Conclusions: Virginia beats K-State in NCAA tournament super regional opener

Kansas State baseball opened its Super Regional in disappointing fashion, seeing an early three-run lead slip away to Virginia.

The Wildcats opened the scoring in the first inning before a Kaelen Culpepper double in the third gave K-State a three-run lead in the opening frames. Home Launcher Owen Boerema then sailed out of several jams before allowing two runs in the bottom of the 5th and 6th to give Virginia the lead.

A David Bishop home run in the next frame tied the game, but the tie was short-lived as second baseman Henry Godbout responded with a three-run home run to give the Cavaliers a 7-4 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the game.

The loss puts K-State in a difficult position for the rest of the weekend, as it will have to win its next two games to advance to Omaha. While history doesn’t favor K-State advancing, many programs have advanced after abandoning their series opener. Now on the brink of elimination, the Wildcats will look to keep their season alive with a win tomorrow night.

Here are three takeaways from the Wildcats’ 7-4 series-opening loss.

Blake Dean inherited a difficult situation when he was called up from the bullpen, as Virginia had placed runners on first and second with one out. However, his output was lackluster, allowing two runs in 0.2 innings pitched.

Dean opened his night with a wild pitch that put each of Virginia’s runners in scoring position. Then a ground-rule double cleared the bases and gave the Cavaliers a late lead. In the next inning, he put the first two runners on base before being replaced by Cole Wisenbaker, who would allow the game-winning home run.

Dean has been a reliable pitcher for the Wildcats, and the relievers are sure to have disappointing performances. However, seeing this performance in the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament is less than ideal.

The Wildcats could call on Dean again in this series, so he needs to be ready, whether it’s tomorrow or Sunday in the series decider.

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Culpepper’s double in the third inning gave the Wildcats an early lead, which was all you could ask for from the Wildcats’ perspective. It was equally encouraging to see the hit coming from Culpepper, who has been the Wildcats’ driving force all season, especially in tournament play.

However, the rest of the offense was quite cold throughout the rest of the game. Bishop’s late home run gave them a beacon of hope, but it’s hard to beat a team like Virginia with just four runs.

The Cavaliers have one of the best offenses in the country and are always capable of turning a game on its head with one swing of the stick. They don’t turn games into marathons, they keep them like sprints. K-State needs to find ways to produce more offense against Virginia’s starting pitchers so they can get to the struggling bullpen early in the game.