The frost is melting, and the diamond is calling! The Kansas State Wildcats are gearing up to swing into their 2026 baseball season, and it's all kicking off this weekend in the sunny state of Arizona.
After a fantastic run that saw them make it to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, your Wildcats are back and ready to chase even bigger dreams. They're heading to the MLB Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Arizona, to face a challenging lineup of opponents.
But here's where it gets exciting: The team is bringing back a strong core of talent from last year's success. You'll see familiar faces like AJ Evasco, a Freshman All-American lighting up the outfield. The infield is looking solid with Dee Kennedy shifting to shortstop, Bear Madliak behind the plate at catcher, and Shintaro Inoue anchoring second base. And on the mound, Lincoln Sheffield, a key weekend starter, is back to lead the rotation.
And this is the part most people miss... While the Wildcats did lose two talented players to the 2025 MLB Draft – shortstop Maximus Martin and lefty pitcher Jacob Frost – they've managed to retain a significant chunk of their offensive firepower. Get this: they're bringing back nearly 50% of their offense across the board, including a whopping 54.7% of their total runs scored! On the pitching side, they've held onto 44.8% of their wins and 49% of their innings pitched. That's a lot of experience and production staying put!
Adding to the excitement, the 2026 Wildcats are also welcoming a Top 25 transfer class. Leading the charge is Grant Gallagher, a third baseman from East Tennessee. He's already earning serious buzz, being named the preseason #1 third-baseman in the Big 12 and #11 nationally by D1Baseball.com. Talk about an immediate impact!
The Wildcats are set to kick off their season with a demanding schedule at the MLB Desert Invitational. Here’s who they’ll be facing:
- Friday, February 13th, 2 PM CT: Against Iowa.
- Saturday, February 14th, 6 PM CT: Facing UConn.
- Sunday, February 15th, 1 PM CT: Taking on Penn State.
- Monday, February 16th, 2 PM CT: A matchup with Air Force.
Ideally, the Wildcats will be returning home with a winning record, but a perfect 4-0 start would be the ultimate way to begin the season.
Where to catch the action: You can tune into all four games on KMAN in Manhattan or stream them online at KStateSports.com/watch with Brian Smoller providing the play-by-play. While MLB.com will likely be streaming these games, K-State unfortunately didn't secure a broadcast slot on the MLB Network for this event.
Game 1: K-State vs. Iowa
This afternoon, from Goodyear Ballpark, the Wildcats will face the Iowa Hawkeyes for the 28th time. Their last encounter at this very invitational in 2023 saw Iowa clinch a narrow 6-5 victory. However, K-State holds a historical edge, leading the series 17-10. They'll be looking to extend that lead with James Guyette on the mound. Guyette had a strong showing last season as a reliever, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention with a 4.70 ERA in a team-leading 24 appearances. He also posted a 4-3 record and struck out 51 batters.
Iowa is coming off a 32-22-1 season in 2025, but narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament at-large bid despite a strong 21-9 record in Big Ten play. Their expected starter is RHP Tyler Guerin, who had a 7.02 ERA in 14 appearances last season.
Game 2: K-State vs. UConn
Saturday night promises the toughest test of the weekend as the Wildcats face the preseason Big East favorites, UConn, at 6 PM CT from Scottsdale Stadium. The Huskies had an impressive 38-21 overall record in 2025 and went 17-4 in the Big East, yet they also didn't secure an at-large bid to the postseason. The Huskies are expected to start LHP Cayden Suchy, who recorded a 3-4 record with a 5.93 ERA in nine appearances (four starts) as a freshman.
For K-State, sophomore Donte Lewis is slated to take the mound. Lewis proved his versatility last season as a true two-way player, posting a 6.63 ERA with two wins in 12 appearances (three mid-week starts) on the mound. Offensively, he played in 37 games with 23 starts, tallying 17 hits, 13 walks, and seven stolen bases.
This marks only the second meeting between these two programs, with UConn taking the victory in 2024.
Game 3: K-State vs. Penn State
Sunday afternoon brings a matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions at 1 PM CT from Sloan Park. Penn State had a successful 2025 season, finishing with a 33-23 record, their second-highest win total in program history and the first time reaching 30 wins since 2011. K-State holds a 3-1 advantage all-time against Penn State, though their last meeting was in 2007, where the Wildcats secured a 4-1 win.
The Nittany Lions are expected to start freshman righty Isaiah Shayter in his collegiate debut. K-State will counter with lefty Lincoln Sheffield. Sheffield finished last season strong, securing four consecutive wins, including a stellar performance in the 2025 NCAA Regional where he pitched 6.2 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out six in a 7-4 win. He finished his debut season in 2025 with a 7-4 record in 16 appearances (15 starts) and a 5.45 ERA.
Game 4: K-State vs. Air Force
To wrap up the invitational on Monday at 2 PM CT, the Wildcats will face Air Force, again at Sloan Park. The Falcons had a 20-34 overall record last season and went 12-18 in Mountain West play. K-State boasts a 14-5 series lead against Air Force, though it feels like they've played more often than that record suggests. Their last series in 2023 saw them split a mid-week set.
Air Force has not yet announced their starting pitcher. The Wildcats are expected to send junior right-hander Tanner Duke to the mound. Duke posted a 4.97 ERA in his first season at K-State last year, going 2-3 with 13 appearances and seven starts, all in mid-week games.
What are your predictions for the Wildcats this weekend? Do you think they'll start the season with a perfect record, or will there be a surprise or two? Let us know in the comments below!
