Kansas State baseball (7-5) traveled down south for a non-conference road trip where they would take on two top 10 teams in Tennessee and Clemon.
The road trip served two purposes: boosting their strength of schedule and giving them actual game action against some of the best teams in the country.
Unfortunately, the Wildcats dropped both games of the mid-week trip. Here is a recap of those two games, along with our series MVP.
GAME 1: TENNESSEE 15, K-STATE 5
-The Bat Cats got off to a solid start against Tennessee in the top of the first, as the red-hot Brady Day drove in drove in two runs to start the scoring. The bottom of the first went just as smoothly as Tennessee got nothing on offense.
-After that, Tennessee would find their groove, scoring 13 runs between the second, third, and fourth innings. Hays (Kans.) native Dylan Drieling, got the bats started with a 2-run home run for the Volunteers that would lift them into a hot streak with their bats.
-Tennessee’s strength has been their bullpen all season, and it proved to be the case in this one, as they shut K-State out of the game, outside of a few insurance runs in the later innings.
GAME 2: CLEMSON 8, K-STATE 3
K-State couldn't find their bats early against Clemson, going scoreless through the first 4 innings, unlike the team we have seen early this year.
-Andrew Evans got the nod to start the game for K-State, and gave up five runs on just four hits through three innings. It seemed unlike Evans, who had a solid start just last week.
-The Bat Cats finally found some offense in the fifth inning when Kaelen Culpepper drove in a run on a fielder's choice. Jayden Lobliner then added a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to three.
-Although Day would add another home run, Clemson's bats were just too much for K-State. While it was a rough road trip, it helps strengthen their schedule, which could prove important at the end of the year.
SERIES MVP: BRADY DAY
Midweek Stats: 4-8 (.500 avg), 3 RBIs
Season Stats: .362, 3 HR, 18 RBI
For the second straight week, Brady Day is the MVP of the road trip. The reigning Big 12 Player of the Week drove in 3 of the eight runs the Wildcats scored over the week and has continued to be a big player for the Cats on offense.
Day is on his way to making a case for an all-conference bid early in the year.
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