K-State (25-15, 9-9 Big 12), who played nine of its last 14 games away from home, is coming off a series win over nationally ranked Oklahoma State and a 6-4 defeat over Omaha Tuesday. The Wildcats have claimed three conference series this season, including a road sweep of Houston.K-State will send Ty Ruhl to the hill for the series opener, marking his second series-opening start. Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Jackson Wentworth will take the hill on Saturday at 4 p.m. while graduate lefty Owen Boerema is slated to work in the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.

Wentworth was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List Wednesday while Raphael Pelletier was one of two players from the Big 12 Conference to be selected to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List by the Wichita Sports Commission.

TCU (24-15, 8-13 Big 12) ranks 11^th in the Big 12 standings.

The weekend series can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and ESPN app. Fans can also tune in on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) while a free live stream audio is available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

With just six home games left of the regular season, fans can purchase single-game tickets for any home game at Tointon Family Stadium, fans can visit K-StateSports.com/Tickets, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287), or stop by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.

How to follow the ‘Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GAME #41
K-State (25-15, 9-9 Big 12) vs. TCU (24-15, 8-13 Big 12)
Friday, April 26 | 6:30 p.m. | Lupton Stadium (4,500)
Projected Starters: RHP Ty Ruhl (1-1) v. RHP Payton Tolle
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: KMAN 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM | Matt Walters
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #42
K-State (25-15, 9-9 Big 12) vs. TCU (24-15, 8-13 Big 12)
Saturday, April 27 |4 p.m. | Lupton Stadium (4,500)
Projected Starters: RHP Jackson Wentworth (3-1) v. TBA
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: KMAN 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM | Matt Walters
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

GAME #43
K-State (25-15, 9-9 Big 12) vs. TCU (24-15, 8-13 Big 12)
Sunday, April 28 | 6:30 p.m. | Lupton Stadium (4,500)
Projected Starters: LHP Owen Boerema (3-3) v. TBA
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: KMAN 1350AM/93.3/93.7FM | Matt Walters
Listen Online: kstatesports.com/watch

A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State (25-15, 9-9 Big 12) hits the road for more Big 12 action as the Wildcats take on TCU starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. … As a team, the Cats are hitting .292 against opponents, including a ..279 average in Big 12 play… Three players are hitting over .300 led by Brady Day (.372) … True freshman Nick English is fourth in the league with 16 doubles this season, and is one away from tying the single-season freshman class doubles record set by Nick Martini (2009)… K-State’s .292 average ranks fifth in the league, while leading the Big 12 in triples (13) and stolen bases (101) … Catcher Raphael Pelletier has belted a team-best nine homers this season, after sending two out Saturday against the Cowboys … Brendan Jones has stolen a league-high 29 bases, and sits fifth all-time in K-State history with 59 career stolen bases …  Right-hander Ty Ruhl (1-1, 6.97 ERA) will make his second Friday night start of the season – fifth overall … Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Jackson Wentworth will start Saturday while lefty Owen Boerema will close out the series Sunday.

SCOUTING TCU
The defending Big 12 Tournament Champions (24-15, 8-13 Big 12) are 2-3 in its last five contests after dropping the series against Texas, 2-1 … Behind Friday night starter Payton Tolle, who will get the series start against the Cats, the Horned Frogs shutout Longhorns 5-0 with tossing seven innings of four-hit ball with seven strikeouts … At home, TCU is 17-4, including series wins against Houston and Texas Tech … TCU started off the 2024 season with a 13-0 record, since then the frogs are 11-15 … Three Frogs are hitting over .300 this season, including Logan Maxwell’s team-best .333 … As a team, TCU has produced a slash line of .263/.361/.397 with 28 home runs… Tolle leads the league with 90 strikeouts and owns a 3.43 ERA with a 4-3 record … Opponents are hitting .195 against the right-hander.
INSIDE THE SERIES
TCU owns a 30-13 (21-9 Big 12) edge in the all-time series that dates back to 1966 … The Frogs have won the last eight of the last 10 meetings in the series, including a 6-3 victory in the semifinal round of the 2023 Big 12 Championships… K-State last defeated TCU in Fort Worth in 1987, when the Cats took the series finale … K-State is 3-17 in Fort Worth vs. the Frogs … S The Cats have never swept the Frogs in the series history.

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
W, 7-6 – May 18, 2023 (Manhattan)
L, 8-1 – May 19, 2023 (Manhattan)
L, 4-3 – May 20, 2023 (Manhattan)
L, 16-3 (7) – May 24, 2023 (Arlington)
L, 6-3 – May 27, 2023 (Arlington)

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
K-State right-handed pitcher Jackson Wentworth was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, following the league’s announcement Monday … Wentworth is the third Wildcat this season to earn a weekly Big 12 award, joining Brady Day (player) and Jacob Frost (co-newcomer) … On the week, the redshirt-sophomore combined to toss nine innings of three-hit, one-run ball over three appearances while striking out 13 and posting a 2-0 record … He leads the Big 12 and is third in the nation with a .85 WHIP, while his 7.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio is ninth in the country.

WATCH THIS
Two Wildcats were named to watch lists this week with right-hander Jackson Wentworth and catcher Raphael Pelletier … Pelletier was tabbed to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List, which honors the nation’s top Division I collegiate catcher as voted by head coaches and sports information directors … In addition to Pelletier, the 63-man watch list features just one other catcher from the Big 12 with Houston’s Anthony Tulimero … Wentworth has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, and is given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I … Wentworth, a native of Urbandale, Iowa, was one of just three relief pitchers from the Big 12 Conference presented on the 59-man watch list, alongside UCF’s Chase Centala and BYU’s Stone Cushing.

CALL THE COPS
With four stolen bases in the victory over Omaha, the Cats have stolen a league-high 101 bases this season, ranking eighth overall in Division I … The Cats 2.53 stolen bases per game is first in the Big 12 and 10^th in the nation … Jones has stolen a league-high 29 bases this season, ranking fourth in Division I … Now with 59 career stolen bases, Jones ranks fifth all-time in K-State baseball history … Last season, the Wildcats finished third in the league with 114 stolen bases through 59 games … The K-State single-season record is 149 set in 2009 through 62 games.

LAST TIME OUT
Omaha jumped out to an early 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the third until K-State scored four unanswered runs in the third to hand the Mavs a 6-4 loss Tuesday … Slack received the victory in relief of Wintroub, who allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in his four-inning start. Slack (1-0) surrendered one earned run on two hits in his two innings of work … Dean and Neighbors combined for three scoreless innings of no-hit ball in the final frames with three strikeouts. Neighbors earned his third save of the season and 14^th career, which ranks fourth all-time in school history … Jones and Lobliner each delivered two hits with an RBI and run scored. Offensively, the Wildcats were issued 11 walks with four players drawing multiple, led by Jaden Parsons with a season-high three … Jones, the Big 12 stolen bases leader, had three steals on the night for his third consecutive game with multiple … Now with 59 career stolen bases, the Greenbrier, Tenn., product is two away from tying fourth all-time in school history … K-State leads the all-time series 17-3, including 13-1 in Manhattan … The Wildcats are 5-1 against UNO in the Hughes era … At home, K-State improves to 16-5 overall and 11-1 in non-conference play … Jones turned in his third consecutive game with multiple steals – ranks fifth all-time in school history with 59 career steals … Opponents have issued 10+ walks to the Cats in six contests this season.

WILDCATS VS. THE BIG 12
The Cats tie sixth in the Big 12 standings alongside KU, Cincinnati and Baylor … K-State is hitting .279 in Conference play, averaging 6.5 runs on 10.2 hits … Day is slashing .365/.453/.514 in Big 12 games … The pitching staff posts a 6.10 ERA, with opponents hitting .264 …  K-State’s Big 12 slate features 30 games, highlighted by series against all four league newcomers (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, and BYU) … K-State finished its 2023 Big 12 schedule tied fourth in the league at 13-11.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
K-State is 9-10 on the road this season, including a 7-9 record in true road games and 4-5 in Big 12 action … On the road, K-State is hitting .241 with two players hitting above .300 with Day (.343) and Lobliner (.316) … Culpepper and Jones have each belted three home runs on the road this season, combining four six of the Cats’ 14 road homers, while Culpepper and Day have driven in a team-best 15 RBI … Jones has scored 19 runs on the road followed by Ingram (16), who is hitting .267  … The pitching staff boasts a 6.10 ERA, issuing 73 walks against 182 strikeouts for a  2.49 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
K-State has a season +43 run differential through 40 games averaging 7.4 runs on 10.3 hits … The Wildcats have outscored opponents 51-25 in the sixth inning alone and 100-74 (+26) from the seventh and on … Cats are perfect when leading after six at 18-0 and are 2-1 when tied after six … K-State is 13-2 when committing no errors in a game … Conversely, K-State has won 12 games when one or more errors are committed, 12-13 overall … The Wildcats are 10-5 when scoring first and 10-3 when scoring in the first inning … K-State has outhit opponents in 20 contests this season and is 2-10 when being outhit, and is 3-1 when hits are tied …  The Cats are 18-1 when limiting opponents to five or less runs and are 7-1 in one-run games … K-State is 15-6 when playing afternoon games and 10-9 when playing under the lights … The Cats have won 17 games against right-handed starters while going 8-4 against lefties.

AROUND THE BIG 12
Oklahoma (25-14, 14-4-Big 12) leads the way in the Conference standings with three teams – Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and Texas – three games behind and tied second …  Texas Tech ranks fifth with K-State, KU and Cincinnati in a fight for sixth … Oklahoma’s Bryce Madron (co-player), Texas Tech’s Austin Green (co-player) and Cade McGee (newcomer) plus K-State’s Jackson Wentworth (pitcher) earned Big 12 baseball weekly awards for the 10^th week of the season.