Release from the K-State Athletics Department

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The 2016 K-State baseball season will get underway on February 19 at UC Riverside while the home slate features Creighton, Oklahoma State, Texas, Nebraska, Wichita State and KU as head coach Brad Hill announced the entire 56-game slate.

 

The Wildcats’ upcoming campaign features 22 opponents from 12 conferences and runs from February 19-May 21. Six opponents competed in NCAA postseason play last year.

 

“The schedule will provide numerous challenges with strong regional and conference opponents for our team that returns a nice nucleus of veteran players,” said Hill. “Our new players will need to adapt quickly to playing quality opponents on the road as our season opens with a tough 10-day road trip to California and Arizona. Hopefully this will better prepare them for the rugged Big 12 Conference schedule.”

 

Following a 10-day trip out west that features a four-game set against UC Riverside followed by two contests each against the Pac-12’s Oregon State and Utah in Surprise, Arizona, the Wildcats open their 29-game home schedule on March 4 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff to start a three-game series and 12-game homestand.

 

Throughout the month of March, K-State plays just one road game (at Creighton on March 22) among its 18 overall contests. The Big 12 season gets underway with a three-game set March 24-26 against Oklahoma State, which finished second in the 2015 conference standings. It will be the first time since 2013 that K-State opens its Big 12 slate at home. Other weekend series for the Wildcats in March are versus Milwaukee (March 11-13) and Western Carolina (March 18-20).

 

“We have a nice homestand in early March with three consecutive non-conference weekends in Manhattan before opening another competitive season of Big 12 play,” added Hill. “We are always excited to play in front of our great fans at Tointon Family Stadium where we have ranked in top-30 nationally in attendance the last three years.”

 

After a stretch of four straight road games that begins with a three-game set at Texas Tech April 1-3, the Wildcats play their second home conference series against the 2015 Big 12 Baseball Championship winner, Texas, from April 8-10 in Manhattan.

 

The Wildcats host Baylor April 22-24, but following the three-game series against the Bears, K-State enters a stretch of 10 road matchups over a 15-game span to close out the season. K-State plays a midweek contest at Wichita State on April 26 to open the stretch and also takes part in weekend series at Iowa (April 29-May 1), Oklahoma (May 6-8), and TCU (May 19-21). The Hawkeyes and Horned Frogs both reached the NCAA postseason in 2015, with TCU advancing as far as the final four teams in the College World Series.

 

After home games against Grand Canyon and Wichita State on April 27 and May 3, respectively, K-State’s slate in Manhattan comes to a close with the Sunflower Showdown series against KU May 13-15.

 

K-State plays home-and-home midweek games against Creighton, Nebraska, Omaha and Wichita State while it also hosts midweek contests against Stephen F. Austin (March 15-16) and Oral Roberts (March 30) in addition to Grand Canyon.

 

The Wildcats have previously faced 19 of its opponents in school history while the meetings against UC Riverside, UAPB and Western Carolina will be the first between the programs.

 

The 22 opponents had a combined record of 656-560 (.539) in 2015.

 

The 2016 Big 12 Baseball Championship is set for May 25-29, 2016 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, the tournament’s host site for 15 of the 19 years. In 2015, K-State made its eighth trip over the last nine seasons to the postseason tournament, which was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the first time.

 

Information about season tickets for the 2016 home schedule will be made available later this week.

 

The Wildcats finished last year with a 27-30 record and sixth in the Big 12 standings with a 10-14 conference mark. The squad returns 16 letterwinners and two redshirts, who are slated to be joined by 18 newcomers (12 freshmen).

 

 

2016 K-State Baseball Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Day(s)
Feb. 19-22	at UC Riverside	Riverside, Calif. (Riverside Sports Complex)	Fri-Mon
Feb. 25	vs Oregon State	Surprise, Ariz. (Surprise Stadium)	Thurs
Feb. 26	vs Oregon State	Surprise, Ariz. (Surprise Stadium)	Fri
Feb. 27	vs Utah	Surprise, Ariz. (Surprise Stadium)	Sat
Feb. 28	vs Utah	Surprise, Ariz. (Surprise Stadium)	Sun
March 4-6	ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF	MANHATTAN	Fri-Sun
March 9	CREIGHTON	MANHATTAN	Wed
March 11-13	MILWAUKEE	MANHATTAN	Fri-Sun
March 15-16	STEPHEN F. AUSTIN	MANHATTAN	Tues-Wed
March 18-20	WESTERN CAROLINA	MANHATTAN	Fri-Sun
March 22	at Creighton	Omaha, Neb. (TD Ameritrade Park)	Tues
March 24-26	OKLAHOMA STATE	MANHATTAN	Thurs-Sat
March 29	OMAHA	MANHATTAN	Tues
March 30	ORAL ROBERTS	MANHATTAN	Wed
April 1-3	at Texas Tech	Lubbock, Texas (Rip Griffin Park)	Fri-Sun
April 5	at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb. (Haymarket Park)	Tues
April 8-10	TEXAS	MANHATTAN	Fri-Sun
April 15-17	at West Virginia	Morgantown, W. Va. (Monongalia County Ballpark)	Fri-Sun
April 19	NEBRASKA	MANHATTAN	Tues
April 20	at Omaha	Papillion, Neb. (Werner Park)	Wed
April 22-24	BAYLOR	MANHATTAN	Fri-Sun
April 26	at Wichita State	Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium)	Tues
April 27	GRAND CANYON	MANHATTAN	Wed
April 29-May 1	at Iowa	Iowa City, Iowa (Banks Field)	Fri-Sun
May 3	WICHITA STATE	MANHATTAN	Tues
May 6-8	at Oklahoma	Norman, Okla. (L. Dale Mitchell Park)	Fri-Sun
May 13-15	KU	MANHATTAN	Fri-Sun
May 19-21	at TCU	Fort Worth, Texas (Lupton Baseball Stadium)	Thurs-Sat

 MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State sophomore punter Nick Walsh has been named one of 79 candidates nationally for the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top collegiate punter, the Augusta Sports Council has announced.

 

Walsh’s candidacy is the fifth in K-State history and the first since Mark Krause in 2013. Tim Reyer was a candidate in 2006 and a semifinalist in 2007, while Ryan Doerr was a candidate in 2011.

 

A product of Lyndon, Kansas, Walsh holds a 41.6-yard average on 37 punts this season, including eight punts that have landed inside the 20-yard line and six 50-plus yard kicks. He recorded a season-high 47.5-yard average at Oklahoma State a week before booting a career-long 63-yard punt against TCU.

Kansas State hosts second-ranked Baylor on Thursday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which will be televised by FS1, kicks off at 6:30 p.m. A limited number of scattered singles remain for the game along with standing-room only tickets. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or by visiting the ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

 

————
RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Director | Athletics Communications

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – With a sellout crowd of more than 50,000 descending upon Manhattan for Thursday night’s nationally televised football showdown against No. 2 Baylor, fans are asked to arrive as early as possible for the 6:30 p.m., kickoff to ease traffic congestion in the Manhattan area and around Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

 

Stadium and nearby satellite parking lots will open as normal on gameday, five hours prior to kickoff at 1:30 p.m.

 

Fans who typically park at the Veterinary Medicine Complex on Denison should note that the lot will have limited availability for public parking until5 p.m. as K-State classes will be in session on Thursday and the lot is restricted to permit parking for K-State faculty, staff and students. However, ample parking is available at the Equestrian Center north of the fire station on Denison.

 

“We want to encourage our fans to arrive early, remain patient and give themselves plenty of time to get to the stadium on Thursday,” said Athletics Director John Currie. “Our fan base is one of the most dedicated and well-respected contingents in all of college football and I know they are excited to showcase their passion and reputation. This game provides us a unique opportunity to showcase our program, university and community and we look forward to displaying our brand to a national audience.”

 

Parking in the east and west lots of Bill Snyder Family Stadium is reserved to members of the Ahearn Fund and requires a pass for entry. Paid parking for fans with disabilities is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the east and west stadium lots. To gain entry, guests must display a state-issued accessible license plate or hangtag and present a disability card along with a form of personal identification. All other general public parking is limited to grass parking in Lot 9 east of the stadium, in the paved lot of the Peters Recreation Center or in private satellite lots and parking areas near the stadium.  General public parking fees are $20 for cars.

 

Kansas State Police, the Riley County Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol will provide staff and monitor traffic flow throughout Manhattan prior to the game as fans travel to the stadium.  Fans are particularly encouraged to be cautious in and around school zones as students are released from school. In particular, Anthony Middle School and Marlatt Elementary School – schools nearest to Bill Snyder Family Stadium – will release students at 2:50 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., respectively.  School zone speed limits will be enforced.

 

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

 

 

 

————
KENNY LANNOU
Associate A.D. for Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Big 12 Conference and FOX Sports announced Monday morning that Kansas State’s November 14 game at Texas Tech will kick off at 2:30 p.m., and will be televised on FS1.

K-State enters the contest with a four-game winning streak over the Red Raiders, including a 45-13 victory at home last season. The Wildcats have won two-straight in Lubbock, Texas, taking a 41-34 decision in 2011 and winning 49-26 in 2013. It will be the Wildcats’ fifth game this season on FS1 as K-State holds an 8-4 when playing on the network since its inception in 2013.

K-State hosts second-ranked Baylor this Thursday at 6:30 p.m., in a nationally-televised game on FS1. A limited number of single seats are available for the game against the Bears in addition to standing-room only tickets. Fans can purchase tickets through the K-State Athletics Ticket Office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

Additionally, a limited number of tickets are available for the Iowa State and West Virginia contests, and those can be purchased through the K-State Ticket Office.

For other reserved seating options, fans are encouraged to visit Vivid Seats, the official ticket reseller of K-State Athletics.  Fans can contact Vivid Seats at www.vividseats.com/k-state or by calling 1-866-848-8499.

Release from Ryan Lackey, Assistant Director/Athletics Communications.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kansas City officials have announced plans for the 2015 World Series parade and celebration for the champion Kansas City Royals.

The city says in a release that the 2.3 mile-long parade starts at noon Tuesday in the Power & Light District in downtown and heads north before ending at Union Station, where the victory rally is planned.

The Royals on Sunday won their first World Series crown since 1985 with a 7-2 win in 12 innings in Game 5 against the New York Mets in New York.

Royals starter Edinson Volquez threw two-hit ball for six innings. He pitched a day after returning from his father’s funeral in the Dominican Republic.

The city also says free transportation to the celebration area will be provided from various locations around the city.

Salvador Perez of Kansas City won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.

The award is presented by Chevrolet.

Perez hit .364 in the series, and played all but one inning in the series.

 

NEW YORK (AP) – Kansas City’s win over the New York Mets in Game 4 was the most-watched Saturday World Series game since 2009 – when the Yankees beat Philadelphia in Game 3.

The Royals’ 5-3 victory drew 13.6 million viewers with a 7.8 rating and a 16 share, Fox said Sunday. The audience was up 27 percent from the 10.7 million for San Francisco’s 11-4 rout of Kansas City in Game 4 last year and the rating was up 24 percent from last year’s 6.3/12 – the low for the 2014 Series.

This year’s Series is averaging 14 million viewers through four games, up 18 percent from last year’s four-game average of 11.9 million. The 8.3/15 rating is up 15 percent from last year’s 7.2/13.

The rating is the percentage of television homes tuned to a broadcast, and the share is the percentage watching a telecast among those homes with televisions on at the time.