Kansas State baseball embraces high expectations for 2024 season
MANHATTAN — Kansas State baseball coach Pete Hughes and his Wildcats were understandably upset last year when they were snubbed by the selection committee for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats strongly believed that their résumé — a 35-24 record, including a fifth-place record of 13-11 in the Big 12 and a semifinal berth in the conference tournament — warranted inclusion in the NCAA field.
No doubt K-State used that slight as fuel during the offseason in preparing for a run at the program's first national tournament bid since 2013. With a No. 24 preseason ranking and two legitimate preseason All-Americans leading the way, the Wildcats have arguably their deepest and most talented team in six years under Hughes.
"Obviously, we can talk about last year all we want, but we're moving forward and there's a reason why everybody's back here in this room," Hughes said Wednesday during the Wildcats' media day. "Because we have high expectations.
"We have a team whose strength is depth, and a team whose strength on the mound, which is how you win in college baseball. I think we have a multi-dimensional offense, which gives us a lot of options, and certainly ways to win."
The Wildcats open their season next Friday at the MLB Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they will face California, Boston College and Georgetown in consecutive days before heading to Phoenix to take on Arizona State on Feb. 20. They then play three games against Holy Cross on Feb. 23-25 to open their home schedule at Tointon Family Stadium.
Here are five things to watch for as the Wildcats embark on what they hope will be their most productive season since reaching the NCAA Super Regional in 2013.
Related: Kansas State baseball eliminates Kansas with 7-1 victory in Big 12 Tournament
Tyson Neighbors and Kaelen Culpepper provide star power
Right-handed relief pitcher Tyson Neighbors and shortstop Kaelen Culpepper both were named to the Baseball America preseason All-America first team this week. Neighbors is also a first-team choice by the National College Baseball Writers Association, D1Baseball and Perfect Game as well.
Both players also played for Team USA last summer and are projected as early round draft picks.
Culpepper, a junior, is a two-time Big 12 honorable mention pick and hit .325 with 10 home runs and 41 runs batted in last year, and he led Team USA with a .471 average. Neighbors had a breakout sophomore season in 2023 and was a consensus All-American after posting a 1.85 earned run average with 11 saves.
Related: Kansas State baseball stays alive in Big 12 Tournament with 6-0 shutout of top seed Texas
Wildcats embrace high expectations
While Hughes downplayed the Wildcats' No. 24 preseason ranking, the Wildcats are not shying away from it either.
"We all came here for postseason rankings," Hughes said. "It's nice for our kids to get the attention and our program to get the attention finally at a national level, but it's the postseason rankings that we're the most interested in.
"But our kids have earned the right and have commanded the right to have high preseason expectations. We just need to sustain them."
Checking out the potential starting lineup
Hughes said if the season opened this week, his starting infield would consist of Southern New Hampshire transfer Danniel Rivera at third base, Culpepper at shortstop, Brady Day at second and TCU transfer David Bishop at first. Day was the Wildcats' leading hitter last year with a .356 average and Culpepper will make the move from third base to shortstop.
Brendan Jones returns in center field, Kyan Lodis has the edge in right, and Wichita State transfer Chuck Ingram is expected to slot into the left field spot.
On the mound, left-hander Owen Boerma had a 7-2 record with a 5.06 ERA as the top starter last year, followed by righty Ty Ruhl (4-4, 5.31). Junior Raphael Pelletier returns at catcher.
Wildcats have shortage of talent
If there is one difference with his 2024 team over last year's it is the ability to withstand injuries or individual slumps, Hughes said.
"I do think that we just have more depth in the program than the team we had last year, and it was a great team," he said. "So, I kind of stay away from superlatives, but I'm confident enough not to back off saying that team is good enough to play at the highest levels of college baseball this year."
Nonconference schedule presents a challenge
Hughes is not thrilled about midweek road trips to Tennessee, Clemson, UConn and Northeastern among others, but the metrics for reaching the NCAA Tournament almost demand it.
"It has to be one of the most difficult schedules in college baseball, but until the RPI is changed, we'll continue to schedule that way," he said. "We'll take on the academic strains, and we're tough enough to handle it, but it's at the forefront of what we're doing is putting our program in the best situation to play in the national tournament and get in that race to Omaha."
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Five things to watch for as Kansas State baseball nears season opener
