Kansas State Rallies for Win Over Michigan at Globe Life Field
The Kansas State Wildcats baseball team is officially on a tear! After a weekend packed with high-stakes action at Globe Life Field, the Wildcats capped things off. Wondering how they did it? Well, they outlasted the Michigan Wolverines baseball team in a 10-6 victory during the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series finale.
Kansas State Wildcats Stay Red-Hot at Globe Life Field
The win pushes K-State to 6-1, marking the program’s best start since 2010. Through seven games, the Wildcats have outscored opponents 73-36.
CATS WIN!!!#EMAW pic.twitter.com/ehE7f3uNOE
— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) February 23, 2026
Against Big Ten competition, K-State is a perfect 4-0, outscoring those opponents 54-22. The final score looks comfortable, but this one didn’t start that way. Michigan capitalized on a throwing error in the second inning to grab a 2-0 lead. For a moment, it felt like the momentum might tilt toward the Wolverines. It didn’t last.
K-State responded immediately, scoring nine of its 10 runs over a three-inning stretch. The real damage came in a five-run second inning that flipped the game on its head. After falling behind, the Wildcats plated three runs quickly and eventually sent eight batters to the plate in the frame.
Micah Kendrick delivered the spark with a two-RBI double down the left-field line. That took Shintaro Inoue and Grant Gallagher after both worked their way into scoring position. Catcher Bear Madliak greeted the new pitcher with a hit up the middle, giving K-State a 3-2 lead. Madliak later swiped his first stolen base as a Wildcat, moved to third on a balk, and scored on a wild pitch.
Leading 4-2, Dee Kennedy was named the FloSports Player of the Game. He crushed a 384-foot solo home run to left field to extend the advantage. The teams later traded three-run innings, making it 9-6, before Carlos Vasquez added breathing room with a 392-foot solo shot in the seventh to break a brief scoring lull.
The Wildcats have homered in four of their seven games this season, hitting exactly two home runs in each of those contests. On Sunday, both long balls went to left field, and both came at pivotal moments.
Kennedy finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, recording his third multi-hit game and fourth game with multiple RBI this season. It was also his third home run of the year. He’s not just swinging hard. He’s delivering consistently. Vasquez added two hits and launched his first home run as a Wildcat in the seventh inning. It marked his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
Holding the Line in the Offensive Efficiency and Situational Edge
For the first time since April 22, 2025, against the Wichita State Shockers baseball team, K-State did not issue a single walk. Even more impressive, it was the first walk-free outing against a Power 4 opponent since March 2, 2025, versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team.
Starter Jacob Sheffield improved to 2-0, throwing 6 2/3 innings without walking a batter. The Flowood, Mississippi native allowed six runs, four earned, on nine hits with one strikeout. The win marked his third consecutive victory dating back to 2025. Over two seasons in Manhattan, he has now posted six starts of six or more innings.
Cohen Feser, a redshirt senior transfer from TCU Horned Frogs baseball, earned his first save of the season with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Across two appearances this year, Feser has delivered 4 1/3 consecutive shutout innings. K-State turned nine hits into 10 runs. They committed two errors but stranded only two runners on base. Michigan scored six runs on 10 hits and left eight stranded.
Six Wildcats recorded a hit. Four players posted multi-hit games. Five different players drove in multiple RBIs. The Wildcats have now scored 10 or more runs in four of seven games and produced four separate innings this season with five or more runs.
In the ninth inning, the Wolverines put runners on the corners via a hit-by-pitch and a fielding error, creating late pressure. Michigan used six pitchers in a staff-day approach, with three throwing at least two innings. The constant changes didn’t disrupt K-State’s rhythm. The Wildcats kept adjusting and kept scoring.
With the win, K-State leads the all-time series 3-1 and has won back-to-back games at Globe Life Field in 2025 and 2026. The Wildcats are now 5-1 in the College Baseball Series at the venue since 2025 and improve to 2-1 against Michigan under Hughes.
Next up, K-State travels to face the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team in a two-game midweek series at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park. The first pitch is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m., and both games will stream live on ESPN+.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.