Kansas State first baseman David Bishop (44) dives to get an out at first base against Louisiana Tech during an NCAA regional baseball game in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Friday, May 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KSNW) — After a series of weather-related delays in Arkansas led to a game being postponed from Friday night to Saturday afternoon, the Kansas State Wildcats emerged victorious.
Kansas State was already leading 9-4 after five innings when the game was halted overnight early Saturday morning. The school tacked on 10 more points on Saturday for a 19-4 victory.
Kalen Culpepper had an effective day, hitting for the cycle with a single, double, triple and a home run.
As a team, the Wildcats had 18 hits in the game, which led to 18 points, with the other point coming on an error.
The Wildcats will next face off against Arkansas, the regional host. The Razorbacks scored 17 points against Southeast Missouri State in their previous game against Kansas State.
Jackson Wentworth will start for the Wildcats in Game 2. This season, Wentworth has a 4.18 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 75.1 innings pitched.
The Hogs are set to field their left-handed ace Hagen Smith tonight, but it will be their toughest test of the season for the Wildcats.
Smith was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year last week and is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He has 154 strikeouts in 79 innings this season, including 11 games with double-digit strikeouts.
The game is scheduled to start around 8pm on Saturday night and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
