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Wildcats Take Potentially Pivotal Big 12 Set…

By CB360 Contributor John Kurtz

It was a huge weekend for Kansas State, with its sweep of Texas Tech at Tointon Family Stadium. It was a tight series all the way with K-State’s wins coming 2-1, 4-3 and 4-1. Things really seem to be turning around for the Wildcats after a murderous stretch to start Big 12 Conference play (at Texas, at Baylor, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma) that saw the Cats go 4-8. K-State has now won four of its last six Big 12 games in large part due to a pitching staff that is really coming together.

James Allen's 27 saves are the most in KSU history (photo courtesy Kansas State).

James Allen saved all three games for the Wildcats this weekend against Texas Tech. With Saturday’s save in the series finale, Allen set the K-State record for season saves (13) and career saves (27). He is also the first Wildcat to save three games in a conference series in the Big 12 era and the first Big 12 closer to do so since 2009. Texas Tech struggled to get anything going against Allen all weekend as he fired three innings and allowed just one hit. Allen has the typical “lights out” attitude that any coach would want in their closer and he seemingly always maintains his composure, even in pressure situations.

Allen may grab the headlines, but his set-up man Evan Marshall was equally as effective and valuable for K-State in the series. Marshall threw 3.1 innings in the series and allowed just one unearned run. Marshall was particularly effective for K-State on Friday and Saturday when he mowed down the Red Raiders without allowing a hit in either appearance.

K-State got solid starts from Shane Conlon and Kyle Hunter on Thursday and Friday to win the series. Conlon, a freshman, has seen most of his time as a defensive replacement at first base this season, but he got the first win on the mound of his Wildcat career Thursday. Matt Applegate stole the show on Saturday by going 7 innings and allowing just one run while striking out 13 Red Raiders. Applegate’s emergence in 2011 (4-2, 3.57 ERA) is a big part of what is keeping K-State in the hunt for another NCAA regional appearance.

Texas Tech’s arms were solid in the series and probably weren’t indicative of being swept. The Red Raiders got by on Thursday with David Paiz giving up just 2 earned runs and were in a good position to win the game. The bats didn’t respond though and Tech fell 2-1. Friday starter Trey Masek struggled and gave up 4 earned runs in 5 innings, but Robbie Kilcrease shutout K-State through the final three innings to give the Red Raiders a chance. One bad inning on Saturday doomed Tech starter Brennan Stewart in the 4-1 Wildcat win to complete the sweep.

Jamodrick McGruder (courtesy Texas Tech)

Kansas State kept Jamodrick McGruder in check throughout the weekend, though he did produce three  hits in the series. Barrett Barnes had a hit and an RBI through the first two games of the series, but was held out of the lineup on Saturday. Just speculation here, but it was likely due to a rough spill Barnes took against the center field wall while making a spectacular catch on Friday night. Barnes clearly has the speed and talent in center to be a force.

This was a huge series for the NCAA regional hopes of both Texas Tech and K-State. The Wildcats shot up three spots in the Big 12 standings to 6th at 8-10 in league play thanks to the sweep. In the process they passed the Red Raiders, who are now 6-12 in the conference. Texas Tech clearly has plenty of work left to do and not salvaging a game from this series was a big blow.

KSU meanwhile is looking like the team that many expected this year in Manhattan after surviving a very sluggish start. The Cats’ pitching staff is really coming around as a whole and K-State is winning with pitching, defense and base running. K-State needs to continue to win games and a lack of pop in the lineup may hold them back, but things are looking much better for Brad Hill and the Wildcats than they did a week ago.

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Stephen Francis checks-in again with some top week 2 performances from the Lone Star State…

David Paiz, RF — Texas Tech Red Raiders

Paiz put together a very nice four game stretch as the Red Raiders competed in their second consecutive tournament weekend in Lubbock with a pair of games against BYU and two against Northern Illinois.  He played his part well in Tech’s three wins by batting .444 for the weekend with eight hits in 18 at bats with five RBI and three runs scored.  Six of his hits and four of his RBI came against the Huskies as he seemed to feast off of the NIU pitching staff.

Texas Freshman Pitcher of the Week:

Andrew Mitchell, RHP — TCU Horned Frogs

Mitchell began the season for the Horned Frogs with the understanding that he would fill the role of weekday starter and would pitch out of the bullpen on weekends, barring any injuries to starters.  He took the mound against Baylor to pitch 6 2/3 innings of two-hit shutout baseball with four strikeouts and three walks to earn his first career victory.  As it would turn out, an opening weekend blister to TCU’s Friday starter, Matt Purke,  would thrust him into a Sunday start a mere five days after his first one; this time against college baseball powerhouse Cal State Fullerton.  The freshman responded by tossing five shutout innings and yielding just one hit with three walks and two strikeouts.  Although the bullpen couldn’t hold onto his lead, he still ended the week with 11 2/3 innings pitched with a 0.00 earned run average, three hits allowed, six walks, six strikeouts and his first career win.

Jamodrick McGruder, LF — Texas Tech Red Raiders

It was a good four days for Texas Tech outfielders.  Actually, it was a good four days for Texas Tech hitters in general, but McGruder did almost everything offensively possible to earn his keep this weekend.  Aside from getting plunked four times in four games, which should earn him at least something more than a bandage, the former Freshman All-American also stole two bases, batted .583, smacked three triples and drove in two runs while scoring five of his own.  He also walked four times and finished the weekend with an on-base percentage of .750 and a slugging percentage of 1.167 for a nasty 1.917 OPS.  McGruber has nothing on this guy as McGruder “took it like a man” this weekend and almost seemed to feed off of getting beaned.

Texas Sophomore Pitcher of the Week:

Michael Wacha, RHP — Texas A&M Aggies

If the name Wacha sounds familiar, don’t thank Fozzy Bear.  His name should actually sound familiar because he’s being featured for the second week in a row.  After six shutout innings in week one, he added to it by going seven shutout innings this past weekend against Gonzaga.  The Hoyas managed only five hits and struck out six times without a walk against the right-hander.  On the season now, he has tossed 13 innings with two wins in two starts without surrendering a run.  In fact, one more scoreless start just might have College Station shouting Wacha, Wacha, Wacha — which would be an appropriate chant when Baylor comes to town.

Anthony Rendon, 3B — Rice Owls

Rendon had a week reminiscent of Barry Bonds this past weekend.  Strike that, maybe that’s not a good comparison for an amateur athlete.  Perhaps Mark McGwire . . . never mind that comparison, either.  Let’s just put it this way.  Rendon took a lot of walks this week — seven to be exact.  Maybe there’s a reason for that.  He only batted .273 but hit two home runs, knocked in five runs and scored six runs of his own.  His .556 on base percentage dwarfed the batting average and more than made up for it.  Of course, that .818 slugging percentage didn’t look too bad, either.

Texas Junior Pitcher of the Week:

Taylor Jungmann, RHP — Texas Longhorns

Jungmann appears to be doing his best to remain a main-stay on this list.  After his first career shutout last weekend, the Longhorn ace went out and did it again against Hawaii.  The fact that he took the mound four hours after his normal start time didn’t seem to faze him at all as he pitched his second consecutive complete game shutout and allowed only four hits with nine strikeouts.

Chris Andreas, 1B — Sam Houston State Bearkats

Andreas put on a show in week two, simple as that.  He amassed a slugging percentage of 1.111 by going 9/18 at the plate with three home runs and two doubles.  He was also involved in a majority of the Bearkats’ runs by driving in ten and scoring seven.  He was named the “Hitter of the Year” by the SHSU baseball team in 2010.  Now we know why.

Texas Senior Pitcher of the Week:

Taylor Walton, RHP — UT-San Antonio

To be honest, it was a tough week for senior pitchers in Texas this week.  That’s probably because there aren’t very many of them, though.  Whatever the case, Walton went out and pitched a gem regardless of his classification.  The Midland native is playing his only season of Division I baseball, but didn’t look like it against St. Joseph’s with six scoreless innings on four hits with five strikeouts.  He earned his second win of the year and has now pitched 11 innings without allowing a run.

Texas Longhorns — vs. Stanford Friday, Saturday and Sunday

TCU Horned Frogs — @ Texas Tech Red Raiders Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Houston College Classic

Baylor Bears — vs. Houston Friday, Utah Saturday and Rice Sunday
Texas A&M Aggies — vs. Utah Friday, Rice Saturday and Houston Sunday
Houston Cougars — vs. Baylor Friday, Kentucky Saturday and Texas A&M Sunday
Rice Owls — vs. Kentucky Friday, Texas A&M Saturday and Baylor Sunday