo Gray (5-1, 4.83 ERA) will get the start in Friday’s series opener \u2026 Junior right-hander Camden Wicker\u00a0tops the starting rotation with a 5-2 record and 3.36 ERA \u2026 He has struck out a team-leading 53 over 61.2 innings \u2026 Five relievers combine the Knights’ 11 saves, including four by Kris Sosnowski and Evan Jones.

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\nINSIDE THE SERIES

\nThe all-time series is tied 3-3 since it started in 2024 \u2026 K-State evened the all-time series with a home series win last season, winning three of the last five contests \u2026 Three of the six games in the series have been determined by two or fewer runs.

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\nLAST 5 MEETINGS

\nW, 4-3 \u2013 April 6, 2024 (Orlando)

\nL, 1-6 \u2013 April 7, 2024 (Orlando)

\nL, 3-15 \u2013 April 11, 2025 (Manhattan)

\nW, 3-1 \u2013 April 12, 2025 (Manhattan)

\nW, 8-6 \u2013 April 13, 2025 (Manhattan)

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\nPITCHER OF THE WEEK

\nK-State’s James Guyette<\/a> (6-3) was honored by the Big 12 Conference Monday afternoon, as the right-hander was named Co-Pitcher of the Week, the first weekly honor of his respective career \u2026 Guyette fired his first career complete game Sunday, leading the Wildcats to a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati season … The junior limited the Bearcats to two runs on three hits across nine innings, becoming the third Wildcat to go the distance this season … It also marked the program’s first nine-inning complete game since 2024 \u2026 After allowing two runs in the second inning, he retired 18 of the next 20 batters he faced before the Bearcats collected their third hit in the ninth … He finished with a career-high 13 strikeouts \u2013 the most by a Wildcat under head coach Pete Hughes<\/a> \u2013 while issuing just one walk.

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\n20\/20 CLUB

\nWith his 20th homer of the year, Kennedy became just the fifth player in the history of the Big 12 Conference to record 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season … The Wildcats’ single-season home run leader is also one of only three Division I players to join the 20\/20 club this season, alongside Georgia’s Daniel Jackson and Fairleigh Dickinson’s Hunter Ray.

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\nWEEK 12 PLAYER RANKINGS (D1Baseball)

\nRank (Big 12\/nationally)

\nNo. 1\/2 – Dee Kennedy<\/a> (Shortstop)

\nNo. 2\/42 – Grant Gallagher<\/a> (Third Baseman)

\nNo. 3\/18 – Shintaro Inoue<\/a> (Second Baseman)

\nNo. 5\/38 – Bear Madliak<\/a> (Catcher)

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\nAROUND THE LEAGUE

\nKansas leads the Big 12 league standings with a 20-7 mark in conference games \u2013 its best conference start in program history \u2026 West Virginia moved to second in the league standings after sweeping the Jayhawks in Lawrence last weekend \u2026 Arizona State and UCF are tied third while Oklahoma State and TCU tie fifth to round out the top five\u00a0 \u2026 Texas Tech’s Logan Hughes (co-player), West Virginia’s Gavin Kelly (co-player), Kansas State’s James Guyette<\/a> (co-pitcher), West Virginia’s Maxx Yehl (co-pitcher) and Arizona State’s Dominic Smaldino (newcomer) were named the Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for the 13th week of the 2026 season.

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\n2026 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

\nThe 2026 Big 12 Baseball Tournament presented by Allstate will be played at Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, located in Surprise, Arizona starting Tuesday, May 19 thru Saturday, May 23 … The five-day event features the top 12 teams in the regular season standings will compete in the tournament.

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